Moves
Head Charge is Bouffalant's most powerful STAB move and destroys everything in its path, OHKOing most offensive Pokemon and even 2HKOing some defensive ones. Earthquake provides key coverage on Rock- and Steel-types, as well as hitting Garbodor without activating Rocky Helmet or Aftermath. Pursuit allows Bouffalant to trap Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Rotom, Mismagius, Haunter, Musharna, Mesprit, and Xatu as long as they do not carry Will-O-Wisp or aren't slower than it and carry U-turn. In the last slot, Megahorn is the preferred option, destroying Cradily as well as bulky Psychic-types such as Musharna, Mesprit, and Malamar. Alternatively, Stone Edge hits Ghost-types on the switch or hits the foe hard if it stays in on Bouffalant. Return can be used in place of Head Charge, as it is still reasonably powerful and doesn't come with the unfortunate side effect of recoil damage. Facade could be used instead of Pursuit or Megahorn, as it allows Bouffalant to switch into Scald users more safely and take advantage of being statused.
Set Details
Maximum investment in Attack along with an Adamant nature and a Choice Band gives Bouffalant a frightening amount of power behind its attacks. The Speed EVs allow Bouffalant to outspeed Malamar and KO it with Megahorn, even when it has +3 Defense. Alternatively, 216 EVs can be invested into Speed to outpace maximum Speed Adamant Mawile; however, this leaves Bouffalant a bit shortchanged on bulk. If you decide to use Bouffalant on a Trick Room team, Bouffalant should run a Brave nature, invest in HP rather than Speed, and reduce its Speed IV to 0. Sap Sipper lets Bouffalant switch in on Grass-type moves while gaining an additional Attack boost in the process. Reckless can be used to power up Head Charge even further, though this leaves Bouffalant with fewer opportunities to switch in, as it forgoes Sap Sipper in order to do so.
Usage Tips
This set aims to break through the opposing team using immediate, brute power. Head Charge is easily Bouffalant's most spammable move, so it'll be using it most of the time. The other moves mostly just provide coverage against Pokemon that can take a Head Charge. Be sure to make full use of Sap Sipper to switch in on Grass-types such as Tangela, Vileplume, and Lilligant; in particular, Bouffalant can act as a sleep absorber for its team, being able to switch into Sleep Powders left and right. Bouffalant should utilize its Ghost immunity to switch into Ghost-types that commonly carry a Choice Scarf, such as Rotom and Haunter, and trap them with Pursuit. Conversely, if the opponent is carrying a Ghost-type Pokemon, try to scout with Bouffalant's teammates to make sure they aren't carrying Will-O-Wisp before trapping them with Pursuit, as Bouffalant doesn't appreciate getting burned.
Team Options
Water-types such as Samurott, Floatzel, Poliwrath, and Ludicolo pair well with Bouffalant, as they can deal with Regirock and Rhydon. Pyroar, Primeape, Gurdurr, and Poliwrath make for good partners, as they can weaken or KO most Steel-types for Bouffalant. Ground-types such as Torterra, Rhydon, Golurk, and Sandslash appreciate Bouffalant's ability to switch into Grass-types, and in return, they can threaten Rock- and Steel-types as well as set up Stealth Rock. Slow pivots such as Lanturn and Musharna are a good idea, being able to bring Bouffalant in safely if there is not a Grass-type on the opposing team. Conversely, Pokemon such as Carracosta, Rhydon, and Quagsire can lure in Grass-types for Bouffalant to switch into. Carracosta and Shiftry also appreciate Bouffalant's ability to deal with Tangela, Vileplume, and Cradily, as it aids them in being able to sweep the opponent's team later. Sweepers and faster Pokemon in general pair well with Bouffalant due to this set's wallbreaking potential. Some examples include Shiftry, Scyther, Samurott, and Archeops. This set works surprisingly well on a Trick Room team thanks to Bouffalant's good bulk and low Speed stat. Pokemon such as Xatu, Mesprit, and Musharna can deal with Fighting-types and should always be paired with Bouffalant. Mesprit in particular can use Healing Wish to bring Bouffalant back to full health.