[SET]
name: Magic Guard Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Talonflame has found a welcoming home in Generation 8 Almost Any Ability, being an attacker with good power and coverage that is hard to wear down. In a metagame that has few viable Rock-types, Talonflame's STAB moves provide fantastic coverage, with the only common resistant foes being Primordial Sea Zapdos or Tapu Koko and Flash Fire Corviknight. Thanks to its high Base Power moves and Life Orb, which have their recoil negated by Magic Guard, Talonflame hits surprisingly hard despite having a low Attack stat. For reference, fully physically defensive Swampert cannot safely switch into Talonflame if it is below 80% health, as it risks getting 2HKOed by Brave Bird. Talonflame possesses a great Speed tier for AAA, leaving it only outspeed by Barraskewda, Tapu Koko, and the rare Zamazenta-C. Additionally, it resists every common Triage move and Grassy Glide, making it difficult to revenge kill with priority. Swords Dance amplifies Talonflame's offensive presence, and it can often find time to set up safely against either offensive threats it forces out, like Volcarona and Zarude, or defensive stalwarts that are unable to KO it back like Corviknight and most Mew. Its power, access to setup, and longevity make it particularly effective at breaking down bulkier teams. Talonflame does really need to run maximum Attack and Speed with Jolly to maximize its offensive capabilities.
Talonflame fits well on bulky offense or balance teams that want offensive pressure without having to provide much support. Since it is immune to all entry hazards, Talonflame doesn't require hazard control, and Magic Guard means it can't be worn down by stray Toxics or Rocky Helmets (although it does fear paralysis). Since its bulk is not fantastic, it does appreciate slow pivots like Swampert and Corviknight to bring it in safely; in exchange, it forces out foes like Cinderace or Volcarona that may have tried to come in on them. There are some common switch-ins that frustrate Talonflame, however; Primordial Sea Zapdos in particular can't be hit neutrally and forces it out, so teammates that can handle Zapdos like RegenVest Swampert, Blissey, and Silvally-Dragon are always appreciated. Additionally, while Talonflame is fast, most Choice Scarf users Choice Scarf users and a few faster threats—Tapu Koko and Barraskewda—can revenge kill it reliably. Good revenge killers or solid switch-ins to those are strongly advised; Choice Scarf Azelf is especially notable as a great revenge killer that lets Talonflame in often with U-turn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Talonflame's movepool is shallow, but there are a few other options. U-turn can be run over Swords Dance, or more rarely Flare Blitz, to generate momentum even against teams that have solid answers to it, which is always valuable. Talonflame can also conceivably drop Flare Blitz for Will-O-Wisp to cripple some of its switch-ins like Swampert, but the increased coverage is usually preferred.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Primordial Sea Electric-types**: Primordial Sea Zapdos and Tapu Koko both have the bulk and typing to switch into Talonflame and force it out with their Electric-type attacks. They also have pivoting and reliable recovery to consistently annoy Talonflame over the course of the match.
**Flash Fire Corviknight**: Talonflame can't hit Corviknight neutrally, and Corviknight can do more than 50% to Talonflame with Brave Bird or use U-turn to bring in a faster threat safely.
**Unaware**: Unaware Mandibuzz and Mew comfortably avoid being 2HKOed and ignore Swords Dance boosts. However, in a longer game, Talonflame can feasibly stall them out of recovery PP, especially if they lack the ability to punish Talonflame themselves with Foul Play or Thunder Wave.
**Prankster Toxapex**: Similarly to the Unaware checks above, Toxapex can prevent Talonflame from sweeping as long as it has PP for Recover; additionally, it can remove Talonflame’s Life Orb with Knock Off, which reduces its power considerably. It can also be stalled out of recovery in a longer game, however.
**Tapu Fini**: Tapu Fini is already found on many teams and can help check Talonflame, but it cannot beat Talonflame by itself. It will lose if it switches into a Brave Bird or Swords Dance, as it is 3HKOed by unboosted Brave Bird and cannot OHKO back with Scald.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[UT, 523866]]
- Quality checked by: [[Think, 375662], [Atha, 450411]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
name: Magic Guard Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Swords Dance
move 4: Roost
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Talonflame has found a welcoming home in Generation 8 Almost Any Ability, being an attacker with good power and coverage that is hard to wear down. In a metagame that has few viable Rock-types, Talonflame's STAB moves provide fantastic coverage, with the only common resistant foes being Primordial Sea Zapdos or Tapu Koko and Flash Fire Corviknight. Thanks to its high Base Power moves and Life Orb, which have their recoil negated by Magic Guard, Talonflame hits surprisingly hard despite having a low Attack stat. For reference, fully physically defensive Swampert cannot safely switch into Talonflame if it is below 80% health, as it risks getting 2HKOed by Brave Bird. Talonflame possesses a great Speed tier for AAA, leaving it only outspeed by Barraskewda, Tapu Koko, and the rare Zamazenta-C. Additionally, it resists every common Triage move and Grassy Glide, making it difficult to revenge kill with priority. Swords Dance amplifies Talonflame's offensive presence, and it can often find time to set up safely against either offensive threats it forces out, like Volcarona and Zarude, or defensive stalwarts that are unable to KO it back like Corviknight and most Mew. Its power, access to setup, and longevity make it particularly effective at breaking down bulkier teams. Talonflame does really need to run maximum Attack and Speed with Jolly to maximize its offensive capabilities.
Talonflame fits well on bulky offense or balance teams that want offensive pressure without having to provide much support. Since it is immune to all entry hazards, Talonflame doesn't require hazard control, and Magic Guard means it can't be worn down by stray Toxics or Rocky Helmets (although it does fear paralysis). Since its bulk is not fantastic, it does appreciate slow pivots like Swampert and Corviknight to bring it in safely; in exchange, it forces out foes like Cinderace or Volcarona that may have tried to come in on them. There are some common switch-ins that frustrate Talonflame, however; Primordial Sea Zapdos in particular can't be hit neutrally and forces it out, so teammates that can handle Zapdos like RegenVest Swampert, Blissey, and Silvally-Dragon are always appreciated. Additionally, while Talonflame is fast, most Choice Scarf users Choice Scarf users and a few faster threats—Tapu Koko and Barraskewda—can revenge kill it reliably. Good revenge killers or solid switch-ins to those are strongly advised; Choice Scarf Azelf is especially notable as a great revenge killer that lets Talonflame in often with U-turn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Talonflame's movepool is shallow, but there are a few other options. U-turn can be run over Swords Dance, or more rarely Flare Blitz, to generate momentum even against teams that have solid answers to it, which is always valuable. Talonflame can also conceivably drop Flare Blitz for Will-O-Wisp to cripple some of its switch-ins like Swampert, but the increased coverage is usually preferred.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Primordial Sea Electric-types**: Primordial Sea Zapdos and Tapu Koko both have the bulk and typing to switch into Talonflame and force it out with their Electric-type attacks. They also have pivoting and reliable recovery to consistently annoy Talonflame over the course of the match.
**Flash Fire Corviknight**: Talonflame can't hit Corviknight neutrally, and Corviknight can do more than 50% to Talonflame with Brave Bird or use U-turn to bring in a faster threat safely.
**Unaware**: Unaware Mandibuzz and Mew comfortably avoid being 2HKOed and ignore Swords Dance boosts. However, in a longer game, Talonflame can feasibly stall them out of recovery PP, especially if they lack the ability to punish Talonflame themselves with Foul Play or Thunder Wave.
**Prankster Toxapex**: Similarly to the Unaware checks above, Toxapex can prevent Talonflame from sweeping as long as it has PP for Recover; additionally, it can remove Talonflame’s Life Orb with Knock Off, which reduces its power considerably. It can also be stalled out of recovery in a longer game, however.
**Tapu Fini**: Tapu Fini is already found on many teams and can help check Talonflame, but it cannot beat Talonflame by itself. It will lose if it switches into a Brave Bird or Swords Dance, as it is 3HKOed by unboosted Brave Bird and cannot OHKO back with Scald.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[UT, 523866]]
- Quality checked by: [[Think, 375662], [Atha, 450411]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
Last edited:
