BIRD UP
With blazing Speed and strong attacks along with access to solid support moves, Talonflame makes for a potent attacker that can fit on multiple team styles. Gale Wings is its biggest selling point; with priority to Talonflame's Flying-type moves, its Brave Bird can almost always go first, letting it revenge kill, pick off weakened foes, and check anything needed as the situation calls for it with ease. With priority in its most usable attack, Talonflame can often effectively disregard opposing speed control methods such as Tailwind and Trick Room and perform well against sun and, to an extent, rain; rolewise, Talonflame serves effectively as an "offensive supporter" that applies pressure to foes regardless of field conditions thanks to its strong priority Brave Bird. Talonflame also has access to support moves in Will-O-Wisp and Tailwind, the latter of which is also blessed with priority from Gale Wings, letting Talonflame provide speed control in a pinch.
However, Talonflame's Attack is only average at base 81, which means a healthy foe can easily take a hit and then strike back at its paltry defenses; this is made worse by the prevalence of Intimidate from the likes of Landorus-T and Gyarados, softening Talonflame's blows even more. Talonflame also has its share of bad matchups against common threats, such as Rotom-W, Heatran, and Thundurus. Being frail and relying on recoil moves, Talonflame also has a tendency to get worn down quickly.
[SET]
name: Gale Wings Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Overheat / Flare Blitz
move 3: Tailwind / Will-O-Wisp / Steel Wing
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb / Sharp Beak
ability: Gale Wings
nature: Naughty / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Brave Bird is a high-powered STAB move with priority from Gale Wings that hits a good portion of the metagame for decent damage. Overheat covers Steel- and Electric-type foes such as Mega Metagross and Zapdos, and it notably lets Talonflame attack without fearing King's Shield from Aegislash and ignores opposing Intimidate. Flare Blitz is a usable alternative in order to take advantage of the set's Attack investment, guaranteeing OHKOs on some threats such as Mega Metagross, but recoil takes its toll on Talonflame quickly, and Overheat already hits Flare Blitz's targets well enough. Tailwind provides Talonflame and its teammates additional speed control to let them outspeed and score KOs on threats they couldn't otherwise; it also receives priority from Gale Wings, which effectively guarantees its setup, making it useful in a pinch. Will-O-Wisp lets Talonflame cripple opposing physical attackers, dealing chip damage and making them easier to deal with later on. Watch out, though, as even when burned, opposing physical attackers can still do sizable damage to Talonflame due to its frailty. Steel Wing lets Talonflame get a swift KO on Mega Diancie, which walls Talonflame otherwise. Protect lets Talonflame stall out field conditions, shield itself from damage, and give teammates room to work.
Set Details
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The EV spread boosts Talonflame's offensive potential as much as possible, providing maximum Attack while letting Talonflame outrun opposing base 110 Speed Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Mega Diancie. A Naughty nature gives it the most damage potential without lowering its Special Attack; there's no reason to run a Speed-boosting in the first place due to Brave Bird already having priority and the lack of any faster targets for Overheat or Flare Blitz. However, Adamant is a better alternative when not using Overheat, as Talonflame doesn't need its Special Attack without Overheat and it doesn't compromise any bulk. Life Orb boosts Talonflame's damage output to higher levels, though it has to watch out because the recoil from Life Orb and its recoil moves can quickly add up. Sharp Beak is a usable alternative in order to still boost Brave Bird while avoiding the recoil from Life Orb. However, this leaves Talonflame's other attacking moves weaker. Gale Wings gives valuable priority to Talonflame's Flying-type moves, Brave Bird and Tailwind.
Usage Tips
========
Talonflame fits on offensive teams that appreciate the pressure and damage Talonflame can apply on a decent portion of the metagame; on a more specific note, it's a good pick for rain and Trick Room teams in order to beat opposing bulky Grass-types, especially Amoonguss. Most of the time, Talonflame should be using Brave Bird due to its priority and great coverage; it should use Overheat or Flare Blitz only when needed, such as when the foe resists Brave Bird or is KOed by a super effective Fire-type move. Weakening foes first is appreciated in order for them to be safely picked off later, as Talonflame has trouble OHKOing foes. Talonflame is effective at picking off weakened threats and revenge killing thanks to its strong priority Brave Bird; on that note, Talonflame can be useful late-game because most foes at this stage of the match are damaged or weakened, making them easy to pick off. Be careful when switching Talonflame in, though, as it's really frail and any damage can prove to be fatal due to its reliance on recoil moves and Life Orb.
Use Tailwind when needed to achieve or preserve momentum, as the move lets Talonflame's teammates safely outspeed and KO foes they otherwise couldn't; using Tailwind as a last-ditch effort to maintain momentum when Talonflame can't do much else can also be a good idea depending on the circumstances. If using Will-O-Wisp, it can be useful to cripple an otherwise strong attacker such as Mega Kangaskhan. Talonflame has to watch out, though, as it's still hit decently hard by burned foes due to its frailty. Will-O-Wisp can also useful for weakening foes to the point where they can be picked off later. Because its most commonly used move is Brave Bird, it's important to watch out for Quick Guard. Watch out for King's Shield against Aegislash as well when using Flare Blitz, though with Overheat, Talonflame can play around it with ease.
Team Options
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Pokemon with spread attacks, such as Landorus-T and Mega Diancie, make for good teammates, as they can efficiently get foes into KO range for Talonflame's Brave Bird. Pokemon that can beat Heatran, an obstacle to Talonflame, make for good picks; Keldeo can take it out with its main STAB moves, and Landorus-T can use Earthquake and OHKO it. Similarly, teammates that match up well against Landorus-T and Mega Diancie are appreciated; bulky Water-types such as Rotom-W and Suicune can easily KO both, and, again, Landorus-T can weaken their attacks with Intimidate while being able to KO the latter. Pokemon that can beat opposing bulky Water-types, such as Amoonguss, Rotom-W, and Breloom, are also good, and the latter is also notable for being great under Talonflame's Tailwind. On that note, strong attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Metagross that appreciate Tailwind make for good partners, as they can take advantage of the Speed advantage fairly well. Having Bisharp as a partner also works, as Defiant takes advantage of any incoming Intimdate users while Talonflame can provide Bisharp a Speed boost with Tailwind.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A bulky Talonflame set sporting a Rocky Helmet and running Quick Guard and Will-O-Wisp can make for a fairly decent Mega Kangaskhan check while still being able to cover threats that the standard set does with Brave Bird. A Choice Band set can be useful in order to boost Talonflame's power even more, but losing the ability to change moves and use Protect is simply not worth the additional damage in most cases. U-turn could be used, with or without Choice Band, in order to maintain momentum. Taunt can stop moves such as Trick Room from being set up, but Talonflame has trouble fitting it onto its moveset. Quick Guard can be useful to block opposing priority moves, most notably Fake Out, but like Taunt, Talonflame has trouble finding room for it, and it is relatively easy to play around. Swords Dance is an option to make Talonflame a very threatening attacker, but Talonflame can't afford to set up and sweep on its own, and the moveslot for Swords Dance is generally much better used on a support move. Safety Goggles lets Talonflame ignore powder moves such as Rage Powder and Spore, letting it switch in safely and match up better against Amoonguss.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Typing Advantage**: Electric-types such as Rotom-W and Thundurus can easily take an incoming Brave Bird and hit back with their own STAB moves. Bulky Water-types such as Rotom-W, Suicune, and Gyarados can easily take a hit and KO Talonflame with a STAB move. Heatran can easily take any attack Talonflame can use against it and set up Substitute or deal damage with Heat Wave. Mega Diancie can take Talonflame's STAB moves and KO it with Diamond Storm, though it has to be wary of Steel Wing. In general, foes that can stomach a hit and strike back, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Landorus-T, pose a threat to Talonflame, as they can then hit it hard through its paltry defenses.
**Intimidate**: Intimidate softens Talonflame's blows to underwhelming levels, which isn't really good for it because its Attack stat is already low in the first place. Watch out for Gyarados and Landorus-T, especially the latter's bulky variant, which can take Talonflame's Brave Bird well.
**Utility Moves**: Fake Out can stop Talonflame in its tracks, as it outprioritizes Brave Bird. In particular, it doesn't want to take a Fake Out from Mega Kangaskhan, as it's really strong. Talonflame also has to watch out for Quick Guard, which can repeatedly block its priority Brave Bird; Keldeo and Terrakion are both well-known users of the move.
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