Braviary Movesets & Competitive Sets

On Normal balance teams, defensive Braviary acts as a great pivot and Defogger. Its Flying typing gives Normal teams an incredibly valuable Ground-type immunity and Fighting-type neutrality, and it gives Braviary a powerful STAB Brave Bird to hit opposing Fighting-types super effectively. Roost allows Braviary to effectively wall offensive foes like Rillaboom and Heracross while keeping itself healthy to keep taking hits for its teammates. Defog most notably removes Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web that would heavily cripple the offensive capabilities of Braviary's teammates. This works well with U-turn, allowing Braviary to create immediate offensive presence by pivoting in threatening teammates. Maximum HP investment and 240 Defense EVs allow Braviary to take physical hits like Excadrill's Iron Head, Cinderace's High Jump Kick, and Mimikyu's unboosted Play Rough. 16 EVs in Speed allows Braviary to outrun Belly Drum Azumarill and do major damage to it with Brave Bird, since it survives an Aqua Jet. Its spread paired with Heavy-Duty Boots and an Impish nature allows Braviary to be a very consistent and effective physical wall that can Defog in front of most threats. Braviary enables all of Normal's offensive Pokemon by pivoting them in with U-turn and removing troublesome entry hazards with Defog. Diggersby, for example, greatly appreciates Braviary's pivot support and removal of Toxic Spikes, as being poisoned can make it hard for Diggersby to stay as a consistent threat throughout the match. Other examples include Heliolisk and Bewear, which pressure Water- and Dark-types like Keldeo and Bisharp more easily with hazards gone; Obstagoon and Indeedee, which terrorize the opponent far more consistently with Sticky Web and Stealth Rock gone; and Snorlax, which cherishes Braviary's ability to take Fighting-type attacks from Pokemon like Zeraora. In return, these offensive Pokemon remove many of the threats that would force Braviary out. Chansey particularly appreciates Braviary's ability to remove hazards, as its inability to run Heavy-Duty Boots makes it harder for it to switch into attacks when hazards are present. Braviary in turn appreciates Blissey's own pivot support and its ability to take special hits like Hydreigon's Draco Meteor and Volcarona's +1 Fire Blast or Flamethrower. Ditto is also a great teammate for Braviary, as it can check out-of-control setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Excadrill.

Braviary's great Attack stat, above-average Speed tier with a Choice Scarf, and access to high-Base Power moves in Brave Bird and Close Combat make it a powerful revenge killer for Normal teams. It can also serve as a late-game cleaner once its checks are severely weakened or fainted. Brave Bird is Braviary's main STAB attack, denting most non-resistant targets and picking off slower, weakened threats such as Mimikyu and Barraskewda outside of rain. Close Combat complements Brave Bird, as it hits Steel- and Rock-types like Bisharp and Tyranitar that resist its STAB attacks; however, it should be used cautiously, since it is much weaker without a STAB boost and can turn Braviary into setup fodder for the likes of Corviknight and Aegislash. A fast Defog provides Normal teams with a form of entry hazard removal, while U-turn takes advantage of forced switches to keep up momentum. Defiant is Braviary's only useful ability, allowing it to gain valuable Attack boosts by switching into the opponent's Defogger. Physical walls such as Toxapex, Ferrothorn, and Mandibuzz stop Braviary in its tracks, so it appreciates having powerful wallbreakers like Choice Band Diggersby and Choice Specs Indeedee as teammates. Diggersby in particular can also use sets with Spikes, which pressures the opponent into using Defog and giving Braviary a Defiant boost. In return, Braviary takes out faster threats like Dragapult and blows away entry hazards from the field. Ditto is another good partner because it forms a revenge killing duo with Braviary versus offensive teams and serves as a backup switch-in to defensive Pokemon that Braviary can't break. With its part-Electric typing, good coverage, and Dry Skin, Heliolisk can pressure Steel-, Ground-, and Water-type teams for Braviary, enabling it to be more effective in said matchups. Lastly, Obstagoon and Snorlax synergize well with Braviary by absorbing much-hated status and dealing with some of its checks, namely Aegislash, Galarian Corsola, and Corviknight.

Moves Fake Out and Extreme Speed are reliable priority moves that allow Braviary to revenge kill Pokemon with ease, as it receives STAB on both. Dragon Ascent is pretty spammable and hits a lot of defensive walls, such as Hippowdon, harder than Fake Out and Extreme Speed. Lastly, Superpower allows Braviary to hit Steel-types, which would otherwise wall it due to its two STAB moves being unable to break through them. Set Details Braviary's niche lies in its ability to take advantage of Defiant and not be easily threatened by common moves and abilities such as King's Shield and Intimidate. Braviary's EV spread and nature maximize its power and allow to hit a variety of defensive Pokemon. Silk Scarf is the preferred item, as it boosts the power of Fake Out and Extreme Speed, allowing Braviary to revenge kill much more efficiently. Life Orb is an option to give Braviary's other STAB and coverage moves more power. Usage Tips Braviary is one of the most reliable revenge killers out there, since it isn't easily forced out by Pokemon like Landorus-T and Ferrothorn. Dragon Ascent breaks down a ton of bulky Pokemon to be finished by other Pokemon. Momentum-gaining moves such as U-turn, Volt Switch, Baton Pass, and Healing Wish give Braviary a chance to revenge kill Pokemon with its priority moves or hit something really hard with Dragon Ascent. Due to this set's lack of Roost, it gets easily worn down by Rough Skin, Rocky Helmet, and Iron Barbs, so it's best to try to avoid them. Team Options Entry hazard removers such as Defog Landorus-T, Defog Latios, and even Rapid Spin Starmie all aid Braviary's longevity by removing Stealth Rock. Special wallbreakers such as Mega Charizard Y and Meloetta are also great partners because they can easily break through a lot of physically defensive Pokemon like Mega Slowbro and Rotom-W. Pivots such as Rotom-W and Rotom-H are options to give Braviary a free switch in.

Moves Bulk Up boosts Braviary's Attack and Defense, giving it the power and bulk it needs to sweep. Brave Bird is Braviary's primary STAB attack, as nothing is immune to it. Roost provides reliable recovery, helping Braviary grab more opportunities to grab boosts. Facade can be used to hit Electric-types, and to act as a STAB move with no recoil. Its high PP also lets Braviary stall out Unaware Cresselia and Suicune. Substitute could be used instead to avoid Leech Seed, Worry Seed, and Dragon Tail. Superpower can also be used to hit the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Brave Bird super effectively. Protect is also an option if running Poison Heal to guarantee that Toxic Orb will activate; it also lets Braviary scout the foe's moves and grab another turn of recovery. Set Details 236 HP EVs give Braviary a HP stat divisible by 8, thus maximising Poison Heal recovery. 52 Speed EVs let Braviary outrun uninvested Rotom-W. The rest of the EVs are put in Special Defense for extra bulk. Since Bulk Up boosts Attack and Defense, those stats don't need investment. If running Substitute or Gale Wings, run an EV spread of 252 HP / 204 SpD / 52 Spe, as that lets Braviary make 101 HP Substitutes, meaning that Seismic Toss won't break them in one hit. Toxic Orb is used to activate Poison Heal, giving Braviary passive recovery and an immunity to status ailments. Gale Wings could also be used to offer a balance of stallbreaking and sweeping. If running Gale Wings, Leftovers should be used for passive recovery. Usage Tips This set is best used mid- and late-game once Braviary's checks and counters have been weakened. It's important to note that while this set is very effective against stall teams, it struggles against heavily offensive teams. Weak walls with no phazing moves such as Alomomola, Porygon2, and non-Skill Swap Chansey are ideal to set up on. Keep Braviary away from users of sound-based moves such as Noivern, as they those moves bypass Substitutes. Also, be wary of Knock Off users if Braviary hasn't been poisoned yet. Phazers such as Skarmory and Hippowdon can stop this set before it gets too far, so make sure they're out of the picture before setting up. Team Options Strong Ground-types make for good allies to soften up the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Brave Bird and Facade, namely Tyranitar and Heatran. They can also come in on the Electric-type moves that Braviary is weak to. Physical wallbreakers such as Tough Claws Genesect and Swords Dance Lucario can soften up or outright remove Braviary's checks. Despite Braviary's access to Roost and Poison Heal, entry hazard removal is still strongly recommended to make it less reliant on recovery. Excadrill, Skarmory, and Latias can provide this support; the former two can also set up entry hazards themselves.

Moves Brave Bird is the main attack on this set, getting STAB and gaining +1 priority thanks to Gale Wings. Superpower hits Rock- and Steel-types such as Tyranitar and Heatran that resist Braviary's STAB moves for super effective damage. U-turn lets Braviary scout switch-ins and grab momentum, which can be useful to get in a teammate that possesses the ability Magnet Pull. Return is the other STAB move on this set, hitting Electric-types such as Rotom-W and Zapdos that resist Brave Bird hard. Tailwind can be used as a last-ditch move to help Braviary's teammates outrun a would-be check. Set Details A Choice Band gives Braviary great power, allowing it to 2HKO almost everything that doesn't resist its STAB moves. The Speed EVs let Braviary outrun max Speed Adamant Honchkrow, and Attack is maximized for optimum power; the rest of the EVs are placed into HP for some extra bulk. The EV spread is flexible: maximum Speed with a Jolly nature is viable too, if you're worried about being outrun by opposing Braviary. Braviary can also run an EV spread of 212 HP / 252 Atk / 44 Spe if you prefer bulk over Speed—44 Speed EVs let it outrun uninvested Suicune and Cresselia. Gale Wings is chosen in order to circumvent Braviary's average Speed with a priority Brave Bird. Usage Tips This set is best used as a revenge killer and late-game cleaner. Even though Braviary's not frail, this set has no recovery whatsoever, so don't switch it in recklessly. When possible, bring it in via a slow Volt Switch or U-turn or after one of its teammates faints. If you're pairing Braviary with a Magnet Pull user such as Heatran or Raikou, using U-turn early in the game is advised to draw out the likes of Skarmory. Be sure to keep an eye out for Extreme Speed users, as they will outprioritize Brave Bird. Refrigerate-boosted Extreme Speed will really hurt; Lucario and Genesect are notable users of this move. Brave Bird will be Braviary's go-to move most of the time, unless your opponent still has Pokemon that resist it. A well-timed Return or Superpower could open up a vital hole in your opponent's team. Team Options Powerful Ground-types such as Garchomp, Mega Swampert, and Landorus-T can remove the Rock-, Steel-, and Electric-types that resist Braviary's Flying STAB and help clear the way for a sweep. They can also come in on the Volt Switch users that Braviary draws in and help conserve momentum. Keeping Stealth Rock off the field is a top priority when using this set. Latias can provide Defog support and heal Braviary with Healing Wish; Excadrill can spin away the entry hazards and check Rock-, Steel-, and Electric-types. Entry hazards help Braviary get KOs it otherwise couldn't: Stealth Rock allows Braviary to 2HKO 252 HP / 252 Def Bold Cresselia most of the time with Brave Bird. Ferrothorn has good defensive synergy with Braviary, as it resists Electric- and Rock-type moves; Braviary can also check the Fighting-types that Ferrothorn fears. Magnet Pull users such as Heatran and Rotom-W can also trap and remove bulky Steel-types, most notably Skarmory. While Braviary fears Doublade and Skarmory, they both, ironically, make for good teammates, as they can switch in on the Refrigerate-boosted Extreme Speed users that Braviary draws to it.

Braviary's respectable bulk, access to reliable recovery, and Flying STAB make him a very effective user of Bulk Up. After a single boost, Braviary becomes very difficult to KO, being able to take all but strong special Ice- and Electric-type attacks fairly comfortably. Brave Bird provides Braviary with a powerful STAB move with good neutral coverage, allowing him to hit most Pokemon moderately hard. Roost provides Braviary with reliable recovery, allowing him to set up comfortably on strong special attackers, such as Sceptile and Accelgor, while preventing more defensively oriented Pokemon like Slowking, Lanturn, Clefable, and Uxie from whittling him down with repeated attacks. Substitute allows Braviary to set up on bulky Pokemon that rely on status, Seismic Toss, Clear Smog, and Dragon Tail to combat it, and prevents Volt Switch users from forcing it out. Thanks to these attributes, Braviary can easily stall out Stone Edges from bulky Rock-types, effectively eliminating their primary method of damaging him and allowing him to play around them. The given EV spread emphasizes special bulk in order to better set up on offensive Grass-types, such as Sceptile and Lilligant, and bulky Water-types, such as Slowking and Lanturn, whose Scalds fall short of breaking Braviary's Substitute, while also yielding 101 HP Substitutes. The Speed investment allows Braviary to outpace standard Qwilfish and, as such, the majority of RU defensive Pokemon. More Speed can be utilized to outpace moderately fast Pokemon such as Crawdaunt and Shell Smash Omastar, though detracting from Braviary's special bulk to such an extent does detract from his ability to set up on Pokemon such as Sceptile and defensive Slowking, making him more vulnerable to being 2HKOed and having his Substitute broken by Scald, respectively. While seemingly trivial, Bulk Up Braviary adores facing defensively oriented teams, finding numerous opportunities to set up on common defensive Pokemon. To illustrate this, here are some example calculations of common defensive Pokemon against Braviary: Calm 0 SpA Slowking Scald: 19.55 - 23.26% Calm 0 SpA Roselia Sludge Bomb: 22.27 - 26.23% Bold 0 SpA Tangrowth Hidden Power Fire: 12.62 - 14.85% Calm 0 SpA Lanturn Volt Switch: 27.22 - 32.67% Impish 0 Atk Steelix Gyro Ball: 26.98 - 31.93% Pokemon that can take on boosting Steel- and Rock-types that can set up alongside Braviary, such as Klinklang, Kabutops, and Aggron, are useful partners. Steelix and Poliwrath are both useful for this reason, with the former also checking Rotom, one of Braviary's most resilient counters. Spikes support is very useful in wearing down Rock- and Steel-types that resist Braviary's STAB. Roselia and Ferroseed are both solid examples of this, who in addition to laying Spikes, also take on Electric-types that trouble Braviary. Rapid Spin support is much appreciated if at all possible, since with Stealth Rock off the field, Braviary can much more definitively check and set up on Pokemon such as Sceptile and Accelgor. Cryogonal and Kabutops both make solid partners for this purpose.

The power of Choice Band Braviary sends shivers down the spines of his enemies. Walls crumble against his perfect neutral coverage while frailer teams will be broken by Brave Bird alone. Brave Bird is so powerful that Braviary can 2HKO offensive Kabutops and even defensive Lanturn. Superpower crushes the bulky Rock- and Steel-types that resist Brave Bird such as Steelix and Rhydon. Return takes advantage of Braviary's other STAB; it is not as powerful as Brave Bird but does not have recoil. Unfortunately, it provides little coverage alongside Brave Bird and is completely walled by Ghost-types who are immune to it. However, the lack of recoil and any other drawbacks mean that it is a good move to use when Braviary is on low health and doesn't want to sacrifice his own HP. Lastly, U-turn lets Braviary scout your opponent as they flee from his immense power. It also lets Braviary gain momentum for your team while dealing sizable damage to most opponents despite its relatively low Base Power. If your prediction skills are spot on, then Braviary is probably the strongest wallbreaker in the tier, removing any physical wall for your teammates to sweep. A standard offensive EV spread of 252 Attack and 252 Speed is used to give Braviary as much power and speed as possible. The remaining 4 EVs are placed in Defense instead of HP to ensure that Braviary takes less damage from Stealth Rock. However, an alternative EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe along with a Jolly nature ensures that Braviary can still outspeed Adamant Kabutops and Gallade. This EV spread also gives Braviary more bulk, especially, in HP which helps to minimize Brave Bird recoil's impact on Braviary. However, the lesser Speed investment means that Braviary will be unable to outspeed dangerous threats such as Jolly Gallade, Timid Mesprit, and Timid Entei. Out of all of Braviary's abilities, Defiant is the only one that merits usage. Defiant makes Intimidate an Attack boost, rather than a drop, and any stray stat drops such as a Special Defense drop from Psychic will boost Braviary's Attack by two stages. As Braviary can remove almost every physical wall in the tier, physical sweepers such as Klinklang and Sceptile are great teammates to clean up the opposing team afterwards. As Braviary is weak to Stealth Rock and will be switching often, a Rapid Spin user, such as Kabutops or Cryogonal, is also a good choice. On the other hand, entry hazards on the opponent's side of the field will help Braviary in wallbreaking. Support Pokemon, such as Crustle and Smeargle, can both set up Stealth Rock and Spikes.

A Choice Scarf patches up Braviary's Speed, turning him into a powerful revenge killer and late-game sweeper. Unlike other Choice Scarf holders, Braviary is still extremely powerful without a boosting item thanks to his excellent Attack stat and high Base Power moves. Brave Bird is Braviary's staple attack; its 120 Base Power and 100% accuracy means that it is a reliable, high-powered move, annihilating most of the metagame. Superpower crushes common Flying-type counters such as Klinklang and Kabutops, 2HKOing both. However, bulky walls such as Steelix and Rhydon can take two Superpowers and retaliate with Gyro Ball and Stone Edge, respectively. Return is a secondary STAB move that has less power, but no recoil or stat drops. If Braviary needs to avoid recoil, then Return is the best option; it also hits Electric-types, such as Electivire, harder than any of Braviary's other moves. Lastly, U-turn, a common move on Choice Scarf holders, is used to scout Braviary's counters and gain momentum for your team. However, if Stealth Rock is on the field, then using U-turn repeatedly is not a good idea. 252 EVs in Speed ensures Braviary can outspeed dangerous sweepers and Speed tie with other Choice Scarf-wielding base 80 Pokemon such as Gallade and Medicham. 252 Attack EVs gives Braviary as much power as possible. The choice between an Adamant and Jolly nature depends on whether you want to attempt a late-game sweep with Braviary or ensure he can revenge kill as many threats as possible. A Jolly nature lets Braviary outspeed Modest Gorebyss and Omastar after a Shell Smash, while an Adamant nature secures OHKOs on Typhlosion and Klinklang among others after Stealth Rock. Defiant is Braviary's most useful ability and turns Intimidate from opponents into an Attack boost. As Braviary will be switching a lot with U-turn and being Choice-locked, Stealth Rock will quickly take its toll. A Rapid Spin user, such as Cryogonal or Kabutops, can remove Stealth Rock from the field. Although Choice Scarf Braviary is a great revenge killer, he is also an excellent late-game sweeper, being able to clean up weakened teams with Brave Bird. However, Steelix and Rhydon can stop Braviary in its tracks, so a Pokemon that can take down Rock- and Steel-types, such as Slowking, is a good teammate.

Although Braviary is normally seen with a Choice item equipped, he can also run an effective 3 attacks set. Without the restriction of being Choice-locked, Braviary can use Roost to heal off Brave Bird recoil and residual damage. Brave Bird is still Braviary's most powerful move and hits like a missile with a Life Orb boost. However, the recoil can quickly take its toll, as Braviary often does large amounts of damage to the opponent. This, combined with potential Life Orb recoil, means that Braviary will have to Roost often or risk being KOed. Superpower destroys Rock- and Steel-types hoping to switch in on Brave Bird; without a Choice item, Braviary doesn't need to rely as heavily on prediction and can destroy slower Pokemon that resist one of his moves, such as Kabutops and Klinklang, after they switch in. Return is a STAB attack with no side effects, but because it provides almost no extra coverage, Braviary can instead use Substitute or U-turn. The former eases prediction and acts as a buffer to status while the latter scouts Braviary's checks and gains momentum for your team. Although the standard EV spread with a Jolly nature is recommended, Braviary can choose to invest further in his decent bulk with an EV spread of 88 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 164 Spe which still outspeeds Adamant Kabutops and Gallade while giving Braviary more bulk and just as much attacking power. 4 EVs are placed in Defense so Stealth Rock damage is rounded down. Life Orb is the main item as Braviary greatly appreciates the boost in power; however, Leftovers is still viable to help cushion Braviary from recoil. Leftovers is best used alongside Substitute as otherwise Braviary will lose health too fast and be forced to Roost much more often. Defiant is useful against Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Stoutland which rely on Intimidate to take hits. Roost can be removed so Braviary has four attacks but, with the lack of recovery, Braviary is better off with a Choice item. As the damage from Stealth Rock, Life Orb, and Brave Bird recoil adds up quickly, support from Braviary's teammates is necessary to protect him from residual damage he can avoid. A Rapid Spin user, such as Kabutops, Cryogonal, or Hitmonchan can remove Stealth Rock from your side of the field. Each of the above also has some sort of defensive synergy with Braviary. Steelix and Rhydon are troublesome as both can avoid being 2HKOed by Superpower and can defeat Braviary with Gyro Ball and Rock Blast respectively, especially after the Defense drops associated with using Superpower. Pokemon that can deal with Rhydon and Steelix, such as Torterra and Tangrowth, are thus good teammates. Even though Braviary has Roost, a teammate with Wish is appreciated, as Braviary often loses health too fast for Roost to keep up with. Alomomola and Clefable both have access to Wish and high HP stats, making them ideal for this.

Braviary functions as a terrifying and efficient wallbreaker when given a Choice Band or Life Orb, as it fails to 2HKO only a select few Pokemon in UU. After a Defiant boost or two, nothing in the tier is capable of switching in on Braviary. Brave Bird and Return provide powerful STAB that decimate the majority of the tier. Superpower provides excellent coverage against Rock- and Steel-type opponents, creating perfect neutral coverage. U-turn is there for scouting purposes, allowing Braviary to switch out and bring in another teammate. The argument between a Jolly and an Adamant nature also applies here, depending on whether you want a faster Braviary or a stronger Braviary. If you are using a Life Orb, you can use Roost over U-turn to increase Braviary's longevity for the entire match. With Stealth Rock on the field, Braviary will be hard-pressed to get its job done, as the 25% cut in HP can cost it dearly. Therefore, Claydol, Blastoise, and Hitmontop make for excellent partners because they can spin away Stealth Rock, keeping Braviary safe when it switches in. Pokemon capable of removing Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon are also great teammate choices. Magneton and Fighting-types such as Cobalion and Mienshao are capable of beating Steel-types, with the Fighting-types also helping against Rock-types. Entry hazard support from Rhyperior, Registeel, Qwilfish, and/or Roserade is also appreciated, as the additional residual damage can turn many of Braviary's 2HKOs into OHKOs.

Braviary becomes a solid revenge killer when equipped with a Choice Scarf, as it outspeeds the entire unboosted tier. Brave Bird and Return get STAB, hitting anything not named Gligar, Cofagrigus, Rhyperior, Bronzong, Registeel, or Empoleon for heavy damage. With only a single Defiant boost, Braviary can 2HKO or OHKO the whole tier with either Brave Bird or Return, bar the last four Pokemon mentioned in the above list. Superpower is Braviary's best bet against Rock- and Steel-types, nailing them hard for super effective damage, allowing Braviary to theoretically break through every Pokemon available in UU. U-turn allows Braviary to scout the opposing team and help its own team build momentum. The age-old debate between Jolly and Adamant, power or Speed, applies here. Using a Jolly nature, however, will allow Braviary to keep pace with Adamant +1 Kingdra, Choice Band Crobat, and Choice Scarf Togekiss. Because of its typing, Braviary loathes Stealth Rock, especially considering it's going to be bouncing in and out of a match frequently, so it wants to be paired up with Pokemon with access to Rapid Spin, such as Blastoise and Hitmontop. Braviary prefers the removal of Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon, as they are the main things that prevent it from sweeping, and Superpower isn't usually strong enough to OHKO Rhyperior, Registeel, and other Rock- or Steel-types found in the tier. Fighting-type partners such as Mienshao, Heracross, and Cobalion can fulfill this role and tear holes in the opposing team for Braviary to take adantage of and vice-versa. Braviary likes having entry hazard support from Qwilfish, Roserade, and/or Rhyperior, as they facilitate the removal of bulkier foes.

Brave Bird is an excellent STAB move, doing huge amounts of damage to a large number of common Pokemon, and allows Braviary to provide an excellent check to Amoonguss that lack a Coba Berry, easily OHKOing it. Rock Slide gives Braviary a way to hit Thundurus and Archeops for good damage, OHKOing both of them with boosts from Life Orb and Sheer Force. Superpower hits everything that resists Brave Bird and Rock Slide for huge amounts of damage, KOing or doing severe damage to most Rock- and Steel-types. The EVs grant the best overall bulk, allowing Braviary to almost always survive a Life Orb Terrakion's Rock Slide or Thundurus's Discharge, while allowing him to hit as hard as possible. Life Orb gives Braviary a boost to his attacks, while Sheer Force boosts the power of Rock Slide, making it an extremely powerful attack. Whirlwind allows Braviary to prevent Trick Room from being set up, even against opponents with Mental Herb, but the loss of Protect really hurts Braviary, with his relatively low Speed and weaknesses to Rock Slide and Discharge. A Flying Gem is a viable option over Life Orb, as it allows Braviary to get off a very powerful Brave Bird while avoiding recoil damage from Life Orb; however, the decrease in power after using the Flying Gem generally makes Life Orb the better item. A Jolly nature with an EV spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe is also an option, allowing Braviary to outspeed faster opponents, such as Krookodile and Excadrill, that do not use a boosting nature, but this significantly reduces his bulk and power. Braviary makes an excellent attacker for Tailwind teams thanks to his powerful STAB Brave Bird and his ability to stop Trick Room teams from setting up with Whirlwind. To this end, teammates such as Conkeldurr and Krookodile are recommended when not running Superpower to deal damage to the Rock- and Steel-types that resist Brave Bird and when running it to avoid having to deal with the Attack drop as often. Tornadus might find Braviary an especially useful partner, as his Rock Slide OHKOes Thundurus, a Pokemon with which Tornadus has significant trouble. Thundurus easily OHKOes Braviary with Thunderbolt before he can make a move under normal conditions, so a Tailwind user such as Tornadus or Whimsicott is useful Braviary to prevent this, as with Tailwind up, Braviary can outspeed and OHKO Thundurus with Rock Slide. A fast Amoonguss can also help, using Rage Powder to divert the Thunderbolt and taking advantage of Tailwind to outspeed and use Spore on the opposing team. Many Rock Slide users can outspeed and OHKO Braviary, so Thundurus with Grass Knot and Hidden Power Ice makes a good partner, KOing most Rock Slide users before they can attack.