Hi there, I am EXTREMELY new to Smogon, so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right but... I felt that after Braixen's use in Pokken, it deserved a little more attention; so I went ahead and spent a few hours developing an analysis using the same formats as the ones I've seen of the forums. I don't have a 'skeleton' or a 'reservation', but frankly; I have no idea how to do either so I'm gonna just straight up show you what I've got for my analysis, and you can point me in the right direction.
Overview:
Braixen is blessed with a great base 90 special attack and a pretty decent 73 base speed, which allows for a decent niche among other special attack sweepers in the tier. Its base Defence and HP aren’t much to look at, but add an Eviolite and you’ve got a super-bulky Special sweeper! With access to good coverage moves like Solar Beam and Shock Wave, Braixen is a pretty appealing option for anyone needing a bit of raw power on their team. On the other hand, Braixen is outspeeded by a few more well-suited fire-types in the NU tier such as Pyroar and Charizard, both of which have higher offensive stats. Funnily enough, Braixen can utilise Blaze quite well in a tight spot, and should probably spam Fire Spin for some last minute damage instead of switching out, because switching back in without a slow Volt Switch or Baton Pass can leave Braixen at low HP before it’s even made a move.
ALL-OUT ATTACKER
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name: All-out attacker
move 1: Solar Beam
move 2: Psyshock
move 3: Fire Spin
move 4: Sunny Day
item: Eviolite / Leftovers
ability: Blaze
nature: Modest
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moves
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Fire spin is handy for trapping pokemon in the field, allowing Braixen to switch out without being counter-switched by the opposition. It also provides some handy chip damage as an added bonus.
Solar beam can OHKO some common bulky rock/ground types in NU like Rhydon and Golurk, but needs a sunny day setup to be able to be used free of stress. Psyshock is a backup move for secondary fighting and poison type checks like Tentacruel and Poliwrath. Sunny day makes Solar Beam usable without any charging up, and gives a handy boost to Fire Spin. Sunny day can also provide some useful boosts to team-mates with Flower Gift, or a move like Synthesis; that gains extra HP if the weather is sunny.
Set Details
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Max EV investment in special attack and speed are necessary to hit as fast and as hard as it can, and the remaining EVs can go into HP for an extra health point. Eviolite is a necessity to add some defensive bulk to Braixen, allowing it to survive a lot longer in a battle. Leftovers are an option if you desperately need residual healing, but it's not worth giving up double defensive stats in most scenarios.
Usage Tips
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The aim of this set is to, with a bit of help from other team-mates, dish out as much damage as possible to clear the game for the rest of your party using its great coverage, raw power and decent bulk. Braixen should be brought in on pokemon that can’t deal much damage very quickly, or at least needs some setup time first. Braixen can be used quite well against opponents who like to utilise moves like Volt switch and U-turn quite often, and break their strategy with a quick fire spin to lock them in place.
Team Options
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Braixen appreciates Special Attack Baton Pass support from team-mates like Calm Mind Musharna so it can dish out as much damage as possible. Braixen works well with other pokemon that benefit from sunny day such as Cherrim, but is quite frail; so never switch it in to sponge a hit. Some recommended partners are Quagsire and Poliwrath, which can both be swapped in to sponge a predicted water or rock attack, and counter most of Braixen’s checks. Entry hazard removal from team-mates such as Archeops can be helpful, but is not completely necessary due to Braixen’s decent bulk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Shock Wave/Psybeam are plausible replacements for Psyshock for a little extra coverage or a slight confusion chance, respectively; but aren’t recommended due to their low base power and effectiveness in general. A sleep-based special tank w/ Rest, Snore, Sleep Talk and Calm Mind could be a pretty effective set as well.
Checks and Counters
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Priority Moves: Braixen can fall pretty easily to stat-boosted priority moves such as Sucker punch or Aqua jet, and Pursuit can be fatal when Braixen needs to switch out of a tight spot.
Toxic/Paralysis: Toxic will slowly chip away at Braixen’s already limited HP and shorten Braixen’s hard earned time on the battlefield quite significantly, and Paralysis can render Braixen unusable with its now pathetic speed and 25 percent chance to miss a turn.