America Fk Yeah!
Overview
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Braviary has a great base 123 Attack stat, which allows it to power through most of UU. It also has decent staying power thanks to its good resistances to Bug and Grass, immunity to Ground, and nice rounded 100 / 75 / 75 bulk. Its Defiant ability allows it to act as a Defog check, punishing the many Defoggers, such as Empoleon and Crobat, by raising its Attack by 2 stages. Its typing also gives it a great offensive STAB type that can even overpower foes that resist Flying thanks to its access to Bulk Up.
Braviary's typing is, however, a double-edged sword. While it gives Braviary a spammable STAB move, it also makes Braviary weak to common attacking types such as Electric, Rock, and Ice, as well as giving it a weakness to Stealth Rock. Braviary's average base 80 Speed also means it cannot threaten a lot of the faster Pokemon in UU, leaving it either crippled or severely wounded against them. It also faces major competition from other Flying-types, such as Crobat, which has a 4x resistance to Fighting and better bulk thanks to its typing, and Mega Aerodactyl, which has a blistering fast base 150 Speed stat and a decent STAB type combination.
BIG LINDA
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name: BIG LINDA
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Roost
move 4: Brave Bird
ability: Defiant
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 212 SpD / 44 Spe
nature: Careful
Moves
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Substitute protects Braviary from status and allows it to set up without worry. Bulk Up boosts Braviary's uninvested Defense and Attack stats, allowing it to power through walls while being able to tank both physical and special hits. Roost gives Braviary reliable recovery while also getting rid of its Flying typing in dire situations. Brave Bird is a great mono-STAB move, as no Pokemon is immune to it and the few that resist it can be worn down.
Set Details
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The EV spread allows Braviary to make 101 HP Substitutes, meaning it can set up on Blissey, while also giving it enough special bulk to survive Vaporeon's Scald and unboosted Suicune's Scald. The rest of the EVs are put into Speed to let Braviary outspeed uninvested Suicune and other base 85 Speed Pokemon by one point. A Careful nature maximizes Braviary's special bulk while lowering the attacking stat Braviary is not using. Leftovers gives Braviary passive recovery while it is setting up. Defiant also allows Braviary to come in on a predicted Defog and gain an easy +2 Attack boost.
Usage Tips
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Bring Braviary in on a wall that tries to status it or cannot break its Substitute. This set is more of a late-game setup sweeper that is most effective once certain specially offensive Pokemon are gone, as Braviary can boost its Defense stat to take on physically offensive Pokemon. Watch out for Pokemon with multi-hit moves, such as Rhyperior and Cloyster, as both can proceed to break Braviary's Substitute and continue to hit it.
Team Options
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Wallbreakers such as Choice Band Entei and Life Orb Darmanitan can weaken walls, making it much easier for Braviary to set up. They also get rid of Steel-types with their STAB moves and can use their coverage moves to get rid of Rock- and Electric-types, all of which resist Braviary's STAB move. Entry hazard support and removal is great, so Forretress is an excellent partner. It can provide Spikes support to soften up Steel- and Rock-types, Rapid Spin to get rid of entry hazards, and has access to a slow Volt Switch to bring Braviary in safely. Entry hazard support also forces Defoggers to come in, potentially giving Braviary a free +2 Attack boost.
Fly Like an Eagle
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name: Fly Like an Eagle
move 1: Return
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn / Roost
ability: Defiant
item: Choice Band / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
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Return is a powerful STAB move, hitting a lot of walls for massive amounts of damage with no recoil. Brave Bird is another amazing STAB move that comes with a nasty recoil but has decent offensive synergy with Return. Superpower allows Braviary to bypass Steel-types not named Mega Aggron, although with a Defiant boost Braviary can 2HKO Mega Aggron. U-turn gives Braviary a way out against a Pokemon it can't hope to beat while also providing free momentum. Roost can be a great recovery move that allows Braviary to tank weak Ice-, Rock-, and Electric-type moves and works well in tandem with Life Orb.
Set Details
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Maximum Attack and Speed EVs are used, allowing Braviary to hit as hard and as fast as possible. Choice Band boosts Braviary's Attack stat to a terrifying level while a Life Orb allows Braviary to switch between moves, albeit at the cost of power. A Jolly nature is used to Speed tie with other base 80 Speed Pokemon such as Chandelure and outspeed Adamant Lucario. However, an Adamant nature can be used instead to give Braviary as much power as possible.
Usage Tips
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This set should spam U-turn early-game and then, once walls are weakened, proceed to use its STAB moves mid-game to remove walls so that setup sweepers have an easier time powering through the opposing team.
Team Options
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This set really hates Stealth Rock, as it has no way of recovering HP if you opt for Choice Band. Entry hazard removal is essential, so Pokemon such as Forretress and Mega Blastoise can be good teammates to provide Rapid Spin support. Forretress also has a slow Volt Switch to bring Braviary in safely, while Mega Blastoise can beat every spinblocker in the tier, providing a guaranteed Rapid Spin. Entry hazard support is nice as well because Braviary can force a lot of switches thanks to its sheer power. It also forces Defoggers to come in, potentially giving Braviary a free +2 Attack boost. Forretress and Chesnaught can be good teammates to provide Spikes support, as most Braviary checks are hurt more by Spikes than by Stealth Rock. This set likes Volt Switch users, such as Heliolisk or Jolteon, to make the famous VoltTurn core, providing the team with easy momentum.
Other Options
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Choice Scarf can be an option to boost Braviary's average Speed; however, the common Mega Evolutions, Mega Beedrill and Mega Aerodactyl, still outspeed it even with a Jolly nature, meaning it will be worn down very quickly or just outright OHKOed.
Checks & Counters
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**Stealth Rock**: Stealth Rock is a thorn in Braviary's side, taking a quarter of its health every time it switches in. This is more of a problem when Braviary wants to U-turn out but has the risk of having to switch back into Stealth Rock.
**Rock-types**: Rock-types such as Mega Aerodactyl and Rhyperior resist Braviary's STAB moves while also threatening it with a STAB super effective Stone Edge. However, all are threatened by Superpower bar Mega Aerodactyl.
**Steel-types**: Most Steel-types, such as Mega Aggron, Forretress, and Bronzong, can check Braviary, as they resist both of its STAB moves; these three in particular don't take much from its coverage moves either. The best Braviary can do is U-turn out. However, Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary sets up on Forretress and Bronzong, and the best Mega Aggron can do is Roar it out.
**Faster Pokemon**: While Braviary has a ton of power, it has an average Speed stat, meaning it can be outsped by a lot of Pokemon in UU. Mienshao, Infernape, Heliolisk, and Hydreigon are some Pokemon that can outspeed and proceed to OHKO Braviary, although none of them can switch in for fear of Braviary's sheer power.
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