Shaymin-Sky
[overview]
**Draft Order**: Banned or Early Round 1 onwards
**Price Range**: 19-20 points
**Overview**: Shaymin-Sky is one of the most powerful, and infamous, Pokemon to grace a draft board. Its sky-high speed gets the the drop on already fast Pokemon such as Darkrai, Meowscarada, and Cinderace, while Serene Grace turns it into a viscous stallbreaker with Air Slash inducing flinches and Seed Flare forcing special defense drops. Although it’s a bit lacking in setup compared to other top threats, not even Covert Cloak can save many of the tier’s special walls from its coverage or its fast utility it offers with Leech Seed and Healing Wish. Truly, Shaymin-Sky is phenomenal, with its only true weaknesses being its poor defensive profile and relative frailty, and its existence preventing anyone who drafts it from making friends so long as it goes untraded.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Fast Offensive Wallbreaker**: Shaymin-Sky can use its amazing STAB attacks and high speed to smash holes into the opposing team and break down walls. Wielding Seed Flare and Air Slash in conjunction with Serene Grace can allow it to force progress and deny the attempts to counter it as it defeats a wide range of targets thanks to its good coverage.
**Swift Support**: Shaymin-Sky can also be an infuriating support Pokemon and stallbreaker with Leech Seed + Air Slash, especially dangerous since few Pokemon can withstand this lethal combination. It also packs Healing Wish to bring a weakened teammate back to full health once it is no longer needed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Seed Flare, Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Giga Drain, Petal Blizzard, Air Slash
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Leech Seed, Substitute, Healing Wish, Synthesis, Protect
**Coverage**: Dazzling Gleam, Earth Power, Play Rough, Psychic, Tera Blast, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Growth**: Growth is Shaymin-Sky’s only means of boosting its special attack and is usually passed over due to its lack of power. However, on sun teams this can make Shaymin-Sky very threatening as a late game sweeper.
**Quick Attack**: On physical sets, this can surprise an opponent and help Shaymin pick off weakened foes, especially if boosted by Swords Dance.
**Endeavor**: This can pair well with Substitute as it can bring an opponent down to low HP so that it can be picked off or severely weakened for a teammate.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Shaymin-Sky makes a great user of Heavy-Duty Boots due to its reliable recovery in Synthesis and it appreciates being able to avoid Stealth Rock chip damage. It also pairs excellently with Leech Seed, allowing Shaymin-Sky to stay healthy as it wears down its targets over time with Air Slash and Seed Flare.
**Leftovers**: When Stealth Rock cannot be set reliably against Shaymin-Sky’s team, Leftovers can give it valuable passive recovery and make Substitute easier to utilize since it has to spend less time manually healing.
**Choice Scarf**: Shaymin-Sky can capitalize on its amazing speed tier to the fullest by becoming a fantastic Choice Scarf user, notably outrunning Pokemon that would try to outspeed it with Choice Scarf including Latios, Roaring Moon, and Iron-Moth.
**Damage Boosting Items**: Life Orb, Miracle Seed, and Sharp Beak can allow Shaymin-Sky to boost its power without having to be locked into an attack.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Though it doesn’t love the restriction, Choice Specs can make Shaymin-Sky frighteningly strong and even harder to wall as it blasts apart the opposition with Seed Flare.
**Resistance Berries**: Shaymin-Sky can utilize Resistance Berries such as Yache Berry, Occa Berry and Coba Berry to avoid a revenge kill attempt from an opponent.
**Wide Lens**: Shaymin-Sky can equip a Wide Lens in order to make Air Slash 100% accurate while making Seed Flare more reliable at hitting its targets.
**Focus Sash**: Shaymin-Sky makes a decent enough Anti-Lead since Air Slash can potentially deny either the presence of entry hazards or an opponent trying to set up screens if it lacks prankster.
Tera
========
Shaymin-Sky is usually Tera Banned since Terastallization pushes its already busted profile into the stratosphere. However, if by some chance you have both Shaymin-Sky and the ability to Tera you should absolutely plan on making Shaymin-Sky your primary Tera Captain. Tera Flying boosts Air Slash's power to make your flinching antics even more effective at ruining your opponent's sanity while Tera Grass can make Seed Flare even more nuclear in power. Other offensive Tera-types include Fire and Fairy in order to defeat certain Pokemon more efficiently, especially on physical sets with Swords Dance. Defensive Tera types such as Steel and Ground can offer more defensive integrity on support sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Shaymin-Sky is a Pokemon you will build your entire team around since it is going to be picked at round 1. While it can do a great deal on its own, it should be paired with great support pieces to make it effective in every game it’s brought to.
**Hazard Control**: Shaymin-Sky greatly appreciates entry hazard control since that allows it to use items other than Heavy-Duty Boots. Iron Treads and Quaquaval are great at providing Rapid Spin support while Pokemon such as Mandibuzz and Kleavor can offer Defog support.
**Other Win Conditions** Shaymin-Sky appreciates having other offensive partners that can take the pressure off of it to win the game. Pokemon such as Iron Moth, Walking Wake and Thundurus-T can make very effective partners at paving the way for Shaymin-Sky to rip through the opposing team or cleaning up after it.
**Knock Off Users**: Many draft teams will prepare for Shaymin-Sky with Covert Cloak so strong Knock Off users are great at making your team as dangerous as possible. Pokemon such as Kingambit, Weavile and Gliscor are fantastic partners since they are very offensively threatening in their own right.
**Bulky Pivots**: Due to Shaymin-Sky’s frailty it will rarely ever want to switch in directly and wants to be paired with slow pivots. Galarian Slowking, Empoleon and Pecharunt can fill this role nicely and can offer defensive integrity for a draft.
Checks and Counters
========
**Covert Cloak**: Though not a guarantee, Covert Cloak is a great way to ensure that Shaymin-Sky’s worst antics will be denied, namely Air Slash and Seed Flare’s special defense drops. Specially bulky Pokemon such as Goodra and Tentacruel can use this item to safely eliminate Shaymin-Sky.
**Priority**: Shaymin-Sky’s lack of bulk can cause it to be picked off by strong priority users such as Dragonite, Entei and Scizor. Ice Shard from Pokemon such as Baxcalibur and Weavile can instantly wipe Shaymin-Sky off the field.
**Stealth Rock** Without Heavy-Duty Boots, Shaymin-Sky will be worn down by Stealth Rock over the course of a match which will limit the turns it can switch in.
**Sound-Based Moves**: Pokemon that can ignore Shaymin-Sky’s substitute with sound based moves can deal with it fairly comfortably. This includes Pokemon with Psychic Noise such as Gardevoir and Boomburst such as Noivern.
[overview]
**Draft Order**: Banned or Early Round 1 onwards
**Price Range**: 19-20 points
**Overview**: Shaymin-Sky is one of the most powerful, and infamous, Pokemon to grace a draft board. Its sky-high speed gets the the drop on already fast Pokemon such as Darkrai, Meowscarada, and Cinderace, while Serene Grace turns it into a viscous stallbreaker with Air Slash inducing flinches and Seed Flare forcing special defense drops. Although it’s a bit lacking in setup compared to other top threats, not even Covert Cloak can save many of the tier’s special walls from its coverage or its fast utility it offers with Leech Seed and Healing Wish. Truly, Shaymin-Sky is phenomenal, with its only true weaknesses being its poor defensive profile and relative frailty, and its existence preventing anyone who drafts it from making friends so long as it goes untraded.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Fast Offensive Wallbreaker**: Shaymin-Sky can use its amazing STAB attacks and high speed to smash holes into the opposing team and break down walls. Wielding Seed Flare and Air Slash in conjunction with Serene Grace can allow it to force progress and deny the attempts to counter it as it defeats a wide range of targets thanks to its good coverage.
**Swift Support**: Shaymin-Sky can also be an infuriating support Pokemon and stallbreaker with Leech Seed + Air Slash, especially dangerous since few Pokemon can withstand this lethal combination. It also packs Healing Wish to bring a weakened teammate back to full health once it is no longer needed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Seed Flare, Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Giga Drain, Petal Blizzard, Air Slash
**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Trailblaze
**Utility Moves**: Leech Seed, Substitute, Healing Wish, Synthesis, Protect
**Coverage**: Dazzling Gleam, Earth Power, Play Rough, Psychic, Tera Blast, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Growth**: Growth is Shaymin-Sky’s only means of boosting its special attack and is usually passed over due to its lack of power. However, on sun teams this can make Shaymin-Sky very threatening as a late game sweeper.
**Quick Attack**: On physical sets, this can surprise an opponent and help Shaymin pick off weakened foes, especially if boosted by Swords Dance.
**Endeavor**: This can pair well with Substitute as it can bring an opponent down to low HP so that it can be picked off or severely weakened for a teammate.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Shaymin-Sky makes a great user of Heavy-Duty Boots due to its reliable recovery in Synthesis and it appreciates being able to avoid Stealth Rock chip damage. It also pairs excellently with Leech Seed, allowing Shaymin-Sky to stay healthy as it wears down its targets over time with Air Slash and Seed Flare.
**Leftovers**: When Stealth Rock cannot be set reliably against Shaymin-Sky’s team, Leftovers can give it valuable passive recovery and make Substitute easier to utilize since it has to spend less time manually healing.
**Choice Scarf**: Shaymin-Sky can capitalize on its amazing speed tier to the fullest by becoming a fantastic Choice Scarf user, notably outrunning Pokemon that would try to outspeed it with Choice Scarf including Latios, Roaring Moon, and Iron-Moth.
**Damage Boosting Items**: Life Orb, Miracle Seed, and Sharp Beak can allow Shaymin-Sky to boost its power without having to be locked into an attack.
Niche Items
========
**Choice Specs**: Though it doesn’t love the restriction, Choice Specs can make Shaymin-Sky frighteningly strong and even harder to wall as it blasts apart the opposition with Seed Flare.
**Resistance Berries**: Shaymin-Sky can utilize Resistance Berries such as Yache Berry, Occa Berry and Coba Berry to avoid a revenge kill attempt from an opponent.
**Wide Lens**: Shaymin-Sky can equip a Wide Lens in order to make Air Slash 100% accurate while making Seed Flare more reliable at hitting its targets.
**Focus Sash**: Shaymin-Sky makes a decent enough Anti-Lead since Air Slash can potentially deny either the presence of entry hazards or an opponent trying to set up screens if it lacks prankster.
Tera
========
Shaymin-Sky is usually Tera Banned since Terastallization pushes its already busted profile into the stratosphere. However, if by some chance you have both Shaymin-Sky and the ability to Tera you should absolutely plan on making Shaymin-Sky your primary Tera Captain. Tera Flying boosts Air Slash's power to make your flinching antics even more effective at ruining your opponent's sanity while Tera Grass can make Seed Flare even more nuclear in power. Other offensive Tera-types include Fire and Fairy in order to defeat certain Pokemon more efficiently, especially on physical sets with Swords Dance. Defensive Tera types such as Steel and Ground can offer more defensive integrity on support sets.
Draft Strategy
========
Shaymin-Sky is a Pokemon you will build your entire team around since it is going to be picked at round 1. While it can do a great deal on its own, it should be paired with great support pieces to make it effective in every game it’s brought to.
**Hazard Control**: Shaymin-Sky greatly appreciates entry hazard control since that allows it to use items other than Heavy-Duty Boots. Iron Treads and Quaquaval are great at providing Rapid Spin support while Pokemon such as Mandibuzz and Kleavor can offer Defog support.
**Other Win Conditions** Shaymin-Sky appreciates having other offensive partners that can take the pressure off of it to win the game. Pokemon such as Iron Moth, Walking Wake and Thundurus-T can make very effective partners at paving the way for Shaymin-Sky to rip through the opposing team or cleaning up after it.
**Knock Off Users**: Many draft teams will prepare for Shaymin-Sky with Covert Cloak so strong Knock Off users are great at making your team as dangerous as possible. Pokemon such as Kingambit, Weavile and Gliscor are fantastic partners since they are very offensively threatening in their own right.
**Bulky Pivots**: Due to Shaymin-Sky’s frailty it will rarely ever want to switch in directly and wants to be paired with slow pivots. Galarian Slowking, Empoleon and Pecharunt can fill this role nicely and can offer defensive integrity for a draft.
Checks and Counters
========
**Covert Cloak**: Though not a guarantee, Covert Cloak is a great way to ensure that Shaymin-Sky’s worst antics will be denied, namely Air Slash and Seed Flare’s special defense drops. Specially bulky Pokemon such as Goodra and Tentacruel can use this item to safely eliminate Shaymin-Sky.
**Priority**: Shaymin-Sky’s lack of bulk can cause it to be picked off by strong priority users such as Dragonite, Entei and Scizor. Ice Shard from Pokemon such as Baxcalibur and Weavile can instantly wipe Shaymin-Sky off the field.
**Stealth Rock** Without Heavy-Duty Boots, Shaymin-Sky will be worn down by Stealth Rock over the course of a match which will limit the turns it can switch in.
**Sound-Based Moves**: Pokemon that can ignore Shaymin-Sky’s substitute with sound based moves can deal with it fairly comfortably. This includes Pokemon with Psychic Noise such as Gardevoir and Boomburst such as Noivern.
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