[SET]
Bulky Attacker (Sylveon) @ Fairy Feather
Ability: Pixilate
Level: 50
SPs: 9 HP / 22 Def / 20 SpA / 15 Spe or 9 HP / 22 Def / 30 SpA / 5 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Hyper Beam
- Quick Attack
- Detect
[SET COMMENTS]
* Sylveon has cemented itself as a bulky offensive threat with significant flexibility. Its Speed tier allows it to succeed in Tailwind or Trick Room, and it outputs high Fairy-type damage with Pixliate-boosted Hyper Voice and Hyper Beam. These STAB moves let it threaten OHKOs on threats such as Garchomp, Mega Staraptor, and Tyranitar while still enabling it to deal neutral damage to a large portion of the metagame, such as Kingambit, Basculegion-M, Sneasler, and opposing Fairy-types such as Mega Floette and enemy Whimsicott.
* **Fairy Feather**: Fairy Feather's damage boost is required to secure an OHKO on Life Orb Garchomp with Hyper Voice.
* **Hyper Voice**: Hyper Voice is Sylveon's main source of damage, dealing high enough spread damage to secure 2HKOs on most variants of Basculegion-M, Sneasler, and bulky Garchomp.
* **Hyper Beam**: Hyper Beam offers massive burst damage onto a single target, getting around potential Wide Guard users such as Aerodactyl, while securing an OHKO on bulky threats, most notably Kingambit and Archaludon. This comes with the significant drawback of leaving Sylveon vulnerable for a turn, making the use of Hyper Beam a serious commitment that should be considered carefully.
* **Quick Attack**: Quick Attack is used as a priority Fairy-type attack that can secure KOs on low-health targets like Sneasler and Lycanroc-D taken down to their Focus Sash or get around Sucker Punch from Kingambit.
***Other Options
========
* **Yawn**: Sylveon can forgo Quick Attack or Hyper Beam to run Yawn and put foes to sleep. This is especially effective at disrupting setup sweepers that otherwise would give Sylveon trouble, such as Bulk Up Ceruledge and Nasty Plot Mega Delphox. It does, however, come at the cost of either priority or burst damage.
SP Spreads
========
* ** 9 HP / 22 Def / 20 SpA / 15 Spe with Modest**: This spread lets Sylveon outspeed Sneasler under Tailwind while guaranteeing it can take a Dire Claw from Jolly Sneasler most of the time. The rest of the SPs are put into Special Attack to maximize damage.
* ** 9 HP / 22 Def / 30 SpA / 5 Spe with Modest**: This spread has just enough Speed investment to let Sylveon outrun Garchomp under Tailwind while still allowing it to withstand Jolly Sneasler's Dire Claw. The Special Attack investment allows Sylveon to secure the 2KHO on most Basculegion-M with Hyper Voice.
Teambuilding
========
* **Checks and Weaknesses**: Sylveon lacks coverage moves to deal with the plethora of Fairy-resistant Pokemon that permeate the metagame. Mega Charizard Y can trade extremely well with Sylveon, resisting Fairy and dealing massive damage back with Weather Ball. Gholdengo and Mega Delphox can set up Nasty Plot in front of Sylveon without much issue thanks to their decent special bulk compounded with their Fairy resistance and quickly run away with the game, along with Psyshock and Make It Rain threatening massive damage. Mega Metagross and Mega Glimmora can safely switch into a Hyper Voice thanks to their Fairy resistances and OHKO Sylveon without much trouble with Iron Head and Sludge Bomb.
* Incineroar is a problem for Sylveon, as it takes neutral hits from Sylveon very well. It can disrupt Sylveon with Fake Out, use Throat Chop to disable Hyper Voice, tank a hit for its teammates and then pivot out with Parting Shot, and finally 2HKO it most of the time with Flare Blitz.
* Mega Gengar poses an immense threat to Sylveon; it's able to take a Hyper Voice well thanks to its Poison typing and then use Disable next turn to prevent Sylveon from dealing consistent damage. This lets Mega Gengar either go for Sludge Bomb for the 2HKO or easily trap Sylveon while Perish Song ticks down. Venusaur is also a problem, as it's able to outspeed Sylveon under the sun, disrupt it with Sleep Powder, and threaten a 2HKO with Sludge Bomb.
* Wide Guard users such as Aerodactyl and Pelipper force Sylveon to commit to a Hyper Beam or use Quick Attack for mediocre damage at best. An especially troublesome foe is Toxapex, which can trap Sylveon with Infestation, block Hyper Voice with Wide Guard, and stomach multiple Hyper Beams. Despite taking significant damage from Sylveon's attacks, Sneasler, Iron Head Kingambit, and Mystic Water Basculegion-M can all threaten Sylveon with an OHKO.
* **Good Partners and Synergies**: Sylveon thrives when it's able to move first, so allies that can help establish speed control are greatly appreciated. Mega Aerodactyl sets Tailwind and lets Sylveon follow up before foes have a chance to act while also threatening Fire-types, most notably Mega Charizard Y, with Rock Slide. Similarly, Mega Staraptor offers Tailwind support but has Fighting-type coverage to hit Steel-types such as Excadrill and Kingambit that threaten Sylveon with Iron Head and Dual Wingbeat to take care of Focus Sash Venusaur and Sneasler.
* Mega Raichu Y is an incredible partner for Sylveon. Zap Cannon's ability to spread paralysis while also dealing hefty damage provides Sylveon with the perfect follow-up opportunity. Additionally, Mega Raichu Y has crucial Fighting-type coverage with Focus Blast, and it also threatens the most common Wide Guard users in Aerodactyl, Pelipper, and Toxaxpex. Sylveon in turn can handle the Dragon-types of the format, such as Mega Dragonite and Garchomp.
* Farigiraf provides Trick Room to give Sylveon the ability to move before faster-paced teams while preventing Sylveon from getting disrupted or chipped down by priority moves with Armor Tail. Additionally, Farigiraf's Psychic-type damage threatens the Poison-types that may attempt to switch into Sylveon's Hyper Voice, and Twin Beam eliminates Sneasler through Focus Sash. Farigiraf also commonly runs Thunderbolt, which can help against the Wide Guard user Pelipper and threaten Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Charizard Y, and Basculegion-M. Farigiraf appreciates Sylveon's ability to switch into the Dark-types that threaten it, such as Mega Tyranitar, and KO them back with Hyper Voice.
* Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Hisuian Arcanine melt through Steel-types such as Kingambit and Gholdengo that would otherwise resist Sylveon's Fairy-type attacks, while Sylveon compliments them by threatening the Dragon-types that resist their attacks. Hisuian Arcanine also has Rock-type coverage to threaten the Fire-types that trade well against Sylveon, most notably Mega Charizard Y. Incineroar is another stellar partner, as Intimidate alleviates pressure from the incoming physical attacks that Sylveon can struggle to take while using Fake Out to give Sylveon opportunities to spread damage.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ebznax02.757925/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/poketitanterra.678488/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pengu.650323/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Bulky Attacker (Sylveon) @ Fairy Feather
Ability: Pixilate
Level: 50
SPs: 9 HP / 22 Def / 20 SpA / 15 Spe or 9 HP / 22 Def / 30 SpA / 5 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hyper Voice
- Hyper Beam
- Quick Attack
- Detect
[SET COMMENTS]
* Sylveon has cemented itself as a bulky offensive threat with significant flexibility. Its Speed tier allows it to succeed in Tailwind or Trick Room, and it outputs high Fairy-type damage with Pixliate-boosted Hyper Voice and Hyper Beam. These STAB moves let it threaten OHKOs on threats such as Garchomp, Mega Staraptor, and Tyranitar while still enabling it to deal neutral damage to a large portion of the metagame, such as Kingambit, Basculegion-M, Sneasler, and opposing Fairy-types such as Mega Floette and enemy Whimsicott.
* **Fairy Feather**: Fairy Feather's damage boost is required to secure an OHKO on Life Orb Garchomp with Hyper Voice.
* **Hyper Voice**: Hyper Voice is Sylveon's main source of damage, dealing high enough spread damage to secure 2HKOs on most variants of Basculegion-M, Sneasler, and bulky Garchomp.
* **Hyper Beam**: Hyper Beam offers massive burst damage onto a single target, getting around potential Wide Guard users such as Aerodactyl, while securing an OHKO on bulky threats, most notably Kingambit and Archaludon. This comes with the significant drawback of leaving Sylveon vulnerable for a turn, making the use of Hyper Beam a serious commitment that should be considered carefully.
* **Quick Attack**: Quick Attack is used as a priority Fairy-type attack that can secure KOs on low-health targets like Sneasler and Lycanroc-D taken down to their Focus Sash or get around Sucker Punch from Kingambit.
***Other Options
========
* **Yawn**: Sylveon can forgo Quick Attack or Hyper Beam to run Yawn and put foes to sleep. This is especially effective at disrupting setup sweepers that otherwise would give Sylveon trouble, such as Bulk Up Ceruledge and Nasty Plot Mega Delphox. It does, however, come at the cost of either priority or burst damage.
SP Spreads
========
* ** 9 HP / 22 Def / 20 SpA / 15 Spe with Modest**: This spread lets Sylveon outspeed Sneasler under Tailwind while guaranteeing it can take a Dire Claw from Jolly Sneasler most of the time. The rest of the SPs are put into Special Attack to maximize damage.
* ** 9 HP / 22 Def / 30 SpA / 5 Spe with Modest**: This spread has just enough Speed investment to let Sylveon outrun Garchomp under Tailwind while still allowing it to withstand Jolly Sneasler's Dire Claw. The Special Attack investment allows Sylveon to secure the 2KHO on most Basculegion-M with Hyper Voice.
Teambuilding
========
* **Checks and Weaknesses**: Sylveon lacks coverage moves to deal with the plethora of Fairy-resistant Pokemon that permeate the metagame. Mega Charizard Y can trade extremely well with Sylveon, resisting Fairy and dealing massive damage back with Weather Ball. Gholdengo and Mega Delphox can set up Nasty Plot in front of Sylveon without much issue thanks to their decent special bulk compounded with their Fairy resistance and quickly run away with the game, along with Psyshock and Make It Rain threatening massive damage. Mega Metagross and Mega Glimmora can safely switch into a Hyper Voice thanks to their Fairy resistances and OHKO Sylveon without much trouble with Iron Head and Sludge Bomb.
* Incineroar is a problem for Sylveon, as it takes neutral hits from Sylveon very well. It can disrupt Sylveon with Fake Out, use Throat Chop to disable Hyper Voice, tank a hit for its teammates and then pivot out with Parting Shot, and finally 2HKO it most of the time with Flare Blitz.
* Mega Gengar poses an immense threat to Sylveon; it's able to take a Hyper Voice well thanks to its Poison typing and then use Disable next turn to prevent Sylveon from dealing consistent damage. This lets Mega Gengar either go for Sludge Bomb for the 2HKO or easily trap Sylveon while Perish Song ticks down. Venusaur is also a problem, as it's able to outspeed Sylveon under the sun, disrupt it with Sleep Powder, and threaten a 2HKO with Sludge Bomb.
* Wide Guard users such as Aerodactyl and Pelipper force Sylveon to commit to a Hyper Beam or use Quick Attack for mediocre damage at best. An especially troublesome foe is Toxapex, which can trap Sylveon with Infestation, block Hyper Voice with Wide Guard, and stomach multiple Hyper Beams. Despite taking significant damage from Sylveon's attacks, Sneasler, Iron Head Kingambit, and Mystic Water Basculegion-M can all threaten Sylveon with an OHKO.
* **Good Partners and Synergies**: Sylveon thrives when it's able to move first, so allies that can help establish speed control are greatly appreciated. Mega Aerodactyl sets Tailwind and lets Sylveon follow up before foes have a chance to act while also threatening Fire-types, most notably Mega Charizard Y, with Rock Slide. Similarly, Mega Staraptor offers Tailwind support but has Fighting-type coverage to hit Steel-types such as Excadrill and Kingambit that threaten Sylveon with Iron Head and Dual Wingbeat to take care of Focus Sash Venusaur and Sneasler.
* Mega Raichu Y is an incredible partner for Sylveon. Zap Cannon's ability to spread paralysis while also dealing hefty damage provides Sylveon with the perfect follow-up opportunity. Additionally, Mega Raichu Y has crucial Fighting-type coverage with Focus Blast, and it also threatens the most common Wide Guard users in Aerodactyl, Pelipper, and Toxaxpex. Sylveon in turn can handle the Dragon-types of the format, such as Mega Dragonite and Garchomp.
* Farigiraf provides Trick Room to give Sylveon the ability to move before faster-paced teams while preventing Sylveon from getting disrupted or chipped down by priority moves with Armor Tail. Additionally, Farigiraf's Psychic-type damage threatens the Poison-types that may attempt to switch into Sylveon's Hyper Voice, and Twin Beam eliminates Sneasler through Focus Sash. Farigiraf also commonly runs Thunderbolt, which can help against the Wide Guard user Pelipper and threaten Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Charizard Y, and Basculegion-M. Farigiraf appreciates Sylveon's ability to switch into the Dark-types that threaten it, such as Mega Tyranitar, and KO them back with Hyper Voice.
* Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Hisuian Arcanine melt through Steel-types such as Kingambit and Gholdengo that would otherwise resist Sylveon's Fairy-type attacks, while Sylveon compliments them by threatening the Dragon-types that resist their attacks. Hisuian Arcanine also has Rock-type coverage to threaten the Fire-types that trade well against Sylveon, most notably Mega Charizard Y. Incineroar is another stellar partner, as Intimidate alleviates pressure from the incoming physical attacks that Sylveon can struggle to take while using Fake Out to give Sylveon opportunities to spread damage.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ebznax02.757925/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/poketitanterra.678488/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pengu.650323/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
