Skeleton done.
QC checks: (Panamaxis),
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Honchkrow
[Overview]
name: Mixkrow
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Superpower / Substitute
move 4: Heat Wave / Substitute
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Naughty / Naive
Ability: Super Luck / Insomnia
Evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Set comments:
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Sucker Punch
Item: Choice Band
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Super Luck / Insomnia
Evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Set comments:
QC checks: (Panamaxis),
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Honchkrow
[Overview]
- Honchkrow hasn't changed much from Generation IV, but the metagame changed a lot.
- Has a fantastic 125 Attack stat and a good 105 Special Attack, making him a good mixed sweeper with attacks like Sucker Punch, Brave Bird, Superpower and Heat Wave.
- Incredibly frail. Can't take too many hits because his bad 52 defenses (although his HP is quite good with 100 base).
- A bit slow with 71 Speed, being outsped by many powerful things such as Ononokusu and Doryuuzu.
name: Mixkrow
move 1: Sucker Punch
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Superpower / Substitute
move 4: Heat Wave / Substitute
Item: Life Orb
Nature: Naughty / Naive
Ability: Super Luck / Insomnia
Evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Set comments:
- Honchkrow makes a formidable mixed sweeper with high offensive stats.
- He can switch in locked Ground and Psychic moves and then proceed to kill.
- Sucker Punch hits faster pokémon for good damage if they attacked. It's also a way to bypass Honchkrow's low Speed and kill some faster pokémon that are weak to Dark like Gengar, Shandera and Rock Polish Goruggo.
- Brave Bird is a 120 physical Flying move (180 after STAB) that is capable of handicapping a lot of threats like Burungeru, Blissey, Evolution Stone Chansey, Roobushin (beware of Mach Punch) and Urugamosu to name a few.
- Superpower finishes Choice locked Earth Power Sazandora, Tyranitar, Heatran, Empoleon and other pokémon that resists Dark + Flying combo.
- Heat Wave surprises some physical walls like Skarmory and Nattorei, while also damaging Scizor, Forretress, Jirachi and Metagross for super effective damage.
- If Honchkrow finds an opportunity, Substitute is a good option, but generally inferior to either Superpower or Heat Wave.
- Drill Peck can replace Brave Bird if the recoil is annoying, but the power drop will be huge.
- A Naughty nature is preferred for the maximum damage, but if outspeeding Breloom and other things at base 70 or below Speed with a boosting nature is that important, so Naive is recommended.
- Either of Honchkrow's abilities work here. Super Luck makes critical hits occur more often, while Insomnia grants a valuable Sleep immunity.
- Honchkrow is a good wallbreaker. Most pokémon that enjoys have their counters killed by Honchkrow are good partners, especially Fighting ones that dislike Ghosts and Psychics, such as Roobushin, Machamp and Kojondo.
- Honchkrow loves and hates Stealth Rock. Donphan and Forretress are good partners because they can set up rocks and spin them away at the same time. Donphan has a bonus of resisting Rock and being immune to Electric (like Honchkrow, Donphan is weak to Ice, however).
name: Choice Band
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Night Slash
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Pursuit / Sucker Punch
Item: Choice Band
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Super Luck / Insomnia
Evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Set comments:
- With a Choice Band, Honchkrow becomes a monster with his already high 125 Attack stat boosted.
- Brave Bird is the main move, being capable of KOing (unless the big boss is KOed first, of course) Salamence, Gyarados, Garchomp and others due the Flying move's ridiculous power.
- Night Slash is a good substitute for Sucker Punch because it hits always and against certain walls
- Superpower rounds the coverage nailing some annoying Nattorei, Tyranitar and Terakion, among others.
- Pursuit is a good move in the last slot because it can trap some random threat like Gengar, Shandera and Burungeru; while Sucker Punch is a quick answer to faster but frail pokémon that doesn't resist Dark like Starmie, Voltolos and Ononokusu (beware of becoming locked in Sucker Punch).
- Trickery can also be an option here, but your Attack will be pretty high, reducing the effectiveness of Trickery.
- Again, an emphasis in an Attack boosting nature is preferred to deal the more damage possible.
- Choice Band Honchkrow fears Stealth Rock more than Mixkrow does, because Honchkrow will be switching a lot of time. Starmie, Donphan and Forretress can use Rapid Spin to blow away that nasty Stealth Rock. Donphan and Forretress can also set up entry hazards to help Honchkrow to grab some KOs.
- Honchkrow is somewhat slow, so a teammate that can use Thunder Wave is welcome. Not only Thunder Wave paralyzes (therefore slows) non-Ground pokémon, but also makes Sucker Punch less appealing, thus preventing the big boss crow using it. Nattorei can use Thunder Wave very well because he scares off most Grounds with Power Whip. Nattorei can also set up entry hazards to help with Honchkrow's job.
- Hazards have been mentioned a lot of times, and for a good reason. Honchkrow's Flying-type makes he lose 25% of his health every time the big boss switches into Stealth Rock. Starmie, Donphan, Hitmontop and Forretress can spin away that nasty Stealth Rock, while offering good ways to deal with most of Honchkrow's counters.
- Speaking of hazards, Honchkrow also appreciate them at the opponent's field, turning some 3HKOs into 2HKOs and some 2HKOs in OHKOs. Forretress and Donphan, mentioned early because of their ability to Spin away Stealth Rock, can also set up entry hazards. Donphan can set up Stealth Rock while Forretress can use all three forms (Spikes, Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock). Nattorei, while can't learn Rapid Spin, can use Spikes and Stealth Rock. Nattorei can also use Thunder Wave to help with Honchkrow's low Speed.
- Honchkrow is miserably frail. Some screen support goes well with him. Notable users of dual screens include Cresselia (can also use Thunder Wave), Jirachi (see Cresselia), Deoxys-S, Azelf and Bronzong, among others.
- Honchkrow tends to kill some Ghost- and Psychic-type pokémon. Therefore, pokémon that can sweep after some Ghost- or Psychic-type fall. For example, Terakion can sweep freely after Goruggo or Claydol be KOed; Breloom and Birijion are monsters in absence of Shandera and Gengar; and Poliwrath, Blaziken and Infernape can open holes in teams after Burungeru and Starmie faint. This also applies to other pokémon, in particular Fighting-types such as Machamp, Roobushin and Kojondo.
- Because of Honchkrow's low Speed, Trick Room is always welcome. Bronzong, Rankurusu and Bannete all can set up Trick Room reliably, thus helping with Honchkrow's job.
- Honchkrow has access to Nasty Plot to use with Dark Pulse, Heat Wave and a random Hidden Power, but his awful defenses and bad Speed hinder his abilities as a sweeper.
- Choice Scarf boosts his not-so-good 71 Spe, but you're still outsped by lots of other dangerous Scarf users.
- Trickery is good against Deoxys-A and Ononokusu, but Sucker Punch's priority and Night Slash potent Critical Hit are often better.
- Drill Peck can be used as an option over Brave Bird if the recoil is a problem, but the power drop will be very significative.
- Honchkrow also has Psychic and Shadow Ball in the offensive side, but Brave Bird and Sucker Punch outclasses them.
- In the support department Honchkrow has some interesting tools.
- Roost keeps the big boss alive from weak hits, Life Orb and Brave Bird, but it's rare to find an opportunity to use it. The same can be applied to a SubRoost set.
- Honchkrow can Perish Trap, but his little brother Murkrow is better at it due to Mischevious Heart.
- Postpone seems good on paper, but it only lasts one turn, and Honchkrow doesn't have the bulk to use it.
- The big boss also has Taunt and Thunder Wave, but he should leave it for other pokémon.
- Fly + Torment can be used, but Honchkrow is outclassed by Borutorosu and Randorosu.
- Overconfidence is a good ability, but since it's illegal with Superpower and Heat Wave, both Super Luck and Insomnia outclass it.
- Honchkrow, although having good HP, has miserable defenses, meaning that he can't take powerful neutral or super effective hits well.
- Taking advantage of Honchkrow's low Speed and revenge killing him is the best method of getting rid of him.
- Scizor and Roobushin can scare off Honchkrow with their powerful priority moves. Scizor must be careful of Heat Wave, whereas Roobushin has to watch out for Brave Bird.
- Other kinds of priority (especially Ice Shard) is a good-bye to the big boss.
- Anything that is faster than Honchkrow and resists Sucker Punch and has some sort of super effective or strong move can be considered as his counter, like Doryuuzu, Aianto and Metagross.
- Anything that isn't hit for super effective damage from Dark, Flying, Fighting and Fire; and has enough bulk and offense can be considered as a Honchkrow also counter.
- Honchkrow gets Overconfidence from Dream World, but is a two-edged sword: The attack boost is great, especially with Sucker Punch and Pursuit, but it's illegal with Superpower and Heat Wave. If Honchkrow has partners that can deal with pokémon that resist the Dark + Flying combo, then Overconfidence is a great addition.