I'd like to talk about a Pokemon that quietly received a few buffs that has been putting in some major work on my rain and my sand teams as an offensive support mon. Silvally-Steel
Silvally: The Fairy Killer
Silvally-Steel @ Steel Memory
Ability: RKS System
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe or 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe (Depending on whether or not I'm running Thunder Wave or Flamethrower)
Jolly / Naive Nature (Depending on whether or not I'm running Thunder Wave or Flamethrower)
- Multi-Attack
- Parting Shot
- Crunch
- Thunder Wave / Flamethrower
What are Silvally-Steel's specific benefits as a Pokemon you may ask? Well, let's take a look at them.
- Silvally's signature move "Multi-Attack" was buffed up to 120 base power, meaning that many Pokemon who could safely switch into its attacks last generation (such as Clefable) are no longer safe switch-ins, Taunt abusing Grimmsnarl isn't an option to handle it either.
- Access to fantastic utility such as Parting Shot and Thunder Wave is an absolute godsend for a supporting attacker. Access to U-Turn is another option for momentum if you don't want to rely on Parting Shot.
- Silvally is the only Steel type to get access to Parting Shot. Along with this, it's one of the fastest users of Parting Shot (only outsped by Morpeko, Galarian-Linoone (it outspeeds Obstagoon), and Alolan-Persian [currently unreleased]).
- Silvally-Steel can alternatively run Swords Dance to further enhance its hard hitting Multi-Attacks.
- Base 95 stats across the board (especially base 95 speed) are no longer a liability, they're actually quite decent and hit crucial marks in this much slower generation overall (317 speed with Jolly is fantastic).
- Dexit was a blessing for this Pokemon, as it lost over half of its answers.
- Silvally-Steel has specific advantages over other OU Steel types such as:
- Having almost universally higher stats than Corviknight along with a better support movepool (Corvinight only has 3 base HP higher and 10 base Defense higher. Silvally has 8 higher Attack, 10 higher Special Defense, 28 higher Speed, and 38 higher Special Attack).
- Lacking a Ghost weakness like Aegislash.
- Being faster and bulkier than Excadrill and Bisharp along with lacking Excadrill's crippling Water weakness, and being only 2x weak to Fighting compared to Bisharp's 4x weakness.
- Silvally's movepool is also incredible offensively on both the Physical and the Special side, meaning that it can be customized for your team's specific needs. Want to make sure Ferrothorn doesn't get a free switch-in? Run Flamethrower. Other specific options? Run Thunderbolt or Ice Beam. Need an all powerful STAB special nuke? Try Steel Beam and compliment it with Draco Meteor.
252 Atk Silvally-Steel Multi-Attack vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Clefable: 278-330 (70.5 - 83.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252 Atk Silvally-Steel Multi-Attack vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Grimmsnarl: 300-354 (76.1 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Give Silvally a try, it's done wonders for me and it'll do wonders for you too.