HeaLnDeaL
Let's Keep Fighting
QC: 3/3
GP: 2/2
[OVERVIEW]
Sylveon's interesting blend of offensive and support options allow it to perform multiple roles. Pixilate and Hyper Voice form a fantastic offensive combination that is especially notable for dealing with Substitute Tomohawk. Access to moves such as Heal Bell and Wish also allows Sylveon to support its team effectively. However, Sylveon faces competition as both a special wallbreaker and as a defensive supporter from other Fairy-types. Mega Gardevoir utilizes the powerful Pixilate and Hyper Voice combination as well but does not have to rely on Choice Specs, and Sylveon's coverage options are often weaker and more limited than Mega Gardevoir's. Sylveon's rather poor Defense means that Clefable is physically bulkier, and Unaware and Magic Guard let Clefable be a bulky supporter with more defensive options.
However, this competition among fellow Fairy-types does not mean that Sylveon is outclassed. Sylveon has significantly better Special Defense than Clefable and access to Baton Pass, allowing Sylveon to support its team in a different way. Choice Specs Sylveon even slightly outdamages Mega Gardevoir. Furthermore, the capability of running supporting or offensive sets allows Sylveon to have a level of unpredictability, and oftentimes its set will not be revealed until the middle of a match. Though Sylveon's low Speed prevents it from being a sweeper and its low Defense prevents it from being an outright wall, Sylveon has just the right mix of options to be either a special wallbreaker or a team supporter.
[SET]
name: Power of the Pixie (Special Wallbreaker)
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Psyshock / Shadow Ball
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Choice Specs / Pixie Plate
ability: Pixilate
Nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Hyper Voice is Sylveon's main attacking move, allowing it to demolish almost anything that doesn't resist Fairy and even hurt some foes those that do resist it. Hidden Power Ground hits Heatran, Mollux, and Plasmanta, while Hidden Power Fire deals with Ferrothorn and Scizor. Psyshock is Sylveon's best move against Chansey, but even then it will often fail to break through Chansey's recovery moves. However, Psyshock's main use is to deal with Mega Venusaur and other Poison-types. If Mega Metagross is a more pressing concern than Poison-types, Shadow Ball deals the most damage to it out all of Sylveon's moves. Baton Pass allows Sylveon to gain safe momentum for its team during double switches and can be used to lure in threats and safely exit.
Set Details
=========
The EVs and a Modest nature maximize Sylveon's Special Attack while the rest is put into HP to allow Sylveon to take a few hits because it won't be outspeeding many foes. Choice Specs allows Sylveon to hit as hard as it possibly can, whereas a Pixie Plate is another option that may bluff Choice Specs while allowing Sylveon the freedom to use its coverage moves without switching. Pixilate boosts the power of Sylveon's Hyper Voice and turns it into a Fairy-type STAB move.
Usage Tips
========
In most situations, Hyper Voice is Sylveon's most reliable move, as it can be spammed to hit most foes for decent damage. Sylveon should reveal its coverage moves only at pivotal moments, especially its Hidden Power; once the opponent knows Sylveon's coverage options it will become a lot easier to handle. Even though Sylveon resists Dark-type attacks, it should still be very careful of Knock Off because losing Choice Specs will drop its damage output significantly. Sylveon can use Baton Pass during moments of doubt when the current foe is expected to switch out, and the move can be particularly useful to ruin the momentum of an opposing Tomohawk using Baton Pass itself.
Team Options
=======
In general, Sylveon's few weaknesses make it a good fit on a wide variety of teams, but these weaknesses should be accounted for. Offensively, Ground-types such as Colossoil can take out most Steel- and Poison-types that give Sylveon trouble. Defensively, Pokemon that absorb Steel-type moves targeted towards Sylveon are very helpful, such as Rotom-W, Heatran, Scizor, and Cyclohm. Sylveon appreciates entry hazard support, especially Stealth Rock, as many of the foes that want to switch into Sylveon's Hyper Voice are Fire-types, such as Pyroak and Mollux.
Sticky Web support from Necturna somewhat remedies Sylveon's low Speed and allows it to outspeed a greater number of walls; Sylveon still won't be able to outpace dedicated sweepers though. Partners with Volt Switch or U-turn can be used to help Sylveon switch in more easily, and the strategy generally fits well with Choice Specs Sylveon because it will be switching in and out a lot anyway. Gothitelle can be valuable, as Sylveon can Baton Pass into it to ease the burden of prediction when trapping certain threats and often let Gothitelle switch in without taking damage. A cleric teammate is also helpful, as Choice Specs Sylveon cannot use Heal Bell itself.
[SET]
name: Wish
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Hyper Voice
move 4: Heal Bell / Baton Pass / Hidden Power Ground
item: Leftovers
ability: Pixilate
nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Wish is a versatile recovery move that lets Sylveon heal itself and its teammates. Protect buys time for a self-healing Wish and also allows for a free turn of Leftovers recovery. Hyper Voice is Sylveon's main attacking option and will hit anything weak to it pretty hard despite low investment. For the last slot, Heal Bell cures Sylveon's team of status ailments, Baton Pass keeps momentum and potentially lets Sylveon switch in an ally to receive a Wish without the risk of damage, and Hidden Power Ground can be useful for Plasmanta as well as offensive Mollux and Heatran. However, specially defensive Heatran can still absorb the attack quite well.
Set Details
========
Leftovers provides highly valuable passive recovery, allowing Sylveon to use Protect to its full potential. Maximum HP and Defense EVs along with a Bold nature let Sylveon take on notable physical threats such as Assault Vest Colossoil and Mega Lopunny and eases the burden when switching into weaker physical attacks. Pixilate boosts the power of Sylveon's Hyper Voice and turns it into a Fairy-type STAB move.
Usage Tips
========
Despite the defensive EV spread, Sylveon should avoid switching into dedicated physical attackers, especially those that carry a boosting item such as Life Orb or Choice Band. Switching into resisted or weaker special attacks is usually the safest bet; Tomohawk makes for a great opportunity to switch in and allows for a safe Wish or Heal Bell the next turn, as, the majority of the time, the pressure from Sylveon will force Tomohawk to flee. Wish is a great move for Sylveon to use if scouting for an opposing switch and allows Sylveon to switch in a teammate to counter during the proceeding turn and have the switch-in's HP restored. If facing a Toxic stalling foe, Sylveon should aim to avoid using Heal Bell unless multiple teammates need to be cured, as Heal Bell's low PP is exploitable. Despite lacking offensive EVs, Sylveon should not be afraid of going on the offensive against Pokemon weak to Fairy-type moves such as Tomohawk and Altaria because a Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice will still do significant damage.
Team Options
========
There are many teammates that benefit from Sylveon's Wish support; in particular, risky setup sweepers such as Cawmodore appreciate the opportunity to regain lost HP. Ground-types such as Colossoil help in taking out Steel- and Poison-types. Knock Off support can also be useful to take away the power-boosting items held by foes and thus make it easier for Sylveon to absorb hits. Bulky Steel- and Water-types can take on offensive Steel-types, such as Scizor, that try to ruin Sylveon's day. Alternatively, boosting Steel-type foes can be dealt with via teammates such as Haze Tomohawk and Choice Scarf Mollux. For Baton Pass variants, Gothitelle can be valuable, as Sylveon can Baton Pass into it to ease the burden of prediction when trapping certain threats.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Hyper Voice
move 3: Wish / Protect
move 4: Baton Pass / Hidden Power Ground / Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Pixilate
nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Calm Mind turns Sylveon into a very solid attacker and special tank. Hyper Voice is Sylveon's main attacking option, will hit anything weak to it pretty hard, and will only increase in power with more Calm Mind boosts. Wish is a versatile recovery move that lets Sylveon heal itself and its teammates and lets Sylveon recover damage it received while setting up. Protect allows for a free turn of Leftovers recovery, and if used in conjunction with Wish, it allows Sylveon to more safely recover lost HP. Baton Pass is the preferred move on the last slot, as it allows Sylveon to pass its boosts to a teammate, and it provides safe momentum when slow passing. Hidden Power Ground can be a useful alternative for pesky Mollux, Plasmanta, and Heatran that Sylveon would otherwise not be able to defeat on its own.
Set Details
========
Leftovers provides highly valuable passive recovery for Sylveon. Maximum HP and Defense EVs alongside a Bold nature ease Sylveon's burden when taking on notable physical attackers such as Colossoil and Mega Lopunny. Pixilate boosts Sylveon's Hyper Voice and turns it into a Fairy-type STAB move.
Usage Tips
========
Sylveon generally prefers to start setting up against weak walls or only moderately powerful special attackers. If attempting to grab more than one boost, physical sweepers, especially ones with boosting moves themselves, should be removed before Sylveon attempts to set up. If Sylveon is not running Wish, it should try to avoid taking Knock Off, as without recovery Sylveon will be more easily forced to stop setting up. Even without a boost, Hyper Voice can still dent a fair amount of targets, and attacking without boosting is Sylveon's best bet against Tomohawk because of the risk of Haze. Haze users and phazers are especially important to be removed earlier in the match if Sylveon is passing boosts to teammates.
Team Options
========
Fire-types such as Volkraken can absorb Steel-type moves aimed at Sylveon and are very useful in eliminating threats such as Scizor. Ground-types such as Colossoil help Sylveon by taking out most Steel- and Poison-types as well. Frail special attackers such as Stratagem appreciate being Baton Passed Calm Mind boosts from Sylveon, and often they can utilize the boosts better than Sylveon can as long as strong priority users are removed from the opposing team first. Calm Mind Sylveon is susceptible to phazing, so trappers such as Gothitelle or powerful sweepers such Choice Specs Keldeo are helpful to take out Roar Pyroak, Whirlwind Skarmory, and Roar Heatran. Using Baton Pass against a faster foe can help bring Gothitelle in safely and can be extremely valuable, as Sylveon can simultaneously boost Gothitelle's stats and let it trap a threat. Lastly, a more dedicated cleric with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy can help out a lot by curing Toxic and other status ailments that might cripple Sylveon while it tries to set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Substitute can be useful for a more dedicated Baton Pass set, but Sylveon would have to give up a valuable healing move or Hyper Voice in order to make room for it. Quick Attack can be used in conjunction with Pixie Plate and a Quiet nature in order to net a few KOs against very weakened foes. It is Sylveon's only form of priority, and it can be useful for a surprise factor in a few niche situations, but it is much less consistently useful than extra coverage or access to Baton Pass.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: Offensively, Mega Metagross and Scizor both outspeed Sylveon and can deal major damage to it. Cawmodore and Kitsunoh don't appreciate switching in and taking damage from Hyper Voice, but if they can get in safely there's not much Sylveon can do if it lacks Hidden Power Fire. Defensively, Skarmory can take on Sylveon, but a Choice Specs-boosted Hyper Voice will still hurt.
**Chansey**: Chansey can tank most of what Sylveon can dish out, but repeated Hyper Voices or Psyshocks are troublesome. If Chansey loses its Eviolite, it can't stomach Choice Specs-boosted hits as well anymore, but even then its special bulk is notable.
**Fire-types**: Many Fire-types, especially bulky ones such as Pyroak, can wall the majority of Sylveon's attacks. However, Heatran and Mollux are worried about a potential Hidden Power Ground.
**Strong Physical Attackers**: Many Pokemon with monstrous Attack, a Choice Band, or a great physical boosting move, such as Kyurem-B, Victini, Shell Smash or Shift Gear Necturna, and Swords Dance Talonflame, can deal very heavy damage to Sylveon. Though defensive Sylveon can often avoid an OHKO from these threats, it usually cannot KO the threat in return or recover enough damage to stall out these foes.
**Poison-types**: Mollux, Plasmanta, and Mega Venusaur can tank a Hyper Voice from Sylveon with ease and retaliate with their Poison-type STAB moves. However, they do not appreciate either Hidden Power Ground or Psyshock.
**Phazing**: Phazers such as Whirlwind Skarmory can mess with Sylveon's strategy to set up or support the team.
**Taunt**: Support Sylveon is generally destroyed by Taunt users such as Mew and bulky Talonflame, as without Wish it lacks the utility it needs to function. Taunt, however, is nearly useless against offensive Sylveon.
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