Trailblazing with a priority for improvement serves as a foundation for creating a network of different approaches to help you triumph over a wide range of life’s challenges. Livin Like Larry is to maintain a great composure while pushing your best, seeing challenge as an opportunity to test and add to your player vs. player toolkit.
Working in harmony with both you and Larry’s strengths while valuing your weaknesses as an opportunity for growth will place you on a path of rewarding ambition, win or lose. There are a wide range of paths to take, and making personal adjustments with your goals in mind will carve a unique identity for you, on and off the PVP battlefield.
(The current WOODS Draft League Season will be used as a reference for strategies that can be adjusted accordingly with commonalities like psychology preparation. My friend literallyjustian, who is in that league, is the one who requested the idea of sharing Larry’s strategies leading into the creation of this article. Terastallization is currently banned (Season 16) for Larry in this league, but I will include the type I would put in the set regardless.
One factor to consider for both National Dex OU and Draft League is that it’s an important skill to hone speed EV investment for just the right amount for a key target. This way, you can invest the extra EVs into a defensive stat if attack is already maximized.
Physical Longevity
This playstyle is pretty well known, and just like weekly cardio, it’s a reliable way to make progress for your health and competitive goals.
For Gen 9 National Dex OU
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
-Earthquake
-Drain Punch
-Ice Punch
-Roost
Larry is a great blanket physical attacker check that can threaten switchouts thanks to his high attack and moveset ambiguity. In this case, you can often have your opponent’s switch into Therian Landorus/Tornadus for a punished Ice Punch. While still hiding Rocky Helmet, that can have either of them U-Turn into more damage. It’s important to keep aware of meta trends for if Therian Landorus is running Z-Fly or if the Therian Tornadus player is willing to throw out Hurricane without Rain in effect.
For Gen 9 National Dex Draft League
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Adamant Nature
-Hammer Arm
-Dual Wingbeat
-Toxic
-Roost
(Protective Pads if you think they will have Flame Body/Effect Spore and/or Rocky Helmet/Sticky Barb.)
This set is often the default poster playstyle for the opponent’s preparation against Larry. A common mistake that you can capitalize on is that they might only be preparing for Larry and not how you work with him in a match. This creates an opportunity to bluff a set like the previously mentioned sample.
Toxic will do a lot of work against a lot of non-Steel and Poison switch-ins that want to check or counter Larry. Paired with Roost and Leftovers, you can often win longevity battles while threatening to break substitute plays thanks to Dual Wingbeat, a move still pretty rogue in terms of the opponent’s not expecting it. Hammer Arm is an underrated move for Larry, as it does not have the defensive drops of Close Combat while doing more than Drain Punch to help reach two-shot thresholds when paired with his naturally high attack and the timer of Toxic.
Throwing Weights
The second-most-known playstyle for Larry. Choice Band allows for Larry to make over 50% damage dents in most situations that allow him to attack. This is paired with the context of making a read, which is a skill well aligned with Livin Like Larry.
For Gen 9 National Dex OU
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
-Close Combat
-Poison Jab
-Earthquake
-Ice Punch
It’s important to recognize how expected Close Combat is. In fact, you’re keeping Close Combat in the set for the opponent’s conditioning of them thinking you don’t have it after a read or two, and/or its use for brute force execution in the mid- to late game that even resisted switch-ins can get knocked out from. You can swap this move for Leech Life if you want to bluff having the move while swapping for a STAB Physical Bug move that can grant longevity in a game.
The other 3 moves are for hard reads, opportunities that are common with this playstyle. Understand your opponent here; check their ELO before the match begins; gauge if they brush you off or are “nested” in thinking “you’re solved.” That’s when you Ice Punch into their Therian Landorus switch-in. One of these three moves can be swapped for Sleep Talk if you want to use Larry as a blanket anti-sleep check that can still potentially deal damage while asleep. This comes down to checking your opponent’s roster for Pokémon that can cause the special condition and if they’ll bring it.
For Gen 9 National Dex Draft League
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Choice Band
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
-Close Combat
-Poison Jab
-Payback
-Stone Edge
Rogue moves that tend to not be prepped for: Outrage, Dual Chop, Payback, Rock Tomb
Just like the OU ladder, your opponent’s is most likely ready for Close Combat and Earthquake. If it’s the mid-to-late game and the opponent loses their Steel and Fairy types, you can Outrage to create a threatening problem for the opponent, especially when trading against Pokémon like Garchomp, Dragonite, Latias, and Latios. Rock Tomb is rewarding against Flying and Bug type switch-ins that can get them to switch out again by you bluffing some speed investment. This set works well with hazards and Knock Off users for your early and midgame.
-Beast Boost-
This ability is a great bonus. The next two sets listed below work to maximize the reward of this ability, turning the bonus into vanilla ice cream for your root beer float.
Superhero Landing
This playstyle is still in the range of “expected or prepared for”, but on the outskirts. You can shroud this by making smart and reserved plays with other Pokémon in the early game while looking for the window opportunity to save the day.
For Gen 9 National Dex OU
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Bulk Up
-Drain Punch
-Earthquake
-Rock Tomb
Tera Normal is similar to Curse Snorlax and Bulk Up Vigoroth sets in the past that would boost defense enough to tank a lot of physical Fighting moves thrown at it with high attack stats. A big factor in executing this playstyle effectively is to gauge situations that open the windows of opportunity to use Bulk Up and potentially win the game. All of the previous sets can be bluffed to alter your opponent’s plays, starting at turn 1. You can even “play the part” by switching Larry in against a U-Turn play early on, conditioning the opponent to think you’re running a physically defensive blanket check set.
For Gen 9 National Dex Draft League
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 228 HP / 252 Atk / 28 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Bulk Up
-Drain Punch
-Thunder Punch
-Ice Punch
You can take advantage of the -1 speed in a draft environment by putting just enough EVs to outspeed potential switch-in counters, not wanting to get hit by Rock Tomb twice. This specific set has Larry outspeeding an OU Defensive Zapdos set:
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Tera Type: Steel
Bold Nature
-Volt Switch
-Heat Wave
-Hidden Power Ice
-Roost
Options That Can Be Swapped Out
Because draft leagues have a fixed roster that you prepare for each week compared to a metagame pool based on usage trends, it’s important to consider Larry’s wide range of swap-in options to prepare accordingly.
Life Orb Alternatives:
- Leftovers: You can gauge if Larry can anchor himself against the opposing roster if threats like fast special attackers and Unaware walls are absent and/or can be dealt with in the early to mid-game. If you run Leftovers, you can swap Drain Punch for Hammer Arm for more initial power with no defensive drops from Close Combat or Superpower.
- Anti-Weakness Berries: This is easily a topic for its own article on the power of anti-weakness berries in draft leagues. It comes down to your opponent’s roster, but these berries have shifted the tides of so many draft league matches in Woods alone. The big equation to gauge is what berry you can run to survive a move like Moonblast or Flamethrower while retaliating with a coverage move or Bulk Up to then get them to switch out or knock out the Pokémon attempting a weakness-prone move. You’ll most likely want to prepare some EVs to maintain speed control against your predicted counter. Moves like Iron Head, Poison Jab, Rock Slide, Dual Wingbeat, and Darkest Lariat can all be pretty rogue if the opponent’s not suspecting a retaliation towards their planned counters here.
- Salac Berry: This requires careful stat preparation to find the perfect scenario to get your speed and hopefully your physical stats boosted in one turn. Working with Sticky Web and/or Choice Scarf revenge killers to increase the overall speed control potential of your team helps a lot here. Running at least one STAB healing attack move between Drain Punch and Leech Life can lock in games after your boosts.
10,000 Meter Olympic Athlete
Blitz at the starting line gun shot with the threatening potential to snowball in momentum thanks to Beast Boost. This playstyle works for both speed control and potential game-cleaner opportunities with the right plays. Regardless, the opponent will need to handle Larry’s naturally high physical stats, which are now potentially shrouded with a fast blitz coming their way.
For Gen 9 National Dex OU
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Close Combat
-Leech Life
-Poison Jab
-Ice Punch
This playstyle dials into Larry’s high attack and ability to brute force or make hard reads and opens up windows of opportunity for victory. The Speed EVs here, paired with a Choice Scarf, allow Larry to outspeed Tapu Koko and Pokémon slower than it at max speed (not counting modifiers). Tera Ice with Ice Punch will knock out meta Garchomp, Therian-Landorus, and Gliscor sets (on average.) Intimidate from Therian-Landorus can be offset by one Best Boost here. You can swap Poison Jab for Iron Head if you predict the current meta field has less Steel neutral Fairy types like Tapu Koko and Azumarill, taking advantage of the potential flinch chances that you can commit to with Choice Scarf and potential Beast Boosts.
For Gen 9 National Dex Draft League
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Close Combat
-Leech Life
-Darkest Lariat
-Ice Punch
Larry serves as a great speed control, physically defensive blanket check for your team to anchor around while granting game-winning opportunities if a brute force Close Combat endgame can’t be stopped. The Adamant nature is a great default, as you might not need max speed investment unless the opponent runs a Pokémon around Dragapult’s range.
Ultra Jungle Rambo
Stat patching has been a tried-and-true method for competitive Pokémon since the first generation. Not only is Assault Vest an amazing item, but it’s just off the radar to have Larry win a wide range of trades in both formats.
For Gen 9 National Dex OU
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 176 HP / 252 Atk / 80 SpD
Adamant Nature
-Hammer Arm
-Leech Life
-Poison Jab
-Ice Punch
The awesome part about Larry with an Assault Vest is that even upon possible revelation of the set, your opponent will still have to deal with a max attack-invested bruiser that has the ability to heal and boost his stats thanks to Beast Boost. You can run Close Combat over Hammer Arm, but being able to not drop your defensive stats in trades is a big strength for this set. Including the game states where Larry can hold his ground with the previously mentioned healing and stat boosting. Tera Poison allows Larry to spin matchups against Fairy types upside down with a boosted Poison Jab, a resistance to Fairy type attacks, and the continued threat of snowballing with Beast Boost.
For Gen 9 National Dex Draft League
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 176 HP / 252 Atk / 80 SpD
Adamant Nature
-Hammer Arm
-Leech Life
-Poison Jab
-Ice Punch
This fully circles back to previous set alterations that come down to specific EVs for trades. In this case, it’s balancing hp and special defense to take less than 50% on average during move exchanges.
In terms of rogue moves to consider for throwing your opponent’s preparation off:
- Dual Wingbeat can halt Substitute plays while hitting other Bug types for super effective damage.
- Lunge will make your opponent’s Pokémon lose one stage of their attack stat, potentially making them extend their switch-out run.
- Stone Edge is quite common in general, but if the opponent expects you to hold your ground, they might brush off a hard read with this move as they go into a Flying type special attacker.
Double Heads Coin Flipper
This playstyle is the most overall rogue and off-the-radar out of all the ones the ones listed in this document. Both disruptive and swiftly game-winning, keeping this set hidden is rewarding but not fatal if the opponent finds out.
For Gen 9 National Dex OU
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
-Dynamic Punch
-Fell Stinger
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
This set aims to cause chaos and look for multiple game-winning plays amongst the rubble. Dynamic Punch is either going to deal a lot of damage by default or inflict confusion; if you miss, your speed will double to be faster than Tapu Koko and below. If the meta landscape has a lot of Choice Scarf users, you can dial up the speed EVs from hp. Fell Stinger can be seen as a “win more” attack here, but with Tera Bug, it boosts the base damage to make the boosted effect even more likely to happen. It gets to the point that you can keep using this STAB against Pokémon that resist it to knock out situations that snowball with Beast Boost. Earthquake and Rock Slide help with great neutral and super effective coverage for Larry’s STAB moves that are often used for game-winning opportunistic situations. You can swap out Fell Stinger for Leech Life if you find yourself needing some HP in the average ladder match.
For Gen 9 National Dex Draft League
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Blunder Policy
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
-Dynamic Punch
-Leech Life
-Earthquake
-Rock Slide
The speed EVs were adjusted to account for the most recent draft league season of WOODS, with the average highest speed of each roster being around 126. Blunder Policy activating will outspeed this, but it’s important to regard player tendencies by watching their past games and understanding their competitive behavioral traits on what they might like to speed boost. Regardless, without Tera allowed for Larry, swapping Fell Stinger for Leech Life will help for an overall boost in longevity and initial power. Though, don’t dismiss the game-winning potential of landing a knockout with the former move.
Special Workout Routines
This playstyle is the most overall rogue and off-the-radar out of all the ones the ones listed in this document. Both disruptive and swiftly game-winning, keeping this set hidden is rewarding but not fatal if the opponent finds out.
Walk the Walk
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Adrenaline Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
– Bulk Up
– Stone Edge
– Drain Punch
– Ice Punch
You’ll need to predict an Intimidate user being on your opponent’s team. The speed boost will often get Therian Landorus or Incineroar pivoting out with U-Turn or Parting Shot, allowing you to Bulk Up and maintain great overall coverage with an Electric Tera mixup if needed. Even if your opponent doesn’t use an Intimidate Pokémon, you can keep Larry reserved for a mid- to late-game cleaner role.
Trade Entrepreneur
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
– Substitute
– Payback
– Drain Punch
– Body Slam
Substitue on Larry can be expected, with a Bulk Up following it. This set aims to hide both Payback and Body Slam for a bit and get favorable plays when the opponent hits into your Substitute doll. Tera Normal boosted Body Slam dials up the offensive pressure while Fighting and Dark resisted walls like Clefable and Enamorus panic, pre-potential paralysis as a great bonus.
Flex Initiative
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 72 Atk / 184 Spe
Jolly Nature
– Taunt
– Rock Tomb
– Toxic
– Substitute
Carving your path of life for success to make your enemies mad and lose their balance is a great competitive bonus. This set takes advantage of Larry’s great HP and defense while still capitalizing on his great natural attack. Rock Tomb will have max Speed Tapu Koko and Pokémon below that Speed stat to go second, allowing for a Taunt, Toxic, Substitute, or another Rock Tomb if you’re aiming to get a knockout on Pokémon like Volcarona or Moltres. Tera Steel allows for a great 180-degree defensive game while being able to hold your ground against physical super-effective moves for usually at least one trade.
Punch Machine
Larry (Buzzwole) @ Fightinium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 8 HP / 252 Atk / 248 Spe
Jolly Nature
– Close Combat
– Bulk Up
– Earthquake
– Ice Punch
From punching machines to brick walls, Larry uses the power of Fightinium Z to take a swift breakdown or build up a massive increase of power for his next swing. Because you can power up both Close Combat and Bulk Up, there’s a bit of ambiguity in this set, let alone the fact that the fact that having the power to hide a Z-Crystal is a reward in and of itself. The speed investment allows Larry to outspeed Tapu Koko and below when at -1 with moves like Sticky Web and Electroweb. Sticky Web can also have Larry become a win condition with the massive stat boosts thanks to his ability and bulk up to snowball against the competition.
“Humility Is a Virtue.” – T.Hawk
Livin Like Larry isn’t just about enhancing and improving one’s strengths; it’s about recognizing your own weaknesses and working with them to carve a unique path in your competitive expression. Regardless of your results, remember to keep at it in life and never give up.