[SET]
name: Defensive Strength Sap
move 1: Spore
move 2: Strength Sap
move 3: Giga Drain / Thunder Wave
move 4: Moonblast
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet / No Item
ability: Effect Spore
nature: Calm
evs: 248 HP / 156 Def / 84 SpD / 20 Spe
0 Atk IVs
[SET COMMENTS]
Shiinotic acts as a mixed wall who spreads status and recovers any unwanted damage due to its two extraordinary niches: Spore and Strength Sap. However, it suffers major competition from the likes of Roselia and Gourgeist-XL. The former, which has a better defensive typing paired with access to Toxic Spikes as well as an immunity to Toxic, whilst the latter has better defensive bulk alongside other status-spreading options as well as more useful immunities. Still, Shiinotic has the upper-hand on its competition in terms of not being susceptible to Knock Off as well as being able to offensively pressure prominent attackers with its STAB Moonblast such as Throh, Appletun, and Morpeko. Giga Drain is the other form of reliable damage output which is great for being able to OHKO Stonjourner and Drednaw whilst massively denting Silvally-Rock. 84 Spd EVs alongside a Calm nature ensure Shiinotic is comfortable against certain special attackers such as Choice Scarf Manectric, Raichu, and mixed Silvally-Rock. As such, Manectric's Flamethrower is always a 3HKO after Leftovers and Silvally's non-invested Flamethrowers are always a 4HKO after Leftovers. The 156 Def investment is there so Shiinotic can still function primarily as a defensive check to common attackers such as Morpeko, non-Poison Jab Throh, and Leafeon. 20 Spe investment allows Shiinotic to outspeed 0 Speed Appletun and Stunfisk, the latter being important for Shiinotic's ability to Spore the Stunfisk in order to avoid a potential Toxic. Thunder Wave is a good option over one of Shiinotic's STABs for its ability to catch Klinklang on the switch-in; which otherwise does not mind any of Shiinotic's STABs as well as nullifies Strength Sap due to Clear Body. Strength Sap can also be exploited by the likes of Competitive Wigglytuff and Defiant Pawniard, so being able to catch them with additional status coverage on the switch-in is handy also. However, replacing Giga Drain rather than its other moves for Thunder Wave is most ideal since Spore and Strength Sap are crucial to Shiinotic's overall versatility and longevity as well as fairy STAB being a better typing offensively. Rocky Helmet is an alternative option to Leftovers, being able to further threaten pesky physical attackers with even more residual chip alongside potential Effect Spore, such as Sandslash and Leafeon or even U-turn Unfezant and Flip Turn Golduck. Furthermore, itemless is another option for Shiinotic, as this allows it to check most variants of physically offensive Gourgeist not running Explosion as well as Dusknoir since they typically do not carry Ice Punch.
Shiinotic enjoys playing on Bulky Offense or Balance builds with teammates able to stave off the Steels and Poisons that Shiinotic simply cannot do anything to, most notably: Klinklang, Mawile, or Roselia. Furthermore, Shiinotic enjoys company from those able to remove unwanted hazards which would worsen Shiinotic's overall longevity. Because of this, offensive partners such as Hitmonchan or Unfezant make excellent pairings; the former being able to Drain Punch through all of the Steel and Ice types as well as being able to Rapid Spin away annoying Toxic Spikes and the latter having the ability to Defog away those same hazards as well as get through Roselia and chip away at Gourgeist. Hitmonchan appreciates Shiinotic's ability to Spore offensively threatening Fighting resists such as Rapidash-Galar and Beheeyem, whereas Unfezant appreciates having Shiinotic as a good Electric resist and a check to Stunfisk and Choice Scarf Drednaw. Offensive wallbreakers who are rather frail such as Boltund and Manectric also appreciate Shiinotic's ability to either Sleep or Paralyze its would-be faster checks such as Choice Scarf Golduck as well as defensively check Stunfisk who could otherwise switch-in rather comfortably to both of them respectively. Offensive setup sweepers who need multiple turns to set up effectively such as Klinklang or CM Rapidash-Galar also can take advantage of an opponent's bulky defensive answer such as RestTalk Throh or SpDef T-wave Type:Null once they are put to sleep. Additionally, offensively utilizing Spore prevents these same defensive tanks from recovering unwanted chip with Rest. Defensive partners such as Stunfisk also provide excellent synergy with Shiinotic by not only being able to check Shiinotic's detrimental weaknesses to Steel, Poison, and Flying but by also providing additional status-spreading options through the likes of Toxic or Static. On the other hand, Stunfisk greatly appreciates Shiinotic's ability to not only stave off Stunfisk's weaknesses to Ground, Water, and Grass, but by also providing a defensive switch-in to Knock Off so that way Stunfisk doesn't lose its precious Leftovers since it does not obtain a more reliable recovery option outside of Rest. Type: Null also makes for an excellent defensive partner for Shiinotic for its ability to switch in comfortably from Choice Specs Mr. Rime locked into Ice Beam, as well as provide a safe, slow U-turn on Null's switch-ins such as Throh thus allowing Shiinotic to pressure with Moonblast or Spore, whereas Type: Null appreciates Shiinotic's usefulness in switching into Knock Off's comfortably as well as providing an excellent Fighting resist.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[bagoftrixx]]
- Quality checked by: [[avarice, 346653], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]
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