Flying-typePokémonare some trainers first catch in the wild and come in all shapes and sizes.Pokémon Scarlet and Violethave several Flying types to choose from, but teaching the best moves to one may be an even bigger challenge, especially if you’re playing competitively. This list will examine the best Flying-type moves in the game and give insight into why your team needs them.
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Not all moves on this list can be learned by every Flying-type Pokémon, and some may be better suited for certain Pokémon and not others. This list will not feature unique moves such asDragon AscentorBleakwind Stormas they are exclusive to only one Pokémon.
10Aerial Ace
Aerial Ace has been around since the third generation of Pokémon and remains one of the best Flying-type moves in the game. This 60 base powered physical attack has the added bonus of never being able to miss unless Protect is in play.
Often, your opponents will use moves like Double Team or Minimize to increase their evasion — or use other moves to lower your accuracy. Either way, having a reliable attack that will always hit, no matter how low your accuracy, makes this attack a staple for any Pokémon.
Berries come in all shapes and sizes with varying degrees of effects to boot. If your foe has Garchomp on their team, there’s a good chance it’s holding a Yache Berry to withstand the power of anIce-type attack. Having a move that eliminates these Berries from play is becoming more vital.
Pluck is an attack with 60 base power and the added effect of eating your enemy’s Berries. Removing a Berry from play can upset your opponent’s plan greatly, and if you manage to consume that Yache Berry from an enemy’s Garchomp, make sure you have an Ice-type move.
8Drill Peck
Drill Peck takes things up a notch for Flying types as this attack has a commendable 80 base damage. If the Pokémon using it is also a Flying type, then it will receive a STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and deal a base 120 damage!
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This attack has 20 PP, making it a perfect move on your journey — especially when you can’t find a Pokémon Center or local Healer nearby. While it has no special effect, this move is reliably strong and can knock out almost anyFighting-type Pokémonin one or two hits.
7Feather Dance
Many players will use moves to either damage their foe or increase their strength, but few will spend time decreasing their opponent’s stats. Feather Dance is a saboteur’s dream come true, as it lowers the target’s Attack stat by two stages.
This move is necessary if you’re fighting a Pokémon with ridiculously high Attack or the Ability Moxie, as you essentially make its one purpose useless. The opponent will have no choice but to switch out their Pokémon or let it take the fall.
Roost is one of the most enviable moves in Pokémon, and few have access to it. This Status move deals no damage; it heals its user for up to half of its total HP. That means if your Pokémon has 75 HP and their total is 100, they will regain their full health after using this move.
Knowing when to use Roost can be tricky, as sometimes it is better to switch out your Pokémon for another — especially if your opponent knows you have Roost. Still, this move is undeniably powerful, as it saves you from using potions, which is imperative forcompetitive play.
5Brave Bird
Brave Bird not only sounds cool but has a mighty 120 base damage, making it one of the strongest Flying-type attacks in the game. This powerful Physical attack does not come free, though, as the user receives 1/3 of the damage dealt as recoil.
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Even though you take some damage for yourself, the strength of this attack is worth it, as it can OHKO almost any Pokémon with a 2x weakness to Flying, such asBug typesandGrass types. Luckily, you can always recover the recoil damage with Roost if you have it.
4Air Slash
Air Slash is a crowd favorite in the competitive world of Pokémon, but not for its modest 75 base damage. This move is so useful because of its added 1/3 chance of causing the target to flinch when it connects.
Flinch allows your team to essentially stall your opponent, preventing them from making a move, no matter the condition. Equipping your Pokémon withRazor Fangor King’s Rock will increase the flinch chance to 40%. This mechanic will not work on a Pokémon with the ability Inner Focus or, worse, Steadfast.
3Dual Wingbeat
Dual Wingbeat is reminiscent of the once powerful Dragon-type attack Dual-Chop, as they both have the same base damage, accuracy, and effect. This move allows your Pokémon to hit the enemy twice, racking up the base damage to 80 if both attacks land.
The utility of this move comes when your opponent has used Protect on themselves. The first hit will be blocked by Protect, while the second hit has a chance to connect and do damage. This attack will usurp strong Flying-type moves like Drill Peck and Fly, since it will always break through Protect.
2Sky Attack
Sky Attack has 140 base damage, making it the single strongest Flying-type move in the game. This attack works similarly to Fly, as the user flies off the battlefield for the first turn and then returns to deal damage on the second. This also has the added bonus of dealing Critical damage and can make the target flinch.
This all-powerful attack’s huge drawback is that you are essentially telegraphing what you’re doing on your next turn. This makes little difference in the main game since NPCs rarely switch out their Pokémon, but real-life players will know to either use Protect or swap out for a stronger Pokémon to tank the hit.
Nobody enjoys attacking second in a turn, as moving first can give a team an edge throughout the battle. When you have a team of slow Pokémon, then this will last the whole game. Tailwind is a game changer, as it increases the base Speed of all your Pokémon by two stages.
Tailwind is one of the most useful Status moves in the game, as it always remains in effect for four turns until it’s reapplied. The only counter to Tailwind is if your opponent uses Trick Room, reversing the turn order and allowing the slower Pokémon to move first. Nonetheless, Tailwind is powerful and worth having on almost any team.
