Tapu Bulu
Base Stats: 70 HP/130 Attack/115 Defense/85 SpA/95 SpD/75 Speed
Level Up
Leafage
Rock Smash
Withdraw
Disable
Leech Seed
Mega Drain
Whirlwind
Horn Attack
Scary Face
Horn Leech
Zen Headbutt
Mean Look
Nature's Madness
Wood Hammer
Megahorn
Skull Bash
Grassy Terrain
TMs
Mega Punch
Hyper Beam
Giga Impact
Solar Beam
Light Screen
Reflect
Safeguard
Rest
Rock Slide
Snore
Protect
Giga Drain
Sunny Day
Facade
Revenge
Brick Break
Rock Tomb
Bullet Seed
Payback
Fling
Power Swap
Guard Swap
Round
Snarl
Grassy Terrain
False Swipe
Smart Strike
Brutal Swing
TRs
Swords Dance
Substitute
Endure
Sleep Talk
Megahorn
Taunt
Superpower
Iron Defense
Bulk Up
Calm Mind
Close Combat
Seed Bomb
Focus Blast
Energy Ball
Zen Headbutt
Stone Edge
Grass Knot
Stored Power
Work Up
Dazzling Gleam
Darkest Lariat
High Horsepower
Transfer Moves
Confide
Dual Chop
Echoed Voice
Focus Punch
Nature Power
Psych Up
Roar
Swagger
Synthesis
Torment
Toxic
Worry Seed
Leafage
Rock Smash
Withdraw
Disable
Leech Seed
Mega Drain
Whirlwind
Horn Attack
Scary Face
Horn Leech
Zen Headbutt
Mean Look
Nature's Madness
Wood Hammer
Megahorn
Skull Bash
Grassy Terrain
TMs
Mega Punch
Hyper Beam
Giga Impact
Solar Beam
Light Screen
Reflect
Safeguard
Rest
Rock Slide
Snore
Protect
Giga Drain
Sunny Day
Facade
Revenge
Brick Break
Rock Tomb
Bullet Seed
Payback
Fling
Power Swap
Guard Swap
Round
Snarl
Grassy Terrain
False Swipe
Smart Strike
Brutal Swing
TRs
Swords Dance
Substitute
Endure
Sleep Talk
Megahorn
Taunt
Superpower
Iron Defense
Bulk Up
Calm Mind
Close Combat
Seed Bomb
Focus Blast
Energy Ball
Zen Headbutt
Stone Edge
Grass Knot
Stored Power
Work Up
Dazzling Gleam
Darkest Lariat
High Horsepower
Transfer Moves
Confide
Dual Chop
Echoed Voice
Focus Punch
Nature Power
Psych Up
Roar
Swagger
Synthesis
Torment
Toxic
Worry Seed
Notable Moves
-Wood Hammer
-Horn Leech
-Close Combat
-Stone Edge
-High Horsepower
-Darkest Lariat
-Nature's Madness
-Swords Dance
-Bulk Up
-Taunt
-Substitute
-Leech Seed
-Synthesis
-Toxic (?)
To avoid any more moveset confusion in the thread: contrary to the earlier leak, Tapu Bulu does NOT get access to Grassy Glide or Play Rough.
Pros
-With its ability Grassy Surge, Bulu can be a great support for its team, providing [extra] healing to teammates and powering up terrifying offensive threats like Kartana and Unburden Hawlucha. Additionally, Bulu overwrites any opposing Terrain, which can be helpful considering the current terror of the Tapu Koko + Regieleki core.
-While Bulu may lack any physical STAB to compliment its secondary Fairy typing, that typing does provide it a few advantages defensively compared to fellow setter Rillaboom. It is immune to powerful Dragon STAB, resists common attacking moves like Close Combat and Knock Off and, most notably, is neutral to opposing U-turn as opposed to being weak to it, on top of already resisting Volt Switch and occasional Flip Turn.
-Nature's Madness is probably Bulu's biggest asset in OU when compared to Rillaboom. Just like Super Fang, this move automatically halves the opponent's HP, and unlike Fang has no immunities (besides Shedinja). This may initially seem to be hampered by Bulu's own Terrain, but this is mitigated by Bulu's naturally solid Attack stat, which can clean up foes once they've been whittled down by Madness. Additionally, Flying types and terrifying Levitate users like the Lati twins don't benefit from terrain, making Madness potentially great against them with the right accompanying tech.
Cons
-Despite it having some unique attributes, Tapu Bulu is largely outclassed by Rillaboom in OU due to the latter's superior Speed and support capabilities. While neither mon has a particularly great Speed stat, Rillaboom's extra 10 points due allow it to speed-creep a few mons that Bulu can't. However, its true power in terms of Speed control is possessing STAB priority in Grassy Glide to handle fast & frail offensive mons, which Game Freak denied Bulu in some cruel twist of fate. Rilla also possess the all-important offensive support options of Knock Off and U-turn, which allow it to support its team while also utilizing its solid 125 Attack stat. U-turn in particular is a tough blow as it means Rilla's Band set is definitively superior to Bulu's Band set by virtue of being able to scout. Honestly, this one con is probably enough to make it fall from OU.
-Bulu's lackluster Speed means that it can struggle against more offensive teams, with many faster offensive mons having ways to hit it super-effectively. Its Fairy typing, while having some perks, also stacks on a nasty double weakness to Poison moves, in addition to its other problematic weaknesses like Fire, Ice, Flying and Steel.
Potential Sets
Tapu Bulu @ Life Orb/Leftovers/Lum Berry/Coba Berry
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Att/4 SpD/252 Spd; Jolly Nature
-Taunt
-Nature's Madness
-Wood Hammer
-Synthesis/Horn Leech/Substitute
This set seeks to capitalize on the utility of Nature's Madness with a dedicated stallbreaker set. The idea of this set is simple: whittle opposing walls down with Nature's madness, Taunt them to prevent them from just spamming recovery, use Wood Hammer to start breaking walls once they've gotten in range and either Synthesis or Horn Leech to ensure longevity, which is crucial for any successful stallbreaker. There is also potential for a substitute variant to protect from status or live attacks from mons like Corviknight, but that set has to rely on Leftovers for longevity. On the standard variant of this set, whichever item you choose is mainly up to what you need most from stallbreaker Bulu. Life Orb is the best in terms of getting raw damage from Wood Hammer, Lum Berry allows you to avoid pesky Scald burns from Toxapex or other attack-caused status, while Coba Berry fills the specific role of allowing you to eat a Corviknight's Brave Bird, meaning you can reliably get Taunt and Madness off on it; other items like Rocky Helmet are also possible. As for EVs, this sample set goes max Attack and Speed with Jolly in order to ensure necessary amounts of Wood Hammer damage and speed creep faster stall mons like Corv and Mandibuzz; however, it may turn out that a max HP Adamant variant is more suitable for the OU environment. While Bulu probably won't be taking the likes of Corv out itself, the Taunt/Madness combo can easily open up a gap for its offensive teammates to exploit; for instance, a lot of physical attackers would really appreciate Corv being down whittled down to 50% or less. Unfortunately, this set probably won't get a chance to shine until the meta settles and stall teams become more prevalent again.
Tapu Bulu @ Leftovers
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 248 HP/8 Att/252 Def; Impish Nature
-Substitute
-Leech Seed
-Horn Leech
-Rock Slide/Stone Edge/Close Combat/Nature's Madness/whatever
With this set, the aim is to take advantage of Bulu's defensive attributes to make a bulky SubSeed user, a role no other Grass type is really filling right now. Max Defense investment and Impish nature focuses on improving Bulu's naturally decent physical bulk in order to tank as many hits as possible. The combination of Terrain + Leech Seed + Leftovers heals 1/4 max HP per turn, healing that can be increased further with the attack of choice, Horn Leech. Where this set really gets interesting, though, is in its flexible (at least on paper) fourth slot, with several great options to choose from: Rock Slide/Stone Edge provide a way to hit every Flying type at least neutrally, Close Combat serves as a emergency check to bulky Steel types like the birds, Ferrothorn and Heatran, Nature's Madness allows additional whittling on bulky mons to compensate for the lighter Attack investment, Darkest Lariat hits several particular but significant mons like Aegislash, the Lati twins and Jirachi (note: do not stay in on Jirachi unless you have Sub up), Taunt is an alternate option to prevent stall mons from just healing off and Protect or Toxic forces offensive mons that Horn Leech can't handle to take additional chip. Admittedly, odds are that only a few of those options are really viable on this set, but I feel with a more niche set like this it helps to get out as as many options as possible. Again, best to save this set for after all the blatantly OP offensive mons get banned.
Tapu Bulu @ Assault Vest
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 248 HP/8 Att/252 SpD; Careful Nature
-Wood Hammer
-Close Combat
-Nature's Madness/Stone Edge
-Horn Leech
This set is probably not the best in the long run, but if you really want to use Bulu right now, this set may be the way to go. Why? Well, because this set serves as a natural counter to the currently rampaging Koko + Regeleki core. Outside of Ground types, AV Bulu might just be the best counter to Eleki, tanking its moves, getting rid of Electric terrain on switch to power down Rising Voltage and getting a guaranteed OHKO back with Wood Hammer; just take a look at these calcs.
[Note: the following calcs utilize a Zeraora with base 175 attacking stats to replicate Transistor]
+252 SpA Life Orb Zeraora (175 SpA) Thunder vs 248 HP/252 SpD+ Bulu: 23-27.4%- possible 5HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
+252 Att Life Orb Zeraora (175 Att) Wild Charge vs 248 HP/0 Def Bulu: 34.1-40.2%- 40% chance to 3HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
+252 Att Life Orb Zeraora (100 Att) Acrobatics vs 248 HP/0 Def Bulu: 37-44%- 99.5% chance to 3HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
- +252 Att [No Item] Zeraora (100 Att) Acrobatics vs 248 HP/0 Def Bulu: 56.5-67%- guaranteed 2HKO after Grassy Terrain recovery
+252 Att Life Orb Zeraora (100 Att) Explosion vs 248 HP/0 Def Bulu: 83.6-98.5%
Basically, max Attack Explosion is the only way Eleki can even hope to take out AV Bulu, and even that requires some prior chip; plus, using Explosion means you have no more Eleki. Of course, you can get a 2HKO if you run no item Acrobatics, but is it really worth giving up that power-boosting item to hit 1 mon? Basically, if you really want a second check to Eleki besides your Ground type(s), AV Bulu is a mostly safe bet. Outside of this one role, Bulu uses max SpD Careful to maximize its Special bulk; for moves, Wood Hammer is the big damage getter, Horn Leech is necessary for additional recovery, Close Combat ensures you don't get walled by Steels and Nature's Madness whittles down everything that can take those first three moves. This set will probably lose traction assuming the hype for Eleki dies down, but in the mean time this is something I can see working.
And with that, feel free to discuss any other options you see for Bulu in OU, or how well any of the potential sets work in practice. Any curious as to how Bulu and other prospective drops may work down in UU can check out the UU DLC Speculation thread for more info (shameless plug is shameless).
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