[OVERVIEW]
Despite its mediocre offensive and defensive stats, Talonflame is able to maintain its viability in the VGC 2016 metagame thanks to Gale Wings. The ability to set Tailwind and strike with high Base Power moves such as Brave Bird, both with priority, is a valuable niche. Talonflame's Speed stat is also so naturally high that it doesn't necessarily have to set Tailwind if it must make use of Flare Blitz. This Speed also comes in handy in combination with Quick Guard, as not only can it shut down prominent priority users like Thundurus, but it can stop even the fastest Fake Out users such as Weavile, which would ordinarily prove a difficult task given that these moves are on the same priority bracket. Talonflame's other viable options are great for keeping the opponent guessing too, as leaving moves such as Taunt and Will-O-Wisp unaccounted for could result in its foes being crippled.
[SET]
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Quick Guard
item: Life Orb
ability: Gale Wings
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Talonflame's main attacking move given that it has STAB, high Base Power, and priority. Flare Blitz serves as Talonflame's secondary STAB move and has the potential to hit even harder than Brave Bird when boosted by Primal Groudon's Desolate Land. It often sees use against that which resist Flying like Electric-types or against Steel-types such as Mega Mawile. Tailwind allows Talonflame to double the Speed stat of its team for three turns, and it does so with priority thanks to Gale Wings. Quick Guard protects Talonflame and its partner from priority moves like Fake Out and Prankster Encore and Taunt. If you don't find yourself needing Quick Guard, then Taunt can be used in this slot instead to prevent the use of status moves such as Dark Void. Alternatively, if the support is not needed, then Protect is recommended in order to provide Talonflame with the ability to shield itself for a turn.
Set Details
========
A Life Orb boosts Talonflame's damage output as much as possible while still allowing it to switch moves. Gale Wings grants priority to Talonflame's Flying-type moves. The 252 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature are used for much the same reason as Life Orb, with the remaining EVs being placed into Speed. Investment in bulk isn't recommended, as the recoil from Brave Bird and Flare Blitz combined with that of Life Orb will render most defensive benchmarks pointless. A Jolly nature is a fine alternative it you'd prefer to block Fake Out from particularly fast users such as Weavile and to set Tailwind before Prankster Thundurus's Taunt.
Usage Tips
========
Talonflame will typically want to be brought in during the early-game to set up speed control for its partners to sweep under. Leading with a Fake Out user is common, so expect your opening play to consist of Quick Guard followed by Tailwind on the next turn. After Tailwind is set up, provided a partner doesn't need to be defended by Quick Guard against crippling Prankster moves, you'll generally want to spam Brave Bird and Flare Blitz until Talonflame faints, and you can get a free switch into a potentially more appropriate partner that's in reserve.
Team Options
========
Primal Groudon makes for an excellent partner, as Talonflame appreciates its Desolate Land to boost the power of Flare Blitz, while Primal Groudon enjoys operating under Tailwind primarily to outspeed opposing Primal Pokemon. Primal Kyogre equally enjoys Talonflame's presence for sweeping under Tailwind, and while Talonflame's Flare Blitz will be nullified by Primordial Sea, it's still able to help it out offensively by taking care of the Grass-types that Primal Kyogre struggles against. Mega Kangaskhan is also a great teammate, as Fake Out's ability to make foes flinch can help Talonflame set up Tailwind freely. Smeargle is likewise a possible Fake Out user and is particularly devastating under Tailwind with its ability to put the opposing team to sleep with Dark Void. Mega Mawile is another Pokemon that greatly appreciates Tailwind to patch up its otherwise low Speed stat. Xerneas appreciates Talonflame's Quick Guard to block Prankster Taunt, Encore, and Thunder Wave, which would otherwise impair its ability to set up and sweep. Mega Rayquaza operates very much the same way with its high Speed and potential to set up Swords Dance, and its Delta Stream ability protects Talonflame against Rock- and Electric-type attacks, while Talonflame deals with opposing Steel-types with its Flare Blitz. Bear in mind that both Rayquaza and Talonflame frequently hold Life Orb, so Focus Sash should most likely be used on Rayquaza in the event that they're paired together.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Will-O-Wisp can be used to burn physical attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan and to inflict chip damage on bulky foes such as Bronzong and Cresselia. Snatch allows Talonflame to steal opposing Tailwind and setup moves, but bear in mind that this doesn't work on Geomancy. Swords Dance provides Talonflame a means of setting up, but Talonflame's frailty means it's unlikely to KO consecutive foes. A Sharp Beak can be used over Life Orb if you want to reduce recoil, but given that Talonflame is unlikely to survive long anyway, it's generally fruitless. Choice Band boosts Talonflame's damage output even higher than Life Orb, but this makes the use of support moves more difficult. Alternatively, Lum Berry can be used to block status such as sleep induced by Dark Void. Finally, using a bulkier EV spread such as 100 HP / 124 Atk / 4 Def / 28 SpD / 252 Spe to survive attacks such as +2 Timid Xerneas's Moonblast and opposing Talonflame's Life Orb-boosted Brave Bird is possible, but the drop in power is significant.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Electric-types such as Thundurus, Raichu, and Zapdos resist Brave Bird and hit Talonflame with their super effective STAB moves. The former two should be wary of Quick Guard blocking their Prankster moves and Fake Out, respectively, though. Zapdos is the most notable of the three, as it's the bulkiest and can match Talonflame's Tailwind with that of its own. Static also means it has a chance to paralyze Talonflame.
**Mega Rayquaza**: Mega Rayquaza's access to Extreme Speed means it can move before Talonflame's Brave Bird thanks to its higher priority bracket. It also resists Fire, allowing it to get onto the field against Talonflame more safely.
**Intimidate**: Intimidate users such as Salamence and Landorus-T reduce Talonflame's Attack by one stage when switched in, reducing its damage output significantly. Landorus-T is particularly dangerous, as its access to Rock Slide means it can eliminate Talonflame from the field easily as a result of its 4x weakness to Rock-type attacks.
**Quick Guard**: Opposing Quick Guard users such as Crobat are able to prevent the use of Brave Bird for a turn.
Despite its mediocre offensive and defensive stats, Talonflame is able to maintain its viability in the VGC 2016 metagame thanks to Gale Wings. The ability to set Tailwind and strike with high Base Power moves such as Brave Bird, both with priority, is a valuable niche. Talonflame's Speed stat is also so naturally high that it doesn't necessarily have to set Tailwind if it must make use of Flare Blitz. This Speed also comes in handy in combination with Quick Guard, as not only can it shut down prominent priority users like Thundurus, but it can stop even the fastest Fake Out users such as Weavile, which would ordinarily prove a difficult task given that these moves are on the same priority bracket. Talonflame's other viable options are great for keeping the opponent guessing too, as leaving moves such as Taunt and Will-O-Wisp unaccounted for could result in its foes being crippled.
[SET]
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Tailwind
move 4: Quick Guard
item: Life Orb
ability: Gale Wings
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is Talonflame's main attacking move given that it has STAB, high Base Power, and priority. Flare Blitz serves as Talonflame's secondary STAB move and has the potential to hit even harder than Brave Bird when boosted by Primal Groudon's Desolate Land. It often sees use against that which resist Flying like Electric-types or against Steel-types such as Mega Mawile. Tailwind allows Talonflame to double the Speed stat of its team for three turns, and it does so with priority thanks to Gale Wings. Quick Guard protects Talonflame and its partner from priority moves like Fake Out and Prankster Encore and Taunt. If you don't find yourself needing Quick Guard, then Taunt can be used in this slot instead to prevent the use of status moves such as Dark Void. Alternatively, if the support is not needed, then Protect is recommended in order to provide Talonflame with the ability to shield itself for a turn.
Set Details
========
A Life Orb boosts Talonflame's damage output as much as possible while still allowing it to switch moves. Gale Wings grants priority to Talonflame's Flying-type moves. The 252 Attack EVs and an Adamant nature are used for much the same reason as Life Orb, with the remaining EVs being placed into Speed. Investment in bulk isn't recommended, as the recoil from Brave Bird and Flare Blitz combined with that of Life Orb will render most defensive benchmarks pointless. A Jolly nature is a fine alternative it you'd prefer to block Fake Out from particularly fast users such as Weavile and to set Tailwind before Prankster Thundurus's Taunt.
Usage Tips
========
Talonflame will typically want to be brought in during the early-game to set up speed control for its partners to sweep under. Leading with a Fake Out user is common, so expect your opening play to consist of Quick Guard followed by Tailwind on the next turn. After Tailwind is set up, provided a partner doesn't need to be defended by Quick Guard against crippling Prankster moves, you'll generally want to spam Brave Bird and Flare Blitz until Talonflame faints, and you can get a free switch into a potentially more appropriate partner that's in reserve.
Team Options
========
Primal Groudon makes for an excellent partner, as Talonflame appreciates its Desolate Land to boost the power of Flare Blitz, while Primal Groudon enjoys operating under Tailwind primarily to outspeed opposing Primal Pokemon. Primal Kyogre equally enjoys Talonflame's presence for sweeping under Tailwind, and while Talonflame's Flare Blitz will be nullified by Primordial Sea, it's still able to help it out offensively by taking care of the Grass-types that Primal Kyogre struggles against. Mega Kangaskhan is also a great teammate, as Fake Out's ability to make foes flinch can help Talonflame set up Tailwind freely. Smeargle is likewise a possible Fake Out user and is particularly devastating under Tailwind with its ability to put the opposing team to sleep with Dark Void. Mega Mawile is another Pokemon that greatly appreciates Tailwind to patch up its otherwise low Speed stat. Xerneas appreciates Talonflame's Quick Guard to block Prankster Taunt, Encore, and Thunder Wave, which would otherwise impair its ability to set up and sweep. Mega Rayquaza operates very much the same way with its high Speed and potential to set up Swords Dance, and its Delta Stream ability protects Talonflame against Rock- and Electric-type attacks, while Talonflame deals with opposing Steel-types with its Flare Blitz. Bear in mind that both Rayquaza and Talonflame frequently hold Life Orb, so Focus Sash should most likely be used on Rayquaza in the event that they're paired together.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Will-O-Wisp can be used to burn physical attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan and to inflict chip damage on bulky foes such as Bronzong and Cresselia. Snatch allows Talonflame to steal opposing Tailwind and setup moves, but bear in mind that this doesn't work on Geomancy. Swords Dance provides Talonflame a means of setting up, but Talonflame's frailty means it's unlikely to KO consecutive foes. A Sharp Beak can be used over Life Orb if you want to reduce recoil, but given that Talonflame is unlikely to survive long anyway, it's generally fruitless. Choice Band boosts Talonflame's damage output even higher than Life Orb, but this makes the use of support moves more difficult. Alternatively, Lum Berry can be used to block status such as sleep induced by Dark Void. Finally, using a bulkier EV spread such as 100 HP / 124 Atk / 4 Def / 28 SpD / 252 Spe to survive attacks such as +2 Timid Xerneas's Moonblast and opposing Talonflame's Life Orb-boosted Brave Bird is possible, but the drop in power is significant.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Electric-types such as Thundurus, Raichu, and Zapdos resist Brave Bird and hit Talonflame with their super effective STAB moves. The former two should be wary of Quick Guard blocking their Prankster moves and Fake Out, respectively, though. Zapdos is the most notable of the three, as it's the bulkiest and can match Talonflame's Tailwind with that of its own. Static also means it has a chance to paralyze Talonflame.
**Mega Rayquaza**: Mega Rayquaza's access to Extreme Speed means it can move before Talonflame's Brave Bird thanks to its higher priority bracket. It also resists Fire, allowing it to get onto the field against Talonflame more safely.
**Intimidate**: Intimidate users such as Salamence and Landorus-T reduce Talonflame's Attack by one stage when switched in, reducing its damage output significantly. Landorus-T is particularly dangerous, as its access to Rock Slide means it can eliminate Talonflame from the field easily as a result of its 4x weakness to Rock-type attacks.
**Quick Guard**: Opposing Quick Guard users such as Crobat are able to prevent the use of Brave Bird for a turn.
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