[OVERVIEW]
Staraptor lands itself a solid place in NU thanks to it's high Attack and Speed stats, which can be further boosted with either a Choice Band or Choice Scarf.Choice Band paired with Reckless lets Staraptor do major damage against defensive walls like Galarian Slowbro and Overqwil while puttong pressure on resist foes such as Klefki and Bronzong. On the other hand Choice Scarf lets it outpace threats like Kilowattrel, Flamigo and Inteleon. threats like Kilowattrel, Flamigo and Inteleon. Additionally, Staraptor fits on many balance teams thanks to its ability to handle common defensive cores of Amoongus, Vaporeon and Wo-Chien. However, Staraptor is held back by its weakness to Stealth Rock, which, alongside recoil from it STAB moves hurt Staraptor's longevity greatly. It is also held back by it's struggles to break commonplace defensive Pokemon such as Galarian Slowbro, Avalugg, Bellibolt and Duraludon thanks to their natural bulk. Staraptor's competition as a Choice Scarf user is fierce, as Munkidori, Flygon and Flamigo all provide a similar Speed tier while not needing to use recoil inflicting moves, allowing them to last a more drawn out game more effectively and still doing large amounts of damage.
[SET]
Name: Choice Attacker
Move 1: Brave Bird
Move 2: Quick Attack / Double Edge
Move 3: Close Combat
Move 4: U-turn
Item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Tera type: Flying / Normal / Fighting
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Quick Attack allows Staraptor to pick off weakened Pokemon like Flygon and Munkidori while Double Edge can be used to 2HKO foes like Galarian Slowbro and Swampert. Close Combat allows Staraptor to hit Steel-types such as Bronzong, Klefki and Copperajah. U-turn allows Staraptor to capitalise on switch-ins such as Bronzong and Diancie by wearing them down. Choice Band means Staraptor can put huge dents into walls such as Amoongus and Klefki, making them very limited in how often they can switch into an attack, whereas Choice Scarf makes Staraptor capable of outpacing threats like Flamigo and Kilowatterel. Tera Flying boosts the power of Brave Bird to be able to OHKO Basculegion-M and Munkidori. On the other hand, Tera Normal boosts Quick Attack and Double Edge, making the former a strong priority option and the latter able to 2HKO Gligar, while removing Staraptor's Stealth Rock weakness. Tera Fighting also increases the power of Close Combat, and provides some defensive value by giving Staraptor a resistance to Stealth Rock and having a resistance to Dark-types like Scrafty and Incineroar.
Staraptor alone can struggle to break physically defensive Pokemon such as Bellibolt, Duraludon and Slowbro-galar. Partners such as Chandelure, Flygon and Toxtricity can effectively break and capitalise on these Pokemon that Staraptor cannot beat alone. Staraptor also benefits from other faster pivots, like Inteleon, Kilowatterel and Munkidori by chipping down their checks such as Gastrodon and Bronzong and allowing it to potentially KO them. Slower pivots like Incineroar, Bellibolt and Swampert give it free entry to capitalise on switch-ins such as Heracross, Wo-Chien and Amoongus. Furthermore, it also enjoys being partnered with hazard removal like Tsareena, Avalugg and Altaria to maximise Staraptor's longevity. Staraptor is also useful for providing safe entry for set up sweepers such as Toxicroak, Drednaw and Toxtricity, allowing them to take advantage of threats such as Vaporeon and Overqwil.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Staraptor can equip a Heavy-Duty Boots to eliminate it's hazard immunity, which lessens the demand for consistent hazard removal on it's teammates at the cost of Staraptor losing out on the Attack or Speed boost that a Choice Band or Choice Scarf would give, respectively. A Choice Scarf, with it's high speed tier, makes Staraptor an excellent user of Final Gambit, allowing it to grab surprise KOs and deal solid damage to foes like Flygon and Bronzong, letting it's teammates benefit at the cost of losing Staraptor itself.
Checks and Counters
====
**Electric-types**: Staraptor is threatened by fast Electric-types like Kilowattrel and Raikou as they can outspeed and threaten to KO it with their STAB moves. Bellibolt is also threatening as it punishes Staraptor's moves with Rocky Helmet chip, and the risk of paralysis from Static. None of these Pokemon can switch into Staraptor's Choice Band attacks without being 2HKO'd at best, however.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Galarian Slowbro, Bellibolt and Avalugg can all take hits from Staraptor and threaten it back with their own attacks, while the former two also threaten it with status. However, they do not enjoy switching into Staraptor's attacks directly.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Klefki, Duraludon, Bronzong and Copperajah resist Staraptor's STAB attacks, so they can freely switch into its attacks and set up hazards or hit back against Staraptor with their own attacks. Staraptor can use Close Combat though, which threatens all the aforementioned Steel-types with heavy damage.
**Revenge Killers**: One of Staraptor's largest threats come from faster Pokemon that are able to revenge kill it, such as Inteleon, Kilowatterel and Alolan Ninetails. However all of these cannot switch into Staraptor's attacks safely. Faster Choice Scarf users can threaten and KO Staraptor once it gets worn down, like Infernape and Munkidori but they also cannot risk switching into Staraptor's attacks. Staraptor can also be picked off by strong priority users like Choice Banded Paldean Tauros-W, Toxicroak and Arcanine.
**Stealth Rock**: Staraptor's reliance on Choice items makes it threatened by Stealth Rock. Furthermore, Staraptor consistently switching in and out can make this worse, since it greatly limits Staraptor's longevity, and greatly limits its ability to repeatedly enter the field.
[CREDITS]
Written by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vaporeonds.671267/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Staraptor lands itself a solid place in NU thanks to it's high Attack and Speed stats, which can be further boosted with either a Choice Band or Choice Scarf.Choice Band paired with Reckless lets Staraptor do major damage against defensive walls like Galarian Slowbro and Overqwil while puttong pressure on resist foes such as Klefki and Bronzong. On the other hand Choice Scarf lets it outpace threats like Kilowattrel, Flamigo and Inteleon. threats like Kilowattrel, Flamigo and Inteleon. Additionally, Staraptor fits on many balance teams thanks to its ability to handle common defensive cores of Amoongus, Vaporeon and Wo-Chien. However, Staraptor is held back by its weakness to Stealth Rock, which, alongside recoil from it STAB moves hurt Staraptor's longevity greatly. It is also held back by it's struggles to break commonplace defensive Pokemon such as Galarian Slowbro, Avalugg, Bellibolt and Duraludon thanks to their natural bulk. Staraptor's competition as a Choice Scarf user is fierce, as Munkidori, Flygon and Flamigo all provide a similar Speed tier while not needing to use recoil inflicting moves, allowing them to last a more drawn out game more effectively and still doing large amounts of damage.
[SET]
Name: Choice Attacker
Move 1: Brave Bird
Move 2: Quick Attack / Double Edge
Move 3: Close Combat
Move 4: U-turn
Item: Choice Band / Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
Nature: Jolly
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Tera type: Flying / Normal / Fighting
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Quick Attack allows Staraptor to pick off weakened Pokemon like Flygon and Munkidori while Double Edge can be used to 2HKO foes like Galarian Slowbro and Swampert. Close Combat allows Staraptor to hit Steel-types such as Bronzong, Klefki and Copperajah. U-turn allows Staraptor to capitalise on switch-ins such as Bronzong and Diancie by wearing them down. Choice Band means Staraptor can put huge dents into walls such as Amoongus and Klefki, making them very limited in how often they can switch into an attack, whereas Choice Scarf makes Staraptor capable of outpacing threats like Flamigo and Kilowatterel. Tera Flying boosts the power of Brave Bird to be able to OHKO Basculegion-M and Munkidori. On the other hand, Tera Normal boosts Quick Attack and Double Edge, making the former a strong priority option and the latter able to 2HKO Gligar, while removing Staraptor's Stealth Rock weakness. Tera Fighting also increases the power of Close Combat, and provides some defensive value by giving Staraptor a resistance to Stealth Rock and having a resistance to Dark-types like Scrafty and Incineroar.
Staraptor alone can struggle to break physically defensive Pokemon such as Bellibolt, Duraludon and Slowbro-galar. Partners such as Chandelure, Flygon and Toxtricity can effectively break and capitalise on these Pokemon that Staraptor cannot beat alone. Staraptor also benefits from other faster pivots, like Inteleon, Kilowatterel and Munkidori by chipping down their checks such as Gastrodon and Bronzong and allowing it to potentially KO them. Slower pivots like Incineroar, Bellibolt and Swampert give it free entry to capitalise on switch-ins such as Heracross, Wo-Chien and Amoongus. Furthermore, it also enjoys being partnered with hazard removal like Tsareena, Avalugg and Altaria to maximise Staraptor's longevity. Staraptor is also useful for providing safe entry for set up sweepers such as Toxicroak, Drednaw and Toxtricity, allowing them to take advantage of threats such as Vaporeon and Overqwil.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Staraptor can equip a Heavy-Duty Boots to eliminate it's hazard immunity, which lessens the demand for consistent hazard removal on it's teammates at the cost of Staraptor losing out on the Attack or Speed boost that a Choice Band or Choice Scarf would give, respectively. A Choice Scarf, with it's high speed tier, makes Staraptor an excellent user of Final Gambit, allowing it to grab surprise KOs and deal solid damage to foes like Flygon and Bronzong, letting it's teammates benefit at the cost of losing Staraptor itself.
Checks and Counters
====
**Electric-types**: Staraptor is threatened by fast Electric-types like Kilowattrel and Raikou as they can outspeed and threaten to KO it with their STAB moves. Bellibolt is also threatening as it punishes Staraptor's moves with Rocky Helmet chip, and the risk of paralysis from Static. None of these Pokemon can switch into Staraptor's Choice Band attacks without being 2HKO'd at best, however.
**Physical Walls**: Physical walls like Galarian Slowbro, Bellibolt and Avalugg can all take hits from Staraptor and threaten it back with their own attacks, while the former two also threaten it with status. However, they do not enjoy switching into Staraptor's attacks directly.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types like Klefki, Duraludon, Bronzong and Copperajah resist Staraptor's STAB attacks, so they can freely switch into its attacks and set up hazards or hit back against Staraptor with their own attacks. Staraptor can use Close Combat though, which threatens all the aforementioned Steel-types with heavy damage.
**Revenge Killers**: One of Staraptor's largest threats come from faster Pokemon that are able to revenge kill it, such as Inteleon, Kilowatterel and Alolan Ninetails. However all of these cannot switch into Staraptor's attacks safely. Faster Choice Scarf users can threaten and KO Staraptor once it gets worn down, like Infernape and Munkidori but they also cannot risk switching into Staraptor's attacks. Staraptor can also be picked off by strong priority users like Choice Banded Paldean Tauros-W, Toxicroak and Arcanine.
**Stealth Rock**: Staraptor's reliance on Choice items makes it threatened by Stealth Rock. Furthermore, Staraptor consistently switching in and out can make this worse, since it greatly limits Staraptor's longevity, and greatly limits its ability to repeatedly enter the field.
[CREDITS]
Written by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vaporeonds.671267/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pika134.609709/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited: