General: - Great Attack stat and Speed - High powered Normal and Flying STABs - Great ability in Reckless which powers them up - Access to Close Combat alleviates weaknesses to Rock and Steel Pokemon - Weak to Stealth Rock - Quite Frail - Bird Bird Of Choice: (feels like I've stolen this from somewhere but idr) Staraptor @ Choice Band / Choice Scarf Trait: Reckless EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SAtk) - Brave Bird - Double Edge - Close Combat - U-Turn Set comments: - Hits incredibly strong - Brave Bird and Double Edge are Reckless-Boosted STAB moves - Close Combat is a great move to hit Rock and Steel type Pokemon that resist Staraptor's STABs - U-Turn is a great scouting move and can get it out of a tough situation - Great wallbreaker with Band and revenge killer with Scarf - Jolly to speed tie with the many base 100's in UU, could use Adamant for more power if you need it - Quick Attack can be used over Double Edge for priority and hits quite hard with Band Life Orb: Staraptor @ Life Orb Trait: Reckless EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SAtk) - Brave Bird - Double Edge - Close Combat - U-Turn / Roost Set comments: - Just as strong but with the ability to switch moves - Rock and Steel types can't force it out if locked into BB or DE - Roost can now be used to recover from LO and Recoil damage - Sharp Beak can be used over LO but it's other moves are considerably weaker - Jolly needed to speed tie with base 100's - Quick Attack is a viable move over DE or U-Turn as it gives it nice priority Synergy: - Rapid Spin or Defog is great since it allows Staraptor to come in more often - Pokemon that can come in on Rock, Steel, Ice and Electric types - Pokemon that appreciate Physical walls gone - Appreciates to be clear of status so a cleric or status absorber helps - Slow U-turners or Volt Switchers help it come in safely. Trappers help too. Other Options: - A Substitute + Roost set - Has other moves such as Return, Pursuit, Tailwind, Heat Wave, Final Gambit (lol) and Defog - Can use an Agility or Work Up Sets - Intimidate + Whirlwind but can't utilise them well Checks and Counters - Doublade can take any move - Jirachi, Metagross and Bronzong resist it's STABs and take only neutral damage from CC and do a lot of damage back. - Mega Aggron can take even Close Combat thanks to Filter - Rhyperior too but needs Def Investment to not be 2HKO'd by CC - Zapdos, but has to beware of Double Edge - Stealth Rock limits switch ins - Priority from the like of Weavile, Medicham, Diggersby do a number on it - Faster Scarf users So yeah, please give feedback and advice on how to improve this.
I feel like someone needs to post something here. It's too empty. I've never been a fan of LO and U-Turn on the same set. Feels like a waste of 10% to me, but how about using Quick Attack for priority.
Looks good overall. I'd personally slash Sky Plate in items on the non Choice set, since you can bluff a Choice item and most of the time you'll be using Brave Bird anyway. With Life Orb and 2 recoil moves, Staraptor's already short lifespan is decimated.
That's not a reason to critique something, lol. Could be slashed, but set looks fine to me. Sky Plate seems like a bit of a stretch and I haven't seen it used, but it sounds good on paper. He already mentioned Sharp Beak in the Set Comments, which is essentially the same thing, so I think the analysis is fine at its current state in regards to this. Great work, dude, but for synergy you could add slow volturners or trappers, both of which are good synergetically.
Mentioned Quick Attack in the set comments of LO. I think LO is needed as it help power up Close Combat and Sharp Beak is given a mention. But if more people think it's worth a slash I'll chuck it in. Also added part about slow Volturners. Thanks Guys!
I feel like Intimidate and Roost on the Life Orb set could be nice to give it some survivability, and it still hits really hard without Reckless. Just a thought.
Life Orb: Staraptor @ Life Orb Trait: Reckless EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SAtk) - Brave Bird - Double Edge - Close Combat - U-Turn / Roost Quick Attack can be slashed in last slot to finish off weakened mons and this slot is filler anyway so might as well