[OVERVIEW]
* Shaymin-S's high Speed stat alongside a decent Special Attack stat allows it to check bulky Pokemon like Arceus-Water, Arceus-Ground, Primal Kyogre, and Arceus-Rock with its strong Grass-type STAB move, Seed Flare, which makes it decent at breaking walls.
* Complimented by its ability Serene Grace, Shaymin-S can flinch its foes down with a boosted 60% chance to flinch from Air Slash. It boosts the chance of harshly dropping Special Defense from Seed Flare to 80% as well, which allows it to break down walls such as Blissey and Giratina-A.
* Shaymin-S can also provide support to its teammates with its access to moves like Healing Wish.
* Its typing grants it an immunity to Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Sticky Webs, and immune to Ground-type attacks.
* However, its somewhat mediocre power makes it rather reliant on flinches and Special Defense drops to break walls and can be unreliable at times.
* Shaymin-S's weakness to Stealth Rock alongside Life Orb recoil causes it to lose HP really fast.
* Due to its poor Defense and Special Defense stats, Shaymin-S is rather frail and has difficulty switching in apart from Ground-type attacks. It also falls prone to priority attacks such as Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch from Arceus and Mega Lucario respectively.
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Seed Flare
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Earth Power / Hidden Power Rock
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Life Orb
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Seed Flare allows Shaymin-S to punch holes through opposing walls and is complemented by its high chance to drop the foe's Special Defense harshly, allowing it to create opportunities for a potential late-game sweep by its teammates.
* Air Slash is its best and most spammable move Flying STAB move that also has a fair chance to flinch its foes thanks to Shaymin-S's ability.
* Earth Power allows Shaymin-S to deal super effective damage to common Steel-types like Magearna, Dialga, and Solgaleo, which would usually wall it otherwise.
* Hidden Power Rock allows Shaymin-S to OHKO Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage, dealing at least 60% damage.
* Healing Wish grants Shaymin-S utility, allowing it to fully heal one of its teammates when it is no longer needed.
* Hidden Power Ice may be run to OHKO the standard Dragon Dance Mega Salamence set.
Set Details
========
* By holding a Life Orb, Shaymin-S receives additional power in exchange for recoil every turn it attacks.
* 252 Speed EVs along with a Timid Nature allow Shaymin-S to reach a high Speed tier, enabling it to outspeed fast offensive threats such as Darkrai and support Pokemon such as Arceus-Rock, while also letting it Speed tie with opposing Shaymin-S.
* 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Shaymin-S's damage output which is required to function as a proper wallbreaker.
* An odd number of HP is maintained so Shaymin-S takes less damage switching in when Stealth Rock is up.
Usage Tips
========
* Due to its fragility, it's best to not switch in Shaymin-S against direct attacks. It should in be brought only when predicting opposing switches or a Ground-type move so it can switch in safely and unscratched.
* Seed Flare can work really well in conjunction with Shaymin-S's coverage moves, as the potential Special Defense drop on its foes will allow it to OHKO Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Magearna with Hidden Power Rock and Earth Power, respectively, which decreases the risk it needs to take predicting switches.
* Shaymin-S can force switches so Seed Flare can be spammed to deal heavy damage to opposing Pokemon, while also expecting a -2 Special Defense drop. This may lead to more further switches that can weaken the opposing team and make them prone to a potential late-game sweep.
* Prevent Shaymin-S from taking too much damage from the opposing team's threats, since it loses health really fast due to residual damage from Life Orb recoil as well as Stealth Rock.
* Shaymin-S should not attempt to KO threats by hoping to flinch with Air Slash multiple times; it's best to not rely on the 60% chance to flinch that much, though attempting once or twice may be considered fine. When facing situations where multiple flinches by Air Slash is required, switching out is the preferred choice of play.
* Finally, when Shaymin-S seems no longer useful against the opposing team, it should use Healing Wish to fully heal one of its teammates that can potentially sweep late-game.
Team Options
========
* Shaymin-S appreciates entry hazard support to weaken its common switch-ins. Pokemon that can set up Stealth Rock, which cripples the likes of Ho-oh and Lugia, Spikes, which damages Steel-types or Toxic Spikes pair well with Shaymin's Air Slash flinching, such as Excadrill, Deoxys-S, Cloyster, and Dialga.
* Ghost-type Pokemon such as Arceus-Ghost, Lunala, Giratina-O, and Mega Gengar pair well with Shaymin-S, as they can absorb common priority moves such as Extreme Speed.
* As Shaymin-S doesn't want to take unnecessary damage, Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Tapu-Koko, Landorus-T, Yveltal, Mega Scizor, and Zekrom pair well, as they can bring in Shaymin-S for free.
* Shaymin-S appreciates Pokemon that can switch into Ho-Oh, like Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Rock.
* Fire-type threats such as Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon have good offensive synergy with Shaymin-S, since they can deal heavy damage to Steel-types such as Solgaleo, Magearna, and Celesteela, while Shaymin-S can check Water-types like Primal Kyogre and Arceus-Water.
* Pokemon that appreciate Healing Wish support from Shaymin-S such as Arceus, Primal Groudon, and Mega Salamence, pair well as Shaymin-S gives them an extra opportunity to sweep when it is no longer needed.
* Anti-entry hazard support to remove Stealth Rock may pair well with Shaymin-S. Pokemon like Excadrill and Cloyster works well, as they can provide both entry hazards , while also keeping them off of the field.
* Shaymin-S's weakness to Mega Gengar can be countered by pairing it with Pursuit trappers like Alolan Muk and Tyranitar. On hyper offense teams, Pursuit Deoxys-A can also be used as a trapper to revenge KO Mega Gengar.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf Attacker
move 1: Seed Flare
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Healing Wish
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Serene Grace
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Seed Flare is Shaymin-S's strongest STAB move that can break walls with potential Special Defense drops, and it can also force them to switch out.
* Air Slash is Shaymin-S's strongest and spammable Flying STAB move that also has a very high chance to flinch, which is favored more when holding a Choice Scarf.
* Hidden Power Ice allows Shaymin-S to revenge KO Mega Salamence, even at +1 Speed
* Hidden Power Rock can be run to score a 2HKO on Ho-Oh or OHKO it after Stealth Rock damage.
* Healing Wish gives Shaymin-S late-game support that can provide a chance to sweep for one of its teammates.
Set Details
========
* 252 Speed EVs with a neutral nature while holding a Choice Scarf allows Shaymin-S to hit 529 Speed, which enables it to outspeed the entirety of the +1 boosted Ubers metagame as well as standard Geomancy Xerneas at +2 Speed.
* 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Shaymin-S's damage output.
* An odd HP value should be maintained to maximize the number of times Shaymin-S can switch in when Stealth Rock is on the field.
* Though Shaymin-S appreciates the Special Attack boost from a Modest nature, a Timid Nature could be run instead to outspeed Excadrill under sand and +1 Jolly Mega Salamence.
Usage Tips
========
* Due to the lack of power when carrying a Choice Scarf, Shaymin-S is somewhat weak and cannot wallbreak; it is best used as a revenge killer, helped by its tremendously high Speed tier.
* Shaymin-S can also function as an anti-lead Pokemon against leads from hyper offense teams such as Deoxys-S that can potentially be flinched to death, preventing entry hazards, even though it's not that consistent at the role.
* Against hyper offense teams, Shaymin-S can also be used to revenge KO any weakened opposing threats with the aid of its Choice Scarf, though it must be wary of priority moves.
* Anticipating a switch and using the corresponding coverage move is the best way of using Shaymin-S, rather than simply spamming Air Slash and hoping to flinch.
* Shaymin-S should avoid damage as much as possible, since it's relatively frail and weak to Stealth Rock damage; therefore, it's best to switch Shaymin-S out against priority moves so its HP can be preserved, which may come in use late game.
* Healing Wish can be used late-game to support a teammate for a potential sweep or even prevent one from cleaning your team.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon that can provide entry hazard support are great partners for Shaymin-S, so Pokemon such as Deoxys-S, Excadrill, Dialga, Primal Groudon, and Cloyster team up well.
* Shaymin-S also appreciates Pokemon such as Cloyster, Excadrill, and Arceus-Water that can provide hazard removal, as Shaymin-S is weak to Stealth Rock.
* Offensive powerhouses such as Xerneas, Deoxys-A, Rayquaza, and Mega Lucario also pair well, as they can all weaken Shaymin-S's switch-ins and create a chance for late -game sweeps.
* Pokemon that appreciate Healing Wish support from Shaymin-S, such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Lucario pair well, since when in no further use, Shaymin-S can sacrifice itself to fully heal back one of its teammates for a potential sweep.
* Ghost-types such as Lunala and Arceus-Ghost are good teammates, as they can absorb Extreme Speed which Shaymin-S dislikes, while also being a soft check to Extreme Killer Arceus.
* Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh can deal with the Steel-types in the tier.
* Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Tyranitar can revenge KO Mega Gengar, which can check this Shaymin-S set if it's locked into Seed Flare.
* Mega Gengar with Focus Blast can trap and check Steel-types that counters Shaymin-S while also checking Extreme Killer Arceus to a certain point.
* Pokemon that can switch in against Ho-Oh and Extreme Killer Arceus, such as Mega Salamence, Arceus-Water, Arceus-Rock, and Primal Groudon, pair well with Shaymin-S.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Substitute + Leech Seed with Leftovers is a set that can be used to annoy bulkier teams; Shaymin-S can set up Substitute predicting a forced switch and can then proceed to annoy its foe with Leech Seed and Air Slash. Unfortunately, running this set means Shaymin-S will lose crucial power by holding Leftovers over Life Orb as well as coverage options, making it less effective in the current metagame.
* Choice Specs can be run to gain more power and lets Shaymin-S deal heavy damage to opposing walls that cannot resist its STAB moves. However, the inability to switch moves can become a problem for Shaymin-S, as it requires coverage moves to hit Pokemon such as Magearna and Ho-Oh.
* Shaymin-S can carry Hidden Power Fire to hit Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Mega Scizor, and Genesect; however, all of these Pokemon, apart from Ferrothorn, are uncommon in the tier, Hidden Power and does not provide effective coverage to hit common threats.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh can easily switch in against Shaymin-S, which can't hit it back unless it is carrying Hidden Power Rock. Ho-Oh is left unscratched when hit by Air Slash or Seed Flare and can retaliate back by OHKOing Shaymin-S with one of its STAB moves. Ho-Oh is also very difficult to whittle down, as Regenerator heals it up whenever it switches, solidifying its ability to check Shaymin-S
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Bronzong, Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Magearna can easily switch in on Shaymin-S. Bronzong and Ferrothorn can take any hit from Shaymin-S's standard set and proceed to set up entry hazards or hit back hard with Gyro Ball. However, Magearna and Ferrothorn must be cautious, since Shaymin-S can carry Earth Power and Hidden Power Fire, respectively.
**Mega Gengar**: Shaymin-S can be easily trapped and revenge KOed by Mega Gengar, as it outspeeds Shaymin-S.
**Lugia**: Lugia can easily take an Air Slash or Seed Flare from Shaymin-S and can retaliate back with Ice Beam or Aeroblast.
**Revenge Killers**: Pokemon that outspeed Shaymin-S such as Deoxys-A, Mewtwo, and Pheromosa can easily revenge kill it due to its mediocre bulk and tendency of being whittled down easily due to Life Orb recoil.
**Priority**: Due to Shaymin-S's mediocre defenses, it falls prone to priority users, such as many physical variants of Arceus formes, namely Extreme Killer Arceus, which can do 70% with Extreme Speed. It is also weak to Mega Lucario and Mega Scizor, which can 2HKO with Bullet Punch, as well as being weak Rayquaza with Extreme Speed.
**Stealth Rock**: Shaymin-S really hates Stealth Rock damage, as it will be carrying Life Orb most of the time and will lose HP every time it switches in into Stealth Rock, meaning it is whittled down very quickly. So Pokemon with entry hazards that can also check Shaymin-S, such as Dialga, Bronzong, Ferrothorn, and lead Deoxys-A, can force Shaymin-S out, while also being able to set up Stealth Rock.
**Status*: Shaymin-S dislikes being hit by status conditions, particularly Toxic and paralysis. If Shaymin-S is poisoned, it loses HP faster, as Life Orb recoil stacks up with poison. Paralysis is heavily depreciated, since Shaymin-S can no longer revenge KO opposing threats and loses the ability to outspeed slower Pokemon and, potentially flinch with Air Slash
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