Dusk StoneTo Honchkrow

HonchkrowLast stage shown

#0430 · GENERATION 4

Honchkrow Build Guide

DarkFlying

Physical attacker with conditional priority

Build a Honchkrow team ↓

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Custom Pokédex collection.

Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMHeavy-Duty Boots

ABILITYMoxie

NATUREAdamant

Brave Bird

Night Slash

Sucker Punch

U-turn

How to play

Moxie raises Attack after Honchkrow knocks out an opposing Pokémon. Sucker Punch offers priority when its target is preparing an attacking move; U-turn provides switching utility.

Watch out for

Key risk. Sucker Punch fails if its conditions are not met. Brave Bird causes recoil, and switching out loses Moxie boosts. Electric, Ice, Rock and Fairy attacks threaten it.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

BATTLE PLAN

When to attack, set up or switch

Moxie raises Attack after Honchkrow knocks out an opposing Pokémon. Sucker Punch offers priority when its target is preparing an attacking move; U-turn provides switching utility.

The target is about to set up or set a hazard

Sucker Punch fails against a non-attacking turn, which is the exact turn the priority was wanted for. Night Slash is the reliable hit there, and Brave Bird is the power that charges recoil whether or not the target survives.

Entry hazards come down on your side

Rock deals 2× to a Dark and Flying type, so the same typing that makes Ground moves harmless makes Stealth Rock bite. Heavy-Duty Boots are the reason this set can switch in at full price.

The opponent is faster

Electric, Fairy, Ice and Rock each deal 2×, and Honchkrow has no recovery move on the set — a knockout is what pays the Moxie raise, and a missed read is what spends it.

What does a safe pivot mean?

A teammate uses a switching move to bring Honchkrow in. A slower pivot may take the opponent’s hit first. Turn order and the opponent’s move still matter.

ITEM & ABILITY

How this build works

Moxie raises Honchkrow’s Attack every time an opposing Pokémon faints, and switching out keeps the boost but costs the turns that made it. Sucker Punch only moves first when the target is preparing an attack, so the priority is a read rather than a stat.

Watch the tradeoff. Sucker Punch fails if its conditions are not met. Brave Bird causes recoil, and switching out loses Moxie boosts. Electric, Ice, Rock and Fairy attacks threaten it.

These battle mechanics do not change the builder’s type-and-base-stat score. The tool does not simulate moves, abilities, held items or damage.

COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Honchkrow or Staraptor?

Staraptor offers a different Flying physical role with Normal attacks and Close Combat.

Base stats · standard forms in the local Generation 9 dataset
Stat	Honchkrow	Staraptor
HP	100	85
Attack	125	120
Defense	52	70
Sp. Attack	105	50
Sp. Defense	52	60
Speed	71	100

Base stats are not final battle stats. Level, nature, IVs, EVs and battle effects affect the result. Check availability in your game before choosing an alternative.

Teammate ideas

A Ground teammate covers Electric. A Steel partner can resist Ice, Rock and Fairy; add special damage in remaining slots.

Gastrodon

Electric immunity and Rock resistance help create switching options.

Read Gastrodon guide →Compare teammates →

Empoleon

Resists Ice, Rock and Fairy and adds special damage with recovery.

Read Empoleon guide →Compare teammates →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Staraptor

Staraptor offers a different Flying physical role with Normal attacks and Close Combat.

Read Staraptor guide →

Try Staraptor →

Type matchups

Weak to

Electric2×Ice2×Rock2×Fairy2×

Resistances and immunities

Grass0.5×Ground0×Psychic0×Ghost0.5×Dark0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP100

Attack125

Defense52

Sp. Attack105

Sp. Defense52

Speed71

Evolution chain

Murkrow#198
Dusk Stone
Honchkrow#430

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Honchkrow team

Start with Honchkrow. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#430

Honchkrow

DarkFlying

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense93

Defense62

Coverage28

Synergy8

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Electric attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Fairy attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Your own types can hit 5 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.
No teammate has a base Speed of 100 or higher. Consider adding a faster option.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Honchkrow	Weak	Resist
Normal	1×	0	0
Fire	1×	0	0
Water	1×	0	0
Electric	2×	1	0
Grass	½×	0	1
Ice	2×	1	0
Fighting	1×	0	0
Poison	1×	0	0
Ground	0×	0	1
Flying	1×	0	0
Psychic	0×	0	1
Bug	1×	0	0
Rock	2×	1	0
Ghost	½×	0	1
Dragon	1×	0	0
Dark	½×	0	1
Steel	1×	0	0
Fairy	2×	1	0

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

NormalNeutral

FireNeutral

WaterNeutral

ElectricNeutral

Grass✓ Super effective

IceNeutral

Fighting✓ Super effective

PoisonNeutral

GroundNeutral

FlyingNeutral

Psychic✓ Super effective

Bug✓ Super effective

RockNeutral

Ghost✓ Super effective

DragonNeutral

DarkNeutral

SteelNeutral

FairyNeutral

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.