Rillaboom Movesets & Competitive Sets

Rillaboom is a fairly powerful physical attacker with solid bulk, setting up Grassy Terrain to aid its teammates and throw off a high-Base Power priority STAB move. High Horsepower provides valuable coverage against otherwise problematic Fire- and Poison-types like Chi-Yu, Arceus-Poison, and Galarian Slowking, as well as dealing with Steel-types such as Solgaleo and Kingambit. Alternatively, Knock Off serves as a valuable utility tool, as well as providing more power against Psychic- and Ghost-types like Mewtwo and Giratina. Tera Grass's power boost gives Rillaboom a 50% chance to OHKO bulky Great Tusk and a guaranteed OHKO on Regieleki with Grassy Glide. In terms of useful teammates, Sneasler is a very strong pick, because Grassy Terrain activates its Grassy Terrain + Unburden combination, raising its Speed to extremely high levels and providing a nice Defense boost; additionally, Grassy Terrain reducing Earthquake's damage improves its survivability even further. Bulky Pokemon without reliable recovery like Magearna and Palkia-O are also aided by the recovery effect of Grassy Terrain. Rillaboom fears strong, faster attackers that it can't threaten with its coverage, such as Chi-Yu, Arceus-Poison, Chien-Pao, and Kyurem-W, so Pokemon that can take these threats on like Zamazenta-C, Zacian, and Choice Scarf Landorus are helpful partners. Grassy Terrain nerfing Earthquake's damage aids many other Pokemon that are vulnerable to Ground-types, such as Arceus-Poison, Solgaleo, and Chi-Yu.

Rillaboom's offensive prowess and strong STAB moves, boosted further by Grassy Terrain, make it one of strongest physical attackers in the metagame. Grassy Terrain also plays an important role of overriding other Terrains such as Electric Terrain from Miraidon and Psychic Terrain from Indeedee-F. Grassy Glide is used, since it allows Rillaboom to threaten Pokemon that are faster than it like Urshifu-R. High Horsepower is used to threaten super effective damage on Pokemon like Raging Bolt, Miraidon, and Incineroar. U-turn allows Rillaboom to switch in and out of the battle, helping it reset Grassy Terrain consistently. Protect can be utilized on Miracle Seed variants to block Fake Out as well as stall Trick Room. Choice Band allows Rillaboom to OHKO foes it normally doesn't, while Miracle Seed allows Rillaboom to use Fake Out and means that Rillaboom isn't locked into a single move. The EV spread allows Rillaboom to OHKO Urshifu-R with Miracle Seed Grassy Glide and almost always OHKO Calyrex-I with Choice Band Tera Grass Wood Hammer. In conjunction with Choice Band, Rillaboom can OHKO Miraidon with High Horsepower. The defensive investment allows Rillaboom to survive a Flare Blitz from Incineroar. Tera Grass is used to amplify Rillaboom's damage, while Tera Fire is used defensively to resist Fire- and Ice-type moves like Flare Blitz from Incineroar and Ice Spinner from Chien-Pao. Tera Fire can also be used to gain immunity to Will-O-Wisp. Rillaboom is a great partner to Zamazenta-C, which appreciates its offensive capability to threaten Pokemon like Urshifu-R, Calyrex-S, and Kyogre. Wide Guard support from Zamazenta-C can protect Rillaboom from spread moves like Glacial Lance and Astral Barrage, allowing it to stay on the field longer. Rillaboom pairs well with Chien-Pao, which provides another multiplier to Rillaboom's nuclear damage through Sword of Ruin; in return, Rillaboom helps Chien-Pao by OHKOing Urshifu-R. Urshifu-R and Incineroar are great teammates as well, as the trio forms the Fire / Water / Grass core. Rillaboom has a bad matchup against Incineroar and Tornadus, which resist its moves and threaten it with Flare Blitz and Bleakwind Storm, respectively. Furthermore, Incineroar is a counter to Rillaboom thanks to Intimidate and its ability to threaten Fake Out on Choice Band variants. Chien-Pao is another check, which can survive one attack thanks to Focus Sash and OHKO Rillaboom with Ice Spinner or Icicle Crash.

Clear Amulet Rillaboom works well with Pokemon that would benefit from Rillaboom's Grassy Terrain and offensive presence, such as Assault Vest Raging Bolt. High Horsepower is used as coverage to deal super effective damage to Pokemon such as Gholdengo, Raging Bolt, and Incineroar. Clear Amulet provides immunity to Hisuian Arcanine's and Incineroar's Intimidates and Speed drops from Flutter Mane's Icy Wind and Raging Bolt's Electroweb. The first EV spread allows Rillaboom to survive Special Attack Booster Energy Raging Bolt's +1 Dragon Pulse. The second EV spread allows Rillaboom to outspeed Jolly Incineroar. In both of these EV spreads, the rest of the EVs have been dumped into Attack to maximize offense. Tera Fire gives Rillaboom a resistance to Fairy-type moves such as Flutter Mane's Moonblast and an immunity to burn. Tera Water allows Rillaboom to keep its resistance to Water while providing most of the resistances Tera Fire provides. Both Tera types provide Rillaboom with resistances to Fire-type attacks such as Incineroar's Flare Blitz and Ogerpon-H's Ivy Cudgel, Ice-type attacks such as Articuno's Blizzard, and Steel-type attacks such as Gholdengo's Make It Rain and Iron Crown's Tachyon Cutter. Tera Ground is used to give STAB to High Horsepower, ensuring 2HKOs on Pokemon that resist Rillaboom's Grass-type moves such as Incineroar, Raging Bolt, and Tera Poison Ting-Lu. Tera Ground also offers a resistance to Poison-type moves such as Landorus's Sludge Bomb.

Maximum Attack along with Tera Grass allows Rillaboom to always KO Flutter Mane with Sword of Ruin-boosted Grassy Glide. Protect is favored as the last move, as Rillaboom loses a lot of the bulk from the Assault Vest. This set generally looks for all-or-nothing plays, picking up OHKOs against common tanks such as Iron Hands, Farigiraf, and Ogerpon-W with Wood Hammer, and picking up KOs on frailer pokemon with Grassy Glide. This set can struggle against Intimidate, especially Incineroar, as the sudden drop to its Attack can severely minimize the absurdity of Rillaboom's attacks, allowing bulkier Pokemon to survive a boosted Wood Hammer. The EV spread allows Rillaboom to survive Tera Stellar Ice Spinner from Chien-Pao at -1 and almost always take Fairy Feather Tera Fairy Flutter Mane's Moonblast. Rillaboom can afford to forgo Speed investment, as it already outspeeds common slow Pokemon like Farigiraf and Incineroar.

Rillaboom is one of Regulation G's strongest pivots, slotting well into most teams because of its extremely flexible toolkit. Terrain control is especially valuable in a format where Miraidon and Indeedee-F are prevalent, with Grassy Terrain elevating Wood Hammer's damage to nuclear levels. Fake Out and Grassy Glide provide strong utility, with the latter threatening the many foes that outspeed Rillaboom and being able to pick off low HP targets. U-turn is generally preferred to give Rillaboom a pivot option, but High Horsepower can also be used as coverage for Incineroar and Raging Bolt. Assault Vest is used to match up better into special threats such as Tornadus and Calyrex-S, as well as because Rillaboom doesn't run status moves regardless. The Speed investment outspeeds Calyrex-S while under Tailwind, while the bulk investment makes Astral Barrage from Life Orb Calyrex-S almost always a 3HKO after terrain recovery and allows Rillaboom to live a Flare Blitz from Incineroar. The Attack investment almost always OHKOes Urshifu-R at -1 Attack with Wood Hammer. Rillaboom is strong with any Restricted Pokemon that benefits from its offensive coverage or its terrain and Fake Out granting longevity and setup opportunity, respectively, such as Calyrex-S, Terapagos, and Kyogre, with the former two appreciating Rillaboom removing Urshifu-R, a counter for both. Rillaboom doesn't need any particular support to function, but Pokemon that complete the Fire / Water Grass defensive core such as Incineroar and Urshifu-R work well. The former can make Rillaboom even harder to KO with Intimidate and has its own Fake Out to complement Rillaboom's cycling, while the latter presents a more offensive threat that hits through Protect, the most common way to beat Fake Out. Rillaboom's worst matchups are those that either resist its Grass-type STAB moves or can weaken its attacks. Opposing Incineroar are a prime example, resisting Grass and hampering its damage with Intimidate.

Miracle Seed Rillaboom is an offensive piece that can still support its team with Fake Out, Grassy Terrain, and utility in U-turn pivoting or Taunt. U-turn is the fourth move of choice on most Miracle Seed Rillaboom; however, Taunt can be used instead to help shut down Amoonguss, and Protect can be used to aid in positioning. Miracle Seed allows Rillaboom to OHKO Primarina and Basculegion with Grassy Glide and OHKO Maushold with Wood Hammer. Rillaboom does not Terastallize often, but Tera Grass can be used to finish off low HP Pokemon with Grassy Glide or to nuke bulkier threats. For example, Tera Grass allows Rillaboom to OHKO Annihilape with Wood Hammer. Tera Fire gives Rillaboom an immunity to Will-O-Wisp from Magmar and a resistance to common Fire- and Steel-type moves from Pokemon such as Incineroar, Hisuian Typhlosion, and Gholdengo. The EV spread allows Rillaboom to survive a +2 Shadow Ball from Gholdengo, a Flare Blitz from Incineroar, and a Dire Claw from Sneasler. Miracle Seed Rillaboom is able to deal extra damage, allowing it to break through teams more effectively. Additionally, it is able to use status moves such as Taunt and Protect that are not available to Assault Vest Rillaboom. However, Miracle Seed Rillaboom is less effective as a defensive pivot, as it takes significantly more damage from special moves.

Assault Vest Rillaboom excels at being a bulky pivot that is able to support its team with Fake Out and Grassy Terrain recovery while having high damage output with Wood Hammer. Rillaboom synergizes very well with setup Pokemon that appreciate the free turns that Fake Out provides as well as the healing from Grassy Terrain. Grassy Glide allows Rillaboom to take care of weakened foes, while Wood Hammer compensates for the low power of Grassy Glide to operate as a nuke. U-turn is usually the last move of choice on Rillaboom, as it allows one of its partners to come in safely while chipping down the foe, but Rillaboom can forgo it for High Horsepower, which allows Rillaboom to hit common Steel- and Fire-types such as Kingambit, Gholdengo, and Incineroar. Assault Vest is used on Rillaboom, as it enhances Rillaboom's ability to pivot, with the tradeoff being that it is unable to run status moves such as Protect and Taunt. Tera Fire gives Rillaboom an immunity to Will-O-Wisp and a resistance to common Fire- and Steel-type moves from Pokemon such as Incineroar, Hisuian Typhlosion, and Gholdengo. The Speed investment allows Rillaboom to outspeed maximum Speed Tyranitar and uninvested Annihilape, while the Attack investment allows Rillaboom to OHKO both Ursaluna formes with Wood Hammer. The bulk allows Rillaboom to live Flare Blitz from Incineroar, two Ice Beams from Porygon2, and a +1 Fiery Dance from Volcarona. Assault Vest Rillaboom is able to function a lot more effectively as a bulky pivot, as it is able to switch into special moves more easily. This is particularly helpful against teams that are more offensive in nature, such as hard Trick Room teams and Tailwind hyper offense teams that usually use strong specially offensive Pokemon such as Gholdengo and Hatterene to break through teams.

Set Details Rillaboom is a strong physical attacker and a flexible positional piece. Grassy Surge is able to power up its Grass-type attacks while giving its team passive recovery and Terrain control against Miraidon and Indeedee-F compositions. Its access to Fake Out and U-turn help partners set up and position safely. Its Grass-type STAB moves are valuable to hit the format's Water-types, such as Urshifu-R and Tera Water Calyrex-I. Rillaboom runs both Wood Hammer and Grassy Glide to give it access to both strong burst damage and a priority attack to pick off foes at low HP, such as Choice Scarf Urshifu and Calyrex-S. High Horsepower can also be run to hit Pokemon like Incineroar, Miraidon, and Raging Bolt, though it prefers to run U-turn to help the team position correctly and reset Fake Out pressure. Assault Vest patches up Rillaboom's mediocre Special Defense, allowing it to better take on special attackers such as Miraidon, Calyrex-S, and Kyogre. Its inability to use Protect is less relevant, as Rillaboom would often prefer to switch out when threatened in order to reset Fake Out pressure. The allocated bulk allows Rillaboom to survive Helping Hand Draco Meteor from Timid Choice Specs Miraidon in the Grassy Terrain or a +2 Astral Barrage from Life Orb or Tera Ghost Calyex-S. The Attack investment allows Rillaboom to OHKO bulky Flutter Mane with Wood Hammer. Tera Fire gives Rillaboom a resistance to the Ice and Fire-type attacks it was previously weak to, such as Chien-Pao's Icicle Crash, Calyrex-I's Glacial Lance, and Chi-Yu's Fire-type STAB moves. Tera Water gives similar defensive properties but doesn't leave Rillaboom weak to Calyrex-I's High Horsepower or Kyogre's Water-type STAB moves. In exchange, Tera Water Rillaboom gives up the immunity to getting burned and makes itself vulnerable against opposing Rillaboom. Teambuilding Calyrex-I, Koraidon, Ogerpon-H, Chi-Yu, and Chien-Pao all threaten to OHKO Rillaboom with their respective Fire and Ice-type attacks. Rillaboom does not threaten Zamazenta-C or Zacian-C, while both threaten significant damage back. Incineroar and Urshifu-R commonly pair with Rillaboom to form a Fire / Water / Grass core on balance teams. Incineroar and Urshifu-R are strong into the likes of Calyrex-I, Ogerpon-H, Chi-Yu, and Chien-Pao. Calyrex-S and Terapagos appreciate Rillaboom's Fake Out support to allow them to set up, while Terapagos especially appreciates Rillaboom's Grassy Terrain recovery resetting Tera Shell. Calyrex-S can also remove opposing Koraidon. Zamazenta-C appreciates Rillaboom's ability to remove physically bulky Water-types such as Urshifu-R and Tera-Water Calyrex-I, and it can protect Rillaboom from Glacial Lance thanks to Wide Guard. Zamazenta-C can also remove Chien-Pao to free up Rillaboom.

Choice Band Rillaboom functions as both a strong wallbreaker and late-game sweeper thanks to Grassy Glide. It also provides great support with Grassy Terrain, both boosting its teammates' Grass-type STAB moves and granting them a form of recovery. Thanks to Grassy Glide, not only does Rillaboom dismantle walls like Empoleon and Garganacl with ease, but it also targets faster threats such as Iron Boulder, Flutter Mane, and Keldeo. Wood Hammer removes targets that Grassy Glide wouldn't fare well against like Toxapex and Gliscor. Knock Off grants coverage against Ghost-types like Dragapult, Gholdengo, and Brambleghast and removes items from the likes of Corviknight and Dragonite. Alternatively, High Horsepower targets bulky Poison- and Steel-types such as Alolan Muk, Hisuian Goodra, and Heatran. U-turn allows Rillaboom to pivot one of its teammates in safely while still dealing big damage to the likes of Meowscarada and Hydreigon. A Jolly nature allows Rillaboom to outspeed and threaten non-Choice Scarf Gholdengo and speed tie with unboosted Kingdra. Brambleghast aids Rillaboom's wallbreaking thanks to its Spikes wearing down incoming foes and Rapid Spin removing entry hazards so Rillaboom has more opportunities to switch in. Brambleghast is also able to switch in against an anticipated Hurricane, Blizzard, or Heat Wave thanks to its Wind Rider ability. Amoonguss makes for another great teammate, being able to immobilize a check to Rillaboom like Galarian Weezing or Sneasler with Spore and punish physical attackers that threaten Rillaboom such as Scizor with Foul Play. Rillaboom forms strong wallbreaking cores with special attackers like Sinistcha and Hydrapple. It checks Flutter Mane and Ting-Lu for them, and in return, Sinistcha handles Zamazenta as well as potentially spreading burns with Matcha Gotcha, while Hydrapple can set up and deal with Archaludon if it is not running Draco Meteor. Ogerpon-H and Ogerpon-C remove foes that Rillaboom struggles with. Specifically, Ogerpon-H deals with Corviknight, Amoonguss, and Choice Specs Iron Crown, while Ogerpon-C handles Moltres and unboosted Volcarona. In return, Rillaboom deals with faster threats such as Choice Scarf Landorus and Greninja. Choice Scarf Meowscarada outspeeds and threatens speedy threats like Chien-Pao and Choice Scarf Roaring Moon, and thanks to Protean, it improves Grass's matchup against types like Dragon. Rillaboom's wallbreaking paves the way for opportunities for Hisuian Lilligant to clean late-game.

Rillaboom can utilize Swords Dance to become a powerful offensive threat on Grass teams, acting as an excellent wallbreaker and cleaner with Grassy Glide. Wood Hammer with Grassy Terrain support OHKOes non-Assault Vest Iron Hands and has a chance to OHKO physically defensive Gliscor and Toxapex at +2 with Life Orb. Taunt is an option to stop entry hazard setting attempts from Araquanid, Archaludon, and Ting-Lu, as well as Haze from Toxapex. Knock Off removes many important items from foes that try to switch in on Rillaboom, such as Heavy-Duty Boots from Avalugg and Braviary, Choice Specs from Iron Moth, and Soul Dew from Latios and Latias. High Horsepower allows Rillaboom to deal with Fire-, Poison-, and Steel-types, most notably non-Air Balloon Heatran, Hisuian Goodra, and Alolan Muk. Terrain Extender supports Rillaboom and its teammates by providing extra turns of Grassy Terrain to help them clean through weakened teams easier with Grassy Glide. However, Life Orb is an option that gives Rillaboom extra power, letting it grab KOs it wouldn't normally obtain. An Adamant nature can be used to maximize Rillaboom's power, but a Jolly nature ensures that it can outpace non-Choice Scarf Gholdengo while Speed tying with opposing Rillaboom. This particular Rillaboom set finds a good place on offensive teams that benefit from its ability to revenge kill foes and clean up in the late-game. Brambleghast shines as a teammate, setting layers of Spikes on the field to help Rillaboom clean through weakened teams more easily. It can also switch in on Bleakwind Storm and Heat Wave from Tornadus-T thanks to Wind Rider, and remove entry hazards from the field with Rapid Spin, letting Rillaboom switch in much more freely. Ogerpon-H and Ogerpon-C are also excellent partners, as they answer threats to Rillaboom; Ogerpon-H checks Corviknight, Skarmory, and Heatran with Ivy Cudgel, while Ogerpon-C checks Flying- and Fire-types like Mandibuzz, Moltres, Ninetales, and Volcarona. Breloom is a great teammate, utilizing Spore on foes such as Corviknight and Hisuian Arcanine to open up opportunities for Rillaboom to freely set up. Breloom checks Dark- and Steel-types like Bisharp, Roaring Moon, Archaludon, and Meowscarada, while Rillaboom checks both Flutter Mane and Spectrier with Grassy Glide, which Breloom struggles to deal with. Choice Scarf Meowscarada is an ideal partner, outspeeding threats like Choice Scarf Roaring Moon and Choice Specs Dragapult and dealing with them using Triple Axel, two Pokemon that Rillaboom struggles against.

Rillaboom is a strong offensive pivot that can threaten large amounts of damage; it also provides Fake Out support for setup users like Kingambit, Gholdengo, and Raging Bolt and creates free turns for Pokemon such as Tornadus and Diancie to use their speed control options. Grassy Glide is a priority option that lets Rillaboom pick up KOs on chipped foes throughout the game and notably 2HKOes Chien-Pao and Ursaluna-B. Wood Hammer 2HKOes foes that do not resist Grass, including bulky Pokemon such as Volcanion, Landorus-T, and Iron Hands, as well as OHKOing non-Defense boosted Diancie and potentially uninvested Landorus. U-turn provides Rillaboom with an opportunity to pivot throughout the game and make heavy use of its support options. This allows it to keep Grassy Terrain in play as well as cycle Fake Out turns to support its teammates. Rillaboom's offensive presence and Fake Out support enable it to force more defensive plays from opponents, allowing it to pivot and flip matchups. High Horsepower can be brought instead of Wood Hammer or U-turn, which allows Rillaboom to hit Pokemon that often wall it, such as Archaludon, Gholdengo, Volcanion, and Chi-Yu. However, losing Wood Hammer or U-turn comes at the cost of being able to threaten fewer OHKOs and pivot less, respectively. Rillaboom's Grassy Terrain provides recovery for bulky partners like Raging Bolt and Volcanion, enables setup sweepers like Grassy Seed Chi-Yu and Kingambit, and removes Psychic Terrain for priority attackers like Chien-Pao and Kingambit. Due to Rillaboom's immense bulk and U-turn pivoting, its Terrain is able to be set up multiple times per battle easily. Assault Vest boosts Rillaboom's Special Defense, allowing it to switch in often and making it more effective against Pokemon like Gholdengo and Archaludon. Assault Vest allows Rillaboom to survive one Sludge Bomb from Landorus as well as one Bleakwind Storm from offensive Tornadus. Tera Fire allows Rillaboom to flip matchups against prolific Fire-, Ice- and Grass-types, such as Chi-Yu, Incineroar, Ogerpon-H, and Chien-Pao, which it struggles to combat defensively without using Tera. Tera Grass can also be used on teams where Rillaboom is needed to perform more offensively, boosting its STAB Grassy Glide and Wood Hammer. Tera Grass guarantees an OHKO with Wood Hammer and a 2HKO with Grassy Glide against Ting-Lu, Ogerpon-W, Landorus, and Walking Wake. Rillaboom has the flexibility to fit on almost any team because of its immense utility, power, and bulk. Key teammates include bulky setup Pokemon such as Kingambit, Raging Bolt, and Gholdengo, which appreciate its Grassy Terrain and Fake Out support, providing opportunities to set up and additional recovery. Priority attackers like Chien-Pao, Kingambit, and Dragonite appreciate Rillaboom's ability to remove Psychic Terrain. Landorus and Chi-Yu appreciate Rillaboom's offensive presence to threaten their common checks like Ogerpon-W as well as Fake Out support to deliver more turns of devastating attacks.

Choice Band Rillaboom is an incredibly strong wallbreaker that threatens almost all defensive cores because of terrain-boosted Wood Hammer and its synergy with entry hazard setters thanks to Knock Off. Grassy Glide provides Rillaboom with speed control, threatening faster Pokemon like Ogerpon-C, Ogerpon-W, Weavile, and Bulk Up Great Tusk alongside some potential prior chip damage. U-turn lets Rillaboom make progress by forcing in counters like Skarmory and Pecharunt for another teammate to pressure. Tera Grass boosts the damage of Wood Hammer and Grassy Glide to absurd levels, giving Rillaboom the ability to 2HKO physically bulky Grass-resistant foes like Necrozma-DM and Mandibuzz with Wood Hammer and OHKO Ogerpon-W, Iron Valiant, and Great Tusk with Grassy Glide. Choice Band Rillaboom best fits on offense and balance teams looking for a strong wallbreaker with priority. High Attack gods like Necrozma-DM and Rayquaza are mandatory, as Rillaboom's base Attack is not enough to overwhelm cores. Teammates that can make use of Grassy Terrain like Sneasler, Hisuian Electrode, and Pecharunt are good partners, with Sneasler being able to activate Unburden, Hisuian Electrode gaining significant power on its Leaf Storm, and Pecharunt both taking less damage from Earthquake and gaining extra recovery while providing pivoting with Parting Shot. Pivots like Sandy Shocks, Hisuian Electrode, and Iron Moth that can pressure Grass-resistant foes make for great teammates, as they can pressure the few switch-ins to Rillaboom, especially Skarmory, Moltres, and Hydrapple, while also creating VoltTurn cores. Slow pivots like Slowking, Mandibuzz, and Pecharunt help Rillaboom switch in safely, allowing it more chances to wallbreak. Spikes setters like Skarmory, Ting-Lu, and Sandy Shocks make for fantastic teammates, as they, in conjunction with Knock Off from Rillaboom or other teammates, considerably chip grounded foes who don't have Heavy-Duty Boots like Pecharunt, Necrozma-DM, and Tera Steel users like Slowking and Clodsire. Similarly, Stealth Rock setters like Landorus-T, Clefable, and Necrozma-DM make for great teammates, with the former having U-turn and the latter two also having Knock Off to reduce the necessity for Rillaboom to use Knock Off itself.

Rillaboom is a viable wallbreaker and cleaner thanks to Grassy Surge giving its STAB moves higher power and providing priority to Grassy Glide. U-turn allows Rillaboom to keep up momentum for its team and gives it utility versus teams packing several Grass-resistant Pokemon. Superpower allows Rillaboom to slam Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Kingambit. Knock Off 2HKOes all variants of Gholdengo and allows Rillaboom to remove items from the likes of Zapdos, Moltres, and Corviknight. High Horsepower is an option that OHKOes offensive Gholdengo, OHKOes uninvested Raging Bolt after Stealth Rock, and still hits Steel-types like Heatran, Melmetal, and Kingambit hard, but the benefits are generally very marginal compared to what Superpower and Knock Off offer. Choice Band combined with an Adamant nature allow Rillaboom to hit as hard as possible, and, combined with Grassy Surge, notably makes Wood Hammer 2HKO even bulky resists such as Galarian Slowking and Kingambit. Rillaboom makes for an interesting addition to teams thanks to its unique offensive profile alongside providing its team with Grassy Terrain support. Grassy Terrain is excellent support for several of the tier's Steel-types, as it removes their weakness to Earthquake and provides them with additional recovery. Melmetal, Gholdengo, and Kingambit are notable beneficiaries that also switch into Ice- and Bug-type attacks from Mega Scizor, Kyurem, and Weavile for Rillaboom. They can also help pressure their shared checks in Moltres, Zapdos, and Corviknight via Knock Off from Kingambit, status from Melmetal, or raw wallbreaking power from Gholdengo. Rillaboom greatly dislikes Fire-types, as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, and Moltres all have a 4x resistance to its STAB moves and threaten it in return. Bulky Water- and Dragon-types such as Toxapex, Mega Latios, Raging Bolt, and Dragonite can safely come in on these threats and force them out, although Toxapex fears being trapped by Heatran. Alomomola and Slowbro are less ironclad against these specific threats but make up for that via their pivoting moves to get Rillaboom in safely and create a pivoting core with it. Rillaboom's Grassy Glide makes it adept at revenge killing faster Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types such as Urshifu-R, Mega Diancie, and Great Tusk. This is appreciated by teammates such as Moltres, Heatran, and Kingambit, which often find themselves forced out by these threats and therefore appreciate Rillaboom acting as insurance versus them.

Offensive Swords Dance Rillaboom serves as a great mid- and late-game threat largely due to the threat of priority Grassy Glide boosted by Swords Dance thanks to its ability to set Grassy Terrain. Knock Off is great at nailing Gholdengo while dealing decent damage against other Grass-resistant foes, such as Moltres and Zapdos; it can also remove crucial items from these Pokemon, notably Heavy-Duty Boots from the latter two. Superpower dispatches other Steel-types easily, such as Heatran and Melmetal, while Drain Punch provides more longevity against foes such as Kingambit at the expense of dealing less damage and missing out on the OHKO on Raging Bolt and Melmetal when at +2. Adamant nature maximizes Rillaboom's damage output, and the lost Speed doesn't matter much due to its subpar Speed tier and Grassy Glide's priority with Grassy Terrain. Life Orb also provides a damage boost, and the HP reduction is mitigated by Grassy Terrain healing and Drain Punch. Swords Dance Rillaboom fits best on offensive teams that can make use of its high power, shore up its low Speed stat, and appreciate the Grassy Terrain it provides. Swords Dance-boosted attacks can dispatch a variety of slow, bulky Pokemon, such as Ting-Lu, Slowbro, and Alomomola; therefore, teammates that can clean up after Rillaboom's mid-game assault, such as Dragonite, Volcarona, and Iron Valiant, are highly valued. Against faster teams, Rillaboom's strong priority Grassy Glide can KO frailer, faster Pokemon such as Iron Valiant and Urshifu-R; however, it struggles against Pokemon that resist Grass, such as Volcarona, Mega Charizard Y, and Dragonite. As a result, teammates that can dispatch these Pokemon, such as Urshifu-R, Raging Bolt, and Weavile, are greatly appreciated. With base 125 Attack, Rillaboom's damage may struggle to pick up KOs on bulkier Pokemon. Pokemon like Gholdengo, Volcarona, and Kingambit appreciate Earthquake's damage being halved by Grassy Terrain, with Kingambit also enjoying that Rillaboom can remove Psychic Terrain to enable its Sucker Punch.

Rillaboom makes for a solid revenge killer thanks to its high Attack and access to Grassy Glide, allowing it to shut down faster offensive threats such as Ogerpon-W, Tapu Lele, and Mega Diancie. Its good HP stat and Grass typing also give it a niche defensive profile, doing well against Water- and Ground-types such as Urshifu-R, offensive Landorus-T, and the aforementioned Ogerpon-W. Swords Dance allows Rillaboom to punish switches into defensive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, boosting its Attack to make Rillaboom a strong wallbreaker if positioned well. Drain Punch allows Rillaboom to hit Steel-types such as Heatran and Kingambit, easily OHKOing the latter with entry hazard support, while also enabling Rillaboom to beat Ferrothorn one-on-one, with its healing effect negating damage taken when setting up. Alternatively, Superpower notably OHKOes Melmetal when boosted, after a layer of Spikes. Knock Off hits Gholdengo, Pecharunt, and Galarian Slowking, all of which would otherwise counter Rillaboom. It also removes Heavy-Duty Boots off of Flying-type Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Zapdos, and Moltres, preventing them from reliably switching in. The given EV spread allows Rillaboom to outspeed uninvested Gliscor while hitting as hard as possible, the rest being dumped in bulk, notably allowing Rillaboom to avoid the OHKO from Moltres's Flamethrower. Rillaboom works best on bulky offense and balance teams that can support it with a strong defensive backbone as well as with partners that synergise with it offensively, and they appreciate Rillaboom wearing down foes such as Ferrothorn, Zapdos and Toxapex. Rillaboom works well with Steel-types such as Gholdengo, Melmetal, and Heatran, since they are all able to handle the powerful Ice- and Dragon-types that Rillaboom cannot, such as Kyurem, Mega Latios, and Raging Bolt; Heatran is an especially good partner, since it is also able to handle Fire-types, such as Moltres and Mega Charizard Y, that Rillaboom struggles with, and it can also setup Stealth Rock, allowing Rillaboom to break through and revenge kill foes such as Landorus-T and Ogerpon-W more easily. In return, Rillaboom's Grassy Surge weakens Earthquake from opposing Ground-types such as Garchomp and Gliscor while also providing passive recovery for Melmetal and Heatran, shoring up their recovery issues. Rillaboom also does well against opposing Water-types such as Hisuian Samurott for Fire-types, such as Volcarona, Cinderace, and the aforementioned Heatran. Offensive partners such as Mega Diancie, Iron Valiant, and Raging Bolt all appreciate Rillaboom breaking past defensive cores involving Ferrothorn, Alomomola, and Gliscor with Swords Dance as well as revenge killing would-be checks to them such as Choice Scarf Urshifu-R and Tapu Koko, so that they can successfully sweep and clean through opposing teams more easily; Mega Diancie and Iron Valiant are also further checks to Dragon-types such as Garchomp and Dragonite.

Choice Band Rillaboom proves itself as a powerful wallbreaker and revenge killer with access to a excellent priority move, a strong STAB option, and a versatile selection of coverage moves as well as Grassy Terrain, which provides excellent support to teammates such as Aegislash, Garganacl, and Bisharp. Grassy Glide threatens common offensive Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Keldeo, and Sand Rush Excadrill, which all need to be slightly chipped down to be in range of a KO. Wood Hammer offers a ridiculously strong STAB move under Grassy Terrain, with it 2HKOing Pokemon that resist it like Aegislash and Mega Latias. U-turn lets Rillaboom pivot on its checks, bringing in teammates to beat these Pokemon where it would otherwise be walled. Knock Off is able to hit Pecharunt and Aegislash, as well as generating progress against Pokemon that would otherwise wall it in Skarmory and Buzzwole. Superpower is another option, being stronger against Skarmory, Scizor and Celesteela. High Horsepower OHKOes Iron Moth; threatens Pecharunt, Aegislash, and Mega Venusaur; and OHKOes Excadrill without incurring recoil damage. Rillaboom offers a strong wallbreaking presence to bulky offense and offense teams, as well as Grassy Terrain support for teammates such as Aegislash, Bisharp, and Garganacl; they in turn can answer Pokemon that give Rillaboom trouble such as Mega Latias, Victini, and Iron Moth. Rillaboom can bring in Mega Gardevoir, Victini, and Mega Aerodactyl, all of which are great threats against Grass-types Amoonguss, Mega Venusaur, and Hydrapple that Rillaboom forces in. Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Celesteela, Slowking, and Pecharunt, which are able to answer the likes of Iron Moth, Buzzwole, and Hydrapple and can comfortably survive Grassy Glide, are valuable partners. Slowbro, Scizor, and Iron Moth are great support options, especially Iron Moth, which is great against Pokemon like Buzzwole, Skarmory, and Amoonguss that answer Rillaboom, while Rillaboom threatens Iron Moth checks such as Garganacl, Tyranitar, and Slowking.

Swords Dance Rillaboom takes advantage of its powerful priority, strong coverage, and excellent bulk to set up and sweep or wallbreak for its teammates. Knock Off threatens Aegislash and Pecharunt while still being an excellent tool to make progress against the Steel-types that it would usually struggle with. High Horsepower can alternatively threaten Iron Moth while still being great against the aforementioned Ghost-types, albeit with the downside of not being as great against Skarmory or Celesteela. When paired with Grassy Seed, Acrobatics can be used over Superpower, trading Rillaboom's ability to hit Steel-types for with massive damage for the ability to blow past Buzzwole and Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Hydrapple. Life Orb synergizes well with Grassy Terrain healing while also affording Rillaboom a greater damage output. Terrain Extender lets teammates, especially those weak to Earthquake like Aegislash, Tyranitar, and Excadrill, make the most of Grassy Terrain, affording them ample opportunity to threaten to sweep, overwhelm the opposing team, or benefit from its passive healing. Rillaboom's longevity is significantly extended by Leftovers, enabling it to come in and threaten foes multiple times a game. Rillaboom is a great fit on bulky offense and hyper offense teams, serving as a wallbreaker that supports its teammates while also working in conjunction with other powerful sweepers to wear down the opposing team. Rillaboom is an excellent partner to Iron Moth and Blacephalon on hyper offense, with Grassy Terrain powering up their Grass-type coverage, enabling them to break past Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Garganacl. They both cover Rillaboom's inability to break past Buzzwole; Grass-types like Hydrapple, Mega Venusaur, and Amoonguss without Acrobatics; and Steel-types like Skarmory, Celesteela, and Magnezone without Superpower. Keldeo and Belly Drum Azumarill enjoy Grassy Terrain recovery and Rillaboom threatening the Water-types that act as a road block against them while also working in conjunction with Rillaboom, wearing down the aforementioned Grass-types. Tyranitar is also a great partner, being able to check and trap Fire-types like Iron Moth and Victini that often get in the way of Rillaboom making progress all the while leveraging the extra healing and Earthquake weakening properties of Grassy Terrain. Pivots such as Victini, Scizor, and Iron Moth are able to bring in and afford Rillaboom the opportunity to make progress against Pokemon like Garganacl, Tyranitar, and Hippowdon. Magnezone is an excellent partner, trapping the Steel-types that otherwise wall Rillaboom without Superpower.

The given EV spread allows Rillaboom to survive a Heat Wave from Mega Charizard Y or an Icicle Crash from Chien-Pao.

This is the sample set before we work on new analyses. This will be updated as the metagame continues to develop. Stay tuned!

Rillaboom’s physical stats, Grassy Surge, and decently powerful priority give it a unique niche over Ogerpon-H. U-turn: Rillaboom is a fairly good pivot, especially when paired with teammates that love Grassy Terrain support like Raging Bolt and Grassy Seed Sneasler. Drum Beating versus Wood Hammer: A secondary Grass-type attack can be considered for extra power. Drum Beating's speed control can help incoming teammates, while Wood Hammer's high Base Power combined with the Terrain Boost can OHKO threats such as Chien-Pao, Flutter Mane, and Ursaluna-B. High Horsepower: While Knock Off will deal more initial damage against Gholdengo, High Horsepower deals more damage afterwards against particularly bulky Gholdengo, and is Rillaboom's best attack against bulky Fire-types like Gouging Fire and Incineroar. Tera Blast: Tera Blast can be a big commitment, but the ability to flip several important matchups can be worth it, especially if it supports incoming teammates. Assault Vest versus Choice Band: Assault Vest is best for making Rillaboom a bulky offensive support Pokemon, letting it take on powerful special attackers like Flutter Mane and Ursaluna-B more effectively. Choice Band is more independent and relies much more on pivoting, but it makes Rillaboom an awesome revenge killer that strikes fear into the heart of all but very bulky Flutter Mane! Tera Types Tera Dependency - Medium: Rillaboom generally wants to save Tera for a teammate, but many poor matchups can be turned around with Terastallization when needed. Fire: Tera Fire grants a Fairy resistance alongside Fire and Ice resistances for Ogerpon-H and Chien-Pao, as well as protection from burn spreaders like Entei. However, this comes at the expense of no longer being able to defensively check Urshifu-R. Rock: Tera Rock can flip the script on Extreme Speed Dragonite, Ogerpon-H, and Gouging Fire by resisting their best attack and retaliating with big damage from Tera Blast. Grass: Tera Grass makes Grassy Glide even more effective at sniping foes, with Assault Vest Rillaboom now being able to OHKO offensive Urshifu-R. Ice: Tera Ice is a poor defensive type outside of the Iron Bundle matchup, but with Tera Blast, it's Rillaboom’s most powerful option for hitting Dragonite and Landorus-T. Water: Tera Water provides a balanced defensive profile, giving Rillaboom Ice and Fire resistances while maintaining its matchup into Urshifu-R. Alternate EV Spreads 140 HP / 148 Atk / 4 Def / 156 SpD / 60 Spe with Adamant: With Assault Vest and Grassy Surge recovery, this spread avoids the 2HKO from Iron Bundle's Freeze-Dry without having to Terastallize. The Speed investment lets Rillaboom outrun Jolly Garchomp after a single Drum Beating. 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe with Adamant or Jolly: Severely compromising Rillaboom's bulk is risky, but outspeeding Modest or Timid Gholdengo depending on the nature used can be a big surprise when using Choice Band Rillaboom.

Grassy Seed turns Rillaboom into a bulky late-game sweeper, particularly one that can stand up to the dreaded Basculegion! Acrobatics: Acrobatics pairs excellently with Grassy Seed's instant usage and is Rillaboom's strongest option against Dragonite if not using Tera Blast. Tera Blast: While it mandates using Tera on Rillaboom, Tera Blast is a great option for expanding Rillaboom's shallow offensive coverage. EV Spreads 12 HP EVs and Grassy Seed: Thanks to the Defense boost from Grassy Seed, it only takes 12 HP EVs to guarantee that non-Terastallized Rillaboom will survive Adamant Chien-Pao's Icicle Crash! 140 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 92 SpD / 12 Spe: This EV spread avoids the OHKO from Modest Choice Specs Flutter Mane's Moonblast as well as the 2HKO (or OHKO if Tera Rock) from both Urshifu formes' Close Combat. The HP EVs help Rillaboom get the most efficient recovery out of Grassy Terrain. Finally, thek given Speed EVs let Rillaboom outrun up to paralyzed Dragapult. 12 HP / 244 Atk / 252 Spe: An offensive spread still works well with Grassy Seed, and the investment in Speed lets Rillaboom outrun Modest Gholdengo, Adamant Dragonite, and Jolly Breloom. Tera Types Tera Dependency - Medium / High: Terastallization is often needed to help Rillaboom get going, either by taking attacks from would-be counters or blowing through key matchups with Tera Blast. Fire: Tera Fire lets Rillaboom defend against Chien-Pao's and Ogerpon-H's best attacks simultaneously. It also works great alongside Grassy Surge, reducing Earthquake's damage back to neutral levels. Rock: Tera Rock with Tera Blast gives Rillaboom a well-rounded matchup into Dragonite, allowing it to deal super effective damage while also resisting Extreme Speed. Earthquake is less of a problem too thanks to Grassy Terrain! Ice: Tera Ice is used offensively with Tera Blast to blindside targets like Dragonite and Landorus-T. While it is lacking defensively, it does still give Rillaboom a useful Ice resistance versus Chien-Pao. Grass: Tera Grass is a bit more unorthodox, but the boost to Grassy Glide gives Rillaboom more immediate revenge killing power.