Sigilyph [Revamp] (QC 3/3) (GP 2/2)

Arkian

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Code:
Stage: [COLOR="Green"]Done[/COLOR]
QC Approved: 3/3 (Pokemazter, PK Gaming, LonelyNess)
GP Approved 2/2 (Jukain, Oglemi)
Amchecked by: GSChris, Governess

Alright....my first analysis. Here goes:

[Overview]
  • Movepool goes hand-in-hand with ability; Magic Guard
  • Great defensive typing-albeit one that gives it common weaknesses-gives many opportunities to set up
  • Can run most durable offensive set of its kind
  • Powerful hits may limit effectiveness
  • Phasing is a problem
  • Has an issue with pokemon it can't force out
  • Don’t underestimate power unless you want to get swept by something as weird-looking as Sigilyph

[SET]
name: Bulky Sweeper
move 1: Cosmic Power / Calm Mind
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

  • Typing gives plenty of opportunities to set up
  • Status-Proof thanks to Flame Orb
  • Come in on a wall that can't touch Sigilyph (EQ or Psychic Bronzong, Gligar, etc.), boost as they switch; if switch is a physical attacker then burn it, if its special then continue boosting, Roost whenever you feel necessary, and proceed to hit hard with Stored Power
  • Doing the above may require a little bit of patience, and the surity that Dark-types are gone
  • Cosmic Power makes Sigilyph unbreakable without a critical hit
  • Calm Mind gives it sheer power while still being hard to defeat
  • Psycho Shift lets it pass its burn which not only cripples non Fire-type physical attackers, but also provides residual damage
  • Full powered Stored Power is enough to severely hurt even dedicated special walls, especially if you use Calm Mind
  • Roost gives it longevity, and gives it a cushion against slower Electric, Rock, and Ice attacks

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

  • EVs above allow Sigilyph to survive neutral Heracross and Meinshao's Stone Edge; which you can then burn them and survive the second Stone Edge. Although you have to be certain that the Heracross is running Moxie and NOT Guts. Sigilyph will also avoid a 2HKO from Scarfed Darmanitan's Flare Blitz after +1, although you will have to Cosmic Power again after the first hit.
  • Sigilyph can also live Life Orb Virizion's Stone Edge and can proceed to burn it, which will allow Sigilyph to live another Stone Edge.
  • EVs also allow Sigilyph to outspeed Max Speed Honchkrow and Defensive Zapdos allowing you to burn them or set up on them respectively.
  • Toxic Orb can be used but doesn’t provide cushion for strong Physical attacks.
  • Air Slash can be used over Stored Power to hit Dark-types, this is only recommended if using Calm Mind
  • Psychic / Psyshock can be used for immediate power
  • Fighting-types are highly recommended for getting rid of Dark-types that are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move. Scrafty is the best to consider thanks to 4x resistance to Dark-type attacks, and it forms a good bulky sweeper core with Sigilyph
  • Snorlax is god for taking care of special attackers
  • Rhyperior is good for checking/countering Electric, Rock, and some Ice type pokemon
  • Abomasnow can set up Hail for even more residual damage
  • If using Toxic Spikes, then Leftovers is a good substitute for Flame Orb, although this leaves Sigilyph prone to status such as Sleep, Paralysis, and the rare Freeze

[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Air Slash / Ice Beam
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

  • A great mixture of durability and power makes it a unique offensive pokemon in the UU Tier
  • Magic Guard alone makes Sigilyph an excellent choice for a Special Attacker
  • Psyshock can be used to get a stronger hit on Specially Defensive pokemon like Snorlax
  • Psychic is used for raw power
  • Air Slash can be used as a secondary STAB
  • Ice Beam covers the threats that Air Slash does while getting a stronger hit on Gligar and Flygon
  • If running Ice Beam, however, Slowbro and Slowking wall it
  • Heat Wave is used for Steel-Types, especially Bronzong
  • Roost is used for reliable recovery, it also lets it evade a super-effective hit from slower Rock, Ice, or Electric type attacks
  • Hidden Power Fighting allows Sigilyph to hit Dark-Types, such as Houndoom, Sharpedo, and Umbreon super effectively
  • Without Hidden Power Fighting or Air Slash, Dark-types wall it to hell and back

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

  • These EVs are standard for any Special Attacker, however, an alternate spread of 56 HP / 252 SAtk / 200 Spe will let it have a higher chance of surviving Scarf Heracross's Stone Edge, and also let it avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Shaymin's Seed Flare (assuming no drops). This will also mean that Sigilyph is no longer able to outrun positive base 95s such as Arcanine
  • Life Orb is the preffered item is it grants some much desired power, and Sigilyph doesn’t take any recoil from it thanks to Magic Guard
  • Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Air Slash / Ice Beam to make room for Roost in the last slot if you must
  • Energy Ball and Shadow Ball can be used for additional coverage, but doesn't provide much more coverage than the options above
  • Calm Mind can be used in the last slot to boost Sigilyph's Special Attack while making it easier for it to take special hits from the likes of Zapdos and Nidoking/queen, but you lose on coverage/healing and this Sigilyph has a lot of trouble setting up.
  • Tinted Lens can be considered, although this set would lose its main niche and Yanmega-among other pokemon-will outclass it
  • EV spread is standard for any special attacker, although max HP can be used over Spe for even more durability
  • 4 SpD is used to not give Porygon-Z the SpA boost it wants
  • Timid nature is used to outspeed neutral base 100s and positive base 95s
  • Snorlax and Umbreon cause trouble, Fighting-Types are recommended partners
  • Awkward speed tier begs fast revenge killers with decent special bulk to revenge Sigilyph, example: Raikou
  • Entry hazard support is highly recommended to ease KOing specific pokemon, such as Specially Defensive Togekiss

[Other Options]

  • Whirlwind, Thunder-Wave, Toxic, and Dual Screens are all decent options, but are outclassed by Xatu
  • Charge Beam can be used as a boosting move as well, although Sigilyph is better off boosting other stats or attacking right off the bat
  • Choice Specs can be used on the Offensive set, but in the long run, its outclassed by Life Orb due to Magic Guard negating recoil and having the ability to switch moves
  • Hypnosis can be used for shutting a pokemon down and giving opportunity to setup, although it is unreliable and Sigilyph usually doesn’t have a moveslot to spare
  • Choice Scarf set makes for a decent revenge killer, but Sigilyph’s Special Attack is lacking in UU terms
  • Sigilyph can attempt gimmicky sets such as Trick Room and Gravity
  • Tinted Lens is a viable ability, but Sigilyph enjoys the immunity to common things such as Toxic and Stealth Rocks more than being able to hit most pokemon neutrally
  • Wonder Skin can be used to evade status and its kind, but Flame Orb does that more reliably and Magic Guard helps Sigilyph to not get worn down easily

[Checks and Counters]

  • Different checks depending on set running
  • Dark-types end Cosmic Power Sigilyph's chances of sweeping
  • Sableye is the number one check to the Bulky Sweeper set thanks to priority Taunt, immunity to Psychic STAB, ability to Recover burn damage, and hit back hard with Foul Play
  • Hitting it with insanely powerful attacks so it can’t recover the damage off or set up another Cosmic Power without fear of being KO’d is a good way to prevent it from setting up and keeping momentum on your side
  • Chandelure can hit hard with STAB Super Effective Shadow Ball, and grab a Flash fire Boost from Sigilyph’s attempt of burning it
  • Zapdos and Raikou are also good for this job thank to Electric STAB and good Special Defense
  • Pokemon that are capable of phasing are also great, Calm Mind Suicune is the perfect pokemon for this since it can boost alongside Sigilyph and Roar it away (granted it runs both moves). Burn is annoying though
  • Critical hits-although rare-are a huge pain in Sigilyph’s backside
  • Offensive set is surprisingly easier to check / counter
  • Umbreon ultimately stops it since its Specially Defensive variant only gets 5HKO’d, giving it more than enough time to strike it down with either Payback or Foul Play
  • Snorlax can take any attack and OHKO with Choice Band boosted Crunch
  • If not running Air Slash OR Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-Types (specially Sharpedo) become even bigger threats, as they easily switch in and threaten to dent or even outright OHKO it
  • Revenge Killed by strong attackers with some prior damage
  • If all else fails, then mock the way Sigilyph looks and hope the user is sensitive enough to forfeit

[Overview]

<p>Behold the mighty Aztec Bird, known for its power to annoy the living hell out of every challenger who dares to oppose it. Unless your team has some extremely hard hitters, or a Dark-type, it will be nigh impossible to stop Sigilyph. This is thanks to its great typing, movepool, and stats that go hand-in-hand with its ability, Magic Guard. Its typing provides it with an invaluable quadruple resistance to the growing population of Fighting-type moves and a nifty immunity to Ground-type attacks; this allows Sigilyph to gain plenty of switch-in opportunities and wall a number of dangerous UU Pokemon. Its movepool contains a reliable recovery move in Roost; boosting moves, such as Calm Mind and Cosmic Power; and many coverage options, such as Heat Wave and Ice Beam. It is commonly seen running the classic bulky sweeper set, which is known for making its opponents bald as they rip their hair out in pure frustration. It can also run the most durable offensive set of its kind that performs just as well. Its ability, Magic Guard, is really what makes Sigilyph a Pokemon worth writing home about, as an immunity to common forms of passive damage, such as Toxic, hail, and Stealth Rock, is extremely helpful and what makes Sigilyph so difficult to break past.</p>

<p>At this point, you might be wondering why is Sigilyph not banned to Ubers; the reason lies in the fact that common Pokemon aren't really forced out by it, especially specially offensive Pokemon that can hit it hard, such as Raikou, Zapdos, and Zoroark. Dark-types are also the bane of almost all Sigilyph. Phazing is another strategy Sigilyph hates to face, as it comes into the field wanting to stay there for a long time before either fainting or switching out. However, you should never underestimate Sigilyph unless you would like it to sweep you.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Sweeper
move 1: Cosmic Power / Calm Mind
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Sigilyph's bread-and-butter set. Its fantastic typing gives Sigilyph plenty of opportunities to set up. It also has a pseudo-immunity to status thanks to its ability, Magic Guard. The game plan for this set is simple; come in on something that Sigilyph forces out (preferably a wall) and boost as it switches. If the switch-in is a physical attacker, then burn it with Psycho Shift; if not, then continue boosting, Roost whenever you feel necessary, and once you're certain you've gotten enough boosts sweep with Stored Power. However, for this game plan to work, you must have any and every Dark-type on the opponent's team removed, as they are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move, Stored Power.</p>

<p>Cosmic Power is the boosting move of choice, as it turns Sigilyph into an unbreakable tank save for critical hits. Calm Mind, on the other hand, provides Sigilyph with a way to boost its Special Attack while simultaneously boosting its Special Defense. Calm Mind is listed because Sigilyph can cripple most physical attackers by passing them its burn with Psycho Shift. Speaking of Psycho Shift, this move occupies the second slot because it is capable of passing the burn (or any status condition not named sleep or freeze) Flame Orb causes onto the foe, crippling it with residual damage. Stored Power is the STAB move of choice, as it gains more power the more Sigilyph boosts, with or without Calm Mind. After it is fully boosted, Stored Power reaches a whopping 240 Base Power, which is enough to dent the most frightening specially defensive Pokemon of UU, Snorlax, comfortably 2HKOing it (this turns into an OHKO if Sigilyph is using Calm Mind). Roost is Sigilyph's reliable recovery move, preventing the opponent from whittling down Sigilyph's health. Roost also temporarily removes Sigilyph's weaknesses to Electric-, Ice-, and Rock-type attacks.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above allow Sigilyph to survive neutral Heracross and Mienshao's Stone Edges, after which Sigilyph can burn them to allow it to survive the second one. Just make sure that Heracross is running Moxie and not Guts, as the burn would then actually benefit it. Furthermore, Sigilyph can survive Life Orb Virizion's Stone Edge and avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Darmanitan's Flare Blitz at +1; you will have to use Cosmic Power again after the first hit though.</p>

<p>Toxic Orb can be used over Flame Orb for more passive damage on the opponent, though be warned of the fact that Sigilyph will no longer be able to handle physical attackers quite as well. Toxic Orb also doesn't affect Steel- and Poison-types, unlike Flame Orb, which is only ineffective against Fire-type opponents. Likewise, if you have Toxic Spikes support on your team, then Leftovers is a great substitute over Flame Orb, although Sigilyph won't be able to evade sleep and freeze status conditions in that case. Air Slash can be used over Stored Power to be able to land a hit on Dark-types. However, Stored Power has more power in the long run and is capable of seriously denting or outright KOing the majority of the tier. If you do choose to run Air Slash, make sure that you're using Calm Mind as your boosting move, as Air Slash's power is pathetic otherwise. Psychic or Psyshock can be used for more immediate power, but they aren't recommended, as this Sigilyph should never have to attack as soon as it enters the field.</p>

<p>Fighting-types are the best partners for Sigilyph, as they're capable of ridding the opponent's team of Dark-type Pokemon, which are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move. The best options are Cobalion and Scrafty because of their quadruple resistance to Dark-type attacks and capability of forming a good bulky boosting core with Sigilyph. Cobalion even gets a boost from tanking Dark-type attacks thanks to its ability Justified. Snorlax is an excellent partner for taking care of troublesome special attackers that make Sigilyph's life stressful. Rhyperior is another good candidate because it is immune to Electric-type attacks and resists Rock-type moves, both of which are super effective against Sigilyph. Rhyperior can even hit Ice-type Pokemon for super effective damage with its STAB Rock Blast or Stone Edge. Sigilyph in return can come in on the Grass-types that threaten Rhyperior. Abomasnow's Snow Warning summons hail onto the battlefield, inflicting even more residual damage on the opponent for Sigilyph to whittle their health away more quickly. Despite its typing, Sigilyph doesn't get hampered by the hail thanks to its beloved ability, Magic Guard.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Air Slash / Ice Beam
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Sigilyph's great mixture of durability and power makes it a unique offensive Pokemon in the UU metagame. Its ability, Magic Guard, is what makes this set good, as it enables Sigilyph to be very resilient on the battlefield while dishing out powerful attacks thanks to its decent base 103 Special Attack. Psyshock is generally Sigilyph's STAB move of choice because it gets a noticeably stronger hit on specially defensive tanks, such as Snorlax. Psychic, on the other hand, can be used for raw power and has a rare but useful chance of lowering the foe's Special Defense. Air Slash can be used as Sigilyph's secondary STAB; it gets a harder hit on Scrafty, a Pokemon Sigilyph would otherwise fear. Ice Beam, however, hits similar targets to that of Air Slash and also gets an OHKO on Flygon and Gligar; although if Sigilyph runs Ice Beam, its completely walled by Slowbro and Slowking. Heat Wave occupies the third slot for getting a super effective hit on Steel-types, such as Bronzong and Registeel, as well as OHKO Abomasnow. Roost is an excellent option for the last slot, as it provides reliable recovery and gives Sigilyph even more durability. On the other hand, Hidden Power Fighting gets a super effective hit on Dark-types and Empoleon. Make sure you run at least one of Hidden Power Fighting and Air Slash, as otherwise Pokemon such as Umbreon and Sharpedo will wall it to hell and back.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above are standard for many special attackers; however, an alternate spread of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 Spe will give Sigilyph a higher chance of surviving Choice Scarf Heracross's Stone Edge while also allowing it to avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Shaymin's Seed Flare (assuming no drops). However, Sigilyph will desperately miss outspeeding positive base 95s, such as Arcanine. Life Orb is the item of choice here, as it grants Sigilyph some much-desired power; the recoil that would normally be taken is negated thanks to Magic Guard. Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Air Slash or Ice Beam in the second slot or Heat Wave in the third slot to make room for Roost if you must have both. Energy Ball and Shadow Ball are other coverage options Sigilyph has access to, but they only hit a small range of Pokemon and generally don't provide more coverage than the options listed above. Calm Mind is a great boosting move that can be used in the last slot; however, Sigilyph will lose out on coverage and healing, and this variant has a much harder time setting up. Tinted Lens is another ability that Sigilyph has access to; while it may seem useful on this set at first, don't be fooled, as an immunity to residual damage outclasses the need to hit Pokemon that 2x resist its Psychic-type attacks neutrally.</p>

<p>Sigilyph's preferred teammates come straight down to the coverage moves it uses. If it opts not to use Air Slash, then Slowbro and Slowking effortlessly wall it, making Shaymin and Roserade good partners, as they can quickly rid them from the field. If you use Roost over Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types can come in and threaten it. For this reason, Fighting-types are excellent partners, as most of them can practically switch in for free and land powerful STABs; they can also threaten Snorlax and Umbreon, Pokemon that give Sigilyph trouble no matter what moves it runs. Sigilyph's awkward Speed tier just begs revenge killers to come in and dispose of it, so bulky Choice Scarf users of your own are great options; examples of these include Heracross, Raikou, and Victini. Last but not least, Sigilyph greatly appreciates entry hazard support to allow it to achieve KOs on certain Pokemon, such as specially defensive Togekiss. Rhyperior is an awesome partner in this regard as it threatens Pokemon that tend to be able to harm Sigilyph while being able to set up Stealth Rock.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sigilyph has a large movepool, so there are quite a few more options worth considering. Sigilyph can utilize support moves such as dual screens, Thunder Wave, Toxic, and Whirlwind, but it is outclassed by Xatu in using them. Hypnosis, however, is a move that is somewhat unique to Sigilyph, being able to shut a Pokemon down and providing opportunities for set up, although it is still very unreliable, and Sigilyph has a hard time finding a moveslot to spare for it. As far as offensive options go, it can make use of Charge Beam as another way to boost its Special Attack while doing a bit of damage in the process, but Calm Mind is almost always a superior option due to the fact that it barely does any damage anyway. Sigilyph can use a Choice item on the offensive set, but they have their own issues. Life Orb outclasses Choice Specs, as its residual damage it cut out by Magic Guard, and it also gives Sigilyph the ability to freely switch moves. Choice Scarf makes Sigilyph a good revenge killer, but Sigilyph's Special Attack and the Base Power of its moves are somewhat lacking by UU standards. Sigilyph can also attempt gimmicky sets such as Trick Room and Gravity, but they end up being a little too gimmicky to be viable. As for abilities, Tinted Lens is actually decent, but so much not on a Pokemon that has access to the far more superior Magic Guard, as Sigilyph enjoys the immunity to forms of residual damage, such as Stealth Rock and Toxic, more than being able to hit most resistances for neutral damage. While Wonder Skin allows Sigilyph to avoid some forms of status, Flame Orb does that more reliably and Sigilyph would once again prefer the immunity to residual damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Sigilyph has entirely different checks depending on the set it runs. The bulky sweeper set's archenemies are Dark-types. Sableye is probably the best Dark-type to take care of Sigilyph, as it has priority Taunt to stop Sigilyph's boosting and recovery, is immune to Stored Power, has Recover to mitigate burn damage, and can strike it hard with a super effective STAB Foul Play. Hitting it with insanely powerful attacks so it can't Roost off the damage or continue boosting in fear of being KOed is another excellent way of checking Sigilyph. One of the best candidates for this is Chandelure, as it hits extremely hard with a STAB Shadow Ball coming off of a base 140 Special Attack, especially when powered up by Choice Specs. Raikou and Zapdos are also good at this job thanks to their Electric-type STAB and good Special Defense. Pokemon that are capable of phazing are also great; Calm Mind Suicune is a perfect example, as it can boost alongside Sigilyph and Roar it out granted it runs both moves.</p>

<p>The offensive set is surprisingly easier to check and counter. Specially defensive Umbreon can stop it because it is only 5HKOed at best, giving it more than enough time to strike Sigilyph down with STAB Foul Play or Payback. Snorlax can also take any attack thrown at it and then OHKO back with a Choice Band-boosted Crunch. If you decide against running both Air Slash and Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types (especially Sharpedo) become even bigger threats, as they can easily switch in and threaten to severely hurt or even outright OHKO it. Sigilyph is also easily revenge killed by any decently powerful Pokemon after some prior damage.</p>
 

kokoloko

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okay

first of all, you need to explain what the EV spread does in a more specific way. 216 speed outspeeds what, exactly?

another thing i notice straight away is that you have choice specs listed as an option on a pokemon with magic guard. this is pretty pointless given that magic guard cancels lo recoil anyway.

i'll check this more thoroughly when i have some time, but for now make those changes
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
is a Contributor Alumnus
I changed the EVs to 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe on the Bulky Sweeper set and moved Choice Specs to AC on the Offensive set. Thanks for the recommendations.
 
Choice specs shouldn't be an option at all. Magic Guard negates Life Orb recoil. The ability to switch moves outclasses the extra bit of power brought about by Choice Specs. Remove that from AC and mention it in OO, but be sure to point out that Life Orb is by far the superior item choice due to Magic Guard. Other than that, this is fine.

QC Approved 1/3
 
I think the offensive one needs to be changed.

[SET]
Name: Offensive
Move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
Move 2: Ice Beam / Air Slash
Move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Heat Wave
Move 4: Roost / Shadow Ball / Energy Ball
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Timid / Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Psyshock needs to be here as with any psychic sweeper
Hidden power fighting can replace heat wave for hitting steels
Modest nature can be used for more damage output
Shadow ball or energy ball could be used to hit slowbro/king who could otherwise wall this
It is probably also worth mentioning that because it isn't using a defensive set like almost every other one it is significantly less bulky, when I used mine I ended up replacing roost with coverage simply because it never survived long enough to use it.
You mention that roost should be used if life orb is the item, but it is the only item on the set...
 
I think the offensive one needs to be changed.

[SET]
Name: Offensive
Move 1: Psychic / Psyshock
Move 2: Ice Beam / Air Slash
Move 3: Hidden Power Fighting / Heat Wave
Move 4: Roost / Shadow Ball / Energy Ball
Item: Life Orb
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Timid / Modest
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Psyshock needs to be here as with any psychic sweeper
Hidden power fighting can replace heat wave for hitting steels
Modest nature can be used for more damage output
Shadow ball or energy ball could be used to hit slowbro/king who could otherwise wall this
It is probably also worth mentioning that because it isn't using a defensive set like almost every other one it is significantly less bulky, when I used mine I ended up replacing roost with coverage simply because it never survived long enough to use it.
You mention that roost should be used if life orb is the item, but it is the only item on the set...
I'll agree with slashing Psyshock with Psychic, but keep Energy Ball and Shadow Ball in Additional Comments. They're useful for only a few specific targets (Slowbro, Slowking, Rhyperior, Chandelure, etc.) and take away from Sigilyph's needed coverage.

Do note that if one runs Air Slash over Ice Beam, you're not walled by Slowbro or Slowking, as it 3HKOs both with Stealth Rock on the field and carries a chance for flinch.
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
is a Contributor Alumnus
Alright, I slashed Psyshock next to Psychic, mentioned the fact about Slowbro/king walling it if it runs Ice Beam and fixed my mistake for LO as the only item. Heat Wave should always be used on that set because it gets a stonger hit on Bronzong, something that would wall Sigilyph otherwise. Modest doesn't get any specific KOs either. Thanks for the help Rolen and Pokemazter

EDIT: I also moved Shadow Ball and Energy Ball from OO to AC.
 
I would at least mention the possibility of running Calm Mind over a coverage move on the Offensive set. It does kinda suck losing coverage but the extra power and SDef lets you beat stuff like Crocune which might otherwise set up on you. Roost + CM is maybe too close to the bulky set and leaves you walled by a bunch of stuff, so it's probably only worth a mention in OO/maybe AC, but I've had CM + 3 Attacks perform very well in the past since the extra power lets you get past stuff like bulky Snorlax and even Umbreon with a flinch or two. If you use a 0 Atk IV it can't 2HKO with Foul Play and obviously you're immune to stuff like Toxic.

In terms of EV spreads, there are a couple of possible benchmarks. 300 should probably be the absolute minimum to outrun neutral base 100s like Mew, which is 172 EVs. Going up to 308 (202 EVs) lets you outrun max +ve base 90s like Roserade and Meloetta, both of which are much easier to deal with when you're faster than them, so that's a good benchmark to hit. You can also go up to 219 speed for Jolly Darmanitan (240 EVs), but at that point you almost might as well go for max speed and tie the rare opposing Sigilyph.

On the bulky set, a spread of 252 HP / 108 Def / 148 Spe Timid gives you 8 extra points in Def while keeping your other stats the same (move 4 EVs to SDef if you really care about having the exact same stat...) and also gives you the option of going with 160 Spe to outrun all unscarfed Heracross and still gain a couple of points in defense. If you're no so concerned with speed, 252 HP / 200 Def / 8 SDef / 48 Spe Bold means you'll always survive two Stone Edges from neutral natured unboosted Heracross and Mienshao and neutral LO Virizion as long as you burn them after the first hit, which is useful clutch capability. You'll sometimes be able to do the same with Jolly CB Flygon Outrage, but it's a lot less certain so this probably doesn't warrant an actual mention. This also prevents Scarf Darmanitan from killing you if it comes in as you Cosmic Power - Flare Blitz against +1 Sigilyph isn't always a 2HKO and it has no chance against +2, so simply Cosmic Powering and then Roosting will let you stall it out. The faster spread can't pull this off as it takes too much damage from the first Flare Blitz. The speed EVs outrun max neutral Honchkrow so you can burn it before it puts a sub up. I put the remaining 8 in Special Defense since we don't speed creep in analysis' but in reality you'd probably want them in speed to outrun defensive Zapdos, Mew etc. that are going for the same Honchkrow benchmark. In particular, you can actually set up on Defensive Zapdos quite easily if you outrun it.

I'm not official QC, but I'd certainly say at least the first set's spread needs to change since it's just flat-out outclassed. I don't see the merit on running max speed with such a rare speed tier on the offensive set, but I might be missing something.

Ninja Edit: 252+ does actually outrun netural max speed Tornadus by one point... I'd question the merit of a neutral nature on Tornadus when it has such a great speed tier, but I guess the max+ spread does at least have that going for it.
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
is a Contributor Alumnus
Wow! Thanks a lot FastFlygon, I was experimenting with some odd spreads for the first set but none of them really seemed to work better than the one previously mentioned. Your set works PERFECTLY so I changed it to that and mentioned your comments on it in AC. For the Offensive set, I mentioned Calm Mind in the last slot in AC simply because Roost and Hidden Power Fighting have more merits than CM since Offensive Sigilyph can't set up with it most of the time. Once again thanks for that EV Spread.
 
A couple of minor notes:
You didn't mention Virizion under the spread - if you're only worried about Heracross and Mienshao you can just use 164 Def and put the the rest in SDef or try to hit another speed benchmark, so you should probably add a mention of Virizion of shift to 164 EVs if you don't think it's worth it.
Sigilyph will also survive Scarfed Darmanitan's Flare Blitz after +1
You actually don't need +1 to survive Flare Blitz - at least with the bulkier spread. What +1 allows you to do is avoid the 2HKO, as long as you Cosmic Power again after the first hit. This will allow you to stall recoil with Roost until Darmanitan dies or switches. If it goes for Rock Slide to avoid the recoil, the damage output is so low that you can just set up on it. Of course, neither of these things are possible if you use Calm Mind.

Also mention that you outrun only neutral natured Honchkrow - Jolly is pretty rare but it does outrun you. I would also give at least a mention to the faster 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 Spe Timid spread which can outrun non-scraf Heracross and KO it with Stored Power if you have a couple of boosts. I don't think it's as good as the bulkier one but there could well be a Pokemon I'm overlooking... certainly if Scarf Hera stops being the norm it could be worthwhile. On the subject of Heracross, Guts is very rare on Scarf, so I would perhaps mention it less strongly - maybe just delete it entirely and mention in Checks and Counters that Guts Heracross is pretty good against the defensive set since it doesn't mind the burn... I'll leave this up to QC.

I would definitely consider putting 56 HP / 252 SAtk / 200 Spe in the AC of the offensive set... you don't miss out on outrunning much and the extra bulk is nice since it gives you a bigger chance to survive Scarf Heracross Stone Edge (92%) and also means the CB Snorlax cannot OHKO you with Body Slam while you almost always 2HKO with Psyshock after SR. You do still die to Crunch and Return, unfortunately, but the extra little bit of bulk is always going to be useful to some degree eg. lowering the chance for LO Timid Shaymin to 2HKO with Seed Flare from 25% to 1% (assuming no drop). You actually have a pretty good chance to OHKO it in return after SR if you run Air Slash, which is cool.

IMO Psyshock + Air Slash should be slashed before Psychic + Ice Beam since the former lets you wallbreak easier and the latter just doesn't seem to hit much - Flygon's CB set is OHKOing you anyway, the Scarf does a lot of damage and probably isn't coming in on you since they'll expect you to burn them and Gligar doesn't really matter as a target since it can't do shit to you besides what, neutral U-turn? Air Slash lets do do the whole Flying-type immune to SR thing better and also lets you fish for flinches. You do lose out against Rhyperior, but Ice Beam isn't even a surefire 2HKO against the tank set even with SR and you're getting mauled by Rock Blast either way. HP Fighting also hits it almost as hard if you choose to run it. You should wait for QC opinion before implementing this, though, since they might not agree with me.
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
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I made all the changes you suggested. About slashing Air Slash before Ice Beam, and slashing Psyshock before Psychic, I went ahead and changed that too because your points seem important enough for this change to be implemented. If the QC disagrees, then I'll change it right back.
 

PK Gaming

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Do you plan on telling the reader how to use the Cosmic sweeper set? What I mean is, tell the reader when to bring it out, your gameplan, etc. I'm only asking because your skeleton is pretty vague, and the original analysis also slightly suffered from this. Sigphlyph being a mono attacker is kind of a big deal if Dark types are around, so you need to mention how one would play around them (Fighting-types, etc). Basically, i'd like to see more of an emphasis on how Dark-types are this Siglyph's biggest bane. Electric-types (ie Zapdos and Raikou) are also threats that need to mentioned more often, because Siglyph is pretty much useless if they're in play.
Zoroark and Sigilyph have good type synergy, and Zoroark can even pretend to be Sigilyph to net some surprise KOs on Fighting-Types
You mean Psychic types, right? Even then, Siglyph comes on top against most Psychic-types barring Victini so I don't think you should bother mentioning Zoroark. (Zoroark's lack of status and neutrality SR damage is a clear tip off too.It's also a pokemon that's usually used on faster paced teams that wouldn't ordinarily use Siglyph)
Pokemon that it needs to verse for a spot and reason to why Sigilyph is a better choice: Azelf, Togekiss, Tornadus and Zapdos (More durable and for some; better coverage), Mew and Xatu, (More powerful), Meloetta (Somewhat more durable and better coverage), and Slowbro (Faster)
This sentence is completely unnecessary. Magic Guard alone makes Siglyph worth using as a Special Attacker, there's no need to fill the analysis with pointless fluff.
Air Slash can be used over Stored Power to hit Houndoom, this is only recommended if using Calm Mind
I think it would be best if you just said Dark types in general.

I intend to approve this once the changes are made, but the analysis is pretty vague atm/redundant. I'm hoping that'll get ironed out when you actually write the entire thing out though.
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
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Implemented all of PK's suggestions. I'm pretty sure I can fix the analysis up while writing it so it doesn't seem redundant. Would like that QC check now (if there are no more changes to be made obv.). Thanks :)

EDIT: Also sorry for being a little late to implement those changes, I've been a little busy with real life stuff. It shouldn't get in the way now though.
 

PK Gaming

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Easily taunt bait and phasing is a problem
Take out the taunt bait. It's not a very cmon move in UU, and that's not its biggest problem. Sigplyph's issue is dealing with Pokemon that can force it out 100% of the time.

Without Hidden Power Fighting or Air Slash, Houndoom and Sharpedo actually wall it
Just say Dark-types in general. In the counters section, you're better off replacing mentions of Houndoom with Zoroark (Zoroark is actually UU, and its usually a bigger threat to Siglyph)

otherwise

QC APPROVED (2/3)

Your set comments are much better, good work.
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
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Got it PK; thanks. I should be done writing this up by Wednesday tops.

EDIT: Alright so it looks like I won't be finishing this up by Wednesday because of real life stuff again -.-
It should be up by the end of the week though.... (hopefully)

EDIT (EDIT): Alright, I'm finally done writing this up! Ready for its last QC check.
 

LonelyNess

Makin' PK Love
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we had a good long chat on IRC / showdown about the prose and some EV changes. I think this is ready to go up

QC APPROVED (3/3)
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
is a Contributor Alumnus
Alright, so LN and I had a talk and he told me to get rid of the Speed EVs on the first set and put it in Defense. Made that change, this is still awaiting its third QC check.

Ninja'd by him lol, thanks though. This is ready for GP!
 
I made an amcheck. The only repeating problems were its/it's and the use of semicolons. Great job otherwise.

Additions
Deletions
Comments

[Overview]
<p>Behold, the mighty Aztec Bird, known for its power to annoy the living hell out of every challenger who dares to oppose it. Unless you have the power of extremely hard hitters, or the creatures of the dark by your side, it will be nigh impossible for you to stop Sigilyph. This is thanks to its great blend of typing, movepool, and stats that go hand-in-hand with its ability, Magic Guard. Its typing provides it with an invaluable 4x resistance to the growing population of Fighting-type moves, and a nifty immunity to Ground-type attacks; this allows Sigilyph to gain plenty of switch-in opportunities, and wall a number of dangerous UU Pokemon. Its movepool contains a reliable recovery in Roost, boosting moves such as Calm Mind and Cosmic Power, and many coverage options such as Heat Wave and Ice Beam. It is commonly seen running the classic bulky sweeper set, which is known for making its opponents bald as they rip their hair out in pure frustration. However, Or, it can run the most durable offensive set of its kind that performs just as well. Its ability, Magic Guard, is really what makes Sigilyph a Pokemon worth writing home about, though, as an immunity to common forms of passive damage factors such as Toxic, Hail, and Stealth Rock is legendary and makes the patterned birdy as scary as it is.</p> "birdy" is too immature.

<p>So, you might be wondering why on Earth is Sigilyph not banned to the unholy land of Ubers,; the reason lies in the fact that common Pokemon aren't really forced out by it, especially specially offensive Pokemon that can hit it hard; such as Raikou, Zapdos, and Zoroark. Dark-types are also the bane to almost all the any Sigilyph out there. Phasing Phazing is another problem Sigilyph hates to face, as it comes into the field wanting to stay there for a long time before returning to protect its ancient city. However, you should never underestimate Sigilyph, unless you like getting swept by weird looking birdies.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Sweeper
move 1: Cosmic Power / Calm Mind
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Sigilyph's bread and butter set. Its fantastic typing gives Sigilyph plenty of opportunities to setup. It is also status-proof thanks to the combination of Flame Orb and Magic Guard. The gameplan for this set is simple;: come in on something that Sigilyph forces out (preferably a wall), and boost as they switch,. if If the switch is a physical attacker then burn it; if not then continue boosting, Roost whenever you feel necessary, and once you’re insured you've gotten enough boosts; sweep with Stored Power. However, for this gameplan to work, you need to must have removed any and every Dark-type on the opponent’s team as they are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move, Stored Power.</p>

<p>Cosmic Power is the boosting move of choice, as it turns Sigilyph into an unbreakable tank, save critical hits without a critical hit. Calm Mind on the other hand, provides Sigilyph with a way to boost its Special Attack while simultaneously boosting its Special Defense. Calm Mind is listed because Sigilyph can cripple most physical attackers by passing them its burn with Psycho Shift anyways. Speaking of Psycho Shift, this move reserves the second slot because it is capable of passing the burn (or any status condition not named sleep or and freeze) Flame Orb causes to the opponent, crippling them with residual damage. Stored Power is the STAB of choice as it gains more power the more Sigilyph boosts, with or without Calm Mind. After completely boosting, Stored Power reaches a whopping maximum of 240 base power, which; this is enough to dent the most frightening specially defensive titan of UU, Snorlax, comfortably 2HKOing the most specially defensive variants; (this turns into an OHKO if Sigilyph is using Calm Mind). Roost is Sigilyph’s reliable recovery move as it trolls tricks the opponent into thinking they can whittle Sigilyph down. I would change this sentence, because I wouldn't say that Roost tricks anyone. Roost also allows Sigilyph to dodge the super effective power of slower Electric-, Ice-, or Rock-type attacks.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above allow Sigilyph to survive neutral Heracross and Meinshao's Stone Edge, after which you can burn them to survive the second one.; although However, you have to be certain of the fact that Heracross is running Moxie and NOT not Guts. Furthermore, Sigilyph can also survive Life Orb Virizion's Stone Edge and avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Darmanitan’s Flare Blitz at +1,; you will have to Cosmic Power again after the first hit though.</p>

<p>Toxic Orb can be used over Flame Orb for more passive damage on the opponent,; beware though, as you will no longer be able to lower the attack stat of most physical attackers. Toxic Orb also doesn't affect Steel- and Poison-types, unlike Flame Orb which is only ineffective against Fire-type opponents. Likewise, if you have Toxic Spikes support on your team, then Leftovers is a great substitute over Flame Orb, although you won’t be able to evade sleep and freeze status conditions. Air Slash can be used over Stored Power to actually be able to land a hit on Dark-types,; however Stored Power has more power over in the long run and is capable of seriously denting or outright KOing the majority of the tier. If you do choose to run Air Slash, make sure you’re using Calm Mind as your boosting move as Air Slash’s power is pathetic otherwise. Psychic or Psyshock can be used for more immediate power, but isn't recommended as this Sigilyph will never have to attack as soon as it enters the field.</p>

<p>Fighting-types are probably the best partners for Sigilyph, as they’re capable of ridding the opponent's team of Dark-type Pokemon, since they who are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move. The best options for this are Cobalion and Scrafty because of their 4x resistance to Dark-type attacks and capability of forming a good bulky boosting core with Sigilyph. Cobalion even loves the boost it gains from tanking a Dark-type attack, thanks to its Justified ability. Snorlax is an excellent partner for taking care of troublesome special attackers that make Sigilyph's life stressful. Rhyperior is another good candidate because it is immune to Electric-type attacks, and resists Rock-type moves; both of which are super effective against Sigilyph. Rhyperior can even hit Ice-type Pokemon for super effective damage with its STAB Rock Blast or Stone Edge. Sigilyph in return can come in on the Grass-types that threaten Rhyperior. Abomasnow's Snow Warning summons hail onto the battlefield to provide even more residual damage for the opponent as Sigilyph wittles them away. Despite its typing, Sigilyph doesn't get hampered by the hail thanks to its beloved ability, Magic Guard.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Air Slash / Ice Beam
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Sigilyph's great mixture of durability and power makes it a unique offensive Pokemon in the UU metagame. Its ability, Magic Guard, is what makes this set good;, as it is very resilient on the battlefield while dishing out powerful attacks thanks to its decent base 103 special attack stat. Psyshock should be Sigilyph's STAB of choice since it gets a noticeably stronger hit on specially defensive tanks such as Snorlax. Psychic on the other hand, can be used for raw power and has a rare but useful chance of lowering the foe's Special Defense. Air Slash can be used as Sigilyph's secondary STAB; it gets a harder hit on Scrafty, a Pokemon Sigilyph would otherwise fear. Ice Beam, however, hits similar targets to that of Air Slash, and also gets an OHKO on Flygon and Gligar,; although if Sigilyph runs Ice Beam, it's completely walled by Slowbro and Slowking. Heat Wave occupies the third slot for getting a super effective hit on Steel-types such as Bronzong and Registeel,; it also allows for an OHKO on Abomasnow and almost always OHKOs Froslass, two Pokemon that would otherwise come out on top against it. Roost is an excellent option for the last slot as it provides reliable recovery and gives Sigilyph even more durability., Wwhile, Hidden Power Fighting gets a super effective hit on Dark-types and Empoleon. Without Hidden Power Fighting OR or Air Slash however, Pokemon such as Umbreon and Sharpedo wall it to hell and back.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above are standard for any special attacker, however an alternate spread of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 Spe will give Sigilyph a higher chance of surviving Choice Scarf Heracross's Stone Edge, while also allowing it to avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Shaymin's Seed Flare (assuming no SpD drops). However, Sigilyph will desperately want to outspeed positive base 95s such as Arcanine. Life Orb is the item of choice here since it grants Sigilyph with some much desired power; and the recoil that would normally be taken from it is mitigated thanks to Magic Guard. Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Air Slash / Ice Beam in the second slot or Heat Wave in the third slot to make room for Roost if you must have both. Energy Ball and Shadow Ball are other coverage options Sigilyph has access to, but they only hit a specific target small range of Pokemon and generally don’t provide more coverage than the options listed above. Calm Mind is a great boosting move that can be used in the last slot, however Sigilyph will lose out on coverage/healing, and this variant has a much harder time setting up. Tinted Lens is another ability that Sigilyph has access to, and while it may seem useful on this set at first; don’t be fooled as the immunity to residual damage outclasses the need to hit most resistances neutrally.</p>

<p>Sigilyph's teammates come straight down to the coverage moves it uses. If it opts to not use Air Slash, then Slowbro and Slowking effortlessly wall it, so Shaymin and Roserade are good partners to quickly rid them from the field. If Sigilyph wants to use Roost over Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types can come in and threaten it.; for this reason Fighting-types are excellent partners as most of them can practically switch in for free and land powerful STABs,; they can also threaten Snorlax and Umbreon, Pokemon that would otherwise give Sigilyph trouble no matter what moves it runs. Sigilyph's awkward Speed tier just begs revenge killers to dispose of it, so bulky Choice Scarf users of your own are great options; examples of these include Heracross, Raikou, and Victini. Last but not least, Sigilyph greatly appreciates entry hazard support to ease KOs on specific Pokemon such as specially defensive Togekiss. Rhyperior is an awesome partner in this regards as it threatens Pokemon that tend to threaten Sigilyph,; while setting up Stealth Rock in the process.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sigilyph has a large movepool, so there are quite a few more options worth considering. Sigilyph can utilize support moves such as Dual Screens, Thunder Wave, Toxic, and Whirlwind,; but it's outclassed by Xatu while using them. Hypnosis, however, is a move that is somewhat unique to Sigilyph as it can be used for shutting a Pokemon down and providing opportunities to setup,. Aalthough it's still very unreliable and Sigilyph has a hard time finding a moveslot to spare for it. As far as offensive options go, it can make use of Charge Beam as another way to boost its Special Attack, while doing a bit of damage in the process,; but Calm Mind is almost always a superior option and the damage it does is as its type suggests; shockingly low. Sigilyph can use a Choice item on the offensive set, but they have their own issues. Life Orb outclasses Choice Specs as its residual damage it cut out by Magic Guard,; and it also gives Sigilyph the ability to freely switch moves. Choice Scarf makes Sigilyph a good revenge killer, but Sigilyph's Special Attack and the base power of its moves are somewhat lacking by UU standards. Sigilyph can also attempt gimmicky sets such as Trick Room and Gravity, but they end up being a little TOO too gimmicky to be viable. As for abilities, Tinted Lens is actually decent, but not on a Pokemon that has access to the far more superior Magic Guard;, as Sigilyph enjoys the immunity to common competitive factors such as Stealth Rock and Toxic more than being able to hit most resistances for neutral damage. While Wonder Skin allows Sigilyph to avoid the likes of status and its kin, Flame Orb does that more reliably and Sigilyph would once again prefer the immunity to residual damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Sigilyph has entirely different checks depending on the set it runs. The bulky sweeper set's arch enemies are Dark-types. Sableye is probably the best Dark-type to take care of Sigilyph, as it has priority Taunt to stop Sigilyph's the boosting and recovery, is immune to Stored Power, has Recover to mitigate burn damage recoil, and can strike it hard with STAB super effective Foul Play. Hitting it with insanely powerful attacks so it can't Roost off the damage or continue boosting in fear of being KO'd is another excellent way of checking Sigilyph. One of the best candidates for this is Chandelure, as it hits extremely hard with a STAB Shadow Ball coming off of a base 140 Special Attack, especially when powered up by Choice Specs. Raikou and Zapdos are also good at this job thanks to their Electric STAB and good Special Defense. Pokemon that are capable of phasing are also great; Calm Mind Suicune is the perfect example as it can boost alongside Sigilyph and Roar it out, granted it runs both moves. Critical hits are sort of the last-resort option triggered by a measly 6.25% chance, but will go through its defensive boosts and do 2x as much damage.</p>

<p>The offensive set is surprisingly easier to check/counter. Umbreon ultimately stops this since its the specially defensive variant only gets 5HKO'd at best, giving it more than enough time to strike Sigilyph down with STAB Foul Play or Payback. Snorlax can also take any attack thrown at it, then it can OHKO back with a Choice Band boosted Crunch. If Sigilyph decides against running Air Slash and Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types (especially Sharpedo) become even bigger threats, as they easily switch in and threaten to severely hurt or even outright OHKO it. Sigilyph is also easily revenge killed by any decently powerful Pokemon after some prior damage. If all else fails, then just mock the way Sigilyph looks and hope your opponent is sensitive enough to forfeit.</p>
 

Governess

A Beautiful Blossom Waiting to Bloom
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Just a few other things to add to GCSChris's check (nice job btw)

Overview said:
...such as Toxic, Hail, and Stealth Rock is legendary and makes the patterned bird as scary as it is.
Unless you are talking about the actual move, Hail, then it should be lowercased. I'm assuming you mean the weather that Abomasnow creates, hail.

Overview; Second Paragraph said:
So, you might be wondering why on Earth is Sigilyph not banned to the unholy land of Ubers; the reason lies in the fact that common Pokemon aren't really forced out by it, especially specially offensive Pokemon that can hit it hard; such as Raikou, Zapdos, and Zoroark.
Personally, I think there are a bit too many semi-colons in this analysis, and this one I'm talking about isn't used correctly. It should be a comma instead.

1st set; first paragraph said:
This is Sigilyph's bread and butter set. Its fantastic typing gives Sigilyph plenty of opportunities to setup.
Wrong set up; "setup" is a noun, "set up" is a verb. Use the verb in this situation.

1st set; first paragraph said:
It is also status-proof thanks to the combination of Flame Orb and Magic Guard.
I'd use "pseudo-immunity" instead of status proof. Also, how does Flame Orb help prevent the status? Only Magic Guard makes it happen; remove the Flame Orb mention. I'd reword it like this "It also has a pseudo-immunity to statuses thanks to its ability, Magic Guard." or something along those lines.

1st set; first paragraph said:
If the switch is a physical attacker then burn it; if not then continue boosting
Add a comma after the phrase, "if not".

1st set; second paragraph said:
Calm Mind, on the other hand, provides Sigilyph with a way to boost its Special Attack while simultaneously boosting its Special Defense.
1st set; second paragraph said:
Calm Mind is listed because Sigilyph can cripple most physical attackers by passing them its burn with Psycho Shift anyways.
You don't need that there, as it's pretty redundant in the sentence.

AC of 1st set; second paragraph said:
Toxic Orb can be used over Flame Orb for more passive damage on the opponent,; beware though, as you will no longer be able to lower the Attack stat of most physical attackers. Toxic Orb also doesn't affect Steel- and Poison-types, unlike Flame Orb, which is only ineffective against Fire-type opponents.
AC of 1st set; second paragraph said:
Air Slash can be used over Stored Power to actually be able to land a hit on Dark-types,. However, Stored Power has more power in the long run and is capable of seriously denting or outright KOing the majority of the tier. If you do choose to run Air Slash, make sure you’re using Calm Mind as your boosting move, (AC) as Air Slash’s power is pathetic otherwise.
Set comments of 2nd set said:
Its ability, Magic Guard, is what makes this set good;, as it is very resilient on the battlefield while dishing out powerful attacks thanks to its decent base 103 Special Attack stat.
Same as above (got lazy .3.) said:
Psyshock should be Sigilyph's STAB of choice since it gets a noticeably stronger hit on specially defensive tanks, (AC) such as Snorlax. Psychic, (AC) on the other hand, can be used for raw power and has a rare but useful chance of lowering the foe's Special Defense.
Same as above said:
Heat Wave occupies the third slot for getting a super effective hit on Steel-types such as Bronzong and Registeel; it also allows for an OHKO on Abomasnow and almost always OHKOes Froslass, two Pokemon that would otherwise come out on top against it.
Same as above said:
However, Without Hidden Power Fighting or Air Slash however, Pokemon such as Umbreon and Sharpedo wall it to hell and back.
AC of second set; 1st paragraph said:
The EVs above are standard for any special attacker; however, (AC)an alternate spread of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 Spe will give Sigilyph a higher chance of surviving Choice Scarf Heracross's Stone Edge, while also allowing it to avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Shaymin's Seed Flare (assuming no SpD Special Defense drops).
I'm just going to stop there; there were a lot of things that was missed in the am check. Commas weren't placed where they were suppose to be, there are a lot of misused semicolons, and the writing of some sentences are just weird. The grammar of the analysis was near perfect; it was the prose and punctuation of it that was the issue. I most likely missed a lot of stuff; I just wanted to show you how specific you need to be with the checks, official GP or not. Remember, the stats (Attack, Defense, etc) should be capitalized unless it doesn't pertain to the actual stat.
 

Arkian

this is the state of grace
is a Contributor Alumnus
Implemented most of the check, thanks guys ^_^

@GSChris, js but you need the <em> </em> tags when wanting to show italics onsite, as it is an HTML tag.
 

Jukain

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[Overview]

<p>Behold,(RC) the mighty Aztec Bird, known for its power to annoy the living hell out of every challenger who dares to oppose it. Unless you have the power ofr team has some extremely hard hitters, or the creatures of the da Dark by your sid-type, it will be nigh impossible to stop Sigilyph. This is thanks to its great typing, movepool, and stats that go hand-in-hand with its ability, Magic Guard. Its typing provides it with an invaluable 4xquadruple resistance to the growing population of Fighting-type moves,(RC) and a nifty immunity to Ground-type attacks; this allows Sigilyph to gain plenty of switch-in opportunities,(RC) and wall a number of dangerous UU Pokemon. Its movepool contains a reliable recovery move in Roost,; (add semi) boosting moves, (AC) such as Calm Mind and Cosmic Power,; (add semi) and many coverage options, (AC) such as Heat Wave and Ice Beam. if you're interested, the semicolons are needed to separate items in a series that have phrases that describe them beginning with commas, which are needed for examples here It is commonly seen running the classic bulky sweeper set, which is known for making its opponents bald as they rip their hair out in pure frustration. It can also run the most durable offensive set of its kind that performs just as well. Its ability, Magic Guard, is really what makes Sigilyph a Pokemon worth writing home about, as an immunity to common forms of passive damage, (AC) such as Toxic, hail, and Stealth Rock, (AC) is legendarextremely helpful and is what makes Sigilyph as scary so difficult to break pas it is.</p>

<p>SoAt this point, (AC) you might be wondering why on Earth is Sigilyph not banned to the unholy land of Ubers,Ubers; (add semi) the reason lies in the fact that common Pokemon aren't really forced out by it, especially specially offensive Pokemon that can hit it hard, such as Raikou, Zapdos, and Zoroark. Dark-types are also the bane tof almost anyll Sigilyph. Phazing is another problemstrategy Sigilyph hates to face, as it comes into the field wanting to stay there for a long time before returneither fainting to protect swits ancient cityching out. However, you should never underestimate Sigilyph, unless you would like gettingit to swept by weird lookep you.</p>

yeah I get the fun in flavorful writ
ing birds.</p>ut it has a place and some of what you have is just fluff


[SET]
name: Bulky Sweeper
move 1: Cosmic Power / Calm Mind
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Sigilyph's bread-(add hyphen)and-(add hyphen)butter set. Its fantastic typing gives Sigilyph plenty of opportunities to set up. It also has a pseudo-immunity to statuses thanks to its ability, Magic Guard. The game(add sapce)plan for this set is simple; come in on something that Sigilyph forces out (preferably a wall),(RC) and boost as ithey switches. If the switch-(add hyphen)in is a physical attacker, (AC) then burn it; if not, then continue boosting, Roost whenever you feel necessary, and once you'(remove instupid curedly apostrophe)re certain you've gotten enough boosts;(remove semi) sweep with Stored Power. However, for this game(add space)plan to work, you must have any and every Dark-type on the opponent's team removed, (AC) as they are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move, Stored Power.</p>

<p>Cosmic Power is the boosting move of choice, as it turns Sigilyph into an unbreakable tank save critical hits. Calm Mind, (AC) on the other hand, provides Sigilyph with a way to boost its Special Attack while simultaneously boosting its Special Defense. Calm Mind is listed because Sigilyph can cripple most physical attackers by passing them its burn with Psycho Shift. Speaking of Psycho Shift, this move reservoccupies the second slot because it is capable of passing the burn (or any status condition not named sleep or freeze) Flame Orb causes to the fopponent, crippling ithem with residual damage. Stored Power is the STAB move of choice, (AC) as it gains more power the more Sigilyph boosts, with or without Calm Mind. After completeit is fully boostinged, Stored Power reaches a whopping maximum of 240 bBase pPower, thiswhich is enough to dent the most frightening specially defensive titaPokemon in of UU, Snorlax, comfortably 2HKOing the most specially defensive variants (this turns into an OHKO if Sigilyph is using Calm Mind). Roost is Sigilyph's reliable recovery move as it tricks, (AC) preventing the opponent into thinkfrom whittling they cadown whittle Sigilyph down's health. Roost also allowtemporarily removes Sigilyph to dodge the super effective power of slower's weaknesses to Electric-, Ice-, orand Rock-type attacks.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above allow Sigilyph to survive neutral Heracross and Mieinshao's Stone Edges, after which youSigilyph can burn them to allow it to survive the second one. However, you have to be certain of thJust make sure fact that Heracross is running Moxie and not Guts. please explain further? use a statement like ", as the burn would then actually benefit Heracross" Furthermore, Sigilyph can survive Life Orb Virizion's Stone Edge and avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Darmanitan’s Flare Blitz at +1; you will have to use Cosmic Power again after the first hit though.</p>

<p>Toxic Orb can be used over Flame Orb for more passive damage on the opponent, though be warned though, as youat Sigilyph will no longer be able to handlower the Attack stat of most physical attackers quite as well. Toxic Orb also doesn't affect Steel- and Poison-types, unlike Flame Orb, which is only ineffective against Fire-type opponents. Likewise, if you have Toxic Spikes support on your team, then Leftovers is a great substitute over Flame Orb, although youSigilyph won'(fix terrible curly apostrophe)t be able to evade sleep and freeze status conditions in that case. Air Slash can be used over Stored Power to be able to land a hit on Dark-types. However, (AC) Stored Power has more power in the long run and is capable of seriously denting or outright KOing the majority of the tier. If you do choose to run Air Slash, make sure that you'(seriously use ASCII apostrophes)re using Calm Mind as your boosting move, as Air Slash’s power is pathetic otherwise. Psychic or Psyshock can be used for more immediate power, but isthey aren't recommended, (AC) as this Sigilyph will never have to attack as soon as it enters the field.</p>

<p>Fighting-types are probably the best partners for Sigilyph, as they're capable of ridding the opponent's team of Dark-type Pokemon, whoich are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move. The best options are Cobalion and Scrafty because of their 4xquadruple resistance to Dark-type attacks and capability of forming a good bulky boosting core with Sigilyph. Cobalion even loves thegets a boost it gains from tanking a Dark-type attack,s(RC) thanks to its ability Justified ability. Snorlax is an excellent partner for taking care of troublesome special attackers that make Sigilyph's life stressful. Rhyperior is another good candidate because it is immune to Electric-type attacks,(RC) and resists Rock-type moves;, (AC) both of which are super effective against Sigilyph. Rhyperior can even hit Ice-type Pokemon for super effective damage with its STAB Rock Blast or Stone Edge. Sigilyph in return can come in on the Grass-types that threaten Rhyperior. Abomasnow's Snow Warning summons hail onto the battlefield to provide, (AC) inflicting even more residual damage foron the opponent asfor Sigilyph to whittles themir health away more quickly. Despite its typing, Sigilyph doesn't get hampered by the hail thanks to its beloved ability, Magic Guard.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Air Slash / Ice Beam
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Sigilyph's great mixture of durability and power makes it a unique offensive Pokemon in the UU metagame. Its ability, Magic Guard, is what makes this set good;, (AC) as it isenables Sigilyph to be very resilient on the battlefield while dishing out powerful attacks thanks to its decent imo it's more like "solid" but I suppose it doesn't matter base 103 Special Attack. Psyshock should beis generally Sigilyph's STAB move of choice sincbecause it gets a noticeably stronger hit on specially defensive tanks, such as Snorlax. Psychic, on the other hand, can be used for raw power and has a rare but useful chance of lowering the foe's Special Defense. Air Slash can be used as Sigilyph's secondary STAB; it gets a harder hit on Scrafty, a Pokemon Sigilyph would otherwise fear. Ice Beam, however, hits similar targets to that of Air Slash,(RC) and also gets an OHKO on Flygon and Gligar; although if Sigilyph runs Ice Beam, its completely walled by Slowbro and Slowking. Heat Wave occupies the third slot for getting a super effective hit on Steel-types, (AC) such as Bronzong and Registeel; it also a(remove semi) as wellows for ans OHKO on Abomasnow and almost always OHKOes two Pokemon that would otherwise come out on top against it. Roost is an excellent option for the last slot, (AC) as it provides reliable recovery and gives Sigilyph even more durability. WhileOn the other hand, Hidden Power Fighting gets a super effective hit on Dark-types and Empoleon. However, withMake sure you run at least one of Hidden Power Fighting <em>or</em>and Air Slash, as otherwise Pokemon such as Umbreon and Sharpedo will wall it to hell and back.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above are standard for many special attackers; however, an alternate spread of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 Spe will give Sigilyph a higher chance of surviving Choice Scarf Heracross's Stone Edge,(RC) while also allowing it to avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Shaymin's Seed Flare (assuming no drops). However, Sigilyph will desperately want tomiss outspeeding positive base 95s, (AC) such as Arcanine. Life Orb is the item of choice here, (AC) asince it grants Sigilyph with some much-(add hyphen)desired power; and(add semi) the recoil that would normally be taken from it is mitinegated thanks to Magic Guard. Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Air Slash /or Ice Beam in the second slot or Heat Wave in the third slot to make room for Roost if you must have both. Energy Ball and Shadow Ball are other coverage options Sigilyph has access to, but they only hit a small range of Pokemon and generally don’t provide more coverage than the options listed above. Calm Mind is a great boosting move that can be used in the last slot, however Sigilyph will lose out on coverage/ and healing, and this variant has a much harder time setting up. Tinted Lens is another ability that Sigilyph has access to, and; (add semi) while it may seem useful on this set at first;, (AC) don't be fooled, (AC) as thean immunity to residual damage outclasses the need to hit Pokemostn that 2x resist Psychic-type attancecks neutrally.</p>

<p>Sigilyph's preferred teammates come straight down to the coverage moves it uses. If it opts to not to use split infinitive Air Slash, then Slowbro and Slowking effortlessly wall it, somaking Shaymin and Roserade are good partners, (AC) as tohey can quickly rid them from the field. If Sigilyph wants tou use Roost over Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types can come in and threaten it. For this reason, (AC) Fighting-types are excellent partners, (AC) as most of them can practically switch in for free and land powerful STABs; they can also threaten Snorlax and Umbreon, Pokemon that would otherwise give Sigilyph trouble no matter what moves it runs. Sigilyph's awkward Speed tier just begs revenge killers to come in and dispose of it, so bulky Choice Scarf users of your own are great options; examples of these include Heracross, Raikou, and Victini. Last but not least, Sigilyph greatly appreciates entry hazard support to easallow it to achieve KOs on specificcertain Pokemon, (AC) such as specially defensive Togekiss. Rhyperior is an awesome partner in this regards, (AC) as it threatens Pokemon that tend to be able threateno harm Sigilyph,(RC) while settbeing able to set up Stealth Rock in the process.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sigilyph has a large movepool, so there are quite a few more options worth considering. Sigilyph can utilize support moves such as Dual Screens, Thunder Wave, Toxic, and Whirlwind, but it is outclassed by Xatu whilein using them. Hypnosis, however, is a move that is somewhat unique to Sigilyph as it can be used for, (AC) being able to shutting a Pokemon down and providing opportunities for a teammate to set(add space)up, although it is still very unreliable, (AC) and Sigilyph has a hard time finding a moveslot to spare for it. As far as offensive options go, it can make use of Charge Beam as another way to boost its Special Attack,(RC) while doing a bit of damage in the process;, (AC) but Calm Mind is almost always a superior option andue to the damagefact that it really does is as its type suggests; shockingly lowbarely any damage anyway. Sigilyph can use a Choice item on the offensive set, but they have their own issues. Life Orb outclasses Choice Specs, (AC) as its residual damage it cut out by Magic Guard, and it also gives Sigilyph the ability to freely switch moves. Choice Scarf makes Sigilyph a good revenge killer, but Sigilyph's Special Attack and the base power of its moves are somewhat lacking by UU standards. Sigilyph can also attempt gimmicky sets such as Trick Room and Gravity, but they end up being a little too gimmicky to be viable. As for abilities, Tinted Lens is actually decent, but so much not on a Pokemon that has access to the far more superior Magic Guard, as Sigilyph enjoys the immunity to common competitive factorsforms of residual damage, (AC) such as Stealth Rock and Toxic, (AC) more than being able to hit most resistances for neutral damage. While Wonder Skin allows Sigilyph to avoid the likesome forms of status and its kin, Flame Orb does that more reliably and Sigilyph would once again prefer the immunity to residual damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Sigilyph has entirely different checks depending on the set it runs. The bulky sweeper set's arch(remove space)enemies are Dark-types. Sableye is probably the best Dark-type to take care of Sigilyph, as it has priority Taunt to stop Sigilyph's boosting and recovery, is immune to Stored Power, has Recover to mitigate burn damage, and can strike it hard with STABa super effective STAB Foul Play. Hitting it with insanely powerful attacks so it can't Roost off the damage or continue boosting in fear of being KO'ed is another excellent way of checking Sigilyph. One of the best candidates for this is Chandelure, as it hits extremely hard with a STAB Shadow Ball coming off of a base 140 Special Attack, especially when powered up by Choice Specs. Raikou and Zapdos are also good at this job thanks to their Electric-(add hyphen)type STAB and good Special Defense. Pokemon that are capable of phaszing are also great; Calm Mind Suicune is thea perfect example, (AC) as it can boost alongside Sigilyph and Roar it out,(RC) granted it runs both moves.</p>

<p>The offensive set is surprisingly easier to check/ and counter. Specially defensive Umbreon ultimatelycan stops this since the specially defensive variant it because is is only gets 5HKO'ed at best, giving it more than enough time to strike Sigilyph down with STAB Foul Play or Payback. Snorlax can also take any attack thrown at it,(RC) and then it can OHKO back with a Choice Band-(add hyphen)boosted Crunch. If Sigilyphyou decides against running both Air Slash and Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types (especially Sharpedo) become even bigger threats, as they can easily switch in and threaten to severely hurt or even outright OHKO it. Sigilyph is also easily revenge killed by any decently powerful Pokemon after some prior damage. If all else fails, then just mock the way Sigilyph looks and hope your opponent is sensitive enough to forfeit.</p></p> yeah no


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Oglemi

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[Overview]

<p>Behold the mighty Aztec Bird, known for its power to annoy the living hell out of every challenger who dares to oppose it. Unless your team has some extremely hard hitters, or a Dark-type, it will be nigh impossible to stop Sigilyph. This is thanks to its great typing, movepool, and stats that go hand-in-hand with its ability, Magic Guard. Its typing provides it with an invaluable quadruple resistance to the growing population of Fighting-type moves and a nifty immunity to Ground-type attacks; this allows Sigilyph to gain plenty of switch-in opportunities and wall a number of dangerous UU Pokemon. Its movepool contains a reliable recovery move in Roost; boosting moves, such as Calm Mind and Cosmic Power; and many coverage options, such as Heat Wave and Ice Beam. It is commonly seen running the classic bulky sweeper set, which is known for making its opponents bald as they rip their hair out in pure frustration. It can also run the most durable offensive set of its kind that performs just as well. Its ability, Magic Guard, is really what makes Sigilyph a Pokemon worth writing home about, as an immunity to common forms of passive damage, such as Toxic, hail, and Stealth Rock, is extremely helpful and what makes Sigilyph so difficult to break past.</p>

<p>At this point, you might be wondering why is Sigilyph not banned to Ubers; the reason lies in the fact that common Pokemon aren't really forced out by it, especially specially offensive Pokemon that can hit it hard such as Raikou, Zapdos, and Zoroark. Dark-types are also the bane of almost all Sigilyph. Phazing is another strategy Sigilyph hates to face, as it comes into the field wanting to stay there for a long time before either fainting or switching out. However, you should never underestimate Sigilyph unless you would like it to sweep you.</p>

[SET]
name: Bulky Sweeper
move 1: Cosmic Power / Calm Mind
move 2: Psycho Shift
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Roost
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This is Sigilyph's bread-and-butter set. Its fantastic typing gives Sigilyph plenty of opportunities to set up. It also has a pseudo-immunity to status thanks to its ability, Magic Guard. The game plan for this set is simple: come in on something that Sigilyph forces out (preferably a wall) and boost as it switches. If the switch-in is a physical attacker, then burn it with Psycho Shift; if not, then continue boosting, Roost whenever you feel necessary, and once you're certain you've gotten enough boosts sweep with Stored Power. However, for this game plan to work, you must have any and every Dark-type on the opponent's team removed, as they are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move, Stored Power.</p>

<p>Cosmic Power is the boosting move of choice, as it turns Sigilyph into an unbreakable tank save for critical hits. Calm Mind, on the other hand, provides Sigilyph with a way to boost its Special Attack while simultaneously boosting its Special Defense. Calm Mind is listed because Sigilyph can cripple most physical attackers by passing them its burn with Psycho Shift. Speaking of Psycho Shift, this move occupies the second slot because it is capable of passing the burn (or any status condition not named sleep or freeze) Flame Orb causes onto the foe, crippling it with residual damage. Stored Power is the STAB move of choice, as it gains more power the more Sigilyph boosts, with or without Calm Mind. After it is fully boosted, Stored Power reaches a whopping 240 Base Power, which is enough to dent the most frightening specially defensive Pokemon of UU, Snorlax, comfortably 2HKOing it (this turns into an OHKO if Sigilyph is using Calm Mind). Roost is Sigilyph's reliable recovery move, preventing the opponent from whittling down Sigilyph's health. Roost also temporarily removes Sigilyph's weaknesses to Electric-, Ice-, and Rock-type attacks.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above allow Sigilyph to survive neutral Heracross and Mienshao's Stone Edges, after which Sigilyph can burn them to allow it to survive the second one. Just make sure that Heracross is running Moxie and not Guts, as the burn would then actually benefit it. Furthermore, Sigilyph can survive Life Orb Virizion's Stone Edge and avoid a 2HKO from Choice Scarf Darmanitan's Flare Blitz at +1; you will have to use Cosmic Power again after the first hit though.</p>

<p>Toxic Orb can be used over Flame Orb for more passive damage on the opponent, though be warned of the fact that Sigilyph will no longer be able to handle physical attackers quite as well. Toxic Orb also doesn't affect Steel- and Poison-types, unlike Flame Orb, which is only ineffective against Fire-type opponents. Likewise, if you have Toxic Spikes support on your team, then Leftovers is a great substitute over Flame Orb, although Sigilyph won't be able to evade sleep and freeze status conditions in that case. Air Slash can be used over Stored Power to be able to land a hit on Dark-types. However, Stored Power has more power in the long run and is capable of seriously denting or outright KOing the majority of the tier. If you do choose to run Air Slash, make sure that you're using Calm Mind as your boosting move, as Air Slash's power is pathetic otherwise. Psychic or Psyshock can be used for more immediate power, but they aren't recommended, as this Sigilyph should never have to attack as soon as it enters the field.</p>

<p>Fighting-types are the best partners for Sigilyph, as they're capable of ridding the opponent's team of Dark-type Pokemon, which are immune to Sigilyph's only attacking move. The best options are Cobalion and Scrafty because of their quadruple resistance to Dark-type attacks and capability of forming a good bulky boosting core with Sigilyph. Cobalion even gets a boost from tanking Dark-type attacks thanks to its ability Justified. Snorlax is an excellent partner for taking care of troublesome special attackers that make Sigilyph's life stressful. Rhyperior is another good candidate because it is immune to Electric-type attacks and resists Rock-type moves, both of which are super effective against Sigilyph. Rhyperior can even hit Ice-type Pokemon for super effective damage with its STAB Rock Blast or Stone Edge. Sigilyph in return can come in on the Grass-types that threaten Rhyperior. Abomasnow's Snow Warning summons hail onto the battlefield, inflicting even more residual damage on the opponent for Sigilyph to whittle their health away more quickly. Despite its typing, Sigilyph doesn't get hampered by the hail thanks to its beloved ability, Magic Guard.</p>

[SET]
name: Offensive
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Air Slash / Ice Beam
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost / Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Sigilyph's great mixture of durability and power makes it a unique offensive Pokemon in the UU metagame. Its ability, Magic Guard, is what makes this set good, as it enables Sigilyph to be very resilient on the battlefield while dishing out powerful attacks thanks to its decent base 103 Special Attack. Psyshock is generally Sigilyph's STAB move of choice because it gets a noticeably stronger hit on specially defensive tanks like Snorlax. Psychic, on the other hand, can be used for raw power and has a rare but useful chance of lowering the foe's Special Defense. Air Slash can be used as Sigilyph's secondary STAB; it gets a harder hit on Scrafty, a Pokemon Sigilyph would otherwise fear. Ice Beam, however, hits similar targets to that of Air Slash and also gets an OHKO on Flygon and Gligar; although if Sigilyph runs Ice Beam, its completely walled by Slowbro and Slowking. Heat Wave occupies the third slot for getting a super effective hit on Steel-types, such as Bronzong and Registeel, as well as an OHKO Abomasnow. Roost is an excellent option for the last slot, as it provides reliable recovery and gives Sigilyph even more durability. On the other hand, Hidden Power Fighting gets a super effective hit on Dark-types and Empoleon. Make sure you run at least one of Hidden Power Fighting and Air Slash, as otherwise Pokemon such as Umbreon and Sharpedo will wall it to hell and back.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs above are standard for many special attackers; however, an alternate spread of 56 HP / 252 SpA / 200 Spe will give Sigilyph a higher chance of surviving Choice Scarf Heracross's Stone Edge while also allowing it to avoid a 2HKO from Life Orb Shaymin's Seed Flare (assuming no drops). However, Sigilyph will desperately miss outspeeding positive base 95s like Arcanine. Life Orb is the item of choice here, as it grants Sigilyph some much-desired power; the recoil that would normally be taken is negated thanks to Magic Guard. Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Air Slash or Ice Beam in the second slot or Heat Wave in the third slot to make room for Roost if you must have both. Energy Ball and Shadow Ball are other coverage options Sigilyph has access to, but they only hit a small range of Pokemon and generally don't provide more coverage than the options listed above. Calm Mind is a great boosting move that can be used in the last slot; however, Sigilyph will lose out on coverage and healing, and this variant has a much harder time setting up. Tinted Lens is another ability that Sigilyph has access to; while it may seem useful on this set at first, don't be fooled, as an immunity to residual damage outclasses the need to hit Pokemon that 2x resist its Psychic-type attacks neutrally.</p>

<p>Sigilyph's preferred teammates come straight down to the coverage moves it uses. If it opts not to use Air Slash, then Slowbro and Slowking effortlessly wall it, making Shaymin and Roserade good partners, as they can quickly rid them from the field. If you use Roost over Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types can come in and threaten it. For this reason, Fighting-types are excellent partners, as most of them can practically switch in for free and land powerful STABs; they can also threaten Snorlax and Umbreon, Pokemon that give Sigilyph trouble no matter what moves it runs. Sigilyph's awkward Speed tier just begs revenge killers to come in and dispose of it, so bulky Choice Scarf users of your own are great options; examples of these include Heracross, Raikou, and Victini. Last but not least, Sigilyph greatly appreciates entry hazard support to allow it to achieve KOs on certain Pokemon such as specially defensive Togekiss. Rhyperior is an awesome partner in this regard as it threatens Pokemon that tend to be able to harm Sigilyph while being able to set up Stealth Rock.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sigilyph has a large movepool, so there are quite a few more options worth considering. Sigilyph can utilize support moves such as dual screens, Thunder Wave, Toxic, and Whirlwind, but it is outclassed by Xatu in using them. Hypnosis, however, is a move that is somewhat unique to Sigilyph, being able to shut a Pokemon down and providing opportunities for set up, although it is still very unreliable, and Sigilyph has a hard time finding a moveslot to spare for it. As far as offensive options go, it can make use of Charge Beam as another way to boost its Special Attack while doing a bit of damage in the process, but Calm Mind is almost always a superior option due to the fact that it barely does any damage anyway. Sigilyph can use a Choice item on the offensive set, but they have their own issues. Life Orb outclasses Choice Specs, as its residual damage it cut out by Magic Guard, and it also gives Sigilyph the ability to freely switch moves. Choice Scarf makes Sigilyph a good revenge killer, but Sigilyph's Special Attack and the Base Power of its moves are somewhat lacking by UU standards. Sigilyph can also attempt gimmicky sets such as Trick Room and Gravity, but they end up being a little too gimmicky to be viable. As for abilities, Tinted Lens is actually decent, but not so much on a Pokemon that has access to the far more superior Magic Guard, as Sigilyph enjoys the immunity to forms of residual damage, such as Stealth Rock and Toxic, more than being able to hit most resistances for neutral damage. While Wonder Skin allows Sigilyph to avoid some forms of status, Flame Orb does that more reliably and Sigilyph would once again prefer the immunity to residual damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Sigilyph has entirely different checks depending on the set it runs. The bulky sweeper set's archenemies are Dark-types. Sableye is probably the best Dark-type to take care of Sigilyph, as it has priority Taunt to stop Sigilyph's boosting and recovery, is immune to Stored Power, has Recover to mitigate burn damage, and can strike it hard with a super effective STAB Foul Play. Hitting it with insanely powerful attacks so it can't Roost off the damage or continue boosting in fear of being KOed is another excellent way of checking Sigilyph. One of the best candidates for this is Chandelure, as it hits extremely hard with a STAB Shadow Ball coming off of a base 140 Special Attack, especially when powered up by Choice Specs. Raikou and Zapdos are also good at this job thanks to their Electric-type STAB and good Special Defense. Pokemon that are capable of phazing are also great; Calm Mind Suicune is a perfect example, as it can boost alongside Sigilyph and Roar it out granted it runs both moves.</p>

<p>The offensive set is surprisingly easier to check and counter. Specially defensive Umbreon can stop it because it is only 5HKOed at best, giving it more than enough time to strike Sigilyph down with STAB Foul Play or Payback. Snorlax can also take any attack thrown at it and then OHKO back with a Choice Band-boosted Crunch. If you decide against running both Air Slash and Hidden Power Fighting, then Dark-types (especially Sharpedo) become even bigger threats, as they can easily switch in and threaten to severely hurt or even outright OHKO it. Sigilyph is also easily revenge killed by any decently powerful Pokemon after some prior damage.</p>


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ElectivireRocks

Banned deucer.
Houndoom deserves a special mention as the only perfect counter to the boosting set since it's immune to both burn and Stored Power.
Other dark types don't really appreciate being burned on the switch.
 

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