We now have a brand new Pokémon debut happening proper now, with BELLIBOLT arriving in GO throughout this 12 months's Festival of Lights occasion! Actually I didn't count on a lot in any respect once I noticed this foolish Electrical amphibian, however… effectively, I'll let the Backside Line Up Entrance summarize my ideas after which we'll dive in!
B.L.U.F.
- Bellibolt enters as one of many tankiest Electrical sorts in Pokémon GO, notably in Extremely League the place many different Electrics fall away… however Bellibolt can nonetheless be constructed up with no need XLs!
- Bulk carries Belli fairly far in PvP, regardless of an sadly restricted movepool.
- Whereas Open Nice League is already filled with different, largely higher Electrical choices, I do assume Bellibolt may see fast use within the ongoing Electrical Cup, different GL Cups, and surprisingly in a number of Extremely League codecs, together with even Open! I didn't count on to see the sort of UL success this little fella appears able to.
Intrigued? Then learn on!
BELLIBOLT Stats and Strikes
Bellibolt
Electrical
Nice League Stats
| Assault | Protection | HP |
|---|---|---|
| 115 (114 Excessive Stat Product) |
108 (111 Excessive Stat Product) |
156 (156 Excessive Stat Product) |
(Highest Stat Product IVs: 0-14-12, 1499 CP, Stage 21.5)
Extremely League Stats
| Assault | Protection | HP |
|---|---|---|
| 149 (140 Excessive Stat Product) |
140 (144 Excessive Stat Product) |
201 (200 Excessive Stat Product) |
(Highest Stat Product IVs: 0-15-10, 2499 CP, Stage 42)
Bulk bulk bulk, that's the title of Bellibolt's sport. Amongst Electrics, it has a high 5 stat product in Nice League (behind solely Stunfisk, Lanturn, Pachirisu, and {barely} Charjabug), and is #2 behind solely Stunfisk in Extremely League. The majority is especially spectacular in Extremely, the place it's roughly equal to Tapu Fini and Gliscor, and barely higher than Poliwrath and Alolan Sandslash. (And it's proper in keeping with each Ninetales, Tapu Fini, Hakamo-O, Guzzlord, Charjabug, Bellossom, and Wigglytuff in Nice League.) So not the very tippy high tier of bulk, however very excessive up there.
Along with that, as a mono-Electrical kind (despite the fact that trying on the factor would indicate it ought to have some secondary typing!), Bellibolt resists Metal, Flying, and different Electrical injury, and is weak to solely Floor injury. Truly a fairly good defensive typing, no?
All good up to now. The draw back, nevertheless, comes with the out there strikes….
FAST MOVES
- Thunder Shock – Electrical kind, 1.5 DPT, 4.5 EPT, 1.0 CoolDown
- Water Gun – Water kind, 3.0 DPT, 3.0 EPT, 0.5 CD
Thunder Shock is all effectively and good, customary fare for a good Electrical kind, and might be the transfer you're going to wish to run more often than not.
Right here's the factor, although. As you'll see in a second, Water Gun is the solely non-Electrical transfer Bellibolt has. And as a Water transfer, it offers tremendous efficient injury to the one factor that Electrics are weak to: Floor sorts. We'll come again to this as soon as we loop within the cost strikes.
CHARGE MOVES
- Discharge – Electrical kind, 65 injury, 45 vitality
- Parabolic Cost Electrical kind, 65 injury, 55 vitality
- Zap Cannon Electrical kind, 150 injury, 80 vitality, 66% Likelihood: Lower Opponent Assault -1 Stage
Keep in mind when Dedenne was popping out and that JRE man was all excited to see what Parabolic Cost would find yourself trying like? After which Niantic did that factor they love to do and dropped it from Dedenne's movepool earlier than releasing it? Initially I used to be upset, as Parabolic is a “draining” transfer in MSG, restoring the person's HP by a portion of the HP it strips away from the goal and I used to be excited to see how that might work in GO. However then its stats in GO had been set at a brilliant boring 55 vitality for under 65 injury (mainly the Water Pulse/pre-buff Aerial Ace of Electrical strikes) and I didn't care anymore.
However now it's again! And nonetheless ineffective. Fortunately, Belli comes with a strictly higher different: Discharge, which offers the identical injury for 10 much less vitality. Nonetheless not essentially the most thrilling transfer in PvP or something (1.44 Harm Per Vitality is first rate, however not implausible), however completely serviceable, and works effectively on different aggressive ‘mons like Stunfisk, Galvantula, Charjabug, and others.
In order that leaves us with only one different cost transfer possibility, and it's a whopper: Zap Cannon. It too is on quite a few aggressive Pokémon, however the one which stands out most is, in fact, Registeel, who sometimes pairs it today with Focus Blast to nice impact. Regi has Lock-On and its 5.0 Vitality Per Flip to race to it, however Thunder Shock's 4.5 EPT isn't too far behind… and in contrast to Registeel, we now have a transfer to bait it out in Discharge. May this truly work out?
GREAT LEAGUE
Brief reply for Nice League: no, it doesn't work out all that well.
…or does it? There's some digging to do right here.
First off, the excellent news. It truly CAN get notably higher with high rank PvP IVs, selecting up potential wins versus Water Gun Lanturn (it might already overcome the Spark variant), Cresselia, Alolan Sandslash, and Bastiodon, although we additionally see one thing comparatively uncommon happen: a brand new loss to Powder Snow Alolan Ninetales attributable to excessive IV Belli's Assault dropping beneath that of A-Tails (and thus shedding CMP). And with an enormous beatstick like Zap Cannon, Belli unsurprisingly does fairly effectively with shields down. Past the apparent Waters and/or Flyers, some standout wins embody Sableye, Protection Deoxys, Registeel, Lickitung, and with shields down, Medicham, Froslass, Vigoroth, Carbink and others. It's actually not unhealthy, very comparable truly to hard-to-get, absolutely maxed Pachirisu. General, there's some actual potential right here.
On the flipside, there are particular chinks within the armor right here. Counting on touchdown an enormous transfer like Zap Cannon is a detriment with both shields in play. It additionally implies that if the baits don't get proper, the record in general suffers, with issues like Bastiodon, Sableye, Registeel, and Lickitung capable of slip away. Nonetheless not terrible, particularly in comparison with other popular Electrics (with baiting equally disabled), however definitely not nice.
General, I believe Bellibolt will discover a place in sure Nice League Restricted codecs, resembling maybe the present Electric Cup the place its Water Gun does some good work chopping by the favored Alolan Rocks whereas Belli's bulk (Bellibulk, ought to I name it?) permits it to additionally outlast issues like Ampharos, Emolga, Dedenne, and Electivire. However it's very unlucky that it doesn't include any higher bait and/or protection strikes. I've a tough time faulting Niantic for this, nevertheless: in MSG, about the one protection it may study can be Floor quick strikes (Mud Shot, Mud Slap), a pair unhealthy Water cost strikes (Muddy Water and the aforementioned Water Pulse), and Climate Ball. Nothing that might truly assist out all that a lot (although a Floor quick transfer would clearly give it an enormous leg up versus different Electrics).
So a blended bag in Nice League, at greatest. Certainly Extremely League gained't present significantly better, proper?
…proper?
ULTRA LEAGUE
I'll begin by saying that Bellibolt has the identical professionals and cons right here… Zap Cannon implies that you're counting on getting an enormous fats cost transfer off to swing issues in your favor, and the growth AND bust potential are each excessive relying on shields and all.
That every one mentioned: the ceiling is much higher, moderately shockingly so. And this time, even the floor isn't all that low. Positive, issues like Dubwool, Scrafty, Greedent, Drapion, and Alolan Muk can slip away if baiting doesn't go fairly proper, however take a look at all you continue to maintain: not solely all (non-Floor) Waters and Flyers within the meta, but in addition large chonkers like Registeel, Umbreon, Cresselia, Snorlax, and DDeoxys, in addition to excessive injury sellers like Scizor, Alolan Ninetales, Toxicroak, Buzzwole, Charmers, and even Escavalier with its scary Drill Run. Add on the potential to beat the opposite issues I listed if the baits DO go proper (Dubwool, Drap, A-Muk, Scrafty, Greedent), and this factor ain't trying too shabby! And you'll construct it without needing a single XL Candy if you wish to!
Heck, not solely does it stays a shields-down powerhouse, however at this stage it might flex its good Bellibulk to even keep aggressive in 2v2 shielding!
Whereas the excellent news abounds… there are some purple flags I've to lift earlier than you blow a ton of mud on this factor. Whereas it does beat a powerful variety of issues within the UL meta, think about the place its effectiveness ends. Floor, Dragon, and Grass sorts all blunt the Electrical injury that Bellibolt completely doles out. (And no, Water Gun is not the way to go.) There are a good variety of very related Pokémon of these typings within the Extremely League meta, to incorporate the Giratinas, Dragonite, Swampert, Steelix, Galarian Stunfisk, Gliscor, Nidoqueen, a complete heaping serving to of Grasses (Virizion, Venusaur, Abomasnow, Trevenant, Serperior, Chesnaught, Ferrothorn and so on.), and plenty of extra. chunk of these are high meta choices. My level is that simply by nature of the present meta, you're prone to come throughout a minimum of one actually stable Electrical counter on many current Open Extremely League groups. Sure, laborious counters are sometimes a part of the sport, however there's a cause you don't actually see Electrics in Extremely League… moreso than Nice League, it's a harsh atmosphere for Electrics. There's loads of GOOD potential for Bellibolt to tear it up… but in addition loads of potential for it to get locked in a heavy farming state of affairs within the opponent's favor. And whereas there IS potential even with its restricted MSG movepool for it to get one thing that would help plug its holes, I don't think about that prone to truly occur. You're taking the unhealthy with the great right here.
That mentioned, there IS sufficient potential that I might say Bellibolt isn't a horrible grind possibility for Extremely League, notably if Ultra League Premier ever returns (come ON, Niantic) and a number of other of its larger roadblocks are faraway from the meta. And it's good that even the #1 IV model “solely” must be pushed to Stage 42, so even a heavy XL grind nonetheless isn't that heavy in any respect. Not saying I might outright advocate taking the plunge, however there have definitely been a lot crazier concepts. Bellibolt is surprisingly NOT as loopy as I anticipated. Not even shut.
Alright, that's it for this “fast” look. Till subsequent time, you'll be able to at all times discover me on Twitter with near-daily PvP evaluation nuggets or Patreon.
Good searching! Keep protected on the market, and catch you subsequent time, Pokéfriends!
The submit A Surprisingly Encouraging PvP Evaluation on Bellibolt appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.
