Staraptor, The Predator Pokémon. When Staravia evolve into Staraptor, they leave the flock to live alone. The muscles in its wings and legs are strong. It can easily fly while gripping a small Pokémon.
Overview
Staraptor has always been a consistent, if surprising powerhouse since its introduction in Diamond and Pearl. It's not quite powerful enough to be a top threat, but if you underestimate it you will find yourself in a world of hurt. It's really strong, sporting a 120 Base Attack and it has a powerful ability called Reckless on top of that which boosts all moves that cause recoil damage by 20 %..and our friend Staraptor's 2 strongest STABS happen to be Brave Bird and Double-Edge, and it's pretty fast too so you definitely don't want to take Staraptor lightly. It does have a few notable drawbacks though. Its bulk, and in particular its Special Defense isn't the greatest, so a lot of Bulky Special Attackers can go toe to toe with you pretty easily. Staraptor is surprisingly versatile though and only a handful of things can really afford to switch in on its Attacks without fear.
Positives
+ High Base 120 Attack
+ Great Base 100 Speed as well
+ Two very useful abilities in Intimidate and Reckless
+ A variety of support moves like Defog, Tailwind, Toxic, and Feather Dance
+ Has access to a reliable recovery move in Roost
Negatives
- Its HP and Defense are passable but not the greatest
- Its Special Defense is even worse sporting a mere Base 60
Abilities
Intimidate: Upon entering battle, the opponent’s Attack lowers one stage. In a Double Battle, both opponents’ Attack are lowered. Pokémon with the Clear Body, Hyper Cutter, or White Smoke ability are unaffected. In a link battle, if both sides switch on the same turn, and first player sends out a Pokémon with Intimidate, the opponent’s Attack will be lowered before the opponent’s Pokémon switches. Opponents in S.O.S. Battles are more likely to call for help. The power you lose by taking Intimidate over Reckless is definitely noticeable, but Intimidate can be more reliable at times and it will help balance out Staraptor's average Defense.
Hidden Ability (Available through transfer):
Reckless: The power of moves that have recoil damage is increased by 20%. This is always the ability I choose in Singles because the power boost is just too awesome to ignore. If you're worried about a lot of recoil and residual damage though stick with Intimidate.
Movesets
Starappa the Rapper
- Brave Bird
- Double-Edge
- Close Combat / Final Gambit
- U-turn
Item Attached: Choice Scarf
Ability: Reckless
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Jolly Nature
This is the standard Staraptor set. Brave Bird is an outstanding STAB, and when paired with the Reckless ability and Choice Scarf our friend Staraptor becomes downright scary. Double-Edge does a large amount of damage to 'mons that would otherwise resist your Brave Bird like Tapu Koko. Close Combat is your best option against things like Tyranitar and Excadrill, but you can also opt for Final Gambit instead if you're in a tight spot and need to put a major dent in your enemy's walls. Last but not least you have U-turn which allows you to keep up the momentum in the battle when you know your enemy is going to be forced to switch.
Other Options
- Choice Band: I actually enjoy running Choice Band over Choice Scarf. The additional power with the already strong boost to your best STAB moves from your Reckless is just so much fun, and everyone expects the Choice Scarf so you'll likely get a few more surprise opportunities to wreck your enemy's team some more too.
- Supersonic Skystrike: It's an incredibly powerful Flying move without the recoil damage of Brave Bird, so it's worth mentioning..but it's also less powerful than a Choice Band + Reckless Brave Bird and you can only use it once because it's a Z-Move.
- Z-Mirror Move: Again it's a Z-Move so you can only use 1, but it's at the very least a free + 2 Attack boost and you might get lucky and get some damage bonus damage in as well
- Defog: Other Flying 'mons run Defensive sets better imo, but Staraptor does get access to Defog and its Defenses are more than passable when you factor in Intimidate.
VGC, Double, & Triple Battle Options
Staraptor is unfortunately not in the Alolan Pokedex, so it is not available in VGC 2017, but the bird of prey is a unique and interesting choice in other doubles formats. While Reckless goes great with Staraptor's high base attack and strong moves with recoil, there is another ability Staraptor has access to that is fantastic in doubles: Intimidate. What separates Staraptor from other Pokemon with Intimidate, however, is access to Final Gambit, which can immediately take out an important piece of the opponent's team. With these two supporting features, along with its naturally high attack and speed, Staraptor has remarkable potential to help its team.
Bravest Bird
-Brave Bird
-Close Combat
-Final Gambit
-U-turn / Double-Edge
Item Attached: Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 36 Atk / 220 Spe
Adamant Nature
This EV spread may seem rather strange given Staraptor's stat distribution, but it maximizes its potential in doubles. 220 speed EVs with a Choice Scarf outspeeds Modest Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. This amount of speed lets Staraptor get off extremely fast attacks, especially Final Gambit. Max HP allows Final Gambit to do as much damage as possible, while the rest of the EVs and an Adamant nature gives Staraptor some firepower should it need to use another attack, or if Final Gambit will not do much. More EVs can be invested in attack if your team does not need to outspeed as much, or does not need quite as much damage from Final Gambit. Intimidate is great to lower the opponents' attack, and increase your team's bulk.
Brave Bird is a very strong STAB move with good coverage, and Close Combat covers many of the Pokemon that resist Brave Bird. Final Gambit is the most threatening move Staraptor has (assuming you are at or close to full health), and it can OHKO many bulky Pokemon, such as Porygon2. The final moveslot has a couple of options. U-turn is great to pivot into a better position and shuffle in Intimidates, while Double Edge is another strong STAB move, although Brave Bird and Close Combat generally provide enough coverage.
Other Options & Team Ideas
-Reckless is still a good, but risky (since there can be two opponents on the field), option for a straight attacker. Choice Scarf can still be used for fast damage, but a boosting item (like Choice Band) can also work well, especially with speed control support to ensure Staraptor still attacks first.
-Flyinium Z is another item choice for powerful damage. Supersonic Skystrike is very powerful, but the z crystal can also be used with Mirror Move. While not the easiest the pull off, Z-Mirror Move will raise Staraptor's attack by two stages and then use the z move that corresponds with whatever Mirror Move copies.
-As always, Protect is incredible in doubles, allowing the user to dodge Fake Out, let a teammate take out a threat, or stall out speed control. Protect is necessary if Staraptor is not holding a Choice item.
-Tailwind, available through an ORAS move tutor, is great for speed control to help Staraptor and its teammate outspeed the opponent.
-Quick Attack is strong STAB priority, especially if boosted by Choice Band.
-Whirlwind is a niche move to prevent Trick Room or ruin boosts by Pokemon setting up.
-Teams in need of a fast Intimidate user appreciate Staraptor, though Landorus-T is a more common choice for this role.
-Staraptor's best role in past VGC formats was part of a Trick Room team. While it could be part of a fast mode with the Choice Scarf, it would typically lead with a Trick Room user. Intimidate would make it more difficult to take out the Trick Room user, and Staraptor could immediately take out (or at least severely damage) an opponent with Final Gambit. While getting the knock out is great, it would also allow a free switch to a sweeper under Trick Room.
-Setup sweepers also appreciate the Intimidate support and ability to take out a threat instantly with Final Gambit. Though they are not "sweepers" in the traditional sense, bulky Pokemon that can stall out multiple opponents with their recovery and bulk, such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn, love for Staraptor to remove the one Pokemon threatening them on the opposing team.
-Lightning Rod can help keep Staraptor safe from single-target electric attacks, and Wide Guard keeps it safe from Rock Slide spam or other spread moves.
-As ghost types are immune to Final Gambit, Close Combat, and Double-Edge, Staraptor may need help in taking out certain ghost types, especially Aegislash.
Countering Staraptor
Staraptor isn't particularly hard to counter. Its Special Defenses in particular are pretty bad, so Bulky Special Attackers like Nihelgo can take it on pretty easily. Staraptor also has a hard time winning out against Physical Walls like Skarmory which can and will stall you out especially if you're running Choice Scarf over Choice Band. Your only option against them is to either U-turn out or sacrifice it if you're using Final Gambit on that set. It will definitely run into problems with Electric Types like Tapu Koko and Magnezone too , but they have to be wary of Scarf Double-Edge and strong damage from Close Combat respectively. All the recoil damage from your STAB Brave Bird and Double-Edge isn't good for your longevity either as well as residual damage Stealth Rock, so it's best to use Staraptor in the early game as much as possible and revenge kill weakened 'mons and punch holes in your enemy's defenses.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Staravia
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Staravia
Black/White:
Evolve Staravia (White)
Trade from White (Black)
Black 2/White 2:
Trade from White
X/Y:
Evolve Staravia
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y
Sun/Moon:
Evolve Staravia
Animé Appearences
