Endorfins
Your Worst Nightmare
[Overview]
<p>Like an angel swooping down to rescue its friends from the grasp of tyranny, Braviary can easily pluck matches from the jaws of defeat. With its base 123 Attack stat and numerous high-powered moves, Braviary can easily lay the hurt on the opponent. Its STAB Brave Bird is nothing to mess around with, as only Pokemon that resist it will be able to survive repeated attacks. Unlike its fellow Flying-types—Swellow and Dodrio—Braviary can take down its regular Rock- and Steel-type switch-ins with Superpower. With a Choice Band equipped, almost every Pokemon in the tier is 2HKOed by one of Braviary's moves, while a Choice Scarf lets it act as a potent revenge killer, seeking and destroying targets that could otherwise sweep whole teams. Unfortunately, Braviary's rather ordinary typing leaves it with numerous weaknesses; its weakness to Rock-type attacks also hampers it whenever it wants to switch in, as Stealth Rock is quite common. Although Braviary is reasonably bulky, the lack of Roost means that it can easily be worn down by residual damage and strong attacks. But don't think that Braviary isn't a dangerous Pokemon, not even for a second; its sheer power and precise movepool give it all the tools it needs to rain down destruction from above.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Superpower
move 3: U-turn
move 3: Return
item: Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Braviary hits with about as much force as a nuclear bomb. Brave Bird has mind-boggling power; it has a chance of OHKOing standard Altaria, Leafeon, and even the holy grail of NU physical walls, Tangela. Unfortunately, the metagame has grown wary of Braviary's powerful STAB move, and Rock- and Steel-types are present on almost every team in the tier. To combat this growing threat, Braviary comes equipped with Superpower to destroy Pokemon such as Regirock and Probopass, 2HKOing them both. U-turn is a terrific move for any Choice-locked Pokemon, as it lets Braviary scout the opponent's response and perform a retreat, calling in a teammate to deal with Pokemon that Braviary would be hard-pressed to defeat. It also packs decent power with a Choice Band boost, meaning that switch-ins will quickly be worn down. Return is Braviary's best alternative STAB attack, as it has solid Base Power and no ill-effects such as recoil or stat drops; it is also great if Braviary is running low on HP or if you don't want the huge recoil of Brave Bird. Even though it has less power than Brave Bird, Return is still very powerful and more than capable of taking down most Pokemon in the tier.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An Adamant nature is the best choice for Choice Band Braviary, as its main role is to break walls, which are normally quite slow. However, a Jolly one can be used to let Braviary Speed tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon such as Gardevoir. However, it comes at the cost of Braviary's power; for example, Braviary can no longer guarantee a OHKO on Tangela after Stealth Rock damage if it chooses to run a Jolly nature. Other than that, its EV spread is very standard; maximum Attack and Speed give Braviary as much of an offensive presence as possible while the remainder is placed in Defense instead of HP so Braviary can switch into Stealth Rock four times without fainting. In terms of alternative attacks, the only move worth considering is Rock Slide; it is boosted by Sheer Force so it has similar power to Stone Edge without the terrible accuracy. Although it doesn't give Braviary any notable coverage, it can help against opposing Braviary, as well as Articuno and Charizard. If you choose not to use Rock Slide, Keen Eye is the best ability to use, as it will protect Braviary against stray accuracy drops, however rare they are. Although Braviary is largely self-sufficient, it still appreciates any help that its teammates can give it; Cryogonal can use Rapid Spin to remove Stealth Rock, which Braviary hates, as well as sponge most Electric- and Ice-type attacks directed at Braviary. To ease the prediction involved when using Braviary, Gorebyss and Sawk are excellent teammates that can be used to remove Rock- and Steel-types, respectively. With Regirock, Golem, and Probopass gone, Braviary can then spam Brave Bird freely.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Superpower
move 3: U-turn
move 3: Return
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Choice Band Braviary is more focused on wallbreaking, the Choice Scarf variant is all about speed. Choice Scarf transforms Braviary from a slow, hard-hitting attacker into a speed demon that is capable of revenge killing most threats and sweeping late-game. Brave Bird is Braviary's staple move and has the highest Base Power of any move on the set; it revenge kills threats such as Sawsbuck and Leafeon while also putting a stop to the red army of Magmortar and Charizard currently roaming the tier. Superpower surprises Rock- and Steel-types hoping to switch in on Brave Bird relatively unscathed; it easily 2HKOes Golem and Probopass, although Regirock can take two Superpowers and retaliate with Stone Edge. U-turn scouts opposing switch=ins and gains momentum for your team, and is also useful for finishing off weakened sweepers without giving your opponent the chance to set up on a Choice-locked attacker. Lastly, Return provides solid, reliable damage that doesn't impact Braviary negatively in any way.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Despite Braviary's blistering Speed with a Choice Scarf, it is best if Braviary runs a Jolly nature to let it outspeed many notable threats; with said nature, Braviary can outspeed +2 neutral-nature Gorebyss, Torterra, and Relicanth, as well as Speed tying with Altaria after a Dragon Dance. Although an Adamant nature gives Braviary more power, notably a OHKO on Magmortar with Brave Bird, it's generally not worth losing to the above Pokemon who could otherwise sweep through your team. Braviary has no need to run any other EV spread than that of the standard physical attacker—maximum Attack and Speed. The leftover EVs are placed in Defense to ensure that Braviary has an odd HP number and can switch into Stealth Rock four times. Rock Slide can be used over Return to get a stronger hit on Magmortar and Rotom-S, but it is situational at best. If you choose to use Rock Slide, then Sheer Force is the best ability because it boosts Rock Slide's power. Otherwise, use Keen Eye to protect Braviary from rare accuracy drops. Cryogonal is one of Braviary's best teammates, as it can remove Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin; with Braviary constantly switching in and out with U-turn, Stealth Rock will take its toll on Braviary. Ludicolo is another teammate that has decent synergy with Braviary; its great Special Defense lets it comfortably take most Electric- and Ice-type attacks while also being able to take on +2 Timid Gorebyss, a threat that Braviary can't outspeed.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Like most Normal / Flying types, Braviary has a rather shallow movepool. Its best setup move is Bulk Up, which, in conjunction with Braviary's high Attack stat and decent bulk, would make it seem viable. Unfortunately, Braviary's lack of recovery and mediocre Speed holds it back from consistently sweeping. Tailwind isn't exactly a boosting move, but it can act as a temporary Agility, letting Braviary outspeed revenge killers and try to sweep in the few turns that it has. Crush Claw and Retaliate are alternative Normal-type STAB attacks that Braviary can use over Return. The former has a chance to lower Defense while still having reliable power, but Rock-types will still wall it and the lowering of Defense is not guaranteed. The latter has immense power if Braviary comes in after a teammate faints, but it is quite weak otherwise and can be set up on.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The only foolproof counter to Braviary is Eviolite Metang; with its great typing and bulk, Metang can easily sponge Braviary's STAB moves while also taking repeated Superpowers. In return, it can set up Stealth Rock and wear Braviary down with Meteor Mash. Alomomola is also a decent switch-in to most Braviary sets, but it will be hard-pressed to survive two Choice Band-boosted Brave Birds. Aside from that, however, it can effortlessly wall any of Braviary's other moves and can stall it out with Toxic, Wish, and Protect. Rock- and Steel-types are many teams' only switch-ins to Braviary's Brave Bird, and although they can comfortably take Braviary's STAB attacks, many will fall to Superpower. Be careful of Sturdy though, as it is commonly found on Golem and Probopass. Golem can retaliate with either a Rock-type STAB attack or terrorize Braviary with a suicidal Explosion. Most Rock-types can also set up Stealth Rock which hampers Braviary severely, shaving off 25% of its HP every time it switches in. Bulky Electric-types are decent switch-ins to Brave Bird, Braviary's most used move. Luxray has Intimidate to soften Braviary's blows while Ampharos can set up Reflect or use Cotton Guard to become almost impervious to Braviary's attacks. Both can use super effective STAB attacks to knock Braviary out of the sky.</p>
<p>If your team has no good Braviary switch-ins, then there is always the option to revenge kill it. Choice Scarf Rotom-S can outspeed even Jolly Choice Scarf Braviary and destroy it with Thunderbolt or gain momentum with Volt Switch. Choice Scarf Electabuzz and Raichu can both accomplish the same thing, although few revenge killers will be able to switch into Braviary directly. The Choice Band set is outsped by many Pokemon even without a Choice Scarf, such as Magmortar, which naturally outspeeds Braviary and can fry it with Thunderbolt; Jynx can do the same with Ice Beam. Priority such as Absol's Sucker Punch can also leave a sizable dent in Braviary's HP, but is unlikely to KO unless Braviary is weakened.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Defiant is better than Keen Eye and Sheer Force if you are not running Rock Slide. Although NU has few Intimidate users, Defiant Braviary can take advantage of the occasional Luxray and Mawile; with a boost to its Attack and wielding a Choice Scarf, Braviary can easily go on a rampage.</p>
<p>Like an angel swooping down to rescue its friends from the grasp of tyranny, Braviary can easily pluck matches from the jaws of defeat. With its base 123 Attack stat and numerous high-powered moves, Braviary can easily lay the hurt on the opponent. Its STAB Brave Bird is nothing to mess around with, as only Pokemon that resist it will be able to survive repeated attacks. Unlike its fellow Flying-types—Swellow and Dodrio—Braviary can take down its regular Rock- and Steel-type switch-ins with Superpower. With a Choice Band equipped, almost every Pokemon in the tier is 2HKOed by one of Braviary's moves, while a Choice Scarf lets it act as a potent revenge killer, seeking and destroying targets that could otherwise sweep whole teams. Unfortunately, Braviary's rather ordinary typing leaves it with numerous weaknesses; its weakness to Rock-type attacks also hampers it whenever it wants to switch in, as Stealth Rock is quite common. Although Braviary is reasonably bulky, the lack of Roost means that it can easily be worn down by residual damage and strong attacks. But don't think that Braviary isn't a dangerous Pokemon, not even for a second; its sheer power and precise movepool give it all the tools it needs to rain down destruction from above.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Superpower
move 3: U-turn
move 3: Return
item: Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Braviary hits with about as much force as a nuclear bomb. Brave Bird has mind-boggling power; it has a chance of OHKOing standard Altaria, Leafeon, and even the holy grail of NU physical walls, Tangela. Unfortunately, the metagame has grown wary of Braviary's powerful STAB move, and Rock- and Steel-types are present on almost every team in the tier. To combat this growing threat, Braviary comes equipped with Superpower to destroy Pokemon such as Regirock and Probopass, 2HKOing them both. U-turn is a terrific move for any Choice-locked Pokemon, as it lets Braviary scout the opponent's response and perform a retreat, calling in a teammate to deal with Pokemon that Braviary would be hard-pressed to defeat. It also packs decent power with a Choice Band boost, meaning that switch-ins will quickly be worn down. Return is Braviary's best alternative STAB attack, as it has solid Base Power and no ill-effects such as recoil or stat drops; it is also great if Braviary is running low on HP or if you don't want the huge recoil of Brave Bird. Even though it has less power than Brave Bird, Return is still very powerful and more than capable of taking down most Pokemon in the tier.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>An Adamant nature is the best choice for Choice Band Braviary, as its main role is to break walls, which are normally quite slow. However, a Jolly one can be used to let Braviary Speed tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon such as Gardevoir. However, it comes at the cost of Braviary's power; for example, Braviary can no longer guarantee a OHKO on Tangela after Stealth Rock damage if it chooses to run a Jolly nature. Other than that, its EV spread is very standard; maximum Attack and Speed give Braviary as much of an offensive presence as possible while the remainder is placed in Defense instead of HP so Braviary can switch into Stealth Rock four times without fainting. In terms of alternative attacks, the only move worth considering is Rock Slide; it is boosted by Sheer Force so it has similar power to Stone Edge without the terrible accuracy. Although it doesn't give Braviary any notable coverage, it can help against opposing Braviary, as well as Articuno and Charizard. If you choose not to use Rock Slide, Keen Eye is the best ability to use, as it will protect Braviary against stray accuracy drops, however rare they are. Although Braviary is largely self-sufficient, it still appreciates any help that its teammates can give it; Cryogonal can use Rapid Spin to remove Stealth Rock, which Braviary hates, as well as sponge most Electric- and Ice-type attacks directed at Braviary. To ease the prediction involved when using Braviary, Gorebyss and Sawk are excellent teammates that can be used to remove Rock- and Steel-types, respectively. With Regirock, Golem, and Probopass gone, Braviary can then spam Brave Bird freely.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Superpower
move 3: U-turn
move 3: Return
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although Choice Band Braviary is more focused on wallbreaking, the Choice Scarf variant is all about speed. Choice Scarf transforms Braviary from a slow, hard-hitting attacker into a speed demon that is capable of revenge killing most threats and sweeping late-game. Brave Bird is Braviary's staple move and has the highest Base Power of any move on the set; it revenge kills threats such as Sawsbuck and Leafeon while also putting a stop to the red army of Magmortar and Charizard currently roaming the tier. Superpower surprises Rock- and Steel-types hoping to switch in on Brave Bird relatively unscathed; it easily 2HKOes Golem and Probopass, although Regirock can take two Superpowers and retaliate with Stone Edge. U-turn scouts opposing switch=ins and gains momentum for your team, and is also useful for finishing off weakened sweepers without giving your opponent the chance to set up on a Choice-locked attacker. Lastly, Return provides solid, reliable damage that doesn't impact Braviary negatively in any way.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Despite Braviary's blistering Speed with a Choice Scarf, it is best if Braviary runs a Jolly nature to let it outspeed many notable threats; with said nature, Braviary can outspeed +2 neutral-nature Gorebyss, Torterra, and Relicanth, as well as Speed tying with Altaria after a Dragon Dance. Although an Adamant nature gives Braviary more power, notably a OHKO on Magmortar with Brave Bird, it's generally not worth losing to the above Pokemon who could otherwise sweep through your team. Braviary has no need to run any other EV spread than that of the standard physical attacker—maximum Attack and Speed. The leftover EVs are placed in Defense to ensure that Braviary has an odd HP number and can switch into Stealth Rock four times. Rock Slide can be used over Return to get a stronger hit on Magmortar and Rotom-S, but it is situational at best. If you choose to use Rock Slide, then Sheer Force is the best ability because it boosts Rock Slide's power. Otherwise, use Keen Eye to protect Braviary from rare accuracy drops. Cryogonal is one of Braviary's best teammates, as it can remove Stealth Rock with Rapid Spin; with Braviary constantly switching in and out with U-turn, Stealth Rock will take its toll on Braviary. Ludicolo is another teammate that has decent synergy with Braviary; its great Special Defense lets it comfortably take most Electric- and Ice-type attacks while also being able to take on +2 Timid Gorebyss, a threat that Braviary can't outspeed.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Like most Normal / Flying types, Braviary has a rather shallow movepool. Its best setup move is Bulk Up, which, in conjunction with Braviary's high Attack stat and decent bulk, would make it seem viable. Unfortunately, Braviary's lack of recovery and mediocre Speed holds it back from consistently sweeping. Tailwind isn't exactly a boosting move, but it can act as a temporary Agility, letting Braviary outspeed revenge killers and try to sweep in the few turns that it has. Crush Claw and Retaliate are alternative Normal-type STAB attacks that Braviary can use over Return. The former has a chance to lower Defense while still having reliable power, but Rock-types will still wall it and the lowering of Defense is not guaranteed. The latter has immense power if Braviary comes in after a teammate faints, but it is quite weak otherwise and can be set up on.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The only foolproof counter to Braviary is Eviolite Metang; with its great typing and bulk, Metang can easily sponge Braviary's STAB moves while also taking repeated Superpowers. In return, it can set up Stealth Rock and wear Braviary down with Meteor Mash. Alomomola is also a decent switch-in to most Braviary sets, but it will be hard-pressed to survive two Choice Band-boosted Brave Birds. Aside from that, however, it can effortlessly wall any of Braviary's other moves and can stall it out with Toxic, Wish, and Protect. Rock- and Steel-types are many teams' only switch-ins to Braviary's Brave Bird, and although they can comfortably take Braviary's STAB attacks, many will fall to Superpower. Be careful of Sturdy though, as it is commonly found on Golem and Probopass. Golem can retaliate with either a Rock-type STAB attack or terrorize Braviary with a suicidal Explosion. Most Rock-types can also set up Stealth Rock which hampers Braviary severely, shaving off 25% of its HP every time it switches in. Bulky Electric-types are decent switch-ins to Brave Bird, Braviary's most used move. Luxray has Intimidate to soften Braviary's blows while Ampharos can set up Reflect or use Cotton Guard to become almost impervious to Braviary's attacks. Both can use super effective STAB attacks to knock Braviary out of the sky.</p>
<p>If your team has no good Braviary switch-ins, then there is always the option to revenge kill it. Choice Scarf Rotom-S can outspeed even Jolly Choice Scarf Braviary and destroy it with Thunderbolt or gain momentum with Volt Switch. Choice Scarf Electabuzz and Raichu can both accomplish the same thing, although few revenge killers will be able to switch into Braviary directly. The Choice Band set is outsped by many Pokemon even without a Choice Scarf, such as Magmortar, which naturally outspeeds Braviary and can fry it with Thunderbolt; Jynx can do the same with Ice Beam. Priority such as Absol's Sucker Punch can also leave a sizable dent in Braviary's HP, but is unlikely to KO unless Braviary is weakened.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Defiant is better than Keen Eye and Sheer Force if you are not running Rock Slide. Although NU has few Intimidate users, Defiant Braviary can take advantage of the occasional Luxray and Mawile; with a boost to its Attack and wielding a Choice Scarf, Braviary can easily go on a rampage.</p>