Braviary

[WingedKnight]

#628- Braviary (JP: Warrgle)
(Normal/Flying)
(100/123/75/57/75/80)

Keen Eye: Prevents Accuracy from being lowered
Sheer Force: Powers up moves, but removes any secondary effects they may have
Defiant(Dream World): When your stats are lowered, your Attack increases by +2. Does not apply to self-inflicted cuts (sorry Superpower)

Alright, basically everyone who has ANY kind of potential has one of these threads, and I think the mighty War Eagle deserves one to himself as well!

Braviary isn't all too different from all the Normal/Flying types we've had previously. However, he does have several big things going for him. His Attack is the highest of an N/F Bird, beating out Staraptor by 3 points. While slower than Staraptor, he is also bulkier, and unlike most birds is able to take an extra hit or two with his 100/75/75 defenses. He may not get the preferred Close Combat, but Superpower is still very helpful to deal with opposing Rocks and Steels who would otherwise stop him dead. Sadly Sheer Force doesn't block negative side effects. It was a longshot, but it is still disappointing. He also doesn't have access to any egg moves, being a male-only species. This said, Braviary still has a lot to offer in spite of these initial disappointments. His sheer power cannot be ignored, and he has a few very handy moves to do his job with. The main points that differentiate him from his birdy brethren are his bulk, access to useful stat-uppers like Hone Claws and Bulk Up (or even Tailwind), and more expansive movepool, with options like Shadow Claw and Rock Slide open to him. All in all, if played to his strengths, Braviary is very useful Pokemon which will likely see a fair amount of usage. When played to his strengths, he can be quite effective in standard OU play.

Level-up learnset:

Hide

Lv1: Peck
Lv1: Leer
Lv1: Fury Attack
Lv1: Wing Attack
Lv5: Fury Attack
Lv10: Wing Attack
Lv14: Hone Claws
Lv19: Scary Face
Lv23: Aerial Ace
Lv28: Slash
Lv32: Defog
Lv37: Tailwind
Lv41: Air Slash
Lv46: Crush Claw
Lv50: Sky Drop
Lv51: Superpower
Lv57: Whirlwind
Lv63: Brave Bird
Lv70: Thrash

TM/HM learnset:

Hide

TM01 - Hone Claws
TM06 - Toxic
TM08 - Bulk Up
TM10 - Hidden Power
TM11 - Sunny Day
TM15 - Hyper Beam
TM17 - Protect
TM18 - Rain Dance
TM21 - Frustration
TM27 - Return
TM32 - Double Team
TM39 - Rock Tomb
TM40 - Aerial Ace
TM42 - Facade
TM44 - Rest
TM45 - Attract
TM48 - Round
TM58 - Sky Drop
TM65 - Shadow Claw
TM67 - Retaliate
TM68 - Giga Impact
TM80 - Rock Slide
TM83 - Work Up
TM87 - Swagger
TM88 - Pluck
TM89 - U-Turn
TM90 - Substitute
TM94 - Rock Smash
HM01 - Cut
HM02 - Fly
HM04 - Strength

Possible Sets:

Hide

Braviary @ Choice Scarf/Band
Sheer Force/Defiant
-Return/Retaliate
-Brave Bird
-Superpower
-Rock Slide/Shadow Claw/U-Turn

Straightforward. Not much else to say. Slower than 'Raptor, with more move options and more ability to take a hit. He doesn't die to stray wind and rarely self-KOs with BB recoil thanks to his respectable HP stat. Otherwise pretty much the same. Scarf is an exceptional revenge killer and works great in late game, while Band allows him to be a potent wallbreaker. In all honestly, Choice Scarf is probably his best option for OU play. He works wonders as a revenger or late game sweeper. Just choose your moves wisely.

Braviary @ Life Orb
Sheer Force
-Bulk Up/Tailwind/Hone Claws
-Crush Claw
-Brave Bird/Rock Slide/Superpower
-Brave Bird/Rock Slide/Superpower
Apparently Sheer Force users don't take LO recoil when they use an Sheer Force-boosted move! It's just a shame Braviary doesn't have more useful boostable moves. Still this set has potential. Crush Claw gets the boost without the recoil, making it more useful than Return on a Life Orb set unless you just want sheer power. Rock Slide is also recoil-less boosted, and Superpower is there for Rocks and Steels.

Braviary @ Leftovers
Sheer Force/Defiant
-Bulk Up/Tailwind
-Return
-Brave Bird/Rock Slide/Superpower
-Brave Bird/Rock Slide/Superpower

Probably the most differentiated from the other birds. Bulk Up for an Att/Def boost or Tailwind for a nice Speed boost (albeit for 3 turns only). It puts Braviary's good survivability to use. Return is obviously your main offense. Superpower is there when necessary, and you can regain those stat drops with Bulk Up. If you don't want Rock Slide, use Defiant over Sheer Force, because none of your moves get the boost.

 

[Eggbert]

Wargle doesn't seem too impressive, except he can beat up steels that normally wall these birds. The biggest advantage wargle has is encourage superpower. If I'm not mistaken, it powers up superpower without the attack loss. (just watch out for the candle)

Wargle@Choice Band/Scarf
Jolly/Adamant
6 Hp/252 Atk/252 Spe
-Brave Bird
-Return
-Superpower
-U-turn

Somewhat outclassed by staraptor though...

 

[PI-Dimension]

Encourage Giga Impact, Superpower, and Brave Bird?

Near perfect coverage (Zapdos), no drawbacks thanks to Encourage, and massive power

 

[MegaKick]

It does not prevent negative effects. He still has recoil brave bird and stat dropping superpower. A worse staraptor

 

[Platyp]

According to Serebii, Wargle's DW ability is Competitive Spirit, which raises its Attack whenever its stats are lowered. It might be useful, but Encourage seems more reliable since you rarely see stat drops outside of secondary effects.

However, if it works whenever you drop your own stats, it does have one use: you can Superpower endlessly without having to worry about the reduced power.

 

[Fangren]

It's Dream World ability is Competitive Spirit, which apparently raises it's attack if it's stats are lowered. I don't know the degree to which it does so, but at the very least it should negate Superpower's attack drop, which is definitely a bonus. If it raises attack by two levels, then holy crap does it get good with Superpower.

 

[Thorhammer]

It does not prevent negative effects. He still has recoil brave bird and stat dropping superpower. A worse staraptor

Was this confirmed?

 

[Epic Cherubi]

Competitive Spirit raises your Attack +2 after it drops once. So using Superpower leaves you with +1 Attack / -1 Defense.

 

[Panthera]

IF Competitive Spirit works with stat drops you cause to yourself and not just ones caused by opponents (a big "if"), then he's got a very nice trick in Superpower boosting his attack. Still, the speed is a problem. I really don't see how some bulk and a barely relevant attack lead will let it surpass Staraptors much superior speed, Intimidate and Close Combat (which is more than enough to let it hit steels/rocks harder anyway).

 

[Shimrit As]

Just throwing something out - would a gimmick Sub + Bulk Up set work? Given the fact that it can make 101 HP Substitutes and has decent defensive stats, it might do well. Flying + Fighting has decent coverage in my opnion, since Rotom-A no longer walls that combination.

 

[Upstart]

If competitive spirit works the way I think it does Super Power would give him +2 and -1 attack and defense respectively

 

[Fangren]

Even if Competitive Spirit doesn't activate from self-inflicted attack drops, Competitive Spirit means that Salamence, Gyarados, and other intimidaters can't switch in to it without getting hit with a +1 Brave Bird/Return/etc.

Also, even though it's kind of weak, Wargle does get Rock Slide, though there probably aren't enough things that are 4x weak to rock for it to use it.

 

[Costafire]

Was this confirmed?

Yes. It was never confirmed that Encourage would prevent Superpower stat drops, that was just a rumor everyone blew out of proportion.

Dunno how big the Encourage boost is, if it's x1.5 then Crush Claw will do more damage than Return (albeit at a lower accuracy)

 

[The King of Harts]

Wargle disappoints me greatly. I, and I'm sure everyone else, had such high hopes for our Cherokee Raptor, and his 80 Speed and shallow movepool are saddening; his inability to receive egg moves really hurts here. The best I can come up with in singles is a Choice Scarf set like:

Encourage
Jolly
HP 4/ ATK 252/ SPE 252
-Slash
-Shadow Claw/Rock Slide/U-Turn
-Brave Bird
-Superpower

Hit hard and fast along with scout is the best he can. Unfortunately, he isn't bulit like Flygon defensively since Normal/Flying isn't stellar, but he's decent with two immunities and a resistance to Grass. I think he'll have a nice niche in Double/Triple battles thanks to Free Fall, but that's all he's got going for him. I'm predicting a solid UU Scarf user.

 

[asiano]

What if you use it like that:
Wargle@Life Orb
Jolly
6 Hp/252 Atk/252 Spe
-Brave Bird
-Return
-Superpower
-Tailwind

It will be able to use Tailwind thanks to its natural bulk and gets rid of Choice Scarf, too right? Still this zebra thing will be quite a counter to it.

 

[Wisher]

Thrash could work as a late game finisher. Wargle's Thrash is comparable to a Garchomp's Outrage.

 

[EvilMario]

Thrash could work as a late game finisher. Wargle's Thrash is comparable to a Garchomp's Outrage.

Thrash is comparable to Outrage only in base power and confusion. Unlike, Dragon, Normal type is one few Pokemon would want to be stuck in for multiple turns. It's resisted by Rock, Steel and has an immunity in Ghost.

Because Wargle does not have Double-Edge, Thrash does have a decent damage output over Return, but I believe it's a pretty poor move to be stuck in with a mildly sped Pokemon.

 

[Chateau]

A Scarfed Superpower could demolish everything once Ghosts are out of the way. Every turn you get a +2 boost to attack. Even resisting defenders would get 2HKO'd.

 

[Colonel Darren]

I see Wargle being able to either help out with Free Fall and Tailwind to assist in doubles/triples, which I thought was one of the main attractions I had before I even knew it had Encourage.

However, in Singles, I see Wargle being more of a sweeper than Starraptor's Wallbreaking. If Superpower can trigger Competetive Spirit, then Wargle could be scary after a turn to use something like Tailwind or get Agility passed to it. After all, Superpower and Brave Bird is relatively nice coverage outside of perhaps the Basic Rotom and Zapdos.

 

[monster]

Ahh, Wargle. When I first saw Encourage, I was about 50% certain that it would take away all effects, regardless, 50% certain that Game Freak would be annoying and it would only take away GOOD effects. I guess the latter is true, but I still think it's one the coolest looking Pokemon of this generation, and deserves recognition and use. I mean, come on, it's been four generations, and we've had no bald eagles until now? It's about time!

 

[WingedKnight]

Now wait. Does Freefall have any kind of secondary effect that could net it an Encourage boost? Something like a flinch rate or paralysis? I know this is mostly irrelevant, but I am interested to know, since I haven't been able to find much info about the move.

Edit: I'm going to assume Freefall has no such effect or I'd have probably heard of it. I'm not giving up hope on Wargle just yet. Maybe something like this would be plausible?

Wargle @ Life Orb/Leftovers/Lum Berry/whatever
Jolly - Encourage
252 attack/252 speed/4 HP
Claw Sharpen
Crush Claw
Brave Bird
Superpower

Unlike Staraptor, Wargle doesn't have to lock himself in with a Choice Band. He has the option to boost his attack with Claw Sharpen, which would then leave him much freer to pick moves at leisure, and overall make him less suicidal than 'Raptor. With that little extra bit of bulk he can afford to set up and maybe even run Lefties or a Berry over a boost item. Crush Claw gets a 50% thanks to Encourage, making it the STAB of choice over Return. Superpower would be for Rocks and Steels only, as that attack/defense drop isn't favorable. Shame Freefall doesn't have the chance for an Encourage boost, it could make it a contender against BB.

 

[Pentao]

100/75/75 defenses aren't too shabby, though as far as typing goes, Normal/Flying is a bit bland. Still, with two immunities, you'll get chances to switch in. Without any access to Roost, Wargle's practically begging for Wish Support.

With it's Dream World ability being Competitive Spirit, Wargle would have preferred to keep Hustle (it's pre-evo, Washibon, gets that) so it could've ran a Hustle + Claw Sharpen set akin to Aainto. Well enough of what could have been.

To differentiate Wargle from other Normal/Flying, it should stick to it's unique traits, namely it's access to Claw Sharpen, Cheer Up, and probably most importantly, Bulk Up. It also gets a somewhat decent movepool to take advantage of...

-Thrash: 180 (STAB factored in) Base Power off of Wargle's high attack stat is extremely threatening. Unfortunately it's coverage is pretty bad compared to Outrage. Thrash barely beats out Crush Claw on Encourage sets, so it'll probably be the move of choice if you decide to go Competitive Spirit (or for some reason, Keen Eye).

-Crush Claw: More flexible than Thrash but at a 5% accuracy cost, Wargle's Encourage boosted Crush Claw rests at a solid 112.5 BP before STAB, and after STAB it's a good 168.75 BP. (Unless Encourage is actually 1.3x, in which case 146.25 overall BP makes this move inferior to Return).

-Return: Should you dislike the 5% accuracy loss of Crush Claw, the tried and true full power Return is still a strong 153 BP move. It doesn't receive Encourage benefits, so it can be used on any set.

-Rock Slide: A strong 112.5 BP (or 91 if the boost is 1.3x) (when boosted by Encourage) rock type attack with higher accuracy than Stone Edge. It really helps Wargle out in the way of coverage.

-Shadow Claw: Unfortunately it gets no Encourage boost to Shadow Claw (unless high crit chances actually do count), but the fact that Ghost pairs up well with Super Power is reason to consider Shadow Claw on any set.

-Superpower: It's unfortunate that Wargle's choices for Fighting Type attacks (Rock Smash and Superpower) don't really compliment it at all. It's offense AND defense are let down by Superpower, while Rock Smash is just plain weak. Still the threat of a Superpower coming off base 123 is nothing to scoff at.

-Brave Bird: As powerful as thrash with versatility to switch attacks. The recoil is a let down for a Pokemon like Wargle, who would prefer to use his high HP to more effect.

-U-Turn: Wargle does get U-Turn, though without a ton of speed to really abuse it with, it might not be the best move to use. However it could work on Scarf sets.

So Wargle's primary attacks will probably boil down to Brave Bird, Super Power, Crush Claw, Rock Slide and Shadow Claw, and it will typically want to run Claw Sharpen or Bulk Up.

Also, if the Rechargeable Battery item gives an one-time electric immunity to a Pokemon holding it, then Wargle can make decent use of it to get a free attack boost. If not, then other items are probably safer choices.

 

[WingedKnight]

OK. Since Staraptor gets Reckless, he wins the title of King of All-or-Nothing. Wargle is outclassed in that regard due to slower speed and lack of kamikaze ability.
What do people think of taking a different approach?

Wargle @ Leftovers
Jolly Nature, EVs...IDK
-Bulk Up
-Return
-Freefall
-Superpower

Bulk Up gives him the chance to boost, and goes well with his solid-for-a-bird bulk. Return is the STAB of choice, your main offense. Freefall is not a strong attack. Only 60 BP, 90 with STAB accounted for. Not terrible, but not Brave Bird. Still, BB totally compromises the thing that sets Wargle apart, his decent survivability. Freefall would be just for SE hits or scoring an extra turn of Lefties recovery. Superpower prevents walling by Rocks and Steels, and you could re-Bulk afterwards if necessary.

Thoughts?

 

[Sajak]

Ugh... You really have to choose between whether or not you want to be able to use a boosted Shadow Claw or be able to re-use Superpower... :/

 

[SlyShady]

man, when i thought encourage was going to remove negative effects too, i thought wargle was going to DOMINATE. with brave bird, superpower, thrash, and shadow claw, it could absolutely destroy things. of course, desukan would stop it cold because of it's sky high defense and crippling ability, but oh well. thought the same thing about kurimugan too. oh well, it's still not bad. staraptor is still THE bird though.