In-battle formes
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Evolutions
- Type: Null
- Silvally
Formes
Strategies
- en
Overview
Thanks to a relatively high Speed tier, reasonable bulk, and a powerful STAB move in Double-Edge, Silvally is able to act as an offensive check to top threats in the metagame, with its Speed tier placing it above a variety of fast sweepers including Rock Polish Torterra, Combusken, and Z-Encore Chatot. Access to U-turn allows Silvally to quickly gain momentum for its team and solidifies it as one of the best Choice Scarf users in the tier. Silvally can also viably run a Swords Dance set with a Z-Crystal to break through bulkier Pokemon like Sandslash and Silvally-Fighting that are ordinarily used to check the Choice Scarf variant. However, using Silvally prevents other Silvally formes with more defensive utility such as Silvally-Fighting and Silvally-Dark from being used, making it difficult to fit on teams. Silvally is also somewhat reliant on its Normal-type moves to do damage and has a hard time dealing with common Pokemon that resist or are immune to them like Golem, Mawile, and Gourgeist-XL as a result. In addition, a weakness to entry hazards alongside recoil from Double-Edge can lead to Silvally being quickly worn down.
Choice Scarf
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Moves
Double-Edge is the STAB move of choice due to the great damage output it can provide, securing OHKOs on Combusken and Rapidash after Stealth Rock damage. U-turn provides Silvally with a way to quickly gain momentum and pivot out of unfavorable matchups against physically defensive Pokemon like Machoke and Mawile. Explosion heavily damages bulky Pokemon such as Silvally-Fighting and Bouffalant and allows Silvally to avoid setup sweepers that may look to take advantage of it being locked into Double-Edge. Surf allows Silvally to revenge kill Shell Smash Crustle while also doing heavy damage to Golem, securing an OHKO on offensive variants after their Sturdy has been broken. Alternatively, Ice Beam not only hits Normal-type checks such as Golem and Gourgeist-XL but also Grass-type sweepers such as Leafeon and Rock Polish Torterra, although Silvally becomes unable to meaningfully hurt Crustle without Surf.
Set Details
A Jolly nature should be used with Surf to avoid compromising Silvally's bulk, as Silvally is unable to OHKO Crustle even when using a Naive nature. A Naive nature is preferred when using Ice Beam, however, as the higher damage output allows Silvally to 2HKO Gourgeist-XL and defensive Golem after Stealth Rock damage and gives Silvally a 50% chance to OHKO Rock Polish Torterra after Stealth Rock damage.
Usage Tips
While Silvally does have respectable bulk, it's important to conserve its health as much as possible and avoid situations where it could be chipped into KO range of faster moves, such as +2 Aqua Jet or rain-boosted Surf from Swanna's Z-Mirror Move and Z-Rain Dance sets, respectively. To this end, keep the foe's health in mind when revenge killing with Silvally; it is often best to avoid recoil and opt for U-turn instead of Double-Edge if both moves will finish off a foe such as a weakened Simisage or Leafeon. Be careful when locking into Surf or Ice Beam, as they output underwhelming damage without a type advantage and, as such, can give setup opportunities to powerful sweepers like Bellossom and Combusken, respectively. While Double-Edge is notably stronger than these moves, it can also be taken advantage of by Rock-, Steel-, and Ghost-types, particularly setup sweepers like Pawniard and Shell Smash Crustle, so Explosion should sometimes be used to finish off a foe without losing momentum. Try to avoid using Explosion unless it's necessary, however, or Silvally is likely to be KOed regardless, such as by the foe or by recoil from Double-Edge. Silvally's main goal is to revenge kill foes, but it can also act as a strong late-game cleaner. As a result, avoid using Silvally early-game until it's either in a strong position to finish off a weakened team or necessary to revenge kill a foe.
Team Options
Silvally appreciates entry hazard support from Stealth Rock users like Mawile and Marowak, putting foes in KO range of its coverage and allowing it to put additional pressure on an opponent with U-turn. Torterra is an especially notable partner, as it is also able to switch into and heavily pressure traditional Normal-type checks such as defensive Mawile and Golem. Similarly, entry hazard removal can help keep Silvally healthy throughout a match, with Rotom-S and Swanna being examples of fantastic partners for this. The former is able to lure in Golem before crippling it with Will-O-Wisp and can soak up Fighting-type attacks from the likes of Machoke and Choice Scarf Electivire, while the latter can more easily break down Rock-, Ghost-, and Steel-types like Shuckle, Gourgeist-XL, and Mawile. Other Pokemon including Leafeon, Pawniard, and Rapidash that can break down Rock-, Ghost-, and Steel-types also make for great partners for Silvally, and they can use the U-turn support that it provides to find more opportunities to exert pressure on the opposing team and facilitate a late-game cleanup. Lastly, Silvally can create efficient VoltTurn cores alongside other pivots such as Monferno and the aforementioned Rotom-S, steadily wearing down foes and putting them in KO range of Silvally's Double-Edge.
Swords Dance
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Moves
Double-Edge is Silvally's most reliable damage option, notably allowing it to secure KOs on Pokemon such as Silvally-Dragon and non-physically defensive Poliwrath after a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock damage. Return is a safe alternative STAB option that does not inflict recoil. Crunch covers Ghost-types in addition to Psychic-types, particularly those that resist Normal-type moves like Bronzor and Metang. Flame Charge allows Silvally to raise its Speed and outspeed Choice Scarf users like Rotom-S and Pinsir in addition to naturally faster Pokemon like Floatzel while also hitting Steel-types like Mawile for moderate damage. Alternatively, Explosion trades the ability to boost Speed for a slightly stronger Breakneck Blitz and allows Silvally to function as a stronger wallbreaker, powering through defensive tanks like physically defensive Poliwrath. Shadow Claw can be used over Crunch to circumvent Colbur Berry users such as Gourgeist-XL, but it has a notably lower damage output outside of this niche.
Set Details
Normalium Z turns Double-Edge, Explosion, or Return into Breakneck Blitz, avoiding the negative secondary effects in the case of the former two moves and allowing Silvally to take out defensive targets such as Sandslash, Silvally-Fighting, and Rotom-S after a Swords Dance boost. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature allows Silvally to Speed tie with opposing Silvally formes, Leafeon, and Electivire.
Usage Tips
Silvally is vulnerable to being worn down by chip damage, particularly if it is using Double-Edge, so bringing it onto the field with slow pivots and double switches is ideal. While Silvally can threaten out passive Pokemon to set up Swords Dance, one must be careful of status, particularly burn and poison, from the likes of Mareanie and Altaria that may cripple Silvally and limit it to being used as a one-time wallbreaker. Aim to preserve Silvally's Breakneck Blitz until it's necessary to take out a specific target, such as defensive Silvally-Fighting, or to avoid fainting due to recoil damage from Double-Edge. Crunch can be used to catch Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Dusclops and Bronzor on the switch to weaken them for a later sweep. When possible, Flame Charge should be used to finish off a weakened target or after setting up. Explosion can be used to take out bulkier Pokemon such as Bouffalant and Exeggutor. This can be used when Silvally is expected to faint or simply to open the door for a teammate like Bellossom to take advantage of.
Team Options
Even after a Swords Dance boost, Silvally can struggle to break past Steel- and Rock-types like Mawile and Golem, so Pokemon that can handle them like Sandslash, Torterra, and Simisage are beneficial. Stealth Rock support from Sandslash and Torterra also helps Silvally secure OHKOs on Pokemon like Leafeon and Muk with Double-Edge after a Swords Dance boost. Pivots like Volt Switch Rotom-S and U-turn Monferno can give Silvally free entry while also pressuring Pokemon like Mawile and Gourgeist-XL that give Silvally trouble. Alolan Golem and Probopass are especially notable as Volt Switch pivots that can also trap Steel-types with Magnet Pull. Silvally is prone to being worn down by entry hazards, so Pokemon that can clear them such as Swanna, Rotom-S, and Sandslash are valuable partners. Toxic Spikes in particular give Silvally trouble, so absorbers such as Mareanie and Muk should also be considered. Flying- and Poison-types such as Rotom-S, Mareanie, and Muk are also notable for pressuring Fighting-type Pokemon like Silvally-Fighting and Poliwrath for Silvally, chipping them into KO range of its Double-Edge. All of these Pokemon also check Gourgeist-XL, one of Silvally's most troublesome foes.
Other Options
Silvally can opt to use a special Choice Scarf set with Hyper Voice / Surf / Ice Beam / U-turn. However, the drop in power is very noticeable, leaving Silvally more reliant on its coverage moves to do damage and opening it up to being taken advantage of by a variety of Pokemon with high Special Defense such as Kecleon, specially defensive Mareanie, and Lickilicky. Defog can also be used over Ice Beam or Surf to provide entry hazard removal in emergency scenarios; however, a weakness to Toxic Spikes and inability to touch Golem, Crustle, and other entry hazard setters without the coverage provided by Surf or Ice Beam make Silvally an inadequate form of entry hazard control. Silvally can use U-turn on the Swords Dance set to bluff a Choice Scarf set and claim chip damage on switch-ins, but the additional utility provided by Explosion and Flame Charge is preferred. Silvally can use Psychium Z alongside Heal Block to increase its Special Attack by two stages and prevent the foe from using healing moves until it switches, giving Silvally a strong matchup against passive Pokemon like Pyukumuku, Bronzor, and Mareanie. Z-Heal Block can only be used once per game, however, and such a set has a hard time breaking through particularly bulky Pokemon such as Lickilicky. This set is also heavily reliant on Z-Heal Block to do damage and, as such, is unreliable against more offensive teams where Silvally is unable to find time to set up.
Checks and Counters
Physically Defensive Pokemon: Physically defensive Pokemon such as Machoke, Granbull, and Golem can use their bulk and typing to switch directly into Silvally and threaten it, although Golem has to be wary of being caught by Silvally's coverage options in Surf and Ice Beam, and Granbull is unable to take a +1 Breakneck Blitz without significant defensive investment.
Steel-types: Mawile, Metang, Probopass, and Bronzor take virtually nothing from Choice Scarf Silvally's attacks and can take advantage of Silvally's presence to set up Stealth Rock or spread status with Toxic. Metang and Bronzor have to be careful of boosted Crunch, however.
Ghost-types: While Gourgeist-XL cannot comfortably switch into Ice Beam, both it and Dusclops do a fantastic job of deterring Choice Scarf Silvally from locking into Double-Edge thanks to their immunity to Normal-type moves. Both Pokemon can also absorb boosted Crunch and cripple Silvally in return with Will-O-Wisp, with Gourgeist-XL in particular being able to tank Silvally's hits thanks to its use of Colbur Berry and further punish it with Foul Play and Leech Seed.
Residual Damage: Silvally's lack of recovery leaves it vulnerable to residual damage from Toxic Spikes, Rocky Helmet, and status moves such as Toxic. Burns, in particular, hamper Silvally and can often be activated indirectly by abilities and moves such as Flame Body from Rapidash and Scald from Mareanie.
Credits
- Written by Greybaum
- Quality checked by 5gen and S1nn0hC0nfirm3d
- Grammar checked by Lumari and Astra
