Staraptor

[Mr_br_kill]

Staraptor

After reading the bravery form I realized, that a Staraptor thread was in order.
Anyways, Staraptor is one the many flying/normal birds you get at the beginning of the game, but unlike pretty much all the others, Staraptor is good. Why? Mainly because of Staraptor's great 120 atk, decent 100 spd, the moves brave bird and close combat, and the chose of 2 awesome abilities intimate and reckless. With a choice scarf he's a great revenge killer and with choce band a great stall breaker. This pokemon was bl last gen and could easily be there again.

Choice
Staraptor @ choice band/ choice scarf
jolly/adament
Intimidate/ Reckless
252 atk 4 def 252 spd
Brave Bird
Close Combat
Double Edge/ Return
U-Turn/ Quick Attack/ Pursuit

With a choice band he hits hard, with a scarf, he stil hits hard but also has amazing speed. Brave Bird is a great STAB. Close Combat is a fantasic coverge move. Double Edge and Return is STAB, it's a choice betewn power but recoil, and less power no recoil. U-turn is for scouting, quick attack takes down weaker faster foes while pursuit traps.

Life orb
Staraptor @ life orb
jolly/adament
Intimidate/ Reckless
252 atk 4 def 252 spd
Brave Bird
Close Combat
Return/ Double Edge
Roost

Where choice sets are hole punchers or revenge killers, this set is for sweeping. Brave Bird is a great STAB. Close Combat is a fantasic coverge move. Double Edge and Return is STAB, it's a choice betewn power but recoil, and less power no recoil. Roost is to heal off recoil and stealth rock damage.

Subroost
Staraptor @ Sharp Beak/ leftovers/ life orb
jolly/adament
Intimidate/ Reckless
252 atk 4 def 252 spd
Brave Bird
Close Combat
Substitude
Roost

This set is alot like the life orb set, but runs substitude to block statuse and help a the frail Staraptor live longer. Brave Bird is still a great STAB. Close Combat is still a fantasic coverge move. Roost is still to heal off recoil and stealth rock damage.

 

[AccidentalGreed]

Choice Band is easily Staraptor's best set. Flying-type STAB in Brave Bird is deceptively good in UU due to good coverage, and unlike the other birds, Staraptor actually has Close Combat! Being a Staraptor user myself in OU, it's easily as usable in UU.

As a note, Staraptor also makes a good "U-turn lead" with either of its Choice sets. Also feel free to add Life Orb and SubRoost, along with the helpful abilities Staraptor has.

 

[Abacus]

Speaking of the normal-flying birds, swellow has been the mvp on my team. Just saying.

 

[Meru]

I don't even know why Reckless CB isn't used more often in OU. Aside from Skarm, absolutely NOTHING switches in safely.

 

[AccidentalGreed]

There's just an abstract consensus in the community that Intimidate will always be the better abilit (in my Staraptor analysis, my Dream World section was changed completely by somebody else, saying Reckless shouldn't be bothered with). This isn't entirely true, evidently.

Free Sharp Beak and Silk Scarf boost.

 

[hobo bob]

I've been using Jolly Choice Band 'Raptor and it's absurd many kills I get. Brave Bird 2hkos Slowbro without rocks, and with base 100 speed it outspeeds or ties most of UU. Scarf also lets you outrun many of the slower sun sweepers (tangrowth, victreebel).

Oh and Reckless really is what breaks this thing, boosting already powerful 120 base STABs double-edge and BB. The only thing I have seen that can safely take Staraptor is Rhyperior, who is 2hkoed by band Close Combat.

Why people don't use Staraptor is beyond me.

 

[AJC]

pretty much the only reason why it's not used more in OU is that after it nails something with brave bird/double edge it usually in KO range of mach punch from derr.

but still there really isn't much that switches in since one right move from staraptor and you take at least 40%+ from it.

there is no such thing has a safe switch in for staraptor in UU since at least 2hkos everything in UU with the correct move.

 

[Whimsicott]

LOL Dies from recoil and of course with rocks. Needs a ton of support D:

 

[UltiMario]

You're saying needing spin support is a bad thing when literally every team has a spinner anyways.

Die to absolutely murder one or two things. Or 3 if their health is low enough.

 

[Lady Shinki]

Lunar Dance Cress+CB Staraptor=GG

 

[sax king]

How effective is a Jolly CB Quick Attack?

 

[hobo bob]

How effective is a Jolly CB Quick Attack?

I'm guessing not very effective. I could see use for it on a life orb set maybe
but I wouldn't want to be locked into a 60 base normal attack.

 

[.I Wish You Well.]

I've been wanting to try out this beast. I seen a whole lot of people use it on the UU ladder and it's pretty hard to stop, just needs the right team support.

 

[AJC]

LOL Dies from recoil and of course with rocks. Needs a ton of support D:

staraptor doesn't care it's job is to do as much damage before dying.

it generally dies in 2-3 turns anyways and lead staraptors don't care about rocks anyways.

 

[AccidentalGreed]

Reckless should normally be the primary ability for Choice Scarf sets due to being an essentially faster, yet a tad bit weaker Intimidate version of Choice Band. It also helps that Staraptor has a "item boost" along with nearly unmatched +1 Speed.

Also, I enjoy spamming Choice Band Brave Birds on occasion.

 

[Mr_br_kill]

Reckless should normally be the primary ability for Choice Scarf sets due to being an essentially faster, yet a tad bit weaker Intimidate version of Choice Band. It also helps that Staraptor has a "item boost" along with nearly unmatched +1 Speed.

Also, I enjoy spamming Choice Band Brave Birds on occasion.

That's the Staraptor I use most of the time in ou

 

[Son_of_Shadoo]

I loved a Bulky SubRoost set, back in past UU, similar to Crobat, but with Intimidate.

 

[sax king]

Staraptor @ Life Orb
Adamant
212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe
Intimidate
--Agility
--Brave Bird
--Close Combat
--Return / Double Edge

GG UU. Really, after an agility you're dead. With only 44 speed EVs, I outspeed a Jolly Scarf Flygon at +2, which is pretty much the fastest thing I'm going to encounter. Because of that, I can dump the rest of my EVs into HP to help soften some of the recoil I take from moves like Brave Bird or Double Edge. Intimidate is preferable because it gives you more chances to set up, along with the fact that the only recoil move you will be using is Brave Bird. Still, for those who like the power, Reckless and Double Edge are all options, but the combination of LO recoil and regular recoil add up quickly. Use this with a wish passer like Chansey and it's GG.

 

[Plusle]

Use reckless as the power boost is vital.

 

[Lady Shinki]

you're 40 EVs short in speed to outspeed +1 100s.

but yeah, that set is beastly.

 

[bread]

to everyone complaining about smashpassing: zapdos is a beast this metagame.

I use the standard physically defensive zapdos with roar, heatwave, thunderbolt, and roost. It walls a ton of physically threats, threatens many pokemon, and is especially useful on a spike stacking team. Hp ice is also an option over heatwave to take out a predicted switch to flygon.

 

[TLK]

This thing is like Speed Boost Blaziken was in OU. Yeah, it kills itself quickly but not before it destroys half your team.

 

[tomtom5858]

^ this.

 

[Forte.EXE]

This thing is like Speed Boost Blaziken was in OU. Yeah, it kills itself quickly but not before it destroys half your team.

I don't like Speed Boost Blaziken as an analogy, because it doesn't really fit. Staraptor, yeah, it's fast, but it's not constantly getting faster. With Blaziken, you had to run Priority or a strong enough Tank to weather the hit and strike back for a KO. You couldn't really rely on Scarf Pokemon to check Blaziken because they'd all get out-sped at +2/+3. Blaziken also needed a boost (usually) when breaking through everything while Staraptor really doesn't, since just using Double-Edge or Brave Bird is an automatic boost for him on top of STAB.

 

[Blue_Tornado]

Rhyperior completely wrecks this. Also, Staraptor usually needs band just to go through Slowbro, else it just falls short of the 2ko after lefties and bro is free to recover until it's ko'd.

I really don't see the fuss. So far I've dealt with this thing just fine.