[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 8-10 points
**Overview**: 100 Base Stats across the board, a powerful and spammable signature move in Seed Flare, and access to reliable recovery makes Shaymin quite a thorn in the opponent's side. Its ability to check Ground- and Water-types while exerting offensive pressure enables it to seamlessly fit on both bulky and offensive drafts. It can also attempt to sweep opposing teams with Swords Dance and Trailblaze and support its teammates by absorbing status effects with Natural Cure or fully healing them through Healing Wish. Despite these qualities, Shaymin sports weaknesses to several common types, relies on an inaccurate move and unreliable secondary effects to break bulkier Pokemon, and faces stiff competition from cheaper Grass-type alternatives, leaving it overlooked often. It also lacks special setup moves, which it would prefer due to Seed Flare's high damage, and thus it can be very passive against many Grass-resistant Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Support**: Thanks to excellent bulk and access to reliable recovery in Synthesis, Shaymin can be tailored to sponge a variety of hits. Seed Flare along with decent coverage moves helps Shaymin not be passive. It can further annoy foes with the combination of Leech Seed and Substitute. It can also benefit its teammates by being a status absorber as well as providing Healing Wish support.
**Offensive**: Shaymin can serve as a solid offensive wallbreaker in certain matchups thanks to its decent offensive and Speed stats, which is supported by excellent coverage options in Earth Power and Air Slash. Seed Flare's ability to drop a foe's Special Defense stat makes Shaymin extremely difficult and risky to switch into.
**Setup Sweeper**: Shaymin can attempt to sweep opposing teams with the help of Swords Dance, Trailblaze, and a solid Attack stat. As its physical coverage is not as impressive, this set is better if Shaymin is a Tera Captain, as that enables it to get extra coverage in the form of Tera Blast.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Seed Flare, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Giga Drain, Petal Blizzard
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Synthesis, Leech Seed, Healing Wish, Substitute
**Coverage**: Air Slash, Dazzling Gleam, Earth Power, Psychic, Tera Blast, Zen Headbutt, Play Rough, Double-Edge
Niche Moves
========
**Tailwind**: Shaymin can support its teammates with Tailwind. This synergizes particularly well with Healing Wish, as the combination can safely bring in a breaker that could then outspeed normally faster foes.
**Rest**: In matchups where weather can reduce the healing of Synthesis, Shaymin can run Rest, which works nicely in tandem with Natural Cure. This does force Shaymin to switch out to not be a sitting duck, and as such, it can be capitalized upon by the opponent.
**Leaf Storm**: Leaf Storm can be used in conjunction with Eject Pack to fire off a powerful STAB move and gain a free switch in to a teammate that can take advantage of the momentum.
**Endeavor**: Shaymin can run Endeavor when low on health to severely dent an opposing Pokemon, enabling teammates to pick it off more easily.
**Endure**: Shaymin can utilize Endure to survive a hit and activate a Custap Berry to either get off massive damage with Endeavor or safely use Healing Wish.
**Quick Attack**: Quick Attack is a niche option on a Swords Dance Shaymin set to pick off faster, weakened foes with priority.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: As Shaymin pivots in a lot to check and pressure Water- and Ground-types, which makes it take damage from all forms of entry hazards, equipping Heavy-Duty Boots mitigates that and allows it to consistently switch in without fear.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers provides passive healing to Shaymin, enabling it to pivot in and check threats more easily.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Shaymin can utilize Life Orb or Expert Belt to deal additional damage to foes. While it can run Choice Specs reasonably well, other damage-boosting items are preferred, as it enables Shaymin to use its arsenal of coverage moves to take advantage of any Special Defense drops due to Seed Flare.
Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Shaymin runs Sitrus Berry over Leftovers in niche situations where the extra recovery in a pinch helps it survive an extra hit.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry is used to enable Shaymin to support its teammates with a last ditch Tailwind or Healing Wish. It can also be used to surprise a faster foe and damage it.
**Resistance Berries**: As Shaymin is weak to common types like Fire, Flying and Poison, a resistance Berry can be run to lure the opposing Pokemon and inflict damage on them.
**Choice Scarf**: Shaymin's solid Speed lets it be a serviceable revenge killer with Choice Scarf, enabling it to pick off weakened faster foes. It must be noted that this may not be always reliable, as Seed Flare is inaccurate and Grass is not one of the better offensive typings. Additionally, a Choice Scarf lets Shaymin utilize Healing Wish more reliably.
**Assault Vest**: An Assault Vest can be used to bolster Shaymin's Special Defense to help it take on special attackers more easily.
**Weakness Policy**: Shaymin's solid bulk, weaknesses to common typings, and a way to boost Speed in Trailblaze makes it a decent candidate for a Weakness Policy. This enables it to gain an important boost to Special Attack, allowing it to attempt to sweep the opposing team.
**Eject Pack**: When run in conjunction with Leaf Storm, Eject Pack enables Shaymin to deal damage to a foe and pivot out to bring in a teammate safely.
Tera
========
Shaymin is a solid contender for the secondary Tera Captain role. An excellent stat spread, access to setup, and reliable recovery make it a tempting choice for a Tera Captain. Tera also enables it to gain additional coverage via Tera Blast as well as get a better defensive typing. Shaymin can utilize Tera Grass to boost Seed Flare to absurd amounts. It can also utilize defensive Tera types like Tera Fairy and Ground to flip type matchups and set up more easily. Tera Electric can be used in a similar vein to check Flying-types. Additionally, Tera Fire is used to hit Steel-types that are not weak to Earth Power with Tera Blast Fire.
Draft Strategy
========
Shaymin is a great option for teams that are looking for resistances to Ground and Water, as it is a bulky Pokemon with an offensive presence. This makes it a lucrative option over cheaper Grass-types, as it does not compromise on offensive momentum. As it faces competition from better offensive options in a similar price range, it is often overlooked and can thus afford to be drafted later despite its price, letting one pick up stronger teammates first.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Since Shaymin has to rely on Special Defense drops and an inaccurate move to break specially defensive Pokemon, pairing it with physical wallbreakers like both Urshifu formes and Garchomp is suggested to break them. In return, Shaymin can pressure the physically bulky walls.
**Flying-resistant Teammates**: Shaymin is weak to Flying-types and doesn't have a way of dealing significant damage to them. Thus, pairing it with Pokemon that resist Flying such as Zapdos and Rotom-W is recommended.
**Faster Pokemon**: Shaymin can support faster teammates like Iron Valiant and Greninja by pivoting in to sponge hits as well as giving them an additional chance to set up or wallbreak with Healing Wish.
**Rain / Sand Teams**: Shaymin is an excellent option on Rain and Sand teams in need of a Pokemon that resists Ground, as it does not rely Synthesis for recovery thanks to the combination of Rest and Natural Cure. This carves a niche for it over other Grass-types.
**Entry Hazard Setters**: Since a lot of Shaymin's checks are vulnerable to entry hazards, support from entry hazard setters like Garchomp and Great Tusk is greatly appreciated. This forces opposing Pokemon to pick between Heavy-Duty Boots and Covert Cloak to reliably check it.
Checks and Counters
========
**Flying-types**: Flying-types like Zapdos and Tornadus-T are able to pivot in aggressively on Shaymin, heal any damage taken with Roost, and threaten a KO with their STAB moves. Additionally, Shaymin lacks the coverage to hit them for any meaningful damage.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types that are not weak to Earth Power such as Scizor and Corviknight are able to switch to Shaymin easily and threaten significant damage with their STAB moves.
**Poison-types**: While they do have to be wary of Earth Power and Psychic, Poison-types like Galarian Slowking and Overqwil can force Shaymin out by threatening to KO it with their STAB moves.
**Covert Cloak**: Shaymin relies on the Special Defense drops from Seed Flare to break past bulky special walls. Covert Cloak nullifies that advantage and makes it harder for Shaymin to wear special walls down.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types like Zarude and Amoonguss can switch into Shaymin and force a stalemate by resisting Seed Flare and having reliable recovery of their own. They have to be wary of Air Slash and Seed Flare drops, however.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 7 onwards
**Price Range**: 8-10 points
**Overview**: 100 Base Stats across the board, a powerful and spammable signature move in Seed Flare, and access to reliable recovery makes Shaymin quite a thorn in the opponent's side. Its ability to check Ground- and Water-types while exerting offensive pressure enables it to seamlessly fit on both bulky and offensive drafts. It can also attempt to sweep opposing teams with Swords Dance and Trailblaze and support its teammates by absorbing status effects with Natural Cure or fully healing them through Healing Wish. Despite these qualities, Shaymin sports weaknesses to several common types, relies on an inaccurate move and unreliable secondary effects to break bulkier Pokemon, and faces stiff competition from cheaper Grass-type alternatives, leaving it overlooked often. It also lacks special setup moves, which it would prefer due to Seed Flare's high damage, and thus it can be very passive against many Grass-resistant Pokemon.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Support**: Thanks to excellent bulk and access to reliable recovery in Synthesis, Shaymin can be tailored to sponge a variety of hits. Seed Flare along with decent coverage moves helps Shaymin not be passive. It can further annoy foes with the combination of Leech Seed and Substitute. It can also benefit its teammates by being a status absorber as well as providing Healing Wish support.
**Offensive**: Shaymin can serve as a solid offensive wallbreaker in certain matchups thanks to its decent offensive and Speed stats, which is supported by excellent coverage options in Earth Power and Air Slash. Seed Flare's ability to drop a foe's Special Defense stat makes Shaymin extremely difficult and risky to switch into.
**Setup Sweeper**: Shaymin can attempt to sweep opposing teams with the help of Swords Dance, Trailblaze, and a solid Attack stat. As its physical coverage is not as impressive, this set is better if Shaymin is a Tera Captain, as that enables it to get extra coverage in the form of Tera Blast.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Seed Flare, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Giga Drain, Petal Blizzard
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Synthesis, Leech Seed, Healing Wish, Substitute
**Coverage**: Air Slash, Dazzling Gleam, Earth Power, Psychic, Tera Blast, Zen Headbutt, Play Rough, Double-Edge
Niche Moves
========
**Tailwind**: Shaymin can support its teammates with Tailwind. This synergizes particularly well with Healing Wish, as the combination can safely bring in a breaker that could then outspeed normally faster foes.
**Rest**: In matchups where weather can reduce the healing of Synthesis, Shaymin can run Rest, which works nicely in tandem with Natural Cure. This does force Shaymin to switch out to not be a sitting duck, and as such, it can be capitalized upon by the opponent.
**Leaf Storm**: Leaf Storm can be used in conjunction with Eject Pack to fire off a powerful STAB move and gain a free switch in to a teammate that can take advantage of the momentum.
**Endeavor**: Shaymin can run Endeavor when low on health to severely dent an opposing Pokemon, enabling teammates to pick it off more easily.
**Endure**: Shaymin can utilize Endure to survive a hit and activate a Custap Berry to either get off massive damage with Endeavor or safely use Healing Wish.
**Quick Attack**: Quick Attack is a niche option on a Swords Dance Shaymin set to pick off faster, weakened foes with priority.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: As Shaymin pivots in a lot to check and pressure Water- and Ground-types, which makes it take damage from all forms of entry hazards, equipping Heavy-Duty Boots mitigates that and allows it to consistently switch in without fear.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers provides passive healing to Shaymin, enabling it to pivot in and check threats more easily.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Shaymin can utilize Life Orb or Expert Belt to deal additional damage to foes. While it can run Choice Specs reasonably well, other damage-boosting items are preferred, as it enables Shaymin to use its arsenal of coverage moves to take advantage of any Special Defense drops due to Seed Flare.
Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Shaymin runs Sitrus Berry over Leftovers in niche situations where the extra recovery in a pinch helps it survive an extra hit.
**Custap Berry**: Custap Berry is used to enable Shaymin to support its teammates with a last ditch Tailwind or Healing Wish. It can also be used to surprise a faster foe and damage it.
**Resistance Berries**: As Shaymin is weak to common types like Fire, Flying and Poison, a resistance Berry can be run to lure the opposing Pokemon and inflict damage on them.
**Choice Scarf**: Shaymin's solid Speed lets it be a serviceable revenge killer with Choice Scarf, enabling it to pick off weakened faster foes. It must be noted that this may not be always reliable, as Seed Flare is inaccurate and Grass is not one of the better offensive typings. Additionally, a Choice Scarf lets Shaymin utilize Healing Wish more reliably.
**Assault Vest**: An Assault Vest can be used to bolster Shaymin's Special Defense to help it take on special attackers more easily.
**Weakness Policy**: Shaymin's solid bulk, weaknesses to common typings, and a way to boost Speed in Trailblaze makes it a decent candidate for a Weakness Policy. This enables it to gain an important boost to Special Attack, allowing it to attempt to sweep the opposing team.
**Eject Pack**: When run in conjunction with Leaf Storm, Eject Pack enables Shaymin to deal damage to a foe and pivot out to bring in a teammate safely.
Tera
========
Shaymin is a solid contender for the secondary Tera Captain role. An excellent stat spread, access to setup, and reliable recovery make it a tempting choice for a Tera Captain. Tera also enables it to gain additional coverage via Tera Blast as well as get a better defensive typing. Shaymin can utilize Tera Grass to boost Seed Flare to absurd amounts. It can also utilize defensive Tera types like Tera Fairy and Ground to flip type matchups and set up more easily. Tera Electric can be used in a similar vein to check Flying-types. Additionally, Tera Fire is used to hit Steel-types that are not weak to Earth Power with Tera Blast Fire.
Draft Strategy
========
Shaymin is a great option for teams that are looking for resistances to Ground and Water, as it is a bulky Pokemon with an offensive presence. This makes it a lucrative option over cheaper Grass-types, as it does not compromise on offensive momentum. As it faces competition from better offensive options in a similar price range, it is often overlooked and can thus afford to be drafted later despite its price, letting one pick up stronger teammates first.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Since Shaymin has to rely on Special Defense drops and an inaccurate move to break specially defensive Pokemon, pairing it with physical wallbreakers like both Urshifu formes and Garchomp is suggested to break them. In return, Shaymin can pressure the physically bulky walls.
**Flying-resistant Teammates**: Shaymin is weak to Flying-types and doesn't have a way of dealing significant damage to them. Thus, pairing it with Pokemon that resist Flying such as Zapdos and Rotom-W is recommended.
**Faster Pokemon**: Shaymin can support faster teammates like Iron Valiant and Greninja by pivoting in to sponge hits as well as giving them an additional chance to set up or wallbreak with Healing Wish.
**Rain / Sand Teams**: Shaymin is an excellent option on Rain and Sand teams in need of a Pokemon that resists Ground, as it does not rely Synthesis for recovery thanks to the combination of Rest and Natural Cure. This carves a niche for it over other Grass-types.
**Entry Hazard Setters**: Since a lot of Shaymin's checks are vulnerable to entry hazards, support from entry hazard setters like Garchomp and Great Tusk is greatly appreciated. This forces opposing Pokemon to pick between Heavy-Duty Boots and Covert Cloak to reliably check it.
Checks and Counters
========
**Flying-types**: Flying-types like Zapdos and Tornadus-T are able to pivot in aggressively on Shaymin, heal any damage taken with Roost, and threaten a KO with their STAB moves. Additionally, Shaymin lacks the coverage to hit them for any meaningful damage.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types that are not weak to Earth Power such as Scizor and Corviknight are able to switch to Shaymin easily and threaten significant damage with their STAB moves.
**Poison-types**: While they do have to be wary of Earth Power and Psychic, Poison-types like Galarian Slowking and Overqwil can force Shaymin out by threatening to KO it with their STAB moves.
**Covert Cloak**: Shaymin relies on the Special Defense drops from Seed Flare to break past bulky special walls. Covert Cloak nullifies that advantage and makes it harder for Shaymin to wear special walls down.
**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types like Zarude and Amoonguss can switch into Shaymin and force a stalemate by resisting Seed Flare and having reliable recovery of their own. They have to be wary of Air Slash and Seed Flare drops, however.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
