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Toucannon fills a rare niche in the PU metagame as a physically offensive Flying-type. Besides Archeops, Toucannon is the strongest Flying-type in PU and one of the few that have access to Brave Bird. Its role in the metagame is a strong wallbreaker capable of running strong mixed sets to break through bulkier Pokemon with help from its diverse coverage options. Boomburst and Brave Bird make Toucannon a tough Pokemon to switch into due to their high Base Power, difference in typing, and ability to let it inflict both special and physical damage. However, despite Boomburst being a very powerful STAB move, Toucannon's base Special Attack is very low and makes it difficult to deal with special walls like Munchlax and Type: Null. Toucannon's lack of Speed and bulk also makes it very underwhelming against offensive teams and makes it hard to get off an attack at all. Toucannon is also prone to being revenge killed easily and worn down by Life Orb, Stealth Rock, and Brave Bird recoil.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Boomburst
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: Overheat
item: Life Orb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Boomburst is Toucannon's strongest move and is easily spammable because of its huge Base Power. Boomburst also benefits from being a special move, as it hits physical walls such as Weezing, Musharna, and Mesprit, which can potentially switch in on Toucannon otherwise. Brave Bird is Toucannon's strongest Flying-type STAB move and hits anything Boomburst doesn't hit harder, which includes Pokemon with high Special Defense stats such as Audino and Ghost-types like Oricorio-G and Sableye. Brave Bird also rounds out Toucannon's role as a mixed wallbreaker by letting it inflict physical damage. Bullet Seed is a good coverage move on Toucannon thanks to its ability Skill Link turning it into a 125-Base Power Grass-type move. This helps with specific Pokemon that are weak to Grass like Lanturn, Carracosta, and especially Golem and Regirock, which are either OHKOed or 2HKOed on the switch. Overheat is for covering Steel-types such as Ferroseed and Togedemaru, which would otherwise wall Toucannon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack investment maximizes Toucannon's Special Attack stat, making Boomburst easily spammable and letting Overheat hit hard. Patching up its Special Attack also makes Toucannon a better mixed attacker by allowing it to hit both physically and specially defensive Pokemon equally hard. Toucannon does not run Attack investment because its massive base 120 Attack stat is enough to KO or dent bulky specially defensive Pokemon like Clefairy and Lanturn without investment. Life Orb is the preferred item because running a mixed set requires immediate power and the ability to switch between moves, which Choice items prevent, so it isn't as easily forced out by Pokemon switching in. Rash is the optimal nature because Toucannon's Speed is still enough to outspeed maximum invested base 50 Speed Pokemon like Aggron without sacrificing power. Naive can also be used to outspeed Pokemon such as Jolly Golurk and Ursaring while Speed tying with Pokemon such as Abomasnow and Pawniard. Since Toucannon is so slow, a positive-Speed nature is not required to accomplish much, usually. Skill Link is the most useful ability Toucannon has, as it helps to boost Bullet Seed, turning it into a 125-Base Power coverage move.
Usage Tips
========
Toucannon is a mixed wallbreaker, which gives it the ability to adapt and deal with different Pokemon that may come in on it. This makes it hard to switch into, but prediction plays a big role in using it effectively, because it can be worn down quickly thanks to Life Orb recoil and its Stealth Rock weakness. Leading with Toucannon can be advantageous against some entry hazard leads like Ferroseed, as it can put immediate pressure on the opponent to possibly sacrifice something to Toucannon. Another job Toucannon has is to weaken bulkier Pokemon, since very few Pokemon resist its coverage. After Toucannon has weakened the opponent's team, a hard hitter or setup sweeper it is paired with can finish off the game. To achieve this goal, it is important to set Toucannon up with favorable matchups by double switching or via pivot switches; otherwise, Toucannon will not be able get off attacks due to its frailty and low Speed. Do not feel too pressured to preserve Toucannon because it loses its usefulness late-game, when opposing players' slower Pokemon are more likely to be gone.
Team Options
========
Toucannon works well with fast, strong hitters that can take advantage of its wallbreaking abilities. This includes Pokemon like Archeops, Magmortar, and Primeape, which appreciate Toucannon getting rid of Pokemon like Gastrodon, Weezing, and Lanturn. Primeape is particularly good because of its pivoting capabilities with U-turn and benefits from Toucannon's potential to severely weaken an opposing team giving it a good chance at sweeping late-game. Other pivoting Pokemon such as Lanturn, Mesprit, and Alolan Persian can also keep momentum and produce favorable matchups for Toucannon. Lanturn and Mesprit's slow pivoting moves especially make it easier for Toucannon to safely come in. In the case you want to preserve Toucannon, Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, and Weezing can be used as all-around good blanket checks to Pokemon coming in to revenge kill Toucannon, such as Archeops and Alolan Raichu, while at the same time contributing entry hazards to make Toucannon's job a bit easier against bulkier Pokemon such as Type: Null and Musharna by limiting switches. Toucannon naturally appreciates a Pokemon to remove hazards, such as Skuntank, because of how fast and easy it is to wear down with repeated switches into Stealth Rock on top of recoil from Life Orb and Brave Bird. On top of hazard removal, Skuntank also provides Pursuit support, which can free Toucannon of the worry of Ghost-type switch-ins to Boomburst, making it more spammable.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While being its most unique and viable set, Toucannon's mixed set can be altered or changed to suit a different role on a team or for more surprise factors. One slight change that can be made is using an alternative fourth move on Toucannon by changing Bullet Seed to Flash Cannon, since it serves a similar purpose in hitting Rock-types. Its ability can then also be changed to Sheer Force, as it better complements Flash Cannon and allows Toucannon to replace Overheat with Heat Wave, which comes with the benefit of not dropping Special Attack but is weaker overall. With Sheer Force, Flash Cannon is capable of 2HKOing physically defensive Sableye and reliably 2HKOes Regirock. Rock Blast can also be used in the fourth slot because it gives a different coverage option against Flying-types like Archeops. Both are generally outclassed by Bullet Seed, however, while Rock Blast is outclassed by even Flash Cannon. A Choice Scarf set can be used to allow Toucannon to do more towards offensive teams. Brave Bird is very strong coming off of Toucannon's invested Attack stat and can do serious damage, while Boomburst can be added in the set to hit physically bulky walls. The downside is that it is still outsped by many other boosted Pokemon and Choice Scarf users and that its main attack, Brave Bird, wears it down quickly. A Choice Band set can work with Brave Bird / U-turn / Bullet Seed / Brick Break, but while it has immediate power, it lacks the ability to switch between moves, and it is easier to get stuck in unfavorable situations. U-turn does help with this weakness, as it can easily provide slow U-turn momentum. All in all, however, it can be easily taken advantage of and retains none of the mixed coverage that Toucannon would want, making it less viable. Multiple Swords Dance sets can be run featuring either Life Orb or Flyinium Z, making Toucannon into more of a hard wallbreaker by boosting its huge Attack stat, and a choice between Rock Blast or Flame Charge, turning it into a pseudo-sweeping set. The fact that a turn of setup is required (or two if running Flame Charge) makes it more unreliable at getting off hits, though, as Toucannon can't take hits well to begin with. A Choice Specs set makes Toucannon similar to Swellow in higher tiers, which also runs a Choice Specs Boomburst set. This set runs Boomburst, Sheer Force-boosted Flash Cannon to hit Rock-types like Regirock harder, and Heat Wave to hit Steel-types. The last move slot would most likely be U-turn, since the only other thing left in Toucannon's special movepool is Hidden Power, which is most often going to be weaker than Boomburst and Flash Cannon. Roost and Substitute can be used to give Toucannon more sustainability and another tool to fight stall's status condition spam. Outside of stall, however, using a slot for Roost or Substitute limits Toucannon's coverage, and it is generally too slow to fully utilize Roost and Substitute. Much like Flame Charge, Tailwind can be added on to a set to give Toucannon a better chance of threatening more Pokemon as well as provide a nice support option for the rest of the team. The downside is sacrificing coverage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Probopass can take a Boomburst quite easily, stomach a Bullet Seed, and threaten Toucannon with Rock-type STAB moves.
**Revenge Killers**: Toucannon's Speed and typing leave it prone to being easily revenge killed by Pokemon like Lycanroc, Archeops, Jynx, and Magmortar. However, these Pokemon will find it almost impossible to safely switch in on Toucannon.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types assure that Toucannon is not always free to spam Boomburst, as they can potentially switch into it. Common threats are Oricorio-G, Spiritomb, and Silvally-Ghost. While these Pokemon are not completely safe from Toucannon's other coverage, the fact that they are immune to Toucannon's strongest move can make them harder to deal with.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types reliably check Toucannon by revenge killing it and resisting Toucannon's second STAB move Brave Bird. Common threats include Eelektross, Togedamaru, and Oricorio-E.
Toucannon fills a rare niche in the PU metagame as a physically offensive Flying-type. Besides Archeops, Toucannon is the strongest Flying-type in PU and one of the few that have access to Brave Bird. Its role in the metagame is a strong wallbreaker capable of running strong mixed sets to break through bulkier Pokemon with help from its diverse coverage options. Boomburst and Brave Bird make Toucannon a tough Pokemon to switch into due to their high Base Power, difference in typing, and ability to let it inflict both special and physical damage. However, despite Boomburst being a very powerful STAB move, Toucannon's base Special Attack is very low and makes it difficult to deal with special walls like Munchlax and Type: Null. Toucannon's lack of Speed and bulk also makes it very underwhelming against offensive teams and makes it hard to get off an attack at all. Toucannon is also prone to being revenge killed easily and worn down by Life Orb, Stealth Rock, and Brave Bird recoil.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Boomburst
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Bullet Seed
move 4: Overheat
item: Life Orb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Rash / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Boomburst is Toucannon's strongest move and is easily spammable because of its huge Base Power. Boomburst also benefits from being a special move, as it hits physical walls such as Weezing, Musharna, and Mesprit, which can potentially switch in on Toucannon otherwise. Brave Bird is Toucannon's strongest Flying-type STAB move and hits anything Boomburst doesn't hit harder, which includes Pokemon with high Special Defense stats such as Audino and Ghost-types like Oricorio-G and Sableye. Brave Bird also rounds out Toucannon's role as a mixed wallbreaker by letting it inflict physical damage. Bullet Seed is a good coverage move on Toucannon thanks to its ability Skill Link turning it into a 125-Base Power Grass-type move. This helps with specific Pokemon that are weak to Grass like Lanturn, Carracosta, and especially Golem and Regirock, which are either OHKOed or 2HKOed on the switch. Overheat is for covering Steel-types such as Ferroseed and Togedemaru, which would otherwise wall Toucannon.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack investment maximizes Toucannon's Special Attack stat, making Boomburst easily spammable and letting Overheat hit hard. Patching up its Special Attack also makes Toucannon a better mixed attacker by allowing it to hit both physically and specially defensive Pokemon equally hard. Toucannon does not run Attack investment because its massive base 120 Attack stat is enough to KO or dent bulky specially defensive Pokemon like Clefairy and Lanturn without investment. Life Orb is the preferred item because running a mixed set requires immediate power and the ability to switch between moves, which Choice items prevent, so it isn't as easily forced out by Pokemon switching in. Rash is the optimal nature because Toucannon's Speed is still enough to outspeed maximum invested base 50 Speed Pokemon like Aggron without sacrificing power. Naive can also be used to outspeed Pokemon such as Jolly Golurk and Ursaring while Speed tying with Pokemon such as Abomasnow and Pawniard. Since Toucannon is so slow, a positive-Speed nature is not required to accomplish much, usually. Skill Link is the most useful ability Toucannon has, as it helps to boost Bullet Seed, turning it into a 125-Base Power coverage move.
Usage Tips
========
Toucannon is a mixed wallbreaker, which gives it the ability to adapt and deal with different Pokemon that may come in on it. This makes it hard to switch into, but prediction plays a big role in using it effectively, because it can be worn down quickly thanks to Life Orb recoil and its Stealth Rock weakness. Leading with Toucannon can be advantageous against some entry hazard leads like Ferroseed, as it can put immediate pressure on the opponent to possibly sacrifice something to Toucannon. Another job Toucannon has is to weaken bulkier Pokemon, since very few Pokemon resist its coverage. After Toucannon has weakened the opponent's team, a hard hitter or setup sweeper it is paired with can finish off the game. To achieve this goal, it is important to set Toucannon up with favorable matchups by double switching or via pivot switches; otherwise, Toucannon will not be able get off attacks due to its frailty and low Speed. Do not feel too pressured to preserve Toucannon because it loses its usefulness late-game, when opposing players' slower Pokemon are more likely to be gone.
Team Options
========
Toucannon works well with fast, strong hitters that can take advantage of its wallbreaking abilities. This includes Pokemon like Archeops, Magmortar, and Primeape, which appreciate Toucannon getting rid of Pokemon like Gastrodon, Weezing, and Lanturn. Primeape is particularly good because of its pivoting capabilities with U-turn and benefits from Toucannon's potential to severely weaken an opposing team giving it a good chance at sweeping late-game. Other pivoting Pokemon such as Lanturn, Mesprit, and Alolan Persian can also keep momentum and produce favorable matchups for Toucannon. Lanturn and Mesprit's slow pivoting moves especially make it easier for Toucannon to safely come in. In the case you want to preserve Toucannon, Pokemon like Lanturn, Regirock, and Weezing can be used as all-around good blanket checks to Pokemon coming in to revenge kill Toucannon, such as Archeops and Alolan Raichu, while at the same time contributing entry hazards to make Toucannon's job a bit easier against bulkier Pokemon such as Type: Null and Musharna by limiting switches. Toucannon naturally appreciates a Pokemon to remove hazards, such as Skuntank, because of how fast and easy it is to wear down with repeated switches into Stealth Rock on top of recoil from Life Orb and Brave Bird. On top of hazard removal, Skuntank also provides Pursuit support, which can free Toucannon of the worry of Ghost-type switch-ins to Boomburst, making it more spammable.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
While being its most unique and viable set, Toucannon's mixed set can be altered or changed to suit a different role on a team or for more surprise factors. One slight change that can be made is using an alternative fourth move on Toucannon by changing Bullet Seed to Flash Cannon, since it serves a similar purpose in hitting Rock-types. Its ability can then also be changed to Sheer Force, as it better complements Flash Cannon and allows Toucannon to replace Overheat with Heat Wave, which comes with the benefit of not dropping Special Attack but is weaker overall. With Sheer Force, Flash Cannon is capable of 2HKOing physically defensive Sableye and reliably 2HKOes Regirock. Rock Blast can also be used in the fourth slot because it gives a different coverage option against Flying-types like Archeops. Both are generally outclassed by Bullet Seed, however, while Rock Blast is outclassed by even Flash Cannon. A Choice Scarf set can be used to allow Toucannon to do more towards offensive teams. Brave Bird is very strong coming off of Toucannon's invested Attack stat and can do serious damage, while Boomburst can be added in the set to hit physically bulky walls. The downside is that it is still outsped by many other boosted Pokemon and Choice Scarf users and that its main attack, Brave Bird, wears it down quickly. A Choice Band set can work with Brave Bird / U-turn / Bullet Seed / Brick Break, but while it has immediate power, it lacks the ability to switch between moves, and it is easier to get stuck in unfavorable situations. U-turn does help with this weakness, as it can easily provide slow U-turn momentum. All in all, however, it can be easily taken advantage of and retains none of the mixed coverage that Toucannon would want, making it less viable. Multiple Swords Dance sets can be run featuring either Life Orb or Flyinium Z, making Toucannon into more of a hard wallbreaker by boosting its huge Attack stat, and a choice between Rock Blast or Flame Charge, turning it into a pseudo-sweeping set. The fact that a turn of setup is required (or two if running Flame Charge) makes it more unreliable at getting off hits, though, as Toucannon can't take hits well to begin with. A Choice Specs set makes Toucannon similar to Swellow in higher tiers, which also runs a Choice Specs Boomburst set. This set runs Boomburst, Sheer Force-boosted Flash Cannon to hit Rock-types like Regirock harder, and Heat Wave to hit Steel-types. The last move slot would most likely be U-turn, since the only other thing left in Toucannon's special movepool is Hidden Power, which is most often going to be weaker than Boomburst and Flash Cannon. Roost and Substitute can be used to give Toucannon more sustainability and another tool to fight stall's status condition spam. Outside of stall, however, using a slot for Roost or Substitute limits Toucannon's coverage, and it is generally too slow to fully utilize Roost and Substitute. Much like Flame Charge, Tailwind can be added on to a set to give Toucannon a better chance of threatening more Pokemon as well as provide a nice support option for the rest of the team. The downside is sacrificing coverage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Rock-types**: Rock-type Pokemon like Regirock and Probopass can take a Boomburst quite easily, stomach a Bullet Seed, and threaten Toucannon with Rock-type STAB moves.
**Revenge Killers**: Toucannon's Speed and typing leave it prone to being easily revenge killed by Pokemon like Lycanroc, Archeops, Jynx, and Magmortar. However, these Pokemon will find it almost impossible to safely switch in on Toucannon.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types assure that Toucannon is not always free to spam Boomburst, as they can potentially switch into it. Common threats are Oricorio-G, Spiritomb, and Silvally-Ghost. While these Pokemon are not completely safe from Toucannon's other coverage, the fact that they are immune to Toucannon's strongest move can make them harder to deal with.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types reliably check Toucannon by revenge killing it and resisting Toucannon's second STAB move Brave Bird. Common threats include Eelektross, Togedamaru, and Oricorio-E.
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