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Braviary
[Overview]
<p>Despite sharing a common typing with a number of Pokemon, Braviary has several distinguishing features which make it stand out from the crowd. With an absolutely massive 123 base Attack stat, almost nothing enjoys switching into its powerful Brave Bird. Anything that can switch in must also be wary of the tool that makes Braviary such a presence—Superpower. This sets Braviary apart from other Flying-types, which have to rely on team support to get past Rock- and Steel-types. It also boasts considerable bulk, though at the cost of some Speed when compared to other Flying-types such as Swellow. These qualities make Braviary an excellent user of both Choice Band and Choice Scarf, allowing it to obliterate most threats in its path or outspeed a large majority of RU and act as an effective revenge killer, respectively. Both of these roles can come in handy on a potential Brave Bird spam team, as can the access to Superpower. As with all Flying-types, however, a weakness to the ever-present Stealth Rock limits switch in opportunities, but Braviary makes up for this with its superior bulk.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Braviary becomes one of the most powerful attackers in the RU tier. It can break through sturdy walls such as Alomomola while still being a threat to slower offensive Pokemon. While base 80 Speed is not stellar in RU, Braviary is certainly not slow and gets the job done. STAB Brave Bird coming off 123 base Attack puts huge holes in the majority of the tier and even Pokemon that resist it still take a hefty chunk of damage. Return is used as the reliable secondary STAB move, which is particularly useful when Braviary does not want to take excessive recoil damage. This allows Braviary to take an odd neutral hit or two early-game with its above-average bulk, while late-game, when Braviary is free to spam Brave Bird, the extra HP can be critical in getting an extra attack off. Return also hits Electric-types such as Manectric and Eelektross, which resist Brave Bird. Superpower is arguably the most useful arrow in Braviary's quiver, denting the Rock- and Steel-types which resist its STAB moves. This really sets it apart from other Flying-types in the tier, who usually have to rely on U-turn and team support to remove their common counters, as with some prediction, Braviary can swing the match massively in your favor. U-turn, as always, is a useful move to have on a Choice Band set, as it allows Braviary to scout, build up damage, and keep momentum early-game.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A simple EV spread is all that Braviary requires to be effective; 252 Attack EVs allow it to hit as hard as possible, while 252 in Speed ensures a speed tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon. The 4 Defense EVs are filler, but by not placing them in HP, Braviary can switch into Stealth Rock four times and survive with 1 HP. A Jolly nature is generally preferred to ensure that Braviary will at worst Speed tie with Swords Dance Gallade, as well as any other base 80 Speed Pokemon. Adamant does grant a lot of extra power, however, and can 2HKO Alomomola with Brave Bird, which just goes to show how powerful Braviary is.</p>
<p>Braviary really appreciates Spikes support, as most of its counters are grounded. Once Spikes are up, it can easily rack up entry hazard damage on those counters with U-turn, then later on spam Brave Bird once any Steel- and Rock-types have been removed. Qwilfish works well as a teammate because of this, as it can lure Ground-type moves for Braviary to switch in on. Due to its Stealth Rock weakness, running a Rapid Spin user with Braviary is always a good idea. Both Hitmonchan and Sandslash can spin away Stealth Rock, and take the common Rock-type attacks aimed at Braviary. Alternatively, Cryogonal can easily switch in on the special Electric- and Ice-type moves aimed at Braviary.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set plays very differently to the Choice Band set. Instead of simply plowing through the opposing walls with raw power, it boosts Braviary's average Speed to become an effective revenge killer. It will not break through walls with the same effectiveness as the Choice Band set, but it makes up for this with much better Speed; Braviary can now outspeed and revenge kill dangerous threats such as Scolipede and Gallade. Brave Bird is the main STAB move, and it still has a huge amount of power, even without the Choice Band boost. Return is used as a secondary STAB which doesn't have recoil, and Braviary can occasionally sweep late-game with it if Brave Bird's recoil proves to be too costly, provided the appropriate checks and counters have been removed or significantly weakened. Superpower is essential on this set as it is the only shot Braviary has at revenge killing Omastar, and is needed to damage Steel-types such as Magneton. U-turn occupies the fourth moveslot, with the main purpose of maintaining momentum on a predicted switch by the opponent.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is very simple: maximum power and Speed, with the leftover 4 EVs placed in Defense for taking slightly less damage from physical priority moves and switching into Stealth Rock four times without fainting. The Jolly nature is necessary to outspeed certain threats such as +2 Modest Omastar. While the lack of power may seem like an issue at first, remember that the Choice Scarf set is not meant to break through walls; its main function is to revenge kill fast, frail opponents. Rock Slide is a viable alternative on this set, with Sheer Force as the ability, as it allows Braviary to OHKO Moltres without any Stealth Rock damage. It can also hit Aerodactyl and Archeops harder than any other move Braviary has. However, missing out on any other move to accommodate it can be crucial. Brave Bird and Return are both essential for Braviary to do its job, while going without Superpower means Braviary is unable to touch Magneton, Rhydon, and Steelix, among others. Braviary will also have no chance of revenge killing Omastar, one of the main alluring aspects of this set.</p>
<p>Rapid Spin support is even more important for this set, as Braviary needs to switch in and out much more often. Sandslash makes an excellent partner, taking Rock- and Electric-type attacks as well as setting up and spinning away Stealth Rock. As always, entry hazards wear down most of Braviary's counters very quickly, so Qwilfish is recommended as a teammate.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rock Slide can be used on the Choice Band set in order to make use of Braviary's other ability, Sheer Force. It is generally inferior to Return, but it does hit Rotom harder than any other move. Retaliate is Braviary's most powerful move if used after a teammate has fainted, but it is unreliable and situational in use; Return is likely to win more games overall. Braviary also has access to Bulk Up, which could be a nasty surprise to some of its checks. However, Braviary does not get Roost, which makes a Bulk Up set very difficult to pull off successfully.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Braviary can be very difficult to switch into because of its incredible power. Rotom is about the only Pokemon in RU that can safely switch into any of Braviary's moves, barring the rare Rock Slide; it can then either cripple it with Will-O-Wisp, or go for the KO with Thunderbolt. Braviary is almost always running a Choice set, so once you know that it is locked into Brave Bird, you can safely switch in your Steel- or Rock-type. Steelix, Rhydon, and Magneton all make great options for this role, as they can often tank a Superpower if needed as well. Since Braviary constantly switches in and out, Stealth Rock really wears it down, allowing priority moves to finish it off; Absol, Entei, Hitmonlee, and Kabutops all carry strong priority moves which can finish a weakened Braviary.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Defiant is not the most useful of abilities, as there are not many Intimidate users in RU. It is at least more useful than Sheer Force or Keen Eye, as Qwilfish can no longer switch in and Intimidate Braviary.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Despite sharing a common typing with a number of Pokemon, Braviary has several distinguishing features which make it stand out from the crowd. With an absolutely massive 123 base Attack stat, almost nothing enjoys switching into its powerful Brave Bird. Anything that can switch in must also be wary of the tool that makes Braviary such a presence—Superpower. This sets Braviary apart from other Flying-types, which have to rely on team support to get past Rock- and Steel-types. It also boasts considerable bulk, though at the cost of some Speed when compared to other Flying-types such as Swellow. These qualities make Braviary an excellent user of both Choice Band and Choice Scarf, allowing it to obliterate most threats in its path or outspeed a large majority of RU and act as an effective revenge killer, respectively. Both of these roles can come in handy on a potential Brave Bird spam team, as can the access to Superpower. As with all Flying-types, however, a weakness to the ever-present Stealth Rock limits switch in opportunities, but Braviary makes up for this with its superior bulk.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>When equipped with a Choice Band, Braviary becomes one of the most powerful attackers in the RU tier. It can break through sturdy walls such as Alomomola while still being a threat to slower offensive Pokemon. While base 80 Speed is not stellar in RU, Braviary is certainly not slow and gets the job done. STAB Brave Bird coming off 123 base Attack puts huge holes in the majority of the tier and even Pokemon that resist it still take a hefty chunk of damage. Return is used as the reliable secondary STAB move, which is particularly useful when Braviary does not want to take excessive recoil damage. This allows Braviary to take an odd neutral hit or two early-game with its above-average bulk, while late-game, when Braviary is free to spam Brave Bird, the extra HP can be critical in getting an extra attack off. Return also hits Electric-types such as Manectric and Eelektross, which resist Brave Bird. Superpower is arguably the most useful arrow in Braviary's quiver, denting the Rock- and Steel-types which resist its STAB moves. This really sets it apart from other Flying-types in the tier, who usually have to rely on U-turn and team support to remove their common counters, as with some prediction, Braviary can swing the match massively in your favor. U-turn, as always, is a useful move to have on a Choice Band set, as it allows Braviary to scout, build up damage, and keep momentum early-game.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A simple EV spread is all that Braviary requires to be effective; 252 Attack EVs allow it to hit as hard as possible, while 252 in Speed ensures a speed tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon. The 4 Defense EVs are filler, but by not placing them in HP, Braviary can switch into Stealth Rock four times and survive with 1 HP. A Jolly nature is generally preferred to ensure that Braviary will at worst Speed tie with Swords Dance Gallade, as well as any other base 80 Speed Pokemon. Adamant does grant a lot of extra power, however, and can 2HKO Alomomola with Brave Bird, which just goes to show how powerful Braviary is.</p>
<p>Braviary really appreciates Spikes support, as most of its counters are grounded. Once Spikes are up, it can easily rack up entry hazard damage on those counters with U-turn, then later on spam Brave Bird once any Steel- and Rock-types have been removed. Qwilfish works well as a teammate because of this, as it can lure Ground-type moves for Braviary to switch in on. Due to its Stealth Rock weakness, running a Rapid Spin user with Braviary is always a good idea. Both Hitmonchan and Sandslash can spin away Stealth Rock, and take the common Rock-type attacks aimed at Braviary. Alternatively, Cryogonal can easily switch in on the special Electric- and Ice-type moves aimed at Braviary.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set plays very differently to the Choice Band set. Instead of simply plowing through the opposing walls with raw power, it boosts Braviary's average Speed to become an effective revenge killer. It will not break through walls with the same effectiveness as the Choice Band set, but it makes up for this with much better Speed; Braviary can now outspeed and revenge kill dangerous threats such as Scolipede and Gallade. Brave Bird is the main STAB move, and it still has a huge amount of power, even without the Choice Band boost. Return is used as a secondary STAB which doesn't have recoil, and Braviary can occasionally sweep late-game with it if Brave Bird's recoil proves to be too costly, provided the appropriate checks and counters have been removed or significantly weakened. Superpower is essential on this set as it is the only shot Braviary has at revenge killing Omastar, and is needed to damage Steel-types such as Magneton. U-turn occupies the fourth moveslot, with the main purpose of maintaining momentum on a predicted switch by the opponent.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is very simple: maximum power and Speed, with the leftover 4 EVs placed in Defense for taking slightly less damage from physical priority moves and switching into Stealth Rock four times without fainting. The Jolly nature is necessary to outspeed certain threats such as +2 Modest Omastar. While the lack of power may seem like an issue at first, remember that the Choice Scarf set is not meant to break through walls; its main function is to revenge kill fast, frail opponents. Rock Slide is a viable alternative on this set, with Sheer Force as the ability, as it allows Braviary to OHKO Moltres without any Stealth Rock damage. It can also hit Aerodactyl and Archeops harder than any other move Braviary has. However, missing out on any other move to accommodate it can be crucial. Brave Bird and Return are both essential for Braviary to do its job, while going without Superpower means Braviary is unable to touch Magneton, Rhydon, and Steelix, among others. Braviary will also have no chance of revenge killing Omastar, one of the main alluring aspects of this set.</p>
<p>Rapid Spin support is even more important for this set, as Braviary needs to switch in and out much more often. Sandslash makes an excellent partner, taking Rock- and Electric-type attacks as well as setting up and spinning away Stealth Rock. As always, entry hazards wear down most of Braviary's counters very quickly, so Qwilfish is recommended as a teammate.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Rock Slide can be used on the Choice Band set in order to make use of Braviary's other ability, Sheer Force. It is generally inferior to Return, but it does hit Rotom harder than any other move. Retaliate is Braviary's most powerful move if used after a teammate has fainted, but it is unreliable and situational in use; Return is likely to win more games overall. Braviary also has access to Bulk Up, which could be a nasty surprise to some of its checks. However, Braviary does not get Roost, which makes a Bulk Up set very difficult to pull off successfully.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Braviary can be very difficult to switch into because of its incredible power. Rotom is about the only Pokemon in RU that can safely switch into any of Braviary's moves, barring the rare Rock Slide; it can then either cripple it with Will-O-Wisp, or go for the KO with Thunderbolt. Braviary is almost always running a Choice set, so once you know that it is locked into Brave Bird, you can safely switch in your Steel- or Rock-type. Steelix, Rhydon, and Magneton all make great options for this role, as they can often tank a Superpower if needed as well. Since Braviary constantly switches in and out, Stealth Rock really wears it down, allowing priority moves to finish it off; Absol, Entei, Hitmonlee, and Kabutops all carry strong priority moves which can finish a weakened Braviary.</p>
[Unreleased]
<p>Defiant is not the most useful of abilities, as there are not many Intimidate users in RU. It is at least more useful than Sheer Force or Keen Eye, as Qwilfish can no longer switch in and Intimidate Braviary.</p>