Braviary

November Blue

November Blue

A universe where hot chips don't exist :(
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[Overview]

<p>As the Fifth Generation's iteration of the Normal / Flying archetype, Braviary has a lot going for it. Its Attack stat is three points higher than even Staraptor's, and it's a lot bulkier as well. Braviary's movepool is rather small, but it has access to key moves, such as Brave Bird, U-turn, and Retaliate, which prevent it from being outclassed by other birds with stronger move options. However, the Achilles Heel, the fatal flaw as it were, of Normal- and Flying-types is their inability to harm Rock- or Steel-types, as their movepools commonly lack any Ground- or Fighting-type moves with which to hit these foes. Like its starling predecessor, Braviary is competitively viable for one reason: Superpower. This great Fighting-type move is a must on any and all Braviary sets, as it allows the eagle to breeze past Rock- and Steel-type foes while batting nary an eyelid. Braviary is thus built perfectly for running a hit-and-run Choice set. However, spamming Brave Bird will likely result in heavy recoil damage, and Braviary's Stealth Rock weakness only makes things worse, so don't leave home without a Rapid Spin user if you want the eagle to stick around dishing out damage for long.</p>


[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Braviary is one of the best Choice item users in RU, right up there with Hitmonlee. While its base 80 Speed is fairly average by RU standards, its base 123 Attack stat is terrifying. Backed by powerful STAB moves in Brave Bird and Return, Braviary is a monstrously powerful offensive force. Its 100 / 75 / 75 defensive stats are quite good for an offensive Pokemon, giving Braviary a little extra bulk to work with, which often allows it to survive an attack and KO back. Choice Scarf makes Braviary a top-notch revenge killer and physical attacker, as it has both the Speed and power to outspeed nearly everything in the tier and OHKO with Brave Bird. If you choose a Choice Band, Braviary becomes so obnoxiously powerful that even Cofagrigus—one of the sturdiest physical walls in the tier—is 2HKOed without fail, taking a minimum of 53% from Brave Bird. Return is a great secondary STAB move that is a little weaker than Brave Bird, but it does not deal recoil damage and covers the Electric-types that resist Flying, such as Eelektross, Manectric, and Rotom-F. 102 Base Power is still really good, and the move is the best choice for a backup STAB attack, as it can be used in situations where you do not want Braviary to suffer recoil damage. You can minimize the amount of residual damage Braviary takes with smart use of both Brave Bird and Return, which is especially helpful early in the match, where you will most likely be scouting your opponent's playstyle with copious use of U-turn. Superpower deals with the Rock- and Steel-types which don't take much damage from the other moves, rounding off Braviary's coverage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread is as simple as pie; maximum investment in Attack and Speed is a given for this set, and the leftover EVs are added to Defense to cushion the harsh blows of priority moves. The ability choice is of little consequence; Keen Eye and Sheer Force are both fairly useless, as strategies utilizing accuracy or evasion modification are nowhere to be seen in competitive play, and none of Braviary's main moves benefit from Sheer Force. The choice of nature is up to you. A Jolly nature is great for Choice Band sets, as Braviary loves outspeeding other base 80 Speed tier occupants, such as Medicham and Mesprit. Choice Scarf sets appreciate the extra power of an Adamant nature, but Jolly is useful if you want Braviary to outspeed the entire tier; even +2 Kabutops and Omastar, and Modest Scarf Porygon-Z and Moltres will be unable to keep pace with Braviary. Maddeningly, Timid Accelgor outspeeds Braviary by a single point; Choice Scarf Rotom-A will outspeed our bird too. Braviary will be switching in and out and taking recoil damage, so Rapid Spin support is crucial. Claydol makes an excellent partner, as it resists Rock-type moves and is immune to Electric-type moves, while Braviary resists Claydol's Grass-type weakness and also packs a handy Ghost-type immunity. Some Steel-types are tough enough to take Braviary on. Steelix, for example, can survive an Adamant Choice Band-boosted Superpower and retaliate with Gyro Ball, or even worse, set up the dreaded Stealth Rock. To avoid a dead Braviary, a teammate that packs a Water- or Fire-type move to deal with Steel-types should be considered when building your team. Such teammates can also get rid of annoying foes that can wall Braviary if it is locked into the wrong move, such as Ferroseed and Rotom-F.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Braviary is simple and straightforward to use, like a missile. Other options are few, but there are some decent surprise tactics that it can try out. Rock Slide is one of the few viable moves in Braviary's movepool that benefit from Sheer Force, and its power is boosted to 94. This is a useful move that can take out troublesome foes such as Moltres and Honchkrow, which will preserve some of Braviary's HP that would otherwise be lost to Brave Bird recoil. Retaliate is an alternative to Return, as its usual 70 Base Power is doubled if a teammate was KOed on the previous turn, which makes it an incredible revenge-killing tool. However, it is fairly weak otherwise; Return is meant to be the reliable secondary move, and replacing it with a wildcard is counter-intuitive.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Due to its extreme power, Braviary is difficult to switch into. However, there are a few good ways to clip its wings. Stealth Rock is detrimental to Braviary's cause, and will knock off its health faster than you might expect. Powerful attackers such as Moltres and Sharpedo that can deal with the platoon of Rapid Spin users sure to be shadowing Braviary will surely shorten its lifespan too. Status is Braviary's worst nightmare, as burn and paralysis render it about as dangerous as a doormat; it might unexpectedly trip you up once or twice, but any other time, you're walking all over it. Rotom is notable, not only because it has the means to inflict both forms of status upon Braviary (with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp), but because it is either resistant or immune to every move that the eagle uses bar Rock Slide, which makes the sparky little Ghost-type Braviary's number one nemesis. With Brave Bird recoil and residual damage, Braviary can easily be revenge killed by priority. Samurott, Hitmonlee, and Honchkrow are all excellent choices that can swiftly dispatch it. Faster Pokemon can outspeed and KO Braviary with ease; Choice Band sets have low Speed to deal with and are threatened by faster threats such as Uxie, Rotom-F, Porygon-Z, and Moltres; Choice Scarf sets are much harder to outrun, especially with a Jolly nature, but Speed demons such as Accelgor and Choice Scarf Rotom-A can outspeed and KO it. Rock- and Steel-types can also check Braviary as it will almost always be Choiced; they can thus switch into any move bar Superpower and force it out, which is extremely effective with Stealth Rock support.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Defiant, while not exactly a stellar ability, is at least of some utility to Braviary, as it allows the eagle to switch into Qwilfish and snag a free Attack boost. Thus, once released, it will be the preferred ability on all of Braviary's sets.</p>
 
Bulk Up is a bad choice for Braviary, it's too slow to use it efficiently, and it lacks Roost.

Gallade commonly runs Bulk Up sets, and Medicham will usually speed-tie Braviary, unless/even if Braviary has a Scarf.
 
Jolly needs a slash. You even mention it in the set comments, not to mention that Medicham will also run Jolly fairly commonly (I know mine does). I would mention that Jolly Scarf Braviary beats Adamant Scarfed Krookodile as well as Lilligant and Joly 'Cham.
 
  • Jolly should be the first nature because it outspeeds Accelgor, +2 Kabutops, +2 Omastar, Scarf Lee, and Modest Scarf Porygon-Z, Modest Moltres, and Krookodile
  • STABs are more important than coverage so put Return on the second slot and Superpower on the third
  • Steelix isn't 2HKOed so remove that sentence from Set Comments

QC APPROVED 2/3
 
i would definitely mention water- or fire-types as possible teammates for braviary, as even with superpower, some steel-types (like steelix) don't take crazy damage. plus you pretty much have to rely on prediction to hit shit with superpower unless youre picking off something like a weakened ferroseed or something of the sort. at least a water- or fire-type helps you take these pokemon out early so that braviary can just start raping everything on the opposing team with brave bird.
 
last time i checked sawk had 295 speed max not 284, and braviary has good move access and decent stats but starapter still outclasses it overall. its killed by quite a few things that can outrun it
 
Uhh, you're right, Sawk is faster. I'm going to remvoe that bullet point entirely.

Staraptor is banned from the RU tier.
 
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QC APPROVED 3/3
 
Amateur Check
REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS



[Overview]

<p>We are here to honor the passing of one of our greatest Sky Ops (Why not? It looks more professional) troops, Test Subject (Why not again?) 002, codenamed [BRAVIARY]. It was a powerful force on the battlefield, the product of years of testing and research. Its decent bulk and Speed plus an excellent Attack stat made it a natural candidate for testing of our prototype Choice augmenters, which have been disguised as everyday items. Once equipped with Choice technology, Braviary's Speed or power would be boosted to remarkable levels. In the guise of an unassuming aviator's scarf, the Choice Kinetic Enhancement Device boosted Braviary's Speed to what the lab boys say is a few klicks off Mach 1. This newfound speed allowed it to outrun nearly any foe and strike them down with a powerful blow. In a similar manner, The Choice Band augmented Braviary's physical attacking power, but I'm sure I don't need to explain that to you.</p>

<p>Attempts at creating a supersoldier were made in the past, which resulted in the previous Sky Ops troop: Test Subject 001, codenamed [STARAPTOR]. It was trained in aerial Close Combat, but became so dangerously powerful that it had to be exiled. Braviary had been enlisted in the supersoldier program following this incident, and thankfully, it was a roaring success. Braviary gained super strength, and its new Superpower allowed it to break Rocks and Steel tanks with its sheer strength alone, obstacles that would previously have been a hindrance to it. One of the main problems that we struggled with was some kind of advanced tech that our enemy used, which we came to refer to around the base as Stealth Rock. A field of sharp stones encapsulated our airspace, damaging anything attempting to enter the fray. This was obviously a problem for Braviary, so to counteract the Stealth Rock our top scientists created the RSMGBU's, or Rapidly-Spinning Mobile Ground-Based Units—Rapid Spinners for short. As tough as Braviary was, it still had trouble shaking off direct hits, and its Rock-, Ice-, and Electric-type weaknesses had to be covered by teammates at times, as the enemy had fashioned measures to prey upon these weaknesses. Sadly, Braviary was taken out on the eve of its one-year anniversary, and our team now struggles without it. To this end, our top generals have sanctioned the reopening of the cloning program. That's where you come in. The following test notes and schematics will assist you in creating a Braviary clone if the need arises, which it hopefully won't. Good luck soldier, and Godspeed.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Braviary is one of the best Choice item users in RU, right up there with Sawk. While its base 80 Speed is fairly average by RU standards, its base 123 Attack stat is terrifying. Backed by high Base Power STAB moves, namely Brave Bird and Return, Braviary is a monstrously powerful attacking force. Its 100 / 75 / 75 defensive stats are quite good for an offensive Pokemon, and give Braviary a little extra bulk to work with, which often allows it to survive an attack and fight back. Choice Scarf makes Braviary a top-notch revenge killer and physical attacker, as it has both the Speed and power to outspeed nearly everything in the tier. If you choose a Choice Band, Braviary can OHKO almost anything with Brave Bird. It is so obnoxiously powerful that even Cofagrigus—one of the sturdiest physical walls in the tier—is 2HKOed without fail, taking a minimum of 53% from Brave Bird. Return is a great secondary STAB move that is a little weaker than Brave Bird, but does not deal recoil damage. 102 Base Power is still really good, and the move is the best choice for a backup STAB attack, as it can be used in situations where you do not want Braviary to suffer recoil damage, and covers the Electric-types that resist Flying, such as Eelektross, Manectric, and Rotom-F. You can minimize the amount of residual damage Braviary takes with smart use of both Brave Bird and Return, which is especially helpful early in the match, where you will most likely be scouting your opponent's playstyle with copious use of U-turn. The EV spread is as simple as pie; maximum investment in Attack and Speed is a given for this set, with the surplus is added to Defense to cushion the harsh blows of priority moves. The ability choice is boring and unimportant; Keen Eye and Sheer Force are both fairly useless, as strategies utilizing accuracy or evasion modification are nowhere to be seen in competitive play, and none of Braviary's main move choices benefit from Sheer Force.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The choice of nature is up to you. A Jolly nature is great for Choice Band sets, as Braviary loves to be be able to outspeed other base 80 Speed tier occupants, such as Medicham and Mesprit. Scarf sets appreciate the extra power of an Adamant nature, but Jolly is useful if you want Braviary to outspeed the entire tier. Speedsters such as Adamant Scarf Medicham and Krookodile, Modest Accelgor and +1 Lilligant, +2 Kabutops and Omastar, and Modest Scarf Porygon-Z or Moltres; none of these Pokemon cannot keep up with Jolly Choice Scarf Braviary. Maddeningly, Timid Accelgor outspeeds Braviary by a single point. Rotom-A is the only other common Choice Scarf user that is faster than Test Subject 002. Braviary will be switching in and out and taking recoil damage, so Rapid Spin support is crucial. Claydol pairs well, as it resists Rock-type attacks and is immune to Electric-type moves. Braviary resists Claydol's Grass-type weakness, and is immune to the Ghost-type onslaughts of cunning Ghost-type foes, such as Haunter. Some Steel-types are tough enough to take Braviary on. Steelix, for example, can survive an Adamant Choice Band-boosted Superpower and retaliate with Gyro Ball, or even worse, the dreaded Stealth Rock. To avoid a Deadiary, a teammate that packs a Water- or Fire-type move to deal with Steels should be taken into account during teambuilding. Such teammates can also get rid of annoying foes that can wall Braviary if it is locked into the wrong move, such as Ferroseed and Rotom-F.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Braviary is simple and straightforward to use, like a missile. Other options are few, but there are some decent surprise tactics that Test Subject 002 can try out. Rock Slide is one of the only viable moves in Braviary's movepool that benefits from Sheer Force, and its power is boosted to 94. This is a useful move that can take out troublesome foes, such as Moltres and Honchkrow, which can preserve some of Braviary's HP that would otherwise be lost to Brave Bird recoil. Retaliate is a sometimes-good alternative to Return, as its usual 70 Base Power is doubled if a teammate was KOed on the previous turn, which makes it an incredible revenge-killing tool, but fairly weak otherwise; Return is meant to be the reliable secondary move, and replacing it with a wildcard is counter-intuitive.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Due to its extreme power, Braviary is difficult to switch into. However, there are a few good ways to clip its wings. Stealth Rock is detrimental to Braviary's cause, and will knock off its health faster than you might expect. Teammates that can deal with the platoon of rapid spinners sure to be shadowing Braviary, such as Krookodile and Sharpedo, will surely expedite its elimination. Status is Braviary's worst nightmare, as burn and paralysis render Braviary about as dangerous as a doormat; it might unexpectedly trip you up once or twice, but any other time, you're walking all over it. Rotom is notable, not only because it has the means to inflict both forms of status upon Braviary (with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp), but because it is either resistant or immune to every move that the eagle uses bar Rock Slide, which makes the sparky little Ghost-type first and foremost on Braviary's list of enemies. With recoil and residual damage, Braviary is easily revenge killed with priority. Samurott, Hitmonlee, Gurdurr, and Honchkrow are all excellent choices that can swiftly dispatch it. Faster Pokemon can outspeed and KO Braviary with ease; Choice Band sets have low Speed to deal with, and are threatened by anything faster, such as Uxie, Rotom-F, Porygon-Z, and Moltres. Choice Scarf sets are much harder to outrun, especially with a Jolly nature, but Speed demons, such as Accelgor and Choice Scarf Rotom-A, can outspeed and KO it. Rock- and Steel-types can also mess with Braviary, as it will almost always be Choiced, so they can switch into any move bar Superpower and force it out, which is extremely effective with Stealth Rock support.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Top Secret Defiance training was rumored to be underway, and, once released, would toughen Braviary's resolve, allowing it to get past any attempts to weaken or Intimidate it. Defiant Braviary was deemed somewhat dubious by some soldiers, as Attack-lowering strategies are rare on the RU battlefield.</p>

This was without a doubt the most fun analysis to read ^_^
 
Thanks for the check Gato, but I'm thinking that the overview needs to be rewritten, something more practical.

EDIT: Done. Thanks for finding those errors Gato!
 
The original overview is a bit much.

You should probably replace the Sawk mention with Hitmonlee or Medicham or Primeape or something like that. Sawk is not one of the best choice users in RU.

Also in the dream world section you say that Defiant is dubious, which isn't really true when Qwilfish is on so many teams. You really should mention that it's Braviary's best ability by far.
 
Deletions
Additions / Corrections
Comments

<p>As the Fifth Generation's iteration of the Normal- and Flying-type Normal / Flying archetype, Braviary has a lot going for it. Its Attack stat is higher than any before it (three points higher than even Staraptor's!), and it's a lot bulkier as well. Braviary's movepool is rather small, but it has access to key moves, such as Brave Bird, U-turn, and Retaliate, which prevent it from being outclassed by other birds with stronger move options (poor Unfezant ... ). However, the Achilles Heel, the fatal flaw as it were, of Normal- and Flying-types is their inability to harm Rock- or Steel-types, as their movepools commonly lack any Ground- or Fighting-type moves with which to hit these foes. Like its starling predecessor, Braviary is competitively viable for one reason: Superpower! This excellent Fighting-type move is a must on any and all Braviary sets, as it allows the hawk to breeze past Rock- and Steel-type foes while batting nary an eyelid. This bird Braviary is thus built perfectly for running a hit-and-run Choice item role, which its most common and effective set. However, spamming Brave Bird will likely result in heavy recoil damage, and Braviary's Stealth Rock weakness only makes things worse, so don't leave home without a Rapid Spin user if you want the hawk to stick around dishing out damage for long. Brave Bird is Braviary's main move—as its name suggests—and it has a Stealth Rock weakness; this equates to a LOT of residual damage, so Rapid Spin support is crucial. Have your Braviary hold either a Choice Band or a Choice Scarf, get ready for battle, and take flight! Geronimooo!</p>


[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Braviary is one of the best Choice item users in RU, right up there with Sawk. While its base 80 Speed is fairly average by RU standards, its base 123 Attack stat is terrifying. Backed by high Base Power powerful STAB moves, namely in Brave Bird and Return, Braviary is a monstrously powerful attacking force. Its 100 / 75 / 75 defensive stats are quite good for an offensive Pokemon, and giving Braviary a little extra bulk to work with, which often allows it to survive an attack and fight KO back. Choice Scarf makes Braviary a top-notch revenge killer and physical attacker, as it has both the Speed and power to outspeed nearly everything in the tier, or and OHKO almost anything with Brave Bird. If you choose a Choice Band, Braviary becomes so obnoxiously powerful that even Cofagrigus—one of the sturdiest physical walls in the tier—is 2HKOed without fail, taking a minimum of 53% from Brave Bird. Return is a great secondary STAB move that is a little weaker than Brave Bird, but it does not deal recoil damage and covers the Electric-types that resist Flying, such as Eelektross, Manectric, and Rotom-F. 102 Base Power is still really good, and the move is the best choice for a backup STAB attack, as it can be used in situations where you do not want Braviary to suffer recoil damage, and covers the Electric-types that resist Flying, such as Eelektross, Manectric, and Rotom-F. You can minimize the amount of residual damage Braviary takes with smart use of both Brave Bird and Return, which is especially helpful early in the match, where you will most likely be scouting your opponent's playstyle with copious use of U-turn. Superpower deals with the Rock- and Steel-types which don't take much damage from the other moves, rounding off Braviary's coverage. The EV spread is as simple as pie; maximum investment in Attack and Speed is a given for this set, and the surplus is added to Defense to cushion the harsh blows of priority moves. The ability choice is boring and unimportant; Keen Eye and Sheer Force are both fairly useless, as strategies utilizing accuracy or evasion modification are nowhere to be seen in competitive play, and none of Braviary's main move choices benefit from Sheer Force.</p> (Take a peek at the Analysis Formatting thread NoBlu; you only write about stuff like EVs, nature, item etc in Additional Comments.)

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread is as simple as pie; maximum investment in Attack and Speed is a given for this set, and the leftover EVs are added to Defense to cushion the harsh blows of priority moves. The ability choice is of little consequence; Keen Eye and Sheer Force are both fairly useless, as strategies utilizing accuracy or evasion modification are nowhere to be seen in competitive play, and none of Braviary's main moves benefit from Sheer Force. The choice of nature is up to you. A Jolly nature is great for Choice Band sets, as Braviary loves to be be able to outspeeding other base 80 Speed tier occupants, such as Medicham and Mesprit. Choice Scarf sets appreciate the extra power of an Adamant nature, but Jolly is useful if you want Braviary to outspeed the entire tier; Speedsters such as even Adamant Scarf Medicham and Krookodile, Modest Accelgor and +1 Lilligant, +2 Kabutops and Omastar, and Modest Scarf Porygon-Z and Moltres (I don't play RU, but is it really necessary to mention all of these Pokemon? The reader will find it difficult to comprehend this sentence. So only mention 3-4 of these); none of these Pokemon can keep up will then be unable to keep pacewith Jolly Choice Scarf Braviary. Maddeningly, Timid Accelgor outspeeds Braviary by a single point; Choice Scarf Rotom-A is the only other common Choice Scarf user that is faster than will outspeed our bird too. Braviary will be switching in and out and taking recoil damage, so Rapid Spin support is crucial. Claydol pairs well makes an excellent partner, as it resists Rock-type moves, and is immune to Electric-type moves, while Braviary resists Claydol's Grass-type weakness, and is immune to the Ghost-type onslaughts of cunning Ghost-type foes, such as Haunter also packs a handy Ghost-type immunity. Some Steel-types are tough enough to take Braviary on. Steelix, for example, can survive an Adamant Choice Band-boosted Superpower and retaliate with Gyro Ball, or even worse, set up the dreaded Stealth Rock. To avoid a dead Braviary, a teammate that packs a Water- or Fire-type move to deal with Steel-types should be taken into account during teambuilding considered while building your team. Such teammates can also get rid of annoying foes that can wall Braviary if it is locked into the wrong move, such as Ferroseed and Rotom-F.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Braviary is simple and straightforward to use, like a missile. Other options are few, but there are some decent surprise tactics that it can try out. Rock Slide is one of the only few viable moves in Braviary's movepool that benefit from Sheer Force, and its power is boosted to 94. This is a useful move that can take out troublesome foes, such as Moltres and Honchkrow, which can willpreserve some of Braviary's HP that would otherwise be lost to Brave Bird recoil. Retaliate is an sometimes-good alternative to Return, as its usual 70 Base Power is doubled if a teammate was KOed on the previous turn, which makes it an incredible revenge-killing tool. However, it is but fairly weak otherwise; Return is meant to be the reliable secondary move, and replacing it with a wildcard is counter-intuitive.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Due to its extreme power, Braviary is difficult to switch into. However, there are a few good ways to clip its wings. Stealth Rock is detrimental to Braviary's cause, and will knock off its health faster than you might expect. Teammates Powerful attackers such as Krookodile and Sharpedo that can deal with the platoon of Rapid Spin users sure to be shadowing Braviary, such as Krookodile and Sharpedo, will surely expedite its elimination shorten its lifespan too. Status is Braviary's worst nightmare, as burn and paralysis render it about as dangerous as a doormat; it might unexpectedly trip you up once or twice, but any other time, you're walking all over it. Rotom is notable, not only because it has the means to inflict both forms of status upon Braviary (with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp), but because it is either resistant or immune to every move that the eagle hawk (you use ''hawk'' everywhere else, so it would be better to stick to the same) uses bar Rock Slide, which makes the sparky little Ghost-type first-and-foremost on Braviary's list of enemies number one nemesis. With Brave Bird recoil and residual damage, Braviary is can easily be revenge killed with by priority. Samurott, Hitmonlee, and Honchkrow are all excellent choices that can swiftly dispatch it. Faster Pokemon can outspeed and KO Braviary with ease; Choice Band sets have low Speed to deal with, and are threatened by anything faster threats, such as Uxie, Rotom-F, Porygon-Z, and Moltres; Choice Scarf sets are much harder to outrun, especially with a Jolly nature, but Speed demons, such as Accelgor and Choice Scarf Rotom-A, can outspeed and KO it. Rock- and Steel-types can also mess with check Braviary, as it will almost always be Choiced; so they can thus switch into any move bar Superpower and force it out, which is extremely effective with Stealth Rock support.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Top Secret Defiance training was rumored to be underway, and, once released, would toughen Braviary's resolve, allowing it to get past any attempts to weaken or Intimidate it. Defiant Braviary was deemed somewhat dubious by some soldiers, as Attack-lowering strategies are rare on the RU battlefield. Defiant, while not exactly a stellar ability, is at least of some utility to Braviary, as it allows the hawk to switch into Qwilfish and snag a free Attack boost. Thus, once released, it will be the preferred ability on all of Braviary's sets.</p>

This was pretty fluff-ridden in several places, so my check is pretty colorful I guess :/

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GP 1 / 2
 
Man buddy, why do you write so much? D: Placeholder. Checking this now.

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[Overview]

<p>As the Fifth Generation's iteration of the Normal / Flying archetype, Braviary has a lot going for it. Its Attack stat is three points higher than even Staraptor's, and it's a lot bulkier as well. Braviary's movepool is rather small, but it has access to key moves, such as Brave Bird, U-turn, and Retaliate, which prevent it from being outclassed by other birds with stronger move options (poor Unfezant ... ) (Ok, this is optional, but I don't see any reason to mention Unfezant at all, especially in a RU analysis). However, the Achilles Heel, the fatal flaw as it were, of Normal- and Flying-types is their inability to harm Rock- or Steel-types, as their movepools commonly lack any Ground- or Fighting-type moves with which to hit these foes. Like its starling predecessor, Braviary is competitively viable for one reason: Superpower![remove exclamation mark].[add period] This excellent great Fighting-type move is a must on any and all Braviary sets, as it allows the hawk eagle (big difference betweem a hawk and an eagle) to breeze past Rock- and Steel-type foes while batting nary an eyelid. Braviary is thus built perfectly for running a hit-and-run Choice set. However, spamming Brave Bird will likely result in heavy recoil damage, and Braviary's Stealth Rock weakness only makes things worse, so don't leave home without a Rapid Spin user if you want the hawk eagle to stick around dishing out damage for long.</p>


[SET]
name: Choice
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Keen Eye
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Braviary is one of the best Choice item users in RU, right up there with Hitmonlee. While its base 80 Speed is fairly average by RU standards, its base 123 Attack stat is terrifying. Backed by powerful STAB moves in Brave Bird and Return, Braviary is a monstrously powerful attacking offensive force. Its 100 / 75 / 75 defensive stats are quite good for an offensive Pokemon, giving Braviary a little extra bulk to work with, which often allows it to survive an attack and KO back. Choice Scarf makes Braviary a top-notch revenge killer and physical attacker, as it has both the Speed and power to outspeed nearly everything in the tier and OHKO with Brave Bird. If you choose a Choice Band, Braviary becomes so obnoxiously powerful that even Cofagrigus—one of the sturdiest physical walls in the tier—is 2HKOed without fail, taking a minimum of 53% from Brave Bird. Return is a great secondary STAB move that is a little weaker than Brave Bird, but it does not deal recoil damage and covers the Electric-types that resist Flying, such as Eelektross, Manectric, and Rotom-F. 102 Base Power is still really good, and the move is the best choice for a backup STAB attack, as it can be used in situations where you do not want Braviary to suffer recoil damage. You can minimize the amount of residual damage Braviary takes with smart use of both Brave Bird and Return, which is especially helpful early in the match, where you will most likely be scouting your opponent's playstyle with copious use of U-turn.[space]Superpower deals with the Rock- and Steel-types which don't take much damage from the other moves, rounding off Braviary's coverage.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread is as simple as pie; maximum investment in Attack and Speed is a given for this set, and the leftover EVs are added to Defense to cushion the harsh blows of priority moves. The ability choice is of little consequence; Keen Eye and Sheer Force are both fairly useless, as strategies utilizing accuracy or evasion modification are nowhere to be seen in competitive play, and none of Braviary's main moves benefit from Sheer Force. The choice of nature is up to you. A Jolly nature is great for Choice Band sets, as Braviary loves outspeeding other base 80 Speed tier occupants, such as Medicham and Mesprit. Choice Scarf sets appreciate the extra power of an Adamant nature, but Jolly is useful if you want Braviary to outspeed the entire tier; even +2 Kabutops and Omastar, and Modest Scarf Porygon-Z and Moltres will be unable to keep pace with Braviary. Maddeningly, Timid Accelgor outspeeds Braviary by a single point; Choice Scarf Rotom-A will outspeed our bird too. Braviary will be switching in and out and taking recoil damage, so Rapid Spin support is crucial. Claydol makes an excellent partner, as it resists Rock-type moves and is immune to Electric-type moves, while Braviary resists Claydol's Grass-type weakness and also packs a handy Ghost-type immunity. Some Steel-types are tough enough to take Braviary on. Steelix, for example, can survive an Adamant Choice Band-boosted Superpower and retaliate with Gyro Ball, or even worse, set up the dreaded Stealth Rock. To avoid a dead Braviary, a teammate that packs a Water- or Fire-type move to deal with Steel-types should be considered when building your team. Such teammates can also get rid of annoying foes that can wall Braviary if it is locked into the wrong move, such as Ferroseed and Rotom-F.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Braviary is simple and straightforward to use, like a missile. Other options are few, but there are some decent surprise tactics that it can try out. Rock Slide is one of the few viable moves in Braviary's movepool that benefit from Sheer Force, and its power is boosted to 94. This is a useful move that can take out troublesome foes such as Moltres and Honchkrow, which will preserve some of Braviary's HP that would otherwise be lost to Brave Bird recoil. Retaliate is an alternative to Return, as its usual 70 Base Power is doubled if a teammate was KOed on the previous turn, which makes it an incredible revenge-killing tool. However, it is fairly weak otherwise; Return is meant to be the reliable secondary move, and replacing it with a wildcard is counter-intuitive.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Due to its extreme power, Braviary is difficult to switch into. However, there are a few good ways to clip its wings. Stealth Rock is detrimental to Braviary's cause, and will knock off its health faster than you might expect. Powerful attackers such as Krookodile (Krookodile is UU now, so replace it with something else or just remove it) and Sharpedo that can deal with the platoon of Rapid Spin users sure to be shadowing Braviary will surely shorten its lifespan too. Status is Braviary's worst nightmare, as burn and paralysis render it about as dangerous as a doormat; it might unexpectedly trip you up once or twice, but any other time, you're walking all over it. Rotom is notable, not only because it has the means to inflict both forms of status upon Braviary (with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp), but because it is either resistant or immune to every move that the hawk uses bar Rock Slide, which makes the sparky little Ghost-type Braviary's number one nemesis. With Brave Bird recoil and residual damage, Braviary can easily be revenge killed by priority. Samurott, Hitmonlee, and Honchkrow are all excellent choices that can swiftly dispatch it. Faster Pokemon can outspeed and KO Braviary with ease; Choice Band sets have low Speed to deal with and are threatened by faster threats such as Uxie, Rotom-F, Porygon-Z, and Moltres; Choice Scarf sets are much harder to outrun, especially with a Jolly nature, but Speed demons such as Accelgor and Choice Scarf Rotom-A can outspeed and KO it. Rock- and Steel-types can also check Braviary as it will almost always be Choiced; they can thus switch into any move bar Superpower and force it out, which is extremely effective with Stealth Rock support.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Defiant, while not exactly a stellar ability, is at least of some utility to Braviary, as it allows the hawk eagle to switch into Qwilfish and snag a free Attack boost. Thus, once released, it will be the preferred ability on all of Braviary's sets.</p>

Good!

GP Approved 2/2

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