BRAMALUNA STRATEGY IN COMPETITIVE POKÉMON

In Paldea we have a new type of Pokémon; The Paradoxes. They are Pokémon we already know, but in past forms for Scarlet and future forms for Purple. These have great stats, spectacular ability, and great moves, which make them very interesting for Competitive Pokémon . All paradoxes share one of their types with their counterparts, changing the other. And its potential is tremendous.

Today we are going to see the competitive strategy of Bramaluna (Roaring Moon in English), the paradox of Salamance . This dragon is an outrage that has come to revolutionize the competition of both Singles and Doubles VGC.

? BRAMALUNA STATS

Bramaluna has really high stats and a very efficient cast:

• Health: 105.
• Attack: 139.
• Defense: 71.
• Special Attack: 55.
• Special Defense: 101.
• Speed: 119.

His stats add up to 590 points , tremendous stats for a pseudo-legendary. Bramaluna has an even better cast than its present form Salamence. Defensively he has a very good Health and Special Defense stat, although his 71 Defense can be a weak point.

However his offensive stats are excellent. 119 Speed ​​makes it one of the fastest Pokémon even among dragons, and its 139 Attack is outrageous within the reach of very few. It is a Pokémon with the ability to sweep teams.

TYPE, RESISTANCES AND WEAKNESSES

Moonbray is a Dark Dragon-type . Let’s see its resistances and weaknesses:

• It is resistant to Fire, Water, Electric, Grass, Ghost, and Dark.
• It is weak to Ice, Fighting, Bug and Dragon.
• It is very weak to Fairy.

It has 6 resistances and all to very common types, which means that it can switch in quite safely. It also has immunity to priority moves from Pokemon with the Trickster ability (such as Grimmsnarl or Sableye ) as a Dark-type.

Let’s see their weaknesses, especially that hard weakness to fairies:

• Ice : With the changes to the Snow weather this type is much more common. Pokémon like Galar Darmanitan will destroy us without problems.
• Fight : It is a more common type in coverage than in Pokémon, but be careful with Pokémon like Pawmot that can do us very high damage.
• Bug : Although it is the least common type, Back and forth is a very frequent movement. Volcarona is one of the most used bugs.
• Dragon : Dragons are very dangerous for our Moonbrammer, some of the most dangerous are Baxcalibur and Hydreigon .
• Fairy(x4) : A x4 weakness to the big Fairy-type is very tricky. Pokémon like Tinkaton or Maneleteo are very complicated.

ROARING MOON ABILITIES

All past paradoxes have the same ability, though the effect may be different:

PALEOSYNTHESIS

If the weather is Sun, the Pokémon sees its best stat increased. This ability can also be activated if the Pokémon has the Power Up Energy item equipped (it is consumed upon activation, so if it returns to its ball it will not activate again). Depending on how we train our Bramaluna, it will increase its best statistic by one level . In strategies we leave you how you can use this in your favor to surprise.

IVS, EVS AND NATURE

The perfect Iv’s and we will use classic EV’s for an attacker:

• EV’s : The already standard 252 in Attack, 252 in Speed ​​and 4 in Defense.
• Nature : His best option Cheerful Nature (+Speed, -Special Attack), although if we can control the Speed ​​(or are not worried about a fight against another Moonbraam), the Steady Nature (+Attack, -Special Attack) is very powerful.

RECOMMENDED ITEM

These are the objects that we recommend for Bramaluna:

• Pure Amulet : This object prevents the opponent’s movements or abilities from reducing the statistics of our Pokémon. It’s great against Intimidate and the move Last Word.
• Vidasfera : Enhances the damage produced by 30% and damages our Pokémon for 10% of its life. It is a great option that will give us great damage and we will see that we have a way to compensate for the loss of life.
• Boosting Energy : When entering the field, the Pokémon consumes the object to activate its ability (it only works with paradoxes and its Paleosynthesis and Quark Charge abilities).

BEST MOVES FOR BRAMALUNA

Bramaluna has very good movements. Let’s see which ones we recommend:

• Iron Head : Steel, Physical, 80 power and 100% accuracy. Has a 30% chance to fear the target. It is very effective damage against Fairy, Ice and Rock. Our best option against Pokemon like Fluttermane, Togekiss , or Tyranitar /Rinquills.
• Dragon Claw : Dragon STAB, 80 power and 100% accuracy. It is our best STAB, being very effective against Dragon. With this we will weaken those Dragonites or Garchomps (although be careful that they change their type when teracrystallizing).
• Dragon Dance : Dragon, Status, the Pokémon increases its Attack and Speed ​​by one level. It’s our boost move , if we manage to do it without losing too much life Bramaluna will be a true destroyer.
• Shred : STAB Dark, Physical, 80 Power and 100% Accuracy. Has a 20% chance to lower the target’s Special Defense. It’s our coverage against Ghost and Psychic types. Very useful against Ceruledge and Armarouge .
• Acrobat : Flying, Physical, 55 power and 100% accuracy. Its Power becomes 110 if the Pokémon using it has no item. Great synergy with Boosting Energy, because when consumed we will hit very hard. It is very effective damage against Bug, Fighting and Grass. Good option against Pokemon like Annihilape , Meowscarada , and Scizor .
• Protection : Normal, Status, high priority. The Pokémon prevents all damage or status moves this turn. A must in Doubles VGC.

BRAMALUNA STRATEGIES (ROARING MOON)

We are going to show you how to play this beast on your teams. We leave you a trick to surprise more than one:

MOONBRAY THE DESTROYER SWEEPER (SINGLES)

• IVs: Perfect.
• EVs: 252 Attack, 4 Defense, 252 Speed.
• Nature: Cheerful.
• Item: Empowering Energy / Life Orb.
• Skill: Paleosynthesis.
• Movements:
  • Acrobat / Crush.
  • Dragon claw.
  • Iron head.
  • Dragon Dance.

This set is a classic sweeper set with Dragon Dance. Our goal will be to set Moonbraam against an opponent that forces the switch in order to use our Dragon Dance boost without losing Health . From that moment, we can with almost any Pokémon.

If we carry Empowering Energy it is better to take Acrobat since when consuming the object it will have a power of 110, hitting very very hard. If we go for Life Orb, Acrobat will not hit very hard and it will be better to run Crush. Dragon Claw is the best STAB Dragon, as we have already seen, and Iron Head helps us against those uncomfortable Fairies (and you will see below that it will help us with teracrystallization).

ANTI-INTIMIDATE MOONBRAWL SWEEPER (VGC DOUBLES)

• IVs: Perfect.
• EVs: 252 Attack, 4 Defense, and 252 Speed.
• Nature: Cheerful.
• Item: Pure Amulet/Enhancing Energy.
• Skill: Paleosynthesis.
• Movements:
  • Protection.
  • Dragon claw.
  • Iron head.
  • Dragon Dance/Acrobat.

In VGC Doubles it is very common to have rivals that will lower our stats, usually Attack, with skills like Intimidate or moves like Last Word, so the Pure Amulet has great value . In this set it is very important to be faster than the opposing fairies (or teracrystallize Steel). If we manage to place a Dragon Dance we will pass to almost everything in the game, so I only recommend Acrobat if you really need it (against Rillaboom or Venusaur it can be key).

To activate our ability I recommend Torkoal with his Drought ability.

BRAMALUNA FLASH SWEEPER (SINGLES AND DOUBLES VGC)

• IVs: Perfect.
• EVs: 220 Attack, 32 Speed ​​Defense, 4 Special Defense, and 252 Speed.
• Nature: Cheerful.
• Object: Empowering Energy.
• Skill: Paleosynthesis.
• Movements:
  • Iron head.
  • Acrobat.
  • Dragon claw.
  • Protection / Shred.

This set has a very interesting feature: when we activate our Paleosynthesis ability, our Speed ​​will be improved . With this distribution of EV’s our Speed ​​will be one point higher than our Attack, being enhanced with Paleosynthesis. And with this value of Speed ​​+1 we will be faster than all the Dragons, including Dragapult . That will surprise many and can give us many games in one turn.

MOONBRAAM TERACRYSTALLIZATION

• Teracrystallization Steel .

Steel is without a doubt the best option to teracrystallize Thundermoon. Its x4 weakness to Fairy is very dangerous and changing our type to Steel we managed to resist that damage and be able to hit it with STAB thanks to Iron Head. Keep in mind when switching that we will be weak against Fire, Fighting and Ground types, so watch out for Pokemon like Skeledirge and Quaquaval , among others.

HOW TO DEFEAT MOONBRAAM AND COUNTERS

We are facing a Pokémon that is very difficult to eliminate and with options to cover itself. But let’s see some ways to kill it:

• Fighting Type : With a Fighting-type Pokémon we can do very effective damage even if it teracrystallizes Steel. Also, if you don’t have the Empowering Energy item, you won’t have Acrobat, so you won’t have a cover. The aforementioned Pawmot, Ironpalms or Ironpaladin are great options, the latter is also a Fairy type.
• Fairies : 4x damage will be KO’d as long as it maintains its starting type. Good Fairy-type Pokémon like Mimikyu or Hatterene (for Trick Room strategies ), like the aforementioned Tinkaton or Maneleteo