Sylveon

[HeaLnDeaL]

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.

 

[JigglykongisFUM16]

I think calm mind deserves its own set. I've seen it a little on the ladders.

Otherwise I think you got all the counters down and the other sets look pretty good.

 

[cbrevan]

This all looks really good, I'm really glad Choice Specs is there as its such as fun set to use. I also think Calm Mind is worth its own set as can bluff the cleric set and then proceed to smash unprepared teams. Its like Clefable except it can set up on special attackers easier and hits much harder with only one boost. It can also Baton Pass Calm Mind boosts, which Clefable can't do.

HP Fire can be slashed with HP Ground on the last set to hit Ferrothorn and Scizor. HP Fire actually allows Sylveon to beat any Mega Scizor without special defense investment as it will allow it to 2HKO the switch in, and Bullet Punch only does 70% unboosted from 252+ Mega Scizor, and CB Scizor needs SR to be able to OHKO.

The recommended EV spread from the on site analysis dex is 252 HP/ 220 Def / 36 SpD, which allows it to survive two Earth Powers from Landorus. Might be useful to include it as not all Landorus run Sludge Wave.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Alright, I've updated this and moved it out of the WIP stage. Calm Mind is now a set, though I'm a bit nervous on some of the moves. Ultimately, I've stuck with max defense on both the Wish and Calm Mind sets, seeing as Colossoil is a common threat and all of the investment Sylveon can get helps out against Earthquakes. While I agree that HP fire is great for Scizor, I also think in the CAP meta HP Ground is the superior choice because of its ability to hit Mollux and Heatran. That said, I might slash HP Fire onto another set if there's enough support behind the move.

 

[jas61292]

I have never used it, but how much does Quick Attack actually do on the Specs set. Obviously priority is nice, but the attack seems really weak in theory, especially with a -Atk Nature. What relevant damage is it doing exactly, and would it be made more useful with a Quiet Nature over Modest? If so, that should be slashed.

 

[cbrevan]

IIRC Quick Attack was used on Sylveon to beat Focus Sash users, such as Breloom, Syclant, and Stratagem, with a combination of Hyper Voice + Quick Attack. I actually think Pixie Plate or Life Orb should be slashed on the Specs set if Quick Attack is to be kept; it needs the extra damage from the item boost to actually do any real damage. The ability to change moves really helps if the opponent has something like a Heatran or Ferrothorn, and Pixie Plate can bluff a Specs set as Hyper Voice still hits hard.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

0 Atk Pixilate (Quiet) Sylveon Quick Attack vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Syclant: 54-64 (19.2 - 22.7%) -- possible 5HKO
(54, 54, 55, 55, 57, 57, 58, 58, 58, 60, 60, 61, 61, 63, 63, 64)


0- Atk (Modest) Pixilate Sylveon Quick Attack vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Syclant: 48-57 (17 - 20.2%) -- possible 5HKO
(48, 48, 49, 49, 49, 51, 51, 51, 52, 52, 54, 54, 54, 55, 55, 57)

The damage output between modest and quiet Quick Attacks seems to be extremely small. Basically, in most situations it should only be used in the opponent in around 15% or less (but that still gives it a fair amount of utility. That said, I'll slash Quiet onto the set, as well as slashing Pixie Plate onto the item slot.

Changes implemented: Slashed Quiet nature, slashed Pixie Plate item on Power of the Pixie set.

 

[cbrevan]

Big post because some of the stuff mentioned is pretty nebulous (I'm looking at you Team Options).

Okay, Choice Spec set first. Scizor, Heatran, Rotom-W, Zapdos, Cyclohm, Mollux, Ferrothorn, etc. all make great teammates for all sets by virtue of eating up Steel type attacks aimed at Sylveon. Its probably worth mentioning them as stuff that can absorb Steel type attacks (and for the most part they're decent Scizor checks). Stuff like Cawmodore, Mega Scizor, Mega Gyarados, and basically anything that appreciates Haze Tomohawk or Cyclohm removed makes great teamates, as Sylveon can switch into both reliably. A good cleaner like Stratagem, Syclant, or Talonflame has good synergy with Specs Syveon because they can often sweep teams after Specs boosted Hyper Voices soften them up. Gothitelle also has great synergy because it can easily remove or cripple a large portion of what walls Specs Sylveon, such as Mollux, Chansey, and Pyroak, and loves the dry Baton Pass from it. I'm also pretty iffy with Psychock being mentioned as helping Sylveon with Chansey. You don't run Psyshock to beat Chansey, you run it to beat Poison types like Mega Venusaur and and Mollux. The fact that it hits Chansey marginally harder then Psyshock doesn't really help when its not even a 2HKO after Chansey's Eviolite is Knocked Off. It does shit damage when it has its Eviolite, hits marginally harder then Hyper Voice, while being not nearly as spammable. And yes, it is Sylveon's best way to get past Chansey, but in most case, you'd rather be spamming Hyper Voice regardless. There should be a mention of when to use Baton Pass in Usage Tips, like when you're against a Tomohawk and you're not sure if its gonna switch/Baton Pass out to Mollux or Scizor, or if they have a Chansey or Heatran. Wish support should also be mentioned in Team Options, as its by no means frail on the special side, but gets worn down very quickly. Wish lets you circumvent this and blast holes in the other team a little longer. A hazard setter is also great as Specs Sylveon can force a lot of switches, and significantly helps its wall breaking ability.

Second up, Cleric set. Mention switching Sylveon in on Tomohawk and specially biased attackers, such as Cyclohm, as they'll be your major opportunities to Wish/Heal Bell/Hyper Voice. Use Protect to scout the moves on stuff like Mollux, Heatran, and Scizor, especially if you suspect them of being Choiced. Again, stuff that can handle Steels should be mentioned in Team Options. Ferrothorn and Scizor are noticeable as they really appreciate Wish/Heal Bell support, and can help either by setting up hazards or luring in stuff like Tomohawk and Cyclohm. You'll also need something that can counter or check Cawmodore, as Sylveon is complete set up bait, so Haze Tomohawk or Sash Syclant make good teammates. Again, Gothitelle is an excellent teammate for previously states reasons, especially if one opts for Baton Pass.

Now for the Calm Mind set. This is the set I use the least, so I got little to say about it. Looks pretty good though. Wish Support if not running it yourself. You want something that can remove stuff like Roar Pyroak, Whirlwind Skarmory, and Roar Heatran, such as Specs Keldeo. Gothitelle is still great for removing Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Scizor.

Checks and Counters looks solid.

Nice analysis btw

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

A number of edits made in accordance to the above.

First off, I want to say that team options for Sylveon were originally made intentionally vague since Sylveon just flat out fits onto a lot of teams very well. That said, I added most of the details requested, albeit summarized.

There are some instances in which I think it's not appropriate to dictate/limit team options or to make redundant points. For example, any mention to a team needing a Caw counter is... somewhat redundant since every CAP team needs a Caw counter... it's simply how CAP teambuilding goes. As a result, rather than just saying Sylveon needs a teammate to beat Caw, I modified this slightly to Boosting Steels in general, since Cleric Sylveon has trouble with all of these, and not just Caw. Saying a sweeper appreciates hazard support is another no brainer. Now, if something can magically KO some of its top counters with just the help of Stealth Rock, then that's different and should definitely be included.

Thanks for the feedback. Pretty much everything you suggested was implemented in some form or another, though I'm resisting spelling out four or five exact teammates that can fit into team options since I truly believe Sylveon fits well on a large portion of teams.

 

[Empress]

I think this looks very good; I'll try and check this as best as I can.

- I'm really iffy about Pixilate Quick Attack. It's not hitting hard at all off uninvested base 65 attack; though it can pick off foes, what are the chances you'll weaken one to exactly QA KO range? If you could explain Pixilate QA to me or show me some replays, I may rescind my doubt about it.
- Add offensive synergy in all Team Options sections. Which mons enjoy having Tomohawk, Cyclohm, and Colossoil nuked?
- Poison-types to C&C, though add that they should be wary of HP Ground.

 

[cbrevan]

First thing first, you need to fix the Overview. The Overview is supposed to be "x mon has x trait which lets it do x role", not "x mon has x trait", you should be giving a brief description of what the mon does in the metagame, what its sets are like; just general information to quickly tell the reader what is in the overview. Its not just listing stuff you can find in the Pokedex; you can mention how its a cleric that can adopt a more offensive role with Choice Specs or Calm Mind.

Now onto the first set. Get rid of Quick Attack, there is no absolutely reason for it to be there. You are not dealing significant damage with it with an uninvested base 65 attack. Its completely niche and is in no way worth the moveslot it takes up. I also believe Baton Pass is incredibly important for this set, as it prevents Sylveon from being a momentum killer versus teams with Chansey and Pyroak, both of whom can easily take advantage of Sylveon. In fact, I would say move Baton Pass to third move slot and slash Psyshock with Shadow Ball in the fourth moveslot. Of course get rid of Quiet nature since Quick Attack should be gone.

Second set, fix the Talonflame mention. Talonflame is in fact a hard counter to Sylveon, as Choice Banded Brave Bird cleanly 2hkoes with even max physical investment, and any set with Roost will just walk all over this set.

On the third set, under Set Details, you mention Calm Mind turning Sylveon in a Special Tank, which is slightly redunant given that it can already be taken as a special tank. Also, you should be mentioning how Calm Mind turns Sylveon into a win condition that can play off the assumption of it being the standard cleric set. I'm also wondering how Protect can give Sylveon a free turn to Wish recover when they are both the same slash; perhaps you meant to put Protect in the fourth moveslot? Also, give some reasons as to why anyone would want to run this over Magic Guard Calm Mind Clefable in Usage Tips, such as its access to higher power after one boost.

Also, an answer to Cawmodore should be mention in the Team Options for all sets, mainly because Sylvyeon is almost complete set up bait for it. If this was something like Pyroak, which can at least deter Cawmodore from setting up all over it, I would not need to stress this, but since Sylveon is complete Cawmododre bait, it needs to be addressed. It doesn't matter if Cawmodore is an omnipresence threat, the point is that it just takes complete advantage of Slyveon and there is literally no reasonable explanation not to include it. You also mention boosting Steels in your post but don't actually have them mentioned in the analysis, you might want to add that. If you really believe that Sylveon is so flexible and can fit on many team types, include it in the analysis somewhere, it doesn't help to be intentional vague and then not tell the reader why.

Checks and Counters: Just as Snobalt suggested, Poison types are needed, as well as Powerful Physical Attackers, as stuff like Kyurem-B and Victini can easily blow past it, especially versus the Specs set. Defensive Fire Types should be changed to Fire Types in general, as even frail offensive ones like Talonflame can beat it.

Lastly, I'm wondering whats the real point of the names of the sets. While I admire your creativity in creating them, they do not seem to really tell us what they do right of the bat. Sure, you can just look at the set right below it, but the point of the set name is to give the reader an idea of the set without having to read through all of it. I mean, what can you gleam from "Wish Upon a Star"? That it uses Wish? That its actually a Starmie in disguise? We don't know, and thats exactly the problem. Either drop the creative names entirely for the actual set names, or at the very least put them in parenthesis like the Gen 6 Druddigon analysis.

EDIT: Oh yeah, for the Choice Specs set, you want to include hazard support not because its a sweeper necessarily, but because Choice Specs Sylveon will cause a ton of switches into stuff like Mollux, Pyroak, Chansey, and Plasmanta, all of which hate being worn down by hazards. Stealth Rock or Spikes support just makes it so much easier to wear them down.

 

[Empress]

Yeah HeaL... puns should only be used in rare circumstances, such as if the mon is notorious for a certain set or only has one viable set.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Updated to the new format, removed Quick Attack from the first set and dropped it to OO, and added substitute to OO. A few other fixes here and there.

I've found it a trend that goes beyond this analysis where comments are needlessly attacking the overview. If the bullets describe key aspects of a role without spelling out directly "this Pokemon does X role" then it is usually redundant to make such a statement. For example, saying Sylveon has access to great cleric moves already insinuates its value as a cleric, and therefore it shouldn't have to be restated. Where mons have unusual combinations of traits that allow for less-than-obvious roles to be accessible, then these less-than-obvious roles should be expanded upon in the overview. Also keep in mind that the overview is the area most changed when switching from bullets to paragraph form. Yes, the overview is more than blindly listing traits, but it also isn't blindly listing roles that are obvious results of traits already listed...

 

[sparktrain]

Went over this with HeaLnDeaL on PS, QC 1/3

 

[Animus Majulous]

Extensively Analyzed

QC 2/3

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Written up. I'm not sure if I like how I compared Sylveon to Gard and Clefable in the overview to the extent I did, and so if anyone suggests an alternative approach then I'm all ears.

 

[cbrevan]

The main reason why I'd use Sylveon over Clefable as a cleric is Sylveon's superior special bulk; even uninvested it is comparable to a fully specially invested Clefable. Sylveon's special bulk allows it to switch into special attackers far more easily than Clefable, and this really helps on teams that want to pack a Colo/Strata check and special wall all in one. Might be worth emphasizing that special bulk more in Overview, but aside from that I can't think of any other way to improve or change it.

The rest of the analysis looks solid. Change what you want in the Overview or leave it as is, either way, you can consider this QC 3/3.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

In response to the above, I changed "Sylveon also sports better Special Defense than Clefable and its additional access to Baton Pass also allows Sylveon to support its team in a unique way" to "Sylveon also sports significantly better Special Defense than Clefable and its additional access to Baton Pass also allows Sylveon to support its team in a unique way." ... Kind of a minor fix, but it gets the job done.

Ready for GP.

 

[Empress]

Add
Remove
Comment

Whew

[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 allow Sylveon to support its team effectively. However, Sylveon faces competition as both a Special Wallbreaker 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 a 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 are abilities that let Clefable be a bulky supporter with more defensive options.

However, this competition among fellow Fairy-types is not to does not mean that Sylveon is outclassed. Unlike Mega Gardevoir, offensive Sylveon still leaves room for its team to have another Mega Evolution. (Err is Mega opportunity cost still a thing? Iirc the guys from OU said it's not, but idk what the verdict is here.) Sylveon also sports significantly better Special Defense than Clefable and its additional access to Baton Pass, allowing also allows Sylveon to support its team in a unique way (in what way?). 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 special wallbreaker or a team supporter.

[SET]
name: Power of the Pixie (No. I'd hardly call this set notorious, and it's not Sylveon's only viable set.) (Special Wallbreaker)
move 1: Hyper Voice
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Psyshock / Shadow Ball
move 4: Baton Pass
ability: Pixilate
item: Choice Specs / Pixie Plate
ability: Pixilate
Nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Nature: Modest

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Hyper Voice is Sylveon's main move, allowing it to nuke demolish almost anything that doesn't resist Fairy and even hurt even some foes those that do resist it. Hidden Power Ground hits Heatran, Mollux, and Plasmanta, (AC) 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 usage is for dealing use is to deal with Mega Venusuar and other Poison-types. If Mega Metagross is a more pressing concern than Poison-types, then Shadow Ball deals the most damage to it out all of Sylveon's moves. Lastly, 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 since 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.

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 then it will become a lot easier to handle. Even though Sylveon resists Dark-type attacks, it should still be very careful of Knock Off since 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, (AC) 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 like such as Colossoil can take out most Steel-(AH) 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 and most notably Stealth Rock, especially since as many of the foes that want to switch into Sylveon's Hyper Voice are fire Fire-types, (AC) such as Pyroak and Mollux.

Sticky Web support from Necturna somewhat remedies Sylveon's low speed Speed and allows it to outspeed a greater number of walls; Sylveon still won't be able to out(remove space)pace dedicated sweepers though. Partners with Volt Switch or U-turn can be used to help Sylveon switch in more easily, and in general the strategy generally fits well with Choice Specs Sylveon since because it will be switching in and out a lot anyway. Having a Gothitelle that Sylveon can Baton Pass into can be valuable, as Sylveon can Baton Pass into it can to ease the burden of prediction when trapping certain threats and often lets Gothitelle switch in without taking damage. Lastly, a A cleric teammate is also helpful, as Choice Specs Sylveon cannot use cleric moves 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
item: Leftovers
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk SpA
nature: Bold

[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 it 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 or as well as offensive Mollux or and Heatran. However, Specially Defensive 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.

Usage Tips
========

Despite the defensive EV spread spread, Sylveon should avoid switching into dedicated physical attackers, especially those that carry a boosting item such as a Life Orb or Choice Band. Switching into resisted or weaker special attacks is usually the safest bet; Tomohawk makes for a great switch-in opportunity and allows for a safe Wish or Heal Bell the next turn, (AC) as the majority of the time, (AC) 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 for Sylveon to switch in a teammate to counter during the proceeding turn and have the switch-in's damage 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 since because a Pixilate-(AH)boosted Hyper Voice will still do sizeable significant damage.

Team Options
========

There are many teammates that benefit from Sylveon's Wish support, and ; (semicolon) in particular, (AC) risky set(remove space)up sweepers like such as Cawmodore (considering Caw has Drain Punch, I'd give a different example here) appreciate the opportunity to regain lost HP. Ground types like such as Colossoil help in taking out Steel-(AH) and Poison-(AH)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, like 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 or and Choice Scarf Mollux. For Baton Pass variants, having a Gothitelle that Sylveon can Baton Pass into can be valuable, as Sylveon can Baton Pass into it can to ease the burden of prediction when trapping certain threats.

[SET]
name: Calm and Collected (cmon man...) (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
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SAtk SpA
nature: Bold

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========

Calm Mind turns Sylveon into a very solid attacker and Special special tank, letting it absorb most Special attacks (redundant). Hyper Voice is Sylveon's main attacking option, (AC) and it will hit anything weak to it pretty hard, (AC) 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, (RC) 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 in general it provides safe momentum when slow passing. Hidden Power Ground can be useful alternative for pesky Mollux, Plasmanta, or 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 eases Sylveon's burden when taking on notable physical attackers such as Colossoil and Mega Lopunny. (Describe what Pixilate does too)

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, then 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 a Knock Off, since as without recovery, (AC) 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. Hazers users and phazers are especially important to be removed earlier in the match if Sylveon is passing boosts to teammates.


Team Options
========

Fire-types like such as Volkraken can absorb Steel-type moves aimed at Sylveon and are very useful in eliminating threats such as Scizor. Ground-types like such as Colossoil help Sylveon by taking out most Steel-(AH) and Poison-(AH)types as well. Frail Special special attackers such as Stratagem appreciate being baton passed 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, therefore so trappers like such as Gothitelle or powerful sweepers like 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, (AC) 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 trying 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 on an offensive set in order to net a few KOes 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 then there's not much Sylveon can do if it lacks Hidden Power Fire. Defensively, Skarmory can take on non-offensive 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, then it can't stomach Choice Specs hits as well any(remove space)more, (AC) but it even then, (AC) its Special 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.

**Powerhouse Strong Physical Attackers**: Many things Pokemon with monstrous Attack, a Choice Band, or a great physical boosting move, such as Kyurem-B, Victini, Shell Smash/ or Shift Gear Necturna, or 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 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 are generally destroyed by Taunters users such as Mew and bulky Talonflame, as without Wish it lacks the utility it needs to function. Taunt, however, is nearly useless against Choice Specs Sylveon. (I'd rephrase much of this section to avoid cross-referencing)

GP 1/2

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Implemented the above.

 

[P Squared]

GP 2/2
add remove comment

not a lot to do. I did notice that there were some implementation issues (missing spaces), so it might be helpful to click "reply" on my post and edit from there.

Hide

[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(space)/ 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, then 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. (optional but I feel like it's noteworthy?)

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 then 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(space)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 it 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(space)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 switch-in opportunity to switch in and allows for a safe Wish or Heal Bell the next turn, as, (comma) 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 for Sylveon to switch in a teammate to counter during the proceeding turn and have the switch-in's damage 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(dash)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(space)SpA

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========

Calm Mind turns Sylveon into a very solid attacker and special tank. (un-bold) 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, then 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, (remove comma) 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 trying 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 then there's not much Sylveon can do if it lacks Hidden Power Fire. Defensively, Skarmory can take on Sylveon, (comma) 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, then it can't stomach Choice Specs-boosted hits as well anymore, but it even then, its special(space)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(space)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**: (colon) Phazers such as Whirlwind Skarmory can mess with Sylveon's strategy to set up or support the team.

**Taunt**: Taunt stops Sylveon from using its supporting moves, (remove comma) but still allows it to attack. (but I feel like what you had originally* was fine; imo cross-set referencing is more about like... "the EVs are the same as on the physically defensive set" and "see the first set's Team Options" whereas this kind of "referencing" is not only okay but also kind of important? like the different sets definitely have different checks/counters; there's no need to dance around the fact that Sylveon has multiple viable sets...? idk. do what you like)

*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 Choice Specs Sylveon.

 

[HeaLnDeaL]

Thanks, p squared!

Implemented the above, so I guess then that means CAP Sylveon is done! I went with P Squared's suggestion and restored the original Taunt wording in checks and counters. However, I did changed the wording of "Choice Specs Sylveon" to "offensive Sylveon" since taunt is useless against offensive Sylveon in general, whether they are holding Choice Specs or Pixie Plate.

 

[sparktrain]

uploaded