Competitive Information for Honchkrow [Black/White]
Dark / Flying
Abilities:
This Pokemon cannot fall asleep. Gaining this Ability while asleep cures it.
This Pokemon's Attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and KOes another Pokemon.
This Pokemon's critical hit ratio is raised by 1 stage.

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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Honchkrow? These builds are optimized for Black/White Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Black/White metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Prepare for battle with Honchkrow, an impressive Pokémon boasting Dark and Flying attributes. It's a sight to see Honchkrow out in the 5th generation battlefield. It is weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock-typed attacks. Explore the movesets below to see how Honchkrow performs in battles.
Item: Scope Lens / Shell Bell
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Night Slash / Foul Play
- Brave Bird / Sky Attack
- Superpower
- Double-Edge / Return
For single battles, Honchkrow is pretty popular Physical Sweeper. It is primarily designed to crush rivals using potent physical moves. Scope Lens/Razor Claw increases Honchkrow critical hit ratio by 1 stage and combined with Honchkrow's Super Luck ability will double these chances even further. The Shell Bell item option is to help Honchkrow recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge and Brave Bird. With Super Luck, Honchkrow's critical hit ratio is raised by 1 stage.
◆ Foul Play is a physical STAB-boosted 95-base power Dark-type move (uses target's attack stat in damage calculation).
◆ Brave Bird is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Flying-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Sky Attack is a physical STAB-boosted 140-base power Flying-type move (charges, then hits turn 2. 30% flinch. High crit).
◆ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Honchkrow's attack and defense by 1 stage).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gaa1ae
Item: Scope Lens / Life Orb
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Foul Play / Dark Pulse
- Air Cutter
- Heat Wave
- Psychic
Honchkrow is an interesting Special Sweeper to use for single battles. The objective of this moveset is to overwhelm foes with devastating special moves. Scope Lens/Razor Claw increases Honchkrow critical hit ratio by 1 stage and combined with Honchkrow's Super Luck ability will double these chances even further. Life Orb boosts the power of Honchkrow's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Super Luck, Honchkrow's critical hit ratio is raised by 1 stage.
◆ Dark Pulse is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Air Cutter is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Flying-type move (high critical hit ratio. Hits adjacent foes).
◆ Heat Wave is a special 100-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the foes).
◆ Psychic is a special 90-base power Psychic-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gba1ae
Item: Leftovers
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Careful (+SpD, -SpA)
EVs: 210 Hp / 252 Atk / 45 SpD
Moveset:
- Brave Bird
- Payback
- Swagger
- Screech
Prepare for single battles with Honchkrow as a spectacular Physical Tank. This setup is intended to withstand physical attacks and hit back effectively. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Honchkrow last longer regaining it's healthiness every turn. With Moxie, Honchkrow's attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and koes another pokemon.
◆ Payback is a physical STAB-boosted 50-base power Dark-type move (power doubles if your Honchkrow moves after the target).
◆ Swagger is a status move (raises the target's attack by 2 stages and confuses it).
◆ Screech is a status move (lowers the target's defense by 2 stages).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gca1ae
Item: Choice Scarf
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Brave Bird
- Night Slash
- Superpower
- Drill Peck / Pursuit
Dominating single battles, Honchkrow is an outstanding Physical Sweeper. The main aim of this moveset is to crush rivals using brute physical attacks. Choice Scarf will increase Honchkrow's speed by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. With Moxie, Honchkrow's attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and koes another pokemon.
◆ Night Slash is a physical STAB-boosted 70-base power Dark-type move (high critical hit ratio).
◆ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Honchkrow's attack and defense by 1 stage).
◆ Drill Peck is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Flying-type move that deals a substantial amount of damage.
◆ Pursuit is a physical STAB-boosted 40-base power Dark-type move (if a foe is switching out, hits it at 2x power).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gda1ae
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Brave Bird
- Sucker Punch / Night Slash
- Roost
- Substitute
Honchkrow is an outstanding Physical Sweeper to use for single battles. It tries to take down the opponent's team with heavy-hitting physical moves. Life Orb boosts the power of Honchkrow's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Moxie, Honchkrow's attack is raised by 1 stage if it attacks and koes another pokemon. This is pretty self-explanatory. First turn, use Substitute and depending on what the opponent switch-into your honchkrow from there you can Brave Bird or Sucker Punch them. Moxie (the hidden ability) gives it an Attack boost every time it faints a Pokemon (directly, so having it killed by residual damage like Sand or Hail won't trigger it).
Brave Bird would probably be the best move to use once you set up a Substitute, since you'll get STAB. That alone will pack a very big punch, and can be the catalyst of getting the Moxie boost.
◆ Sucker Punch is a physical STAB-boosted priority-increased 80-base power Dark-type move (usually goes first. Fails if target is not attacking).
◆ Night Slash is a physical STAB-boosted 70-base power Dark-type move (high critical hit ratio).
◆ Roost is a status move (heals 50% hp. Flying-type removed until turn ends).
◆ Substitute is a status move (Honchkrow takes 1/4 its max hp to put in a substitute).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gea1ae
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Honchkrow? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Black/White Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Black/White metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Scope Lens / Shell Bell
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Night Slash / Foul Play
- Brave Bird / Sky Attack
- Superpower
- Double-Edge / Return
Honchkrow makes an a remarkable Physical Sweeper in double battles. It attempts to take down the opponent's team with potent physical attacks. Scope Lens/Razor Claw increases Honchkrow critical hit ratio by 1 stage and combined with Honchkrow's Super Luck ability will double these chances even further. The Shell Bell item option is to help Honchkrow recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge and Brave Bird. With Super Luck, Honchkrow's critical hit ratio is raised by 1 stage.
◆ Foul Play is a physical STAB-boosted 95-base power Dark-type move (uses target's attack stat in damage calculation).
◆ Brave Bird is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Flying-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Sky Attack is a physical STAB-boosted 140-base power Flying-type move (charges, then hits turn 2. 30% flinch. High crit).
◆ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Honchkrow's attack and defense by 1 stage).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/haa1ae
Item: Scope Lens / Life Orb
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Air Cutter
- Heat Wave
- Foul Play / Snarl
- Icy Wind
Honchkrow is a marvelous Special Sweeper to use for double battles. This build is crafted to take down the opponent's team with overwhelming special attacks. Scope Lens/Razor Claw increases Honchkrow critical hit ratio by 1 stage and combined with Honchkrow's Super Luck ability will double these chances even further. Life Orb boosts the power of Honchkrow's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Super Luck, Honchkrow's critical hit ratio is raised by 1 stage.
◆ Heat Wave is a special 100-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the foes).
◆ Foul Play is a physical STAB-boosted 95-base power Dark-type move (uses target's attack stat in damage calculation).
◆ Snarl is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Dark-type move (100% chance to lower the foes special attack by 1 stage).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/hba1ae
Movepool
Want to know what moves Honchkrow can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Black/White generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Honchkrow.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Honchkrow can perform in Black/White. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive BW Move and Ability Combos for Honchkrow
- Moves: Swagger + Foul play
- Moves: Swagger + Psych up
- Moves: Swagger + Screech
- Moves: Psych up + Haze
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Perish song + Protect
- Ability: Super luck + Item: Scope lens
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Assurance + Item: Rocky Helmet
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Snatch, Sucker Punch
- Moves that Break Screens: Defog
- Moves that inflict status: Thunder Wave, Toxic
Moves that boost Honchkrow's stats
- Calm Mind
- Nasty Plot
- Ominous Wind
- Steel Wing
Most notable and possible best moves for Honchkrow
- Brave Bird
- Heat Wave
- Night Slash
- Other
- Protect
- Rest
- Roost
- Snarl
- Superpower
- Tailwind
- Taunt
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Honchkrow in Black and White
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/4/0/252/ )
- Naughty Nature ( 0/252/0/4/0/252/ )
- Optimize Honchkrow's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon Black and White
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.

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Here are the best movesets for Honchkrow. Top rated Honchkrow Black/White movesets. You can find Honchkrow builds Black/White. Honchkrow movesets Black/White are listed here. VGC Honchkrow Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Honchkrow in Black/White along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution