Noivern Movesets & Competitive Sets

Draco Meteor is generally preferred as a STAB move to OHKO the likes of Hydreigon and Salamence, in addition to being Noivern's strongest revenge killing tool overall. Hurricane can be used to nab the OHKO on Keldeo for teams particularly weak to it. Hurricane also can break through naturally bulky Pokemon like Hippowdon and Moltres because it doesn't lower Special Attack, and it does better damage to Tangrowth, Amoonguss, Fairy-types, and Conkeldurr—OHKOing the latter—than Flamethrower. Flamethrower fries Steel-types like Scizor, Skarmory, Excadrill, and Cobalion; it also peppers Celesteela, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss for decent damage. U-turn lets Noivern pivot out of bad matchups against switch-ins like Nihilego, Chansey, and Slowking; when combined with chip damage from entry hazards, Noivern can rack up damage on them very quickly. Roost is necessary to continuously check Pokemon like Cobalion, Zarude, and Keldeo throughout a game. Equipping Noivern with Heavy-Duty Boots is necessary, since Stealth Rock would otherwise greatly hinder its role as a pivot. Noivern's best teammates are entry hazard setters, which aid it in securing KOs against Pokemon like Hippowdon, Slowking, and Swampert. Skarmory is an excellent partner; not only does it lay Noivern's beloved Spikes, it also nicely checks the physical attackers Noivern can't deal with, like Swords Dance Excadrill, Diggersby, Mamoswine, and Scizor. Skarmory also appreciates Noivern's ability to switch into Pokemon like Azelf and Entei. Hippowdon can set up Stealth Rock very easily and checks Pokemon like Hatterene, Nihilego, and Lycanroc-D that give Noivern a hard time; in return, Noivern is a great pivot into Zarude, Keldeo, and Skarmory. VoltTurn users like Thundurus-T, Rotom-W, Raikou, and Azelf can easily weaken shared checks like Chansey, Hippowdon, and Nihilego. The former three can also check Primarina and Togekiss, two major roadblocks to Noivern, and all appreciate Noivern threatening Zarude, Tangrowth, and Hydreigon for them. Scizor threatens Fairy-types for Noivern while also removing items from Pokemon like Hippowdon and Moltres, making it tough for them to check Noivern in the long term. Vanilluxe can break through Hippowdon and Slowking for Noivern and greatly appreciates its U-turn providing entry points for it. Partners that can deal with Fairy-types are necessary; Hatterene, Togekiss, and Primarina are all major annoyances for Noivern, with the former in particular being a huge issue thanks to its Magic Bounce blanking Skarmory's Spikes; teammates such as Excadrill, Nidoqueen, Nihilego, and Galarian Slowbro can all be helpful here. These Pokemon also appreciate Noivern bringing them onto the field against the aforementioned Fairy-types via U-turn, as well as checking Zarude and Azelf for them.

Noivern's main role on Flying teams comes from its presence as a great revenge killer that is particularly good for outspeeding Dragon-type Pokemon such as Dracovish, Choice Specs Dragapult, and Duraludon and beating them with Draco Meteor. Alongside hitting Dragon-type Pokemon for super effective damage, Draco Meteor also hits neutral targets such as Pelipper, Charizard, Cloyster, and Gengar hard. Hurricane allows Noivern to revenge kill Keldeo as well as hit Fairy-type Pokemon such as Hatterene and Mimikyu that are immune to Draco Meteor. U-turn generates momentum against Pokemon that Noivern can't beat such as Steel-type Pokemon like Jirachi and bulky Pokemon such as Tyranitar and against forced switches. Switcheroo cripples defensive Pokemon such as Toxapex, Snorlax, Corviknight, Hippowdon, and SubToxic Aegislash by locking them into one attack. The HP investment allows Noivern to always avoid the OHKO from Adamant Cloyster's Ice Shard, as well as letting it switch into Choice Specs Dragapult's Thunderbolt more comfortably, while still having enough Speed to outspeed common Choice Scarf users like Gengar, Terrakion, and Charizard. Infiltrator is particularly good for ignoring Aurora Veil and screens from Pokemon such as Alolan Ninetales and Duraludon, as well as for hitting Pokemon such as Whimsicott, Hydreigon, and Salazzle behind a Substitute, improving Noivern's revenge killing capabilities. Choice Specs Charizard is a great teammate for Noivern, as it can beat Steel-type Pokemon such as Aegislash, Ferrothorn, and Corviknight that Noivern struggles against, as well as break walls such as Toxapex and Tyranitar. In return, Noivern can outspeed and revenge kill Dragon-type Pokemon such as Choice Specs Dragapult and Choice Scarf Dracovish Charizard has trouble with. Corviknight can use Defog to remove Stealth Rock to keep Noivern healthy and bring it in safely in the Dragon matchup with U-turn, as well as being able to switch into Ice- and Fairy-type attacks such as Weavile's Icicle Crash and Gardevoir's Moonblast. Alternatively, its access to Taunt and Bulk Up allows it to beat defensive Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Snorlax, and Aegislash. Togekiss can switch into Choice Scarf Dragapult, which would otherwise outspeed Noivern and beat it with Draco Meteor, as well as break down bulky defensive walls like Toxapex, Galarian Corsola, and Ferrothorn with Nasty Plot. In return, Noivern can revenge kill faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Dracovish, Choice Specs Dragapult and Arcanine that give Corviknight and Togekiss trouble.

Noivern assists Dragon teams by acting as its primary form of entry hazard control and a stallbreaker. Defog and Taunt are used in tandem to remove hazards on the field and prevent foes from setting them up. However, Taunt has additional merit in preventing foes such as Corviknight and Toxapex from setting up and recovering health. Roost is used to maintain Noivern's health and creates opportunities to disrupt the foe later in the match. Heavy-Duty Boots is used to prevent damage taken upon entry from Stealth Rock so that Noivern can remove it for the team. It's also incredibly fast and naturally outspeeds most of the metagame, so foes will rarely disrupt Noivern from performing its roles. Dragon-types generally appreciate Noivern for its ability to remove entry hazards from the field, as doing so would permit them to stay as healthy as possible. Some Dragon-types such as Dragapult and Choice Scarf Dracovish rely on their Speed in order to break through foes and require Noivern's help more in preventing Sticky Web from affecting their wallbreaking abilities. Choice Scarf Duraludon helps Noivern by using its Speed and STAB Flash Cannon to check Fairy-types, especially those who are faster than Noivern, such as Choice Scarf Gardevoir and Ribombee. Other teammates such as Hydreigon and Kommo-o that rely on setup moves appreciate Noivern's ability to Taunt foes that can prevent them from wallbreaking or sweeping, such as Whirlwind Hippowdon and Haze Toxapex.

The Defense investment avoids being 2HKOed by Choice Scarf Zarude's Darkest Lariat.

Moves Tailwind is one of the best speed control moves in the game. It gives Noivern the niche of a supportive Pokemon and should be used no matter what. Draco Meteor allows Noivern to check Dragon-types, some of the biggest threats in VGC 2014. Despite Noivern's mediocre Special Attack, Draco Meteor is still a 130 Base Power move boosted by STAB and can be used to dent any Pokemon that lacks resistance or immunity to it. Super Fang is an excellent option to run alongside Draco Meteor, as its ability to halve an opponent's HP puts a lot of Pokemon into Draco Meteor KO range and it isn't affected by Draco Meteor's Special Attack-lowering side effect. It can also be used to set up KOs for Noivern's partner. Protect is almost a given on any VGC Pokemon that isn't carrying a Choice item, as it allows Noivern to block Fake Out so its Focus Sash isn't broken before it can even move. Taunt is used to shut down Trick Room setters other than Aromatisse, and can also be used to cripple Smeargle and other pure support Pokemon. Set Details Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment gives Noivern the ability to outrun everything up to and including Greninja while still having Draco Meteor do as much damage as possible. Focus Sash helps Noivern set up Tailwind, despite its subpar bulk, and allows it to check Choice Scarf Dragon-types as long as Noivern hasn't taken prior damage. A bulkier spread of 156 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe with a Timid nature still allows Noivern to outpace Garchomp and forgo a Focus Sash if the item is needed elsewhere, but the main spread is otherwise better. Usage Tips Always Protect against Fake Out users the first turn they are on the field. This guarantees that Noivern's Focus Sash will not be broken just for Noivern to flinch or fall to a double target. If you suspect your opponent has a Choice Scarf Salamence or Hydreigon, keeping Noivern's Focus Sash intact gives you another check to them. Set up Tailwind only when needed, as the move only lasts four turns in total, and two turns if your opponent has dual Protect users. Tailwind also allows Noivern to check the Scarf Dragon-types listed above even if its Focus Sash has been broken. Use Super Fang to bring Pokemon into the KO range of Noivern's partner or Noivern's own Draco Meteor. Using Taunt on Trick Room users is always a good idea. If you suspect a Fake Out and Trick Room lead from your opponent, Noivern should not be one of the four Pokemon you choose to bring. Team Options Pokemon with very strong offensive presences are some of the best partners Noivern can have. Strong attackers that can flatten key Pokemon in a single turn, such as Mega Mawile and Choice Specs Gardevoir, discourage and punish the opponent for double targeting Noivern in order to KO it through its Focus Sash. These Pokemon also benefit greatly from Noivern's Tailwind. Mega Kangaskhan deserves its own mention, as it has a ridiculous offensive presence from the moment it is sent out and can punish a double target on Noivern even greater than most with Parental Bond Power-Up Punch. Mega Kangaskhan also appreciates Noivern's ability to KO Garchomp and Tailwind doubling its Speed. Rotom-H loves having Dragon-types removed, especially Garchomp.