[Pros]
<ul>
<li>Priority Brave Bird is the reason to use this Pokemon.</li>
<li>It is a great revenge killer.</li>
<li>It has good coverage with just its STABs.</li>
<li>It cleans up teams easily if given a setup chance, thanks to Swords Dance and priority Flying-attacks.</li>
<li>Its typing allows it to switch in relatively easily against Pokemon such as Volcarona and Blaziken.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>It is 4x weak to Stealth Rock.</li>
<li>It has poor bulk.</li>
<li>It is easy to wall with the right Pokemon (Tyranitar, Rotom-W, Hippowdon).</li>
<li>Its poor HP stat and reliance on recoil moves (Brave Bird and Flare Blitz) cut down its longevity even more.</li>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>name: Choice Band<br />
move 1: Brave Bird<br />
move 2: Flare Blitz<br />
move 3: U-turn<br />
move 4: Tailwind / Will-O-Wisp<br />
ability: Gale Wings<br />
item: Choice Band<br />
evs: 92 HP / 252 Atk / 164 Spe<br />
nature: Adamant</p>
<p>This set sacrifices the ability to change moves, set up, and use Roost in exchange for immediate power, which makes Talonflame a stellar revenge killer and a good clean-up Pokemon against offensive teams that will continually apply pressure. Aside from the usual two STAB moves, U-turn wears down Talonflame's usual checks and deals respectable damage to one of its best counters: Tyranitar (42.07 - 49.5% to 252 HP Tyranitar). Will-O-Wisp and Tailwind may seem like a strange options for a Choice item set, but they have their merits: Will-O-Wisp permanently cripples Talonflame's usual switch-ins whereas Tailwind can help in desperate situations, or simply to give slower powerhouses in your team a two-turn boost to apply enormous offensive pressure.</p>
<p>164 Speed EVs allow Talonflame to outspeed Jolly Mega Kangaskhan and revenge kill it with Brave Bird. Anything else that Talonflame would want to hit with Flare Blitz is slower, so the rest of the EVs are put into bulk while the HP EVs allow Talonflame to switch in two times with Stealth Rock up. Using 208 Speed EVs is an option to outrun Jolly Mega Pinsir, so that Talonflame's Brave Bird goes before Pinsir's Quick Attack. Because this set is even more prone to being knocked out by recoil damage and Stealth Rock, it fits best on heavy offense teams where games last only for a few turns. Excadrill and and Mega Venusar are great teammates, as both have good defensive synergy with Talonflame; Excadrill also provides Rapid Spin support and Mega Venusaur deals with Rotom-W and Azumarill.</p>
<p>name: Swords Dance<br />
move 1: Brave Bird<br />
move 2: Flare Blitz<br />
move 3: Swords Dance<br />
move 4: Roost / Tailwind / Will-O-Wisp<br />
ability: Gale Wings<br />
item: Sharp Beak / Life Orb<br />
evs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def / 60 Spe<br />
nature: Adamant</p>
<p>Gale Wings gives Talonflame priority on any Flying-type move, making it an excellent revenge killer and sweeper. Brave Bird is its primary offensive option, easily OHKOing Pokemon such as Volcarona and Blaziken, as well as Azumarill after the latter has used Belly Drum. Flare Blitz deals with most of the Steel-types that resist Brave Bird and some Electric-types on the switch-in, such as Skarmory, Magnezone, and Excadrill. Swords Dance pumps up Talonflame's power to respectable levels, making Brave Bird powerful enough to OHKO most offensive Pokemon that don't resist it at +2, and thus making Talonflame a great late-game sweeper. Roost and big HP investment make Talonflame a great switch-in to Volcarona, Scizor, and Blaziken, provided Stealth Rock is off the field. Tailwind is another useful move that gets priority from Gale Wings and allows Talonflame's team to revenge kill fast threats that even Talonflame can't. It also allows powerful but slow Pokemon to shine for two turns, such as mixed Aegislash and Mega Garchomp. Will-O-Wisp might seem a bit of out of place on such an offensive set, but it's Talonflame's best answer to some of its best checks and counters, such as Tyranitar, physically defensive Hippowdon, and Aerodactyl.</p>
<p>60 Speed EVs allow Talonflame to outrun Jolly Excadrill. Using 164 Speed EVs is an option to outrun Jolly Mega Kangaskhan, so that Talonflame's Brave Bird goes before Kangaskhan's Sucker Punch. Sharp Beak is the preferred item as otherwise the recoil overwhelms Talonflame quickly, but Life Orb is better for those that need the extra power. Rapid Spin or Defog support is a must. Starmie, Scizor, and Excadrill are the best Pokemon for this job. Talonflame also needs Pokemon able to deal with its major checks, Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Rotom-W. Ferrothorn checks all of those Pokemon and helps Talonflame sweep by providing entry hazards. Lastly, Bulk Up can be used instead of Swords Dance to make Talonflame harder to revenge kill. Use it with Roost and Leftovers.</p>
<p>name: Bulk Up<br />
move 1: Bulk Up<br />
move 2: Brave Bird<br />
move 3: Roost<br />
move 4: Substitute / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt<br />
ability: Gale Wings<br />
item: Leftovers<br />
evs: 212 HP / 236 SpD / 60 Spe<br />
nature: Careful</p>
<p>With Bulk Up, a great defensive typing, and priority on both Roost and Brave Bird, Talonflame makes for a great setup sweeper, despite its low bulk. Thanks to the investment in HP and Special Defnse, Talonflame fares much better against its usual checks; for example, Rotom-W's Volt Switch fails to break Talonflame's Substitute if the bird used Roost on that turn, giving to Talonflame one free turn to boost, or even two free turns if Rotom-W is the only real answer the opponent has. Other common checks such as Tyranitar and physically defensive Gyarados also struggle a lot against this set. Tyranitar struggles to do a lot of damage on a +1 Talonflame that uses Roost and it is bound to miss with Rock Slide or Stone Edge, giving a free turn to Talonflame and potentially allowing it to PP stall Tyranitar's Rock-type move. Defensive variants of Gyarados with Dragon Tail cannot break Talonflame's Substitute and with proper prediction, Talonflame can boost enough so that even Waterfall can't break its Substitute. Will-O-Wisp is a perfect alternative over Substitute, sacrificing Talonflame's standalone sweeping ability for more team and early-game utility, and cripples many of the common switch-ins to Talonflame, such as Tyranitar, Hippowdon, and Gyarados. Finally, Taunt prevents phazers such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, and Gyarados from ruining Talonflame's fun, and still protects Talonflame from bothersome non-attacking moves such as Thunder Wave, Toxic, and Leech Seed, akin to Substitute.</p>
<p>The EV spread gives Talonflame enough Speed to outrun Jolly Excadrill and Adamant Mega Kangaskhan, and the rest of the EVs are put into HP and Special Defense to maximize Talonflame's special bulk. Rapid Spin or Defog support is essential, so Mandibuzz, Excadrill, and offensive Starmie are great partners, as they are all adept at removing entry hazards from the field, while all of them beat some of Talonflame's checks and counters (Mandibuzz handles Hippowdon, specially defensive Tyranitar, and Gyarados; Excadrill handles Tyranitar and Mega Ampharos; and offensive Starmie handles Hippowdon, Gyarados, and Slowbro). Grass-types to deal with Rotom-W and other Water-types are also appreciated, so Trevenant and Roserade are great teammates.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Stealth Rock is the best way to keep in check a Pokemon 4x weak to it so it's the best measure against Talonflame. Tyranitar, Slowbro, Mega Ampharos, physically defensive Gyarados, and Hippowdon are the best answers to Talonflame, as they can check it for an extended period of time. Rotom-W is a great answer too, but it is easier to wear down as it lacks reliable recovery. Rocky Helmet Garchomp passively harasses Talonflame and can tank Talonflame's attacks even after a boost, while answering back with either Dragon Claw or Dragon Tail. Aerodactyl outspeeds any Talonflame variant; it can take even a +2 Brave Bird and OHKO back with STAB Rock-type attacks. Finally, Extreme Speed users bypass the priority of Talonflame's Flying-type moves, making for a good way to check it. Lucario is the best user of this move.</p>
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