Is Granbull Good?

Granbull is highly effective for in-game playthroughs but completely unviable in standard Scarlet/Violet competitive play. Its massive base 120 Attack and Intimidate ability make it a fantastic physical wallbreaker against NPC trainers. However, its abysmal base 45 Speed keeps it out of serious PvP formats where faster Fairy-types dominate.

Granbull hits like a truck and softens physical blows with Intimidate, but its glacial speed restricts it strictly to casual or lower-tier play.

Rating 6/10 · Tier S-In-Game / Untiered in SV Ranked · Role : Physical Wallbreaker / Intimidate Pivot

Strengths

• Massive base 120 Attack stat paired with STAB Play Rough.
• Intimidate ability provides excellent utility by crippling physical attackers.
• Pure Fairy typing offers crucial resistances to Fighting, Dark, and Bug, plus a Dragon immunity.
• Excellent physical movepool including Close Combat, Earthquake, and elemental fangs.

Weaknesses

• Abysmal base 45 Speed makes it move last against almost everything.
• Mediocre special bulk (90 HP / 70 SpD) leaves it highly vulnerable to special attackers.
• Faces fierce competition from faster, bulkier Fairy-types like Azumarill or Tinkaton.
• Lack of reliable recovery moves limits its longevity as a defensive pivot.

Granbull operates strictly as a physical wallbreaker and Intimidate pivot. In standard Scarlet and Violet ranked play, it holds no competitive tier. Its complete absence from Smogon SV usage statistics confirms it is unviable in serious Gen 9 formats.

Its pure Fairy typing is excellent defensively, granting immunity to Dragon and resisting Fighting, Dark, and Bug. This typing pairs beautifully with its base 90 HP and 75 Defense. When factored with Intimidate, Granbull takes physical hits surprisingly well.

However, the base 120 Attack is its main selling point. It hits incredibly hard with STAB Play Rough. The glaring issue is the base 45 Speed. Moving last in modern competitive Pokémon is a death sentence without priority moves or massive bulk.

This stat distribution makes Granbull a king in casual playthroughs but a liability in competitive singles or VGC. It functions best when traded into resisted physical hits to drop the opponent's Attack, then firing off a heavy attack before fainting.

Intimidate is the only reason Granbull sees any strategic use. Dropping the opponent's Attack by one stage upon entry completely shifts physical matchups. Quick Feet is a gimmick requiring a Toxic Orb, and Rattled is far too situational to justify dropping Intimidate.

For lower-tier singles or casual play, a Choice Band set maximizes its immediate wallbreaking potential.

• Item: Choice Band
• Ability: Intimidate
• EVs: 252 HP / 252 Attack / 4 Defense
• Moves: Play Rough, Close Combat, Earthquake, Crunch
• Tera Type: Fairy (for raw damage) or Steel (to resist Poison/Steel weaknesses)

This set turns Granbull into a tactical nuke against slower teams. Play Rough is your primary STAB, while Close Combat shreds Steel-types that try to wall you. Earthquake handles Poison-types, giving Granbull perfect neutral coverage.

Alternatively, a Bulk Up set with Leftovers can work against passive physical teams. You switch in on a physical attacker, drop their stats with Intimidate, and use Bulk Up to boost your own Attack and Defense. Do not bother with special moves like Draining Kiss; base 60 Special Attack renders them useless.

Granbull shines brightest in story mode and Nuzlocke challenges. In games where Snubbull is available early, evolving it at level 23 provides an immediate, massive power spike. Base 120 Attack in the mid-game trivializes most NPC encounters.

It completely walls and destroys Dragon, Dark, and Fighting-type specialists. If you face a physical attacker like Garchomp, Tyranitar, or Machamp, Granbull wins the 1v1 almost every time. Intimidate neutralizes their damage output, allowing Granbull to secure the KO with Play Rough.

In Nuzlockes, Intimidate pivoting is a core survival strategy. You can repeatedly switch Granbull in and out to cripple dangerous physical setup sweepers, saving your frailer teammates from taking lethal damage.

Looking ahead to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, if Granbull returns to the Kalos region, expect it to be a top-tier PvE choice. Mega Evolution formats often favor strong Intimidate users to disrupt opposing Megas, and its Fairy typing remains incredibly valuable.

Granbull's base 45 Speed is a fatal flaw in competitive environments. It will almost always take a hit before it can attack. Without access to priority moves like Aqua Jet or Mach Punch, it cannot circumvent this speed deficit.

Its special bulk is also highly exploitable. Base 90 HP and 70 Special Defense cannot withstand modern special attackers. Faster threats like Gholdengo, Iron Moth, or Flutter Mane will outspeed and easily OHKO Granbull with neutral or super-effective special STAB.

Furthermore, Granbull lacks reliable recovery. Without Roost or Slack Off, it relies entirely on Leftovers or Rest, meaning chip damage from entry hazards quickly wears it down. Once its health drops below half, it can no longer safely pivot in to use Intimidate.

Even its offensive movepool has a slight flaw: Play Rough has 90% accuracy. Missing a crucial STAB move when you already move last often results in losing the Pokémon entirely. Locking into Earthquake with a Choice Band also gives Flying-types or Levitate users free setup turns.

Granbull's history is defined by the Generation 6 type chart update. Originally introduced in Gen 2 as a Normal-type, it was largely forgotten in competitive play. The shift to pure Fairy-type gave it a massive defensive upgrade and highly spammable STAB.

In Gen 7 and Gen 8 lower tiers (like PU), it carved out a solid niche as a defensive pivot. It could check threats like Passimian while providing Cleric support with Heal Bell. However, power creep in Gen 9 has pushed it out of viability.

In Pokémon GO, Granbull serves as a budget Fairy-type raid attacker. It is easy to farm and evolve, making it useful for newer players facing Dragon-type raid bosses. However, it is entirely outclassed by Gardevoir and Togekiss in Master League PvP.

Do not use Granbull if you are playing high-ladder VGC or Smogon OU/UU. It simply cannot keep up with the power creep and speed tiers of Scarlet and Violet. Avoid drafting Granbull if your team already struggles against fast Special Attackers, as it provides zero defensive utility there.

If you need a physical Fairy-type wallbreaker, Azumarill is strictly better. Huge Power makes Azumarill hit harder, and access to Aqua Jet completely solves the speed issue.

If you need an Intimidate pivot in VGC, Incineroar or Landorus-Therian are vastly superior. They offer better typing, U-turn or Parting Shot for momentum, and significantly better bulk and speed. Granbull's Fairy typing is unique, but it does not compensate for its lack of pivoting moves.