[SET]
Offensive Tailwind Support (Talonflame) @ Covert Cloak / Life Orb / Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost / Flying / Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Tailwind
- Flare Blitz / Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt / Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
- Talonflame takes over Tornadus as the premier offensive Tailwind support, dealing huge damage with its primary STAB attacks as well as having a host of supportive options with Gale Wings Tailwind and Brave Bird providing immediate offensive pressure.
- Covert Cloak is the most popular item on Talonflame, preventing opposing Fake Outs from slowing down a offensive lead. Talonflames high speed means its usually not too bothered by Gale Wings breaking. Life Orb and Sharp Beak are two sides of the same coin, offensive items to pick up OHKOes that Covert Cloak sets don't, at the cost of being vulnerable to Fake Out. Life Orb allows for cleaner OHKOes such as cleanly OHKOing Rillaboom regardless of its defensive investment as well as boosting Flare Blitz, while Sharp Beak is an option if you prefer not taking recoil at the cost of damage output, such as only having a 60% chance to OHKO the previously mentioned Rillaboom.
- The choice of Tera Type is mostly dependant on personal preference, Tera Ghost prevents Fake Out, Extreme Speed, and other priority moves from breaking Gale Wings. Tera Flying is used for damage, allowing Sharp Beak and Life Orb sets to cleanly OHKO Amoonguss, as well as some frail neutral types such as Delphox and Typhlosion-H with Sharp Beak or Life Orb. Tera Grass gives a resistance to Water, Electric, and importantly an immunity to powder attacks, useful with Taunt in bypassing opposing Rage Powders on a turn one opposing Trick Room lead.
- Jolly is usually preferred for outspeeding Adamant Dragapult, Whimsicott, and Sneasler, however Adamant is also viable to maximize damage, allowing for calcs like OHKOing Amoonguss without Terastalization on Life Orb sets.
- The last 2 moveslots are open to player preference and usually mix and matched, the usual 2 are Flare Blitz and Taunt, taking advantage of STAB and extra utility (Disabling Amoonguss and most Trick Room leads) respectively, but Will-o-Wisp and Protect are also viable, the former crippling physical threats like Dondozo, and the latter being generally useful.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Teambuilding
============
- Talonflame is most common as the main supportive option on Hyper Offensive teams, or teams which aim to overwhelm the opponent and win quickly, where priority Speed control in the form of Tailwind is especially valuable. Its most common partner by far is Choice Specs Gholdengo, which when paired with Covert Cloak Talonflame prevents Fake Out and makes it difficult to stop a turn one Tailwind + Terastallized Make it Rain. This duo is also particularly strong with Dondozo and Commander Tatsugiri, softening up teams for Dondozo to clean up in the endgame.
- Talonflame doesn't particularly need any partners to function well, it instead serves to complement its teamates.
- Talonflames main competition is Whimsicott, who doesen't have to worry about about losing Priority thanks to Prankster, as well as having better enabling tools such as Sunny Day for Typhlosion-H and Delphox and Beat Up for Annihilape. Talonflame has more general utility tools with Will-o-Wisp and non-prankster Taunt, as well as being faster and able to OHKO it first with priority Brave Bird, but generally isn't as support oriented as Whimsicott.
Strategy Comments
============
- Talonflames biggest strength is immediate turn one pressure, take advantage of that. You generally always want to be leading Talonflame and setting up Tailwind, going for an attack is risky before Tailwind is up as you lose Gale Wings and a significant chunk of Talonflames health. Once Tailwind is up, sacrificing it for a switch in is usually the play, if you have the opportunity however for a safe switch take it, as Talonflame's coverage and speed makes it a great endgame clean up.
- The only real reason to use Talonflame over Whimsicott is coverage and damage, functioning almost like a glass cannon with access to priority Tailwind. Flying- and Fire-type coverage is excellent into the metagame, and its speed means its always a credible threat. Go for damage whenever possible after setting up Tailwind.
- The best way to handle Talonflame is to nullify either its damage or priority speed control. Pokemon with Intimidate severely hamper Talonflames offensive pressure, and even Pokemon like Electabuzz and Primarina which can eat one of its attacks and return back for strong damage are difficult. Alternatively, nullifying its priority or and speed advantage also works well. Priority attacks like Fake Out and Extreme Speed break Gale Wings and the former often completely prevents Tailwind from being set up on non Covert Cloak sets, as well priority blocking abilities like both Indeede's Psychic Terrain are difficult but not common. Incineroar is likely the biggest pain spot for Talonflame teams, as it walls Gholdengo, can break Gale Wings with Fake Out and has Intimidate to cripple Talonflame offensively. If you're playing Talonflame, you have to be careful when leading it into Incineroar and Sneasler teams, and usually its best to completely leave it behind in match ups against balance teams.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/choruto.646006/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flarefox_7.657713/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ipetbigfoot.645750/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Offensive Tailwind Support (Talonflame) @ Covert Cloak / Life Orb / Sharp Beak
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 50
Tera Type: Ghost / Flying / Grass
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly / Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Tailwind
- Flare Blitz / Will-O-Wisp
- Taunt / Protect
[SET COMMENTS]
- Talonflame takes over Tornadus as the premier offensive Tailwind support, dealing huge damage with its primary STAB attacks as well as having a host of supportive options with Gale Wings Tailwind and Brave Bird providing immediate offensive pressure.
- Covert Cloak is the most popular item on Talonflame, preventing opposing Fake Outs from slowing down a offensive lead. Talonflames high speed means its usually not too bothered by Gale Wings breaking. Life Orb and Sharp Beak are two sides of the same coin, offensive items to pick up OHKOes that Covert Cloak sets don't, at the cost of being vulnerable to Fake Out. Life Orb allows for cleaner OHKOes such as cleanly OHKOing Rillaboom regardless of its defensive investment as well as boosting Flare Blitz, while Sharp Beak is an option if you prefer not taking recoil at the cost of damage output, such as only having a 60% chance to OHKO the previously mentioned Rillaboom.
- The choice of Tera Type is mostly dependant on personal preference, Tera Ghost prevents Fake Out, Extreme Speed, and other priority moves from breaking Gale Wings. Tera Flying is used for damage, allowing Sharp Beak and Life Orb sets to cleanly OHKO Amoonguss, as well as some frail neutral types such as Delphox and Typhlosion-H with Sharp Beak or Life Orb. Tera Grass gives a resistance to Water, Electric, and importantly an immunity to powder attacks, useful with Taunt in bypassing opposing Rage Powders on a turn one opposing Trick Room lead.
- Jolly is usually preferred for outspeeding Adamant Dragapult, Whimsicott, and Sneasler, however Adamant is also viable to maximize damage, allowing for calcs like OHKOing Amoonguss without Terastalization on Life Orb sets.
- The last 2 moveslots are open to player preference and usually mix and matched, the usual 2 are Flare Blitz and Taunt, taking advantage of STAB and extra utility (Disabling Amoonguss and most Trick Room leads) respectively, but Will-o-Wisp and Protect are also viable, the former crippling physical threats like Dondozo, and the latter being generally useful.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Teambuilding
============
- Talonflame is most common as the main supportive option on Hyper Offensive teams, or teams which aim to overwhelm the opponent and win quickly, where priority Speed control in the form of Tailwind is especially valuable. Its most common partner by far is Choice Specs Gholdengo, which when paired with Covert Cloak Talonflame prevents Fake Out and makes it difficult to stop a turn one Tailwind + Terastallized Make it Rain. This duo is also particularly strong with Dondozo and Commander Tatsugiri, softening up teams for Dondozo to clean up in the endgame.
- Talonflame doesn't particularly need any partners to function well, it instead serves to complement its teamates.
- Talonflames main competition is Whimsicott, who doesen't have to worry about about losing Priority thanks to Prankster, as well as having better enabling tools such as Sunny Day for Typhlosion-H and Delphox and Beat Up for Annihilape. Talonflame has more general utility tools with Will-o-Wisp and non-prankster Taunt, as well as being faster and able to OHKO it first with priority Brave Bird, but generally isn't as support oriented as Whimsicott.
Strategy Comments
============
- Talonflames biggest strength is immediate turn one pressure, take advantage of that. You generally always want to be leading Talonflame and setting up Tailwind, going for an attack is risky before Tailwind is up as you lose Gale Wings and a significant chunk of Talonflames health. Once Tailwind is up, sacrificing it for a switch in is usually the play, if you have the opportunity however for a safe switch take it, as Talonflame's coverage and speed makes it a great endgame clean up.
- The only real reason to use Talonflame over Whimsicott is coverage and damage, functioning almost like a glass cannon with access to priority Tailwind. Flying- and Fire-type coverage is excellent into the metagame, and its speed means its always a credible threat. Go for damage whenever possible after setting up Tailwind.
- The best way to handle Talonflame is to nullify either its damage or priority speed control. Pokemon with Intimidate severely hamper Talonflames offensive pressure, and even Pokemon like Electabuzz and Primarina which can eat one of its attacks and return back for strong damage are difficult. Alternatively, nullifying its priority or and speed advantage also works well. Priority attacks like Fake Out and Extreme Speed break Gale Wings and the former often completely prevents Tailwind from being set up on non Covert Cloak sets, as well priority blocking abilities like both Indeede's Psychic Terrain are difficult but not common. Incineroar is likely the biggest pain spot for Talonflame teams, as it walls Gholdengo, can break Gale Wings with Fake Out and has Intimidate to cripple Talonflame offensively. If you're playing Talonflame, you have to be careful when leading it into Incineroar and Sneasler teams, and usually its best to completely leave it behind in match ups against balance teams.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/choruto.646006/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flarefox_7.657713/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ipetbigfoot.645750/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Last edited:
