Sigilyph [QC 0/3]

[horyzhnz]

i still have no idea what this is actually supposed to be, based god?

Overview
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+based god
+Magic Guard and Tinted Lens are brilliant abilities, Wonder Skin's aight too
+Nice 103 SpA and 97 Spe
+Pretty big movepool, both offensive and support
+Cosmic Power set is unbelievably annoying to take down
+Reliable recovery with Roost
+Literally impossible to wear down
-Doesn't really force many Pokemon out
-Kinda 4MSS
-Really common weaknesses
-Phazing it out is really easy
-Dark types exist

Life Orb
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name: Life Orb
move 1: Psyshock / Psychic
move 2: Air Slash / Ice Beam / Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
ability: Magic Guard
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========
-Psychic is decent STAB but it has shit coverage
-Psyshock is slightly weaker but allows it to beat special walls
-Air Slash is STAB and has a flinch chance; Flying is actually pretty good offensively
-Ice Beam gets a lot of coverage on Flying, Ground, and Dragon types
-Dazzling Gleam hits Dark types that usually wall it
-Heat Wave melts Steel types that otherwise wall it pretty hard
-Roost provides reliable recovery
-Shadow Ball can be used for things like Cofagrigus and Gardevoir
-HP Fighting lets it hit Dark and Steel types for SE damage

Set Details
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-4 HP for an extra point, no need for SR numbers because Magic Guard
-252 SpA to hit as hard as possible
-252 Spe to be as fast as possible; it can outspeed neutral base 100s
-No recoil from LO thanks to Magic Guard, no lock-in bs like Specs
-Timid nature to make the most out of its awks Speed tier

Usage Tips
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-Its got tons of weaknesses, so try bring it in safely on a free switch or vswitch / uturn
-You can switch it in and out a lot because Sticky Web doesn't affect it, neither does SR / spikes
-Keep in mind its SpA is only decent, so even some SE moves won't kill
-Absorbs status thanks to Magic Guard

Team Options
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-Fighting types to beat Dark and Steel types
-Volt Switch and U-turn users to bring it in safely
-Mediocre bulk, so physical and special walls are kinda needed

Cosmic Power
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name: Cosmic Power
move 1: Cosmic Power
move 2: Roost
move 3: Stored Power
move 4: Psycho Shift
ability: Magic Guard
item: Flame Orb
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Moves
========
-Cosmic Power boosts both defenses and gives Stored Power 40BP when used
-Alternatively use Calm Mind with a Bold Nature for more offensive power, but remember that physical attackers will wear it down much more easily, even when burned
-Roost is reliable recovery; as if this thing weren't already hard enough to kill
-Stored Power is STAB and gets 20BP for any stat increase
-Psycho Shift transfers the burn to a physical attacker, essentially crippling them

Set Details
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-252 HP because it doesn't need a SR number (Magic Guard > SR)
-4 SpA since it'll be boosting defenses anyway
-252 Spe to outspeed stuff and get up Cosmic Power or Roost before it takes a hit
-Timid lets it outspeed stuff without sacrificing any power
-Flame Orb guards you against status and lets you cripple physical attackers
-Toxic Orb is usable, but Flame Orb is generally better because only standard poison is transferred

Usage Tips
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-Use as a status blocker when Flame Orb activates
-Even though you can transfer it, keep in mind paralysis still lowers speed
-Switch in on a resisted move or something it can force out then start boosting
-Knock Off removes Flame Orb so it can't check physical attackers as well
-Remember it is based god and Stored Power dents even resists when is has a few boosts
-Critical hits ignore all boosts, so it isn't invincible even at +6
-Phazers = goodbye boosts

Team Options
========
-Generally a stand-alone Pokemon because you generally don't want to switch it out with so many boosts acquired
-Entry hazards lets it have an easier time KOing without as many boosts
-Sticky Web especially since Sigilyph sits at an awkward Speed tier, just below 100
-Baton Pass some Calm Minds or Tail Glows or Agilities or whatever it can't boost itself
-Something that can remove Dark and Steel types like Mienshao or Heracross

Other Options
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-Status stuff like Twave and Toxic
-Whirlwind to phaze stuff
-Dual screens
-Tailwind
-Alternative attacks like Flash Cannon, Dark Pulse, and Energy Ball
-Tinted Lens lets you muscle through more stuff

Checks & Counters
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-Dark types are immune to Psychic attacks, can threaten back with an SE STAB or set up all over it
-Taunt screws over the Cosmic Power / Calm Mind set
-Steel types resist most of Sigilyph's moves except Heat Wave and the occasional HP Fighting
-Phazers waste the Cosmic Power / Calm Mind set
-Mega Houndoom is immune to everything on the Cosmic Power set and can take a LO Dazzling Gleam with ease and proceed to set up

 

[burntBREAD]

It's a Nazca line.

 

[g]

I think Cosmic Power is just plain bad. It is too frail without boosts and dark types and mons that simply do non give a shit are a lot, not only dark types. Defensive Mew takes 30% maximum from 260bp stored power (that's +6/+6) and can Knock off the flame orb and eventually beat it. Defensive Empoleon can also take some stored powers and phaze it out letting a Teammate finish him. Even Crobat can switch into a cosmic power, Taunt, and take it out with Brave Birds taking 50% max from 60bp stored powers. Same for Taunt Aerodactyl.

Mention Tinted Lens in OO

 

[horyzhnz]

tinted lens added to OO, sets switched around, dark type c+c updated slightly. qc feedback pls. :]

 

[Martin]

I think Cosmic Power is just plain bad. It is too frail without boosts and dark types and mons that simply do non give a shit are a lot, not only dark types. Defensive Mew takes 30% maximum from 260bp stored power (that's +6/+6) and can Knock off the flame orb and eventually beat it. Defensive Empoleon can also take some stored powers and phaze it out letting a Teammate finish him. Even Crobat can switch into a cosmic power, Taunt, and take it out with Brave Birds taking 50% max from 60bp stored powers. Same for Taunt Aerodactyl.

This thing is still a good burn spreader with an effective 100% accurate Will-O-Wisp which is also turns it into a great status absorber, and if it gets hit by anything other than sleep or an untimely freeze before the activation of Flame Orb (not too likely) it can simply psycho shift it away and activate its Flame Orb. While I agree that the LO set is better, I think that it does still deserve to stay on the analysis outside of OO.

On the subject of LO, does Sigilyph have any business running specs? Its a pretty good wallbreaker with Tinted Lens, and would be an exception to the "magic guard is better" rule. The set that I've been using is this:

Wallbreaker
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name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Ice Beam / Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Heat Wave
ability: Tinted Lens
item: Choice Specs
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Its decent. I don't think Psychic is worth it because you need to be able to wallbreak stuff like Blissey and other special walls. Give Modest a set details mention for the greater power.

In Houndoom's C&C mention you should say "Air Slash and/or Dazzling Gleam" as Air Slash actually hits it harder than Dazzling Gleam does.