Competitive Information for Butterfree [Sword/Shield]
Bug / Flying
Abilities:
Movesets for Singles
What is a good competitive moveset for Butterfree? These builds have been optimized for Pokemon competing in Sword/Shield Single Battles. The movesets and EVs have been specifically calibrated to deal the most amount of damage to the largest group of potentially common opponents and typing threats for the Sword/Shield generation metagame.
TogekissIndeedee-FClefairySnorlaxNinetales-AlolaDusclopsRhyperiorZapdosDragoniteGyarados
Butterfree is a remarkable Bug and Flying-typed Pokemon. It's pretty usual to find yourself dealing with Butterfree when battling in the 8th generation meta. Butterfree is weak to Electric, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Rock-typed attacks.
Item: Focus Sash
Ability: Compound Eyes
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Pollen Puff / Bug Buzz
- Protect
- Rage Powder
- Sleep Powder
Special Sweeper Butterfree (Popular/Trending)
Butterfree is a marvelous Special Sweeper for single battles. The purpose of this moveset is to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Focus Sash helps protect Butterfree from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Compound Eyes, Butterfree's moves have their accuracy multiplied by 1.3.
◆ Bug Buzz is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Bug-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Protect is a status move (prevents moves from affecting your Butterfree this turn).
◆ Rage Powder is a status move (the foes' moves target your Butterfree on the turn used).
◆ Sleep Powder is a status move (causes the target to fall asleep).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is10ac
Item: Charti Berry / Throat Spray
Ability: Compound Eyes
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Bug Buzz / Pollen Puff
- Air Cutter / Air Slash
- Energy Ball / Giga Drain
- Psychic
Special Sweeper Butterfree (Compound Eyes)
Butterfree is a fabulous Special Sweeper for single battles. It tries to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Throat Spray activates when a Pokemon uses a sound-based move (in this case Bug Buzz) and increases Butterfree's special attack stat by 2 stages. With Compound Eyes, Butterfree's moves have their accuracy multiplied by 1.3. With a Charti Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective rock-type attack then the Charti Berry gets consumed.
◆ Pollen Puff is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Bug-type move (if the target is an ally, heals 50% of its max hp).
◆ Air Cutter is a special STAB-boosted 60-base power Flying-type move (high critical hit ratio. Hits adjacent foes).
◆ Air Slash is a special STAB-boosted 75-base power Flying-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Energy Ball is a special 90-base power Grass-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Giga Drain is a special 75-base power Grass-type move (Butterfree recovers 50% of the damage dealt).
◆ Psychic is a special 90-base power Psychic-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is11ac
Item: Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Tinted Lens
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Quiver Dance
- Bug Buzz
- Substitute
- Sleep Powder
Butterfree Special Sweeper (Quiverfree Unleashed)**
Butterfree is a wonderful Special Sweeper for single battles. It is designed to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Butterfree last longer regaining it's health every turn. With Tinted Lens, Butterfree's attacks that are not very effective on a target deal double damage. Sleep Powder is key to this set, as Butterfree's main way to set up on an opponent is to put them to sleep. It is usually a safe option to simply throw out first when Butterfree is sent out, as BW's sleep mechanics basically guarantee that a sleeping Pokemon is effectively knocked out.
◆ Bug Buzz is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Bug-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Substitute is a status move (Butterfree takes 1/4 its max hp to put in a substitute).
◆ Sleep Powder is a status move (causes the target to fall asleep).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/is12ac
Movesets for Doubles
What is a good doubles moveset for Butterfree? These builds have been optimized for Sword/Shield Double Battles. They have movesets and EVs specifically calibrated to generally work best versus multiple Pokemon at once as well as helping to support other team members and allys in the Sword/Shield generation metagame.
TogekissIndeedee-FClefairySnorlaxNinetales-AlolaDusclopsRhyperiorZapdosDragoniteGyarados
Item: Charti Berry / Life Orb
Ability: Compound Eyes
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Air Cutter / Air Slash
- Struggle Bug / Pollen Puff
- Electroweb
- Energy Ball
Doubles Special Sweeper Butterfree (Compound Eyes)
Butterfree is a notable Special Sweeper for double battles. It is meant to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Life Orb boosts the power of Butterfree's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Compound Eyes, Butterfree's moves have their accuracy multiplied by 1.3. With a Charti Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective rock-type attack then the Charti Berry gets consumed.
◆ Air Slash is a special STAB-boosted 75-base power Flying-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Struggle Bug is a special STAB-boosted 50-base power Bug-type move (100% chance to lower the foes special attack by 1 stage).
◆ Pollen Puff is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Bug-type move (if the target is an ally, heals 50% of its max hp).
◆ Electroweb is a special 55-base power Electric-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Energy Ball is a special 90-base power Grass-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/id10ac
Movepool
Wondering what moves can Butterfree learn? Here is the list of moves this Pokemon can learn in this selected generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by move type, category, accuracy, and power. Bolded moves will gain the same-type attack bonus (STAB) if this Pokemon uses them.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Butterfree can perform in Sword/Shield. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive SS Move and Ability Combos for Butterfree
- Moves: Sunny day + Solar beam
- Moves: Swagger + Psych up
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Move: Acrobatics + Item: Red Card
- Move: Acrobatics + Item: Flying Gem
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Rage Powder
- Moves that Break Screens: Defog
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore
Moves that boost Butterfree's stats
- Curse
- Harden
- Iron Defense
- Quiver Dance
Most notable and possible best moves for Butterfree
- Air Slash
- Baton Pass
- Bug Buzz
- Hurricane
- Pollen Puff
- Protect
- Rage Powder
- Reflect
- Rest
- Roost
- Sleep Powder
- Tailwind
- Teleport
- Toxic
- U-turn
Common Effort Values for Butterfree in Sword and Shield
- Timid Nature ( 0/0/0/252/4/252 )
- Timid Nature ( 252/0/0/4/0/252 )
- Optimize Butterfree's EV spread for Pokemon Sword and Shield
Related Videos
Here are various how-to-use and competitive moveset analysis video guides for Butterfree in Sword/Shield. These featured videos will most likely contain additional strategies and combos not listed on our site. Disclaimer: All videos belong to their respective owners along with the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the videos. They belong solely to the author and not to us.
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Here are the best movesets for Butterfree. Top rated Butterfree Sword/Shield movesets. You can find Butterfree builds Sword/Shield. Butterfree movesets Sword/Shield are listed here. VGC Butterfree Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Butterfree in Sword/Shield along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution