Braviary
[Overview]
<p>Diving into the competitive scene as the fifth generation's itineration of the Normal/Flying archetype, Braviary finds itself amongst several other birds doomed to the confines of the NU tier. Despite this placement, Braviary finds himself soaring above his brethren by grace of his mighty attack stat and a repertoire of unique coverage moves. The bird of the mountains quickly sets itself apart from the flock with Superpower, breaking through Steel and Rock types that stop other physical birds in their tracks. Sporting a base 123 attack stat and wielding an arsenal of high base power attacks, Braviary makes its presence known within the NU tier.</p>
[SET]
name: Choiced Bird
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Superpower
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Return/Rock Slide
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye / Sheer Force
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Braviary's arsenal of high base power attacks sets it up perfectly for a choice item. With a Choice Band, Braviary can punch holes in your opponent's team and cause some serious damage. A Scarfed Braviary can function as a revenge killer or a late game sweeper, picking up the pieces once the opponent's defensive core is broken. Brave Bird is Braviary's best STAB option, severely denting any Pokemon tthat doesn't resist it and outright 2HKOing even the sturdiest of walls. Superpower is what makes Braviary stand out, perfectly complementing his STAB in terms of coverage and smashing through the Rock and Steel types that stand in your way. U-Turn is a must have on any choice set, as it allows you to scout and gain the switch advantage on your opponent should they switch in a counter. The fourth moveslot depends on what you need. Return is Braviary's next strongest STAB and allows him to do good damage without fear of recoil as well as allowing him to hit the likes of Ampharos and Luxray. Rotom-s is a threatening presence for Braviary, and it's worth noting that Sheer Force boosted Rock Slide is an immediate KO should it switch in.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is pretty standard, but you should choose the nature based on what your team needs. It should be noted that a Jolly Scarfed Braviary outspeeds a neutral Scarfed Sawk and Rotom-A, things the big bird usually has to watch out for. An Adamant banded set can be truly fearsome, 2HKOing the entire tier with a bit of prediction. To demonstrate this raw power, here are some calcs of Adamant CB Braviary facing down the sturdiest walls in NU.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Brave Bird vs. 36/252+ Alomomola 53.8% - 63.3%</li>
<li>Brave Bird vs. 248/252+ Torkoal 51.6% - 60.6%</li>
<li>Brave Bird vs. 252/252+ Wartortle (Eviolite) 53.4% - 63.3%</li>
<li>Superpower vs. 252/4 Regirock 62.1% - 73.0%</li>
</ul>
<p>You'll want to pack a Rapid Spinner for Braviary, as he won't be around for long with Stealth Rocks up. Wish support would also be greatly welcomed by the big eagle to prevent recoil damage from accumulating. Entry hazard support is crucial to break the pseudo-sashes of Sawk, Probopass, etc. Sheer Power is the ability of choice, boosting Rock Slide up to 97.5 BP, but if you opt to use Return instead, there's really no use for it.</p>
[Other Options]
<p> Retaliate could work as a gimmicky sort of revenge killing move on the Scarf set, reaching 210 BP after STAB and the x2 boost. Braviary doesn't have too much going for it other than straight up attacks with a choice item. His movepool is only large enough to offer him the coverage he needs, leaving little room for much else. He does have unusually high defenses for a sweeper of his kind and access to Bulk Up, but without Roost, he'll fall far too quickly as he gets battered and takes his own recoil. Still, if you can provide him with ample team support, a Braviary that accumulates several boosts can potentially spell instant doom for your opponent.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As demonstrated in the calcs above, practically nothing can switch into an Adamant CB Braviary safely without immaculate prediction. Magneton can come in on Brave Bird and proceed to throw up a Sub or Volt Switch while Braviary is forced out. However, Magneton and other such Steel or Rock types have to be very wary of a Banded Superpower. Rotom-s is in a similar boat, but has to be extremely careful on the switch in. Stunfisk gets a very special mention here, as his bulk and typing allow him to take on whatever Braviary throws his way, while threatening with a STAB Electric attack. Positive speed Scarf variants of Sawk or Rotom-A outrun Braviary in every possible situation and can revenge kill it. The great bird has no answer to priority, but you should only aim to take a weakened Braviary down in this manner because his bulk can support him against things like Gurdurr's Mach Punch or Floatzel's Aqua Jet. Stealth Rock is the bird's greatest enemy, and if you can manage to keep them up, Braviary will be severely restricted as to the amount of times he can come in.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Braviary gets Defiant via Dream World, an ability that will probably be the solely used one upon its release. It doesn't serve much of a purpose since no-one uses stat lowering moves anymore, but it's nice to snag a free +1 attack boost from the odd Intimidate.</p>
[Overview]
<p>Diving into the competitive scene as the fifth generation's itineration of the Normal/Flying archetype, Braviary finds itself amongst several other birds doomed to the confines of the NU tier. Despite this placement, Braviary finds himself soaring above his brethren by grace of his mighty attack stat and a repertoire of unique coverage moves. The bird of the mountains quickly sets itself apart from the flock with Superpower, breaking through Steel and Rock types that stop other physical birds in their tracks. Sporting a base 123 attack stat and wielding an arsenal of high base power attacks, Braviary makes its presence known within the NU tier.</p>
[SET]
name: Choiced Bird
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Superpower
move 3: U-Turn
move 4: Return/Rock Slide
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye / Sheer Force
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Braviary's arsenal of high base power attacks sets it up perfectly for a choice item. With a Choice Band, Braviary can punch holes in your opponent's team and cause some serious damage. A Scarfed Braviary can function as a revenge killer or a late game sweeper, picking up the pieces once the opponent's defensive core is broken. Brave Bird is Braviary's best STAB option, severely denting any Pokemon tthat doesn't resist it and outright 2HKOing even the sturdiest of walls. Superpower is what makes Braviary stand out, perfectly complementing his STAB in terms of coverage and smashing through the Rock and Steel types that stand in your way. U-Turn is a must have on any choice set, as it allows you to scout and gain the switch advantage on your opponent should they switch in a counter. The fourth moveslot depends on what you need. Return is Braviary's next strongest STAB and allows him to do good damage without fear of recoil as well as allowing him to hit the likes of Ampharos and Luxray. Rotom-s is a threatening presence for Braviary, and it's worth noting that Sheer Force boosted Rock Slide is an immediate KO should it switch in.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is pretty standard, but you should choose the nature based on what your team needs. It should be noted that a Jolly Scarfed Braviary outspeeds a neutral Scarfed Sawk and Rotom-A, things the big bird usually has to watch out for. An Adamant banded set can be truly fearsome, 2HKOing the entire tier with a bit of prediction. To demonstrate this raw power, here are some calcs of Adamant CB Braviary facing down the sturdiest walls in NU.</p>
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Brave Bird vs. 36/252+ Alomomola 53.8% - 63.3%</li>
<li>Brave Bird vs. 248/252+ Torkoal 51.6% - 60.6%</li>
<li>Brave Bird vs. 252/252+ Wartortle (Eviolite) 53.4% - 63.3%</li>
<li>Superpower vs. 252/4 Regirock 62.1% - 73.0%</li>
</ul>
<p>You'll want to pack a Rapid Spinner for Braviary, as he won't be around for long with Stealth Rocks up. Wish support would also be greatly welcomed by the big eagle to prevent recoil damage from accumulating. Entry hazard support is crucial to break the pseudo-sashes of Sawk, Probopass, etc. Sheer Power is the ability of choice, boosting Rock Slide up to 97.5 BP, but if you opt to use Return instead, there's really no use for it.</p>
[Other Options]
<p> Retaliate could work as a gimmicky sort of revenge killing move on the Scarf set, reaching 210 BP after STAB and the x2 boost. Braviary doesn't have too much going for it other than straight up attacks with a choice item. His movepool is only large enough to offer him the coverage he needs, leaving little room for much else. He does have unusually high defenses for a sweeper of his kind and access to Bulk Up, but without Roost, he'll fall far too quickly as he gets battered and takes his own recoil. Still, if you can provide him with ample team support, a Braviary that accumulates several boosts can potentially spell instant doom for your opponent.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>As demonstrated in the calcs above, practically nothing can switch into an Adamant CB Braviary safely without immaculate prediction. Magneton can come in on Brave Bird and proceed to throw up a Sub or Volt Switch while Braviary is forced out. However, Magneton and other such Steel or Rock types have to be very wary of a Banded Superpower. Rotom-s is in a similar boat, but has to be extremely careful on the switch in. Stunfisk gets a very special mention here, as his bulk and typing allow him to take on whatever Braviary throws his way, while threatening with a STAB Electric attack. Positive speed Scarf variants of Sawk or Rotom-A outrun Braviary in every possible situation and can revenge kill it. The great bird has no answer to priority, but you should only aim to take a weakened Braviary down in this manner because his bulk can support him against things like Gurdurr's Mach Punch or Floatzel's Aqua Jet. Stealth Rock is the bird's greatest enemy, and if you can manage to keep them up, Braviary will be severely restricted as to the amount of times he can come in.</p>
[Dream World]
<p>Braviary gets Defiant via Dream World, an ability that will probably be the solely used one upon its release. It doesn't serve much of a purpose since no-one uses stat lowering moves anymore, but it's nice to snag a free +1 attack boost from the odd Intimidate.</p>
