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[OVERVIEW]
Braviary has well-rounded stats that give it a few good traits like a decent Speed tier, a massive Attack stat, and the ability to create 101 HP Substitutes, which are important for its main set. Coupled with its high Attack, it also has strong neutral coverage provided by its STAB moves alongside some additional tools such as Superpower and Roost. It is one of the best stallbreakers, since very few Pokemon on defensive archetypes can break through its bulk or are faster than it. Defiant gives Braviary the ability to pressure Defoggers, a trait not many Pokemon have, making it great for teams that employ Spikes stackers. Unfortunately, offensive sets are worn down easily because of Brave Bird recoil and Stealth Rock. Braviary also has overlapping weaknesses with other hazard removers, putting some strain on teambuilding. Defensively, Braviary doesn't have a good set of resistances, so it can't be sent out easily without good prediction. It's also weak to common revenge killers such as Jolteon, Aerodactyl, and Sneasel. Finally, Pokemon it otherwise sets up on can run moves to bypass it, like Toxic Diancie and Thunderbolt Registeel.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Brave Bird
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Defiant
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 168 SpD / 88 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute lets Braviary block status from Pokemon such as Registeel and Blastoise. Bulk Up gives Braviary a boost to its Defense and Attack, letting it endure more hits. Roost provides instant recovery so Braviary can continue to set up Substitutes. Brave Bird is a powerful STAB move that, unlike Return, no Pokemon is immune to.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs let Braviary set up 101 HP Substitutes, which cannot be broken by Seismic Toss. The Speed EVs let it outpace uninvested Golbat so that if it has enough Bulk Up boosts, it can KO Golbat before it lands a Toxic or Taunt. The rest of the EVs go into Special Defense so it can take hits from defensive Pokemon such as Jellicent and Mega Audino better. Leftovers gives it passive recovery to make up for the lost HP when creating a Substitute. Defiant lets it punish Intimidate Pokemon like Granbull and Qwilfish, which might try to weaken Braviary's attacks a little bit, and gives it a boost from Defog. 92 Speed EVs could be run instead to outspeed Pokemon like Hoopa, Xatu, and Exploud.
Usage Tips
========
Braviary should only be setting up once all of its checks and counters are weakened enough to the point that it can win. This prevents Braviary from coming in later and being more pressured to Roost. It's also important to keep Stealth Rock off your side of the field so Braviary can come in at full HP. If your opponent has Flygon or any other Defogger, applying entry hazards to pressure them before Braviary sets up is a good idea, since it forces your opponent into a lose-lose situation. Almost always try to avoid status conditions while you can, as they hinder Braviary's ability to consistently be at a good amount of HP and keep a Substitute up at the same time.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removers like Flygon, Blastoise, and Hitmonlee are good options to prevent Braviary from being worn down too much. Flygon is capable of coming in on Electric-types and threatening all of them bar Eelektross with Earthquake. Blastoise can provide a decent Ice-type switch-in and a Rock-type check and can even give Braviary more setup opportunities by getting some Scald burns. Hitmonlee can also support Braviary through checking Registeel, Ice-types, and Rock-types. Lanturn synergizes really well with Braviary, since it is a good counter to Magneton, one of Braviary's biggest counters, and can provide Braviary with Heal Bell and Volt Switch support. Braviary can check Grass-types like Venusaur and be a decent Ground-type switch-in in return. Hazard setters such as Registeel and Rhyperior love Braviary's ability to pressure Defoggers, since they are forced to either leave them up or give Braviary a Defiant boost. Toxic Spikes setters also appreciate Braviary pressuring these foes and fending off two off the most common Poison-types in Venusaur and Qwilish; since it often takes a long time to set up, Toxic Spikes helps to rack up extra damage. Pokemon that resist Ice like Alomomola, Hariyama, and Bronzong make for good partners to check one of Braviary's weaknesses. Mega Camerupt and Rhyperior can check another one of its weaknesses, Electric.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn / Roost
item: Choice Band / Sharp Beak
ability: Defiant
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is a very strong STAB move that helps to punch holes and KO Grass- and Fighting-types. Return is a secondary STAB move that has good neutral coverage against the metagame and doesn't cause recoil damage. Superpower nails the Pokemon that can switch into Braviary's STAB moves like Registeel and Magneton. U-turn can snatch some momentum for your team and apply pressure to Malamar. Roost can be used when holding Sharp Beak; it helps Braviary last longer on the battlefield and can sometimes weaken super effective hits by removing Braviary's Flying typing.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment lets Braviary outpace Pokemon like Hidden Power Fire Venusaur and non-Choice Scarf Emboar. Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature gives Braviary as much power as possible to break through teams. Alternatively, a Jolly nature can be used to help outspeed Absol, Sawk, and neutral-natured Gallade and Medicham. Choice Band gives a huge power boost to all of Braviary's attacks at the cost of not being able to switch moves. Alternatively, Sharp Beak only boosts Braviary's most important move, Brave Bird, but gives it the opportunity to run Roost if you wish to. Defiant allows Braviary to gain a +2 Attack boost if any of its stats are lowered by the foe, making it a great tool when combined with entry hazard setters.
Usage Tips
========
Try to bring Braviary on resisted or weak attacks like Venusaur's Giga Drain and Aromatisse's Moonblast. For the most part, Braviary is going to want to use Brave Bird or U-turn as much as possible throughout the match to weaken the opponent's team and only use Return or Superpower on Electric- or Steel-types, respectively. Try to keep entry hazards off the field whenever possible, as Braviary is already taking enough recoil damage from Brave Bird. Inversely, try to always keep your hazards up if the opponent has a Defogger so you can force 50/50s and potentially get a boost off of Defog.
Team Options
========
Braviary appreciates Speed control, whether through Thunder Wave or Tailwind, so Pokemon like Uxie and Tailwind Flygon make for good partners. Braviary fits best on VoltTurn playstyles, so having other Pokemon that use U-turn or Volt Switch like Jolteon, Scyther, and Rotom make for great partners. Braviary helps to check Venusaur, so Pokemon that can benefit from that like Virizion and Sawk make for good partners. In return, they can break down Registeel, Diancie, and Rhyperior, making Braviary less reliant on prediction to get past them. Entry hazard removers like Flygon and Kabutops make for good partners that help to keep Braviary healthy. Hazard setters like Smeargle, Garbodor, and Diancie appreciate Braviary's Defiant letting them potentially keep their hazards up for longer, giving Braviary a way to power through foes faster.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf can be used to allow Braviary to revenge kill the foe, but there are many Pokemon that wall its STAB moves, forcing it to use U-turn often. Life Orb can be used to increase the power of all of Braviary's moves, but Brave Bird's recoil stacks up with the Life Orb damage, making it hard to use effectively. Sleep Talk can be used on offensive sets to check Sleep Powder Venusaur better. The EVs on the Bulk Up set are subject to change depending on the user; running more Speed can be useful for outpacing faster Pokemon like Exploud and Hoopa, and Special Defense investment could be used to better tank Registeel's Thunderbolt, giving it a 50% chance to break Braviary's Substitute instead of a 100% chance to. Tailwind could be used on Braviary's offensive set to help itself and slower partners break through offensive teams better.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Flying-resistant Pokemon**: Bulky Flying-resistant Pokemon such as Steelix, Registeel, Rhyperior, and Diancie can all cover Braviary decently. The former three are able to phaze or break Braviary's Substitutes with the proper move, and the latter two excel at taking hits from the offensive set. They also get an opportunity to set up Stealth Rock, which pressures Braviary later in the match when it has to come back in. However, some of these Pokemon have the potential to get PP stalled if they lack the proper move to deal with Substitute + Bulk Up.
**Chip Damage**: Bulk Up Braviary is more vulnerable to Toxic than offensive sets, but they both get worn down fast by Stealth Rock and dislike having to repeatedly use Brave Bird. Furthermore, some sets are too pressured by certain Pokemon to be able to Roost often if at all, forcing them to have to take hits or come back in on some.
**Faster Pokemon With Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, Jolteon, Magneton, and Rotom all can pressure Braviary through their STAB moves. They can usually force Braviary out or make it let its Substitute be broken.
**Substitute-bypassing Pokemon**: Choice Specs Exploud, Meloetta, and Aurorus can all pressure Braviary with their sound-based STAB moves, which hit it regardless of Substitute. Golbat, while not directly breaking Braviary through attacks, can launch a Toxic with Infiltrator and force it to switch out eventually.
Braviary has well-rounded stats that give it a few good traits like a decent Speed tier, a massive Attack stat, and the ability to create 101 HP Substitutes, which are important for its main set. Coupled with its high Attack, it also has strong neutral coverage provided by its STAB moves alongside some additional tools such as Superpower and Roost. It is one of the best stallbreakers, since very few Pokemon on defensive archetypes can break through its bulk or are faster than it. Defiant gives Braviary the ability to pressure Defoggers, a trait not many Pokemon have, making it great for teams that employ Spikes stackers. Unfortunately, offensive sets are worn down easily because of Brave Bird recoil and Stealth Rock. Braviary also has overlapping weaknesses with other hazard removers, putting some strain on teambuilding. Defensively, Braviary doesn't have a good set of resistances, so it can't be sent out easily without good prediction. It's also weak to common revenge killers such as Jolteon, Aerodactyl, and Sneasel. Finally, Pokemon it otherwise sets up on can run moves to bypass it, like Toxic Diancie and Thunderbolt Registeel.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Bulk Up
move 3: Brave Bird
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Defiant
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 168 SpD / 88 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Substitute lets Braviary block status from Pokemon such as Registeel and Blastoise. Bulk Up gives Braviary a boost to its Defense and Attack, letting it endure more hits. Roost provides instant recovery so Braviary can continue to set up Substitutes. Brave Bird is a powerful STAB move that, unlike Return, no Pokemon is immune to.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs let Braviary set up 101 HP Substitutes, which cannot be broken by Seismic Toss. The Speed EVs let it outpace uninvested Golbat so that if it has enough Bulk Up boosts, it can KO Golbat before it lands a Toxic or Taunt. The rest of the EVs go into Special Defense so it can take hits from defensive Pokemon such as Jellicent and Mega Audino better. Leftovers gives it passive recovery to make up for the lost HP when creating a Substitute. Defiant lets it punish Intimidate Pokemon like Granbull and Qwilfish, which might try to weaken Braviary's attacks a little bit, and gives it a boost from Defog. 92 Speed EVs could be run instead to outspeed Pokemon like Hoopa, Xatu, and Exploud.
Usage Tips
========
Braviary should only be setting up once all of its checks and counters are weakened enough to the point that it can win. This prevents Braviary from coming in later and being more pressured to Roost. It's also important to keep Stealth Rock off your side of the field so Braviary can come in at full HP. If your opponent has Flygon or any other Defogger, applying entry hazards to pressure them before Braviary sets up is a good idea, since it forces your opponent into a lose-lose situation. Almost always try to avoid status conditions while you can, as they hinder Braviary's ability to consistently be at a good amount of HP and keep a Substitute up at the same time.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard removers like Flygon, Blastoise, and Hitmonlee are good options to prevent Braviary from being worn down too much. Flygon is capable of coming in on Electric-types and threatening all of them bar Eelektross with Earthquake. Blastoise can provide a decent Ice-type switch-in and a Rock-type check and can even give Braviary more setup opportunities by getting some Scald burns. Hitmonlee can also support Braviary through checking Registeel, Ice-types, and Rock-types. Lanturn synergizes really well with Braviary, since it is a good counter to Magneton, one of Braviary's biggest counters, and can provide Braviary with Heal Bell and Volt Switch support. Braviary can check Grass-types like Venusaur and be a decent Ground-type switch-in in return. Hazard setters such as Registeel and Rhyperior love Braviary's ability to pressure Defoggers, since they are forced to either leave them up or give Braviary a Defiant boost. Toxic Spikes setters also appreciate Braviary pressuring these foes and fending off two off the most common Poison-types in Venusaur and Qwilish; since it often takes a long time to set up, Toxic Spikes helps to rack up extra damage. Pokemon that resist Ice like Alomomola, Hariyama, and Bronzong make for good partners to check one of Braviary's weaknesses. Mega Camerupt and Rhyperior can check another one of its weaknesses, Electric.
[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Return
move 3: Superpower
move 4: U-turn / Roost
item: Choice Band / Sharp Beak
ability: Defiant
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Brave Bird is a very strong STAB move that helps to punch holes and KO Grass- and Fighting-types. Return is a secondary STAB move that has good neutral coverage against the metagame and doesn't cause recoil damage. Superpower nails the Pokemon that can switch into Braviary's STAB moves like Registeel and Magneton. U-turn can snatch some momentum for your team and apply pressure to Malamar. Roost can be used when holding Sharp Beak; it helps Braviary last longer on the battlefield and can sometimes weaken super effective hits by removing Braviary's Flying typing.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment lets Braviary outpace Pokemon like Hidden Power Fire Venusaur and non-Choice Scarf Emboar. Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature gives Braviary as much power as possible to break through teams. Alternatively, a Jolly nature can be used to help outspeed Absol, Sawk, and neutral-natured Gallade and Medicham. Choice Band gives a huge power boost to all of Braviary's attacks at the cost of not being able to switch moves. Alternatively, Sharp Beak only boosts Braviary's most important move, Brave Bird, but gives it the opportunity to run Roost if you wish to. Defiant allows Braviary to gain a +2 Attack boost if any of its stats are lowered by the foe, making it a great tool when combined with entry hazard setters.
Usage Tips
========
Try to bring Braviary on resisted or weak attacks like Venusaur's Giga Drain and Aromatisse's Moonblast. For the most part, Braviary is going to want to use Brave Bird or U-turn as much as possible throughout the match to weaken the opponent's team and only use Return or Superpower on Electric- or Steel-types, respectively. Try to keep entry hazards off the field whenever possible, as Braviary is already taking enough recoil damage from Brave Bird. Inversely, try to always keep your hazards up if the opponent has a Defogger so you can force 50/50s and potentially get a boost off of Defog.
Team Options
========
Braviary appreciates Speed control, whether through Thunder Wave or Tailwind, so Pokemon like Uxie and Tailwind Flygon make for good partners. Braviary fits best on VoltTurn playstyles, so having other Pokemon that use U-turn or Volt Switch like Jolteon, Scyther, and Rotom make for great partners. Braviary helps to check Venusaur, so Pokemon that can benefit from that like Virizion and Sawk make for good partners. In return, they can break down Registeel, Diancie, and Rhyperior, making Braviary less reliant on prediction to get past them. Entry hazard removers like Flygon and Kabutops make for good partners that help to keep Braviary healthy. Hazard setters like Smeargle, Garbodor, and Diancie appreciate Braviary's Defiant letting them potentially keep their hazards up for longer, giving Braviary a way to power through foes faster.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Choice Scarf can be used to allow Braviary to revenge kill the foe, but there are many Pokemon that wall its STAB moves, forcing it to use U-turn often. Life Orb can be used to increase the power of all of Braviary's moves, but Brave Bird's recoil stacks up with the Life Orb damage, making it hard to use effectively. Sleep Talk can be used on offensive sets to check Sleep Powder Venusaur better. The EVs on the Bulk Up set are subject to change depending on the user; running more Speed can be useful for outpacing faster Pokemon like Exploud and Hoopa, and Special Defense investment could be used to better tank Registeel's Thunderbolt, giving it a 50% chance to break Braviary's Substitute instead of a 100% chance to. Tailwind could be used on Braviary's offensive set to help itself and slower partners break through offensive teams better.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Flying-resistant Pokemon**: Bulky Flying-resistant Pokemon such as Steelix, Registeel, Rhyperior, and Diancie can all cover Braviary decently. The former three are able to phaze or break Braviary's Substitutes with the proper move, and the latter two excel at taking hits from the offensive set. They also get an opportunity to set up Stealth Rock, which pressures Braviary later in the match when it has to come back in. However, some of these Pokemon have the potential to get PP stalled if they lack the proper move to deal with Substitute + Bulk Up.
**Chip Damage**: Bulk Up Braviary is more vulnerable to Toxic than offensive sets, but they both get worn down fast by Stealth Rock and dislike having to repeatedly use Brave Bird. Furthermore, some sets are too pressured by certain Pokemon to be able to Roost often if at all, forcing them to have to take hits or come back in on some.
**Faster Pokemon With Super Effective Coverage**: Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, Jolteon, Magneton, and Rotom all can pressure Braviary through their STAB moves. They can usually force Braviary out or make it let its Substitute be broken.
**Substitute-bypassing Pokemon**: Choice Specs Exploud, Meloetta, and Aurorus can all pressure Braviary with their sound-based STAB moves, which hit it regardless of Substitute. Golbat, while not directly breaking Braviary through attacks, can launch a Toxic with Infiltrator and force it to switch out eventually.
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