quziel
I am the Scientist now
[OVERVIEW]
With good bulk, great Attack, and usable Speed Braviary can fit on a wide variety of team styles as a sweeper or Choice Scarf user. Access to Defiant dissuades Defoggers from removing entry hazards with the threat of a +2 Attack boost and is especially useful when on a hazard-stacking team. Thanks to good coverage in Superpower and momentum in U-turn, Braviary is often difficult to switch into, especially when these are combined with the threat of a high-powered Brave Bird. However, offensive sets are quickly worn down by Brave Bird recoil and Stealth Rock, limiting their lifetime. The prevalence of Vanilluxe and other Ice-types makes it significantly more difficult for Braviary to function, as they can OHKO any of its sets with ease. Substitute + Bulk Up sets can struggle to break through stall thanks to Toxic Golbat or phazers such as Roar Vaporeon and Roar Steelix. Defensive sets struggle with a Stealth Rock weakness that prevents Braviary from pivoting into strong attacks such as Sceptile's Focus Blast or Whimsicott's Moonblast repeatedly.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Defiant
nature: Careful
evs: 172 HP / 252 SpD / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Bulk Up allows Braviary to potentially end the game function as a sweeper, increasing its offensive power and bulk simultaneously and letting it outlast and break through its checks. Substitute blocks enemy status such as Toxic, insulates Braviary from the effects of critical hits, and prevents it from being hit by weaker attacks. Brave Bird is Braviary's strongest STAB move and has no types immune to it, allowing Braviary to rely on it as its sole attack on this set. Roost mitigates damage taken through repeated uses of Substitute as well as enemy attacks, giving it much higher longevity.
Set Details
========
With 172 HP and 252 Special Defense EVs and a Calm nature, Braviary's Substitute is able to tank one Scald from Vaporeon before breaking as well as weaker Scalds from Slowbro and other Pokemon. 84 Speed EVs let Braviary outspeed uninvested enemy Golbat and attack it before it can use Toxic on Braviary. Leftovers allows Braviary to recover HP without using Roost's PP, vastly increasing its sustainability.
Usage Tips
========
Braviary's good special bulk and Normal / Flying typing mean that it can be switched into a number of the tier's Grass- and Ghost-types, though it has to be wary of Mismagius's Power Gem and Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice. This Braviary set cannot afford to be hit by Toxic, as it cannot set up once inflicted by the status, so it must be played warily versus typical Toxic users such as Seismitoad and Golbat. As Substitute shields Braviary against critical hits and status, it is generally a good idea to prioritize having one up at most, if not all times. As this set functions as a sweeper, it is often a good idea to ensure that it is at high enough HP to set up, even if that means playing it safe until late-game.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock heavily limits Braviary's opportunities to switch in, so a teammate that can remove entry hazards such as Hitmonlee, Cryogonal, or Golbat is generally helpful. Cryogonal deserves a special mention, as it easily switches into Vanilluxe and Rotom-C, which hugely threaten Braviary with their powerful STAB attacks, as well as providing Rapid Spin support. Due to this set's general vulnerability to Toxic, friendly Poison-types or Guts users such as Hariyama make excellent teammates. Balance walls such as Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Steelix can help support Braviary's lacking initial physical bulk while providing support in the form of Stealth Rock or Heal Bell. The Substitute + Bulk Up set struggles with Rock-types, so it is often a good idea to pair it with friendly Water- or Grass-types such as Slowbro, Seismitoad, or Sceptile. As this Braviary set spends a lot of time not attacking, Toxic Spikes support from Garbodor or Qwilfish allows it to grind through enemy teams much more easily.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Defiant
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird has good neutral coverage and no types immune to it, and it is Braviary's strongest STAB move. Return allows Braviary to bypass Brave Bird's recoil, albeit at the cost of arguably worse coverage. Superpower hits the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Brave Bird and Return for super effective damage, although the resulting power drop often forces Braviary to switch out after using it. U-turn allows Braviary to pivot into teammates, punishing prospective switch-ins.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment, a Jolly nature, and a Choice Scarf allow Braviary to outspeed the majority of the unboosted NU tier as well as outspeed Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Scrafty even after boosting and enemy Choice Scarf Emboar. Maximum Attack investment is run to deal as much damage as possible. Defiant allows Braviary to gain +2 Attack upon having its stats lowered, discouraging its foes from using Defog.
Usage Tips
========
Thanks to its high Speed, this set excels as a revenge killer, outspeeding almost every unboosted threat and many boosted threats. This set can sweep a weakened team thanks to its high Attack and high-Base Power moves once foes that resist Normal or Flying are weakened. If the opponent is predicted to use Defog, Braviary should be switched in, as it can exploit this for +2 Attack, vastly increasing its power.
Team Options
========
Friendly teammates that can use Spikes, Stealth Rock, or Toxic Spikes such as Garbodor and Froslass often force the opponent to use Defog, allowing Braviary to activate Defiant for a massive power boost. Typical bulky offense pivots such as Seismitoad and Rhydon bring in Grass-types for Braviary to take advantage of while setting up Stealth Rock to support it. Pokemon such as Sceptile, Virizion, and Samurott appreciate Braviary's ability to bring in and U-turn on Rock- and Steel-types, which they can easily KO. Pokemon that appreciate Rock- and Steel-types being weakened by Superpower such as Vikavolt and Sneasel make effective teammates. Switch-ins to enemy Rock- and Steel-types such as Seismitoad and Virizion allow Braviary to use Brave Bird and Return with less risk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Defog set with significant HP investment allows Braviary to play in a more defensive role and support its team, though the lack of power and Stealth Rock weakness limit its effectiveness. Tailwind gives Braviary the ability to boost its Speed and support its team, though the short duration makes this set unreliable. An offensive Bulk Up set with Superpower / Brave Bird / Bulk Up / Return and Life Orb or Fightinium Z allows Braviary to bluff a defensive Bulk Up set as well as capitalize on Defiant boosts to a greater degree compared to its defensive counterpart, though it faces competition with Dodrio thanks to Dodrio's higher Speed and access to Swords Dance. A Choice Band set has great power, though its lacking Speed often means that it struggles to compete against offensive teams to nearly the degree that the Choice Scarf set can, limiting its versatility.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: These Pokemon resist Brave Bird and have the defenses to take little from it while hitting back with super effective Rock moves, though the Substitute + Bulk Up set can stall them out of PP if they lack Swords Dance or another boosting move. Rock-types such as Omastar can also set up on the Substitute + Bulk Up set or the Choice Scarf set when it is locked into Return or Brave Bird, threatening it.
**Steelix**: Steelix takes little from Brave Bird or Return and can take a Superpower while using Roar to phaze the Substitute + Bulk Up set, though sets lacking Roar are set up on, and it is easily worn down.
**Stealth Rock**: This move heavily limits Braviary's switches in and setup opportunities, pressures it to Roost, and vastly reduces the Choice Scarf set's longevity.
**Electric-types**: Pokemon such as Rotom-C, Rotom, and Eelektross have the bulk and typing to tank a Brave Bird and easily break Braviary's Substitute or threaten it with an OHKO with Thunderbolt. Rotom is worth a special mention due to being immune or resistant to every commonly used move from Braviary while easily threatening it with a Thunderbolt.
**Infiltrator Pokemon**: While these Pokemon only affect the Substitute + Bulk Up set, Substitute cannot block Toxic from Golbat or any other Infiltrator Pokemon, severely limiting its longevity.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon such as Sneasel, Vanilluxe, and Rotom-F can easily break Braviary's Substitutes or force it out, though they struggle to switch in and have to be wary of the Choice Scarf set if they are not holding Choice Scarf themselves.
With good bulk, great Attack, and usable Speed Braviary can fit on a wide variety of team styles as a sweeper or Choice Scarf user. Access to Defiant dissuades Defoggers from removing entry hazards with the threat of a +2 Attack boost and is especially useful when on a hazard-stacking team. Thanks to good coverage in Superpower and momentum in U-turn, Braviary is often difficult to switch into, especially when these are combined with the threat of a high-powered Brave Bird. However, offensive sets are quickly worn down by Brave Bird recoil and Stealth Rock, limiting their lifetime. The prevalence of Vanilluxe and other Ice-types makes it significantly more difficult for Braviary to function, as they can OHKO any of its sets with ease. Substitute + Bulk Up sets can struggle to break through stall thanks to Toxic Golbat or phazers such as Roar Vaporeon and Roar Steelix. Defensive sets struggle with a Stealth Rock weakness that prevents Braviary from pivoting into strong attacks such as Sceptile's Focus Blast or Whimsicott's Moonblast repeatedly.
[SET]
name: Substitute + Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Defiant
nature: Careful
evs: 172 HP / 252 SpD / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Bulk Up allows Braviary to potentially end the game function as a sweeper, increasing its offensive power and bulk simultaneously and letting it outlast and break through its checks. Substitute blocks enemy status such as Toxic, insulates Braviary from the effects of critical hits, and prevents it from being hit by weaker attacks. Brave Bird is Braviary's strongest STAB move and has no types immune to it, allowing Braviary to rely on it as its sole attack on this set. Roost mitigates damage taken through repeated uses of Substitute as well as enemy attacks, giving it much higher longevity.
Set Details
========
With 172 HP and 252 Special Defense EVs and a Calm nature, Braviary's Substitute is able to tank one Scald from Vaporeon before breaking as well as weaker Scalds from Slowbro and other Pokemon. 84 Speed EVs let Braviary outspeed uninvested enemy Golbat and attack it before it can use Toxic on Braviary. Leftovers allows Braviary to recover HP without using Roost's PP, vastly increasing its sustainability.
Usage Tips
========
Braviary's good special bulk and Normal / Flying typing mean that it can be switched into a number of the tier's Grass- and Ghost-types, though it has to be wary of Mismagius's Power Gem and Sceptile's Hidden Power Ice. This Braviary set cannot afford to be hit by Toxic, as it cannot set up once inflicted by the status, so it must be played warily versus typical Toxic users such as Seismitoad and Golbat. As Substitute shields Braviary against critical hits and status, it is generally a good idea to prioritize having one up at most, if not all times. As this set functions as a sweeper, it is often a good idea to ensure that it is at high enough HP to set up, even if that means playing it safe until late-game.
Team Options
========
Stealth Rock heavily limits Braviary's opportunities to switch in, so a teammate that can remove entry hazards such as Hitmonlee, Cryogonal, or Golbat is generally helpful. Cryogonal deserves a special mention, as it easily switches into Vanilluxe and Rotom-C, which hugely threaten Braviary with their powerful STAB attacks, as well as providing Rapid Spin support. Due to this set's general vulnerability to Toxic, friendly Poison-types or Guts users such as Hariyama make excellent teammates. Balance walls such as Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Steelix can help support Braviary's lacking initial physical bulk while providing support in the form of Stealth Rock or Heal Bell. The Substitute + Bulk Up set struggles with Rock-types, so it is often a good idea to pair it with friendly Water- or Grass-types such as Slowbro, Seismitoad, or Sceptile. As this Braviary set spends a lot of time not attacking, Toxic Spikes support from Garbodor or Qwilfish allows it to grind through enemy teams much more easily.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Defiant
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird has good neutral coverage and no types immune to it, and it is Braviary's strongest STAB move. Return allows Braviary to bypass Brave Bird's recoil, albeit at the cost of arguably worse coverage. Superpower hits the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Brave Bird and Return for super effective damage, although the resulting power drop often forces Braviary to switch out after using it. U-turn allows Braviary to pivot into teammates, punishing prospective switch-ins.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment, a Jolly nature, and a Choice Scarf allow Braviary to outspeed the majority of the unboosted NU tier as well as outspeed Pokemon such as Dragon Dance Scrafty even after boosting and enemy Choice Scarf Emboar. Maximum Attack investment is run to deal as much damage as possible. Defiant allows Braviary to gain +2 Attack upon having its stats lowered, discouraging its foes from using Defog.
Usage Tips
========
Thanks to its high Speed, this set excels as a revenge killer, outspeeding almost every unboosted threat and many boosted threats. This set can sweep a weakened team thanks to its high Attack and high-Base Power moves once foes that resist Normal or Flying are weakened. If the opponent is predicted to use Defog, Braviary should be switched in, as it can exploit this for +2 Attack, vastly increasing its power.
Team Options
========
Friendly teammates that can use Spikes, Stealth Rock, or Toxic Spikes such as Garbodor and Froslass often force the opponent to use Defog, allowing Braviary to activate Defiant for a massive power boost. Typical bulky offense pivots such as Seismitoad and Rhydon bring in Grass-types for Braviary to take advantage of while setting up Stealth Rock to support it. Pokemon such as Sceptile, Virizion, and Samurott appreciate Braviary's ability to bring in and U-turn on Rock- and Steel-types, which they can easily KO. Pokemon that appreciate Rock- and Steel-types being weakened by Superpower such as Vikavolt and Sneasel make effective teammates. Switch-ins to enemy Rock- and Steel-types such as Seismitoad and Virizion allow Braviary to use Brave Bird and Return with less risk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Defog set with significant HP investment allows Braviary to play in a more defensive role and support its team, though the lack of power and Stealth Rock weakness limit its effectiveness. Tailwind gives Braviary the ability to boost its Speed and support its team, though the short duration makes this set unreliable. An offensive Bulk Up set with Superpower / Brave Bird / Bulk Up / Return and Life Orb or Fightinium Z allows Braviary to bluff a defensive Bulk Up set as well as capitalize on Defiant boosts to a greater degree compared to its defensive counterpart, though it faces competition with Dodrio thanks to Dodrio's higher Speed and access to Swords Dance. A Choice Band set has great power, though its lacking Speed often means that it struggles to compete against offensive teams to nearly the degree that the Choice Scarf set can, limiting its versatility.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: These Pokemon resist Brave Bird and have the defenses to take little from it while hitting back with super effective Rock moves, though the Substitute + Bulk Up set can stall them out of PP if they lack Swords Dance or another boosting move. Rock-types such as Omastar can also set up on the Substitute + Bulk Up set or the Choice Scarf set when it is locked into Return or Brave Bird, threatening it.
**Steelix**: Steelix takes little from Brave Bird or Return and can take a Superpower while using Roar to phaze the Substitute + Bulk Up set, though sets lacking Roar are set up on, and it is easily worn down.
**Stealth Rock**: This move heavily limits Braviary's switches in and setup opportunities, pressures it to Roost, and vastly reduces the Choice Scarf set's longevity.
**Electric-types**: Pokemon such as Rotom-C, Rotom, and Eelektross have the bulk and typing to tank a Brave Bird and easily break Braviary's Substitute or threaten it with an OHKO with Thunderbolt. Rotom is worth a special mention due to being immune or resistant to every commonly used move from Braviary while easily threatening it with a Thunderbolt.
**Infiltrator Pokemon**: While these Pokemon only affect the Substitute + Bulk Up set, Substitute cannot block Toxic from Golbat or any other Infiltrator Pokemon, severely limiting its longevity.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon such as Sneasel, Vanilluxe, and Rotom-F can easily break Braviary's Substitutes or force it out, though they struggle to switch in and have to be wary of the Choice Scarf set if they are not holding Choice Scarf themselves.
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