Xayah
San Bwanna
Discount Arceus > Actual Arceus
[OVERVIEW]
Silvally-Water's solid defensive typing, well-balanced stat spread, good coverage, and access to Defog make it a very solid pick for many teams in ZU. Thanks to its typing, access to Thunderbolt, and lack of vulnerability to Taunt and Switcheroo, Silvally-Water is one of metagame's best defensive answers to Floatzel. A good matchup against the tier's most common entry hazard setters in Golem and Probopass also makes Silvally-Water one of the best hazard removers in ZU, and thanks to Surf's good offensive synergy with BoltBeam coverage, Silvally-Water is a solid offensive pivot. These factors combine to make Silvally-Water arguably the best Silvally forme in ZU. However, a lack of recovery and inability to hold Leftovers mean Silvally-Water gets worn down quite easily, especially since it is often a team's Defogger, which leads to it switching into entry hazards quite often. This lack of recovery also means it hates getting statused, cutting into its longevity even more. Abomasnow and Altaria being as relevant as they are hurts Silvally-Water, as it causes some four-moveslot syndrome where it has to choose between Flamethrower and Ice Beam and sacrifice its matchup against one of the two or even both. As an offensive Water-type, Silvally-Water faces a lot of competition from Floatzel and Swanna, though it carves a niche thanks to its access to U-turn and better defensive stats, which can make it easier to fit Silvally-Water on a team.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Ice Beam / Flamethrower / Surf
move 3: Defog
move 4: U-turn / Parting Shot
item: Water Memory
ability: RKS System
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 100 SpA / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
While not being a STAB move, Thunderbolt is the most important move on the set, as it threatens Floatzel, which this set is meant to reliably answer. Notably, it manages to KO it after two rounds of Stealth Rock, as well as 2HKOing physically defensive Mareanie and OHKOing Swanna. The second slot is reserved for another attacking move: Ice Beam is most common, as it synergizes very well with Thunderbolt, heavily threatening Altaria, Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, and Golem. Flamethrower is an option to retain coverage on Gourgeist-XL and Tangela while targeting Abomasnow and Pinsir as well. This is also Silvally-Water's strongest move against Bronzor, although it still does not do much damage. Surf is Silvally-Water's most powerful move due to STAB and does considerable damage to most Pokemon that don't resist it, but it leaves Silvally-Water walled by most Grass-types. Defog is essential on every team and Silvally-Water is a good user of the move thanks to its good matchup with many of the metagame's entry hazard setters like Golem, Probopass, and Crustle. U-turn allows Silvally-Water to pivot out of bad matchups after removing hazards or keep up momentum on forced switches. It also does decent damage to Pokemon weak to it like Servine and Abomansow thanks to Silvally-Water's solid base Attack, which means that Flamethrower is not as important as it otherwise would be. Parting Shot is an option over U-turn to offer utility in stat drops, but it can be blocked by Soundproof Bouffalant and Mr. Mime and gives Defiant Pawniard and Purugly +3 Attack, making U-turn much safer.
Set Details
========
160 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Silvally-Water to outspeed Servine, meaning it can U-turn out on it or threaten it with Ice Beam or Flamethrower while also moving before Pokemon like Shiftry and Monferno. 100 Special Attack EVs ensure that Floatzel goes down to Thunderbolt after two rounds of Stealth Rock damage, allow Silvally-Water to 2HKO Mareanie with Thunderbolt, and enable it to OHKO physically defensive Altaria with Ice Beam after Stealth Rock. If Flamethrower is chosen, an alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 124 SpA / 136 Spe should be used to guarantee the OHKO onto Abomasnow while still outspeeding base 80 Speed Pokemon like Shiftry.
Usage Tips
========
Silvally-Water should be focused on pivoting in and out, constantly keeping up momentum. In order to do this, it needs to ensure entry hazards are getting consistently removed, and it needs to avoid status, as it will get chipped too quickly otherwise. It has solid natural bulk, and this is bolstered by HP investment, which lets it switch in once or twice against certain attackers of which it does not resist the STAB moves, like Pinsir. This can be very useful to immediately remove hazards, threaten the opposing team, or generate momentum. If there is a Pokemon on the opposing team that Silvally-Water can check, like Floatzel or Swanna, it is often wise to keep it healthy to neutralize that threat. Remember that Silvally-Water does not have any way of getting its health back; while it wants to pivot in and out, it's important to carefully consider what damage is worth taking. Due to Silvally-Water's wide movepool, your opponent will often be unsure of exactly what moves Silvally-Water has, and you can use this to your advantage. By spending much of the early-game using U-turn to pivot in and out and not revealing Silvally-Water's set, you can lull your opponent into a false sense of security before suddenly catching them off guard with a surprising coverage move. Silvally-Water can be used as a decent Knock Off absorber, as RKS System prevents Water Memory from being removed and prevents the move's power increase, allowing it to switch into Pokemon like Kecleon effectively.
Team Options
========
Especially if you're not running Flamethrower, a good answer to Abomasnow is necessary. Defensively, Bronzor is the best, and offensive answers include Simisear and Rapidash. Note that Bronzor also forms a good entry hazard control core with Silvally-Water. Since Silvally-Water is a solid answer to Floatzel, Pokemon that hate its presence appreciate the support it offers. Thus, the previously mentioned Simisear and Rapidash but also Pokemon like Choice Scarf Abomasnow enjoy being paired with Silvally-Water. In return, each of them threatens Abomasnow. Since Silvally-Water does not have any form of recovery, it can easily be crippled by status, most notably Toxic. Thus, a status absorber like Komala is quite useful. Note that Komala can also heal Silvally-Water back up with Wish, adding to its longevity. A Pokemon immune to Electric-type moves, like Electivire or Golem, is important as a teammate, as Silvally-Water is easily forced out by Volt Switch users like opposing Electivire. Silvally-Water fits well onto Fire / Water / Grass cores, so partners like Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, Rapidash, and Combusken can form a deadly combination.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam / Flamethrower
move 4: U-turn
item: Water Memory
ability: RKS System
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
On this set, Surf is used to give Silvally-Water a powerful move, allowing it to pressure and force switches more easily. Thunderbolt is the most important coverage move, hitting Pokemon like Mareanie, Floatzel, and Swanna hard, 2HKOing the former while OHKOing the latter two. The third slot is reserved for a move to dent Grass-types, with both capable of threatening Pokemon like Gourgeist-XL and Tangela. Ice Beam is generally preferred, as it has the added benefit of usually OHKOing even specially defensive Altaria after Stealth Rock. Flamethrower, meanwhile, is capable of OHKOing Abomasnow as well as 2HKOing Bronzor after some chip damage. U-turn allows Silvally-Water to pivot around, especially with this more offensive set forcing more switches and thus allowing it to keep up momentum even more effectively.
Set Details
========
The EV spread allows Silvally-Water to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding Pokemon like Monferno and Shiftry. A Timid nature is an option over a Modest nature in order to outspeed Pokemon like Oricorio formes and Mr. Mime, but a Modest nature is generally preferred to usually OHKO Floatzel with Thunderbolt, have a good chance to 2HKO specially defensive Probopass after Stealth Rock, and increase Silvally-Water's general damage output.
Usage Tips
========
This Silvally-Water set should focus on using its wide coverage to force switches and generate momentum for its team with U-turn. Due to the Special Attack investment and Modest nature, it hits quite hard despite not having the highest base stats, and it can be quite a nuisance to switch into. A lot of the time, Silvally-Water is best off using Surf once it is on the field. The Pokemon that can take it easily usually do not outspeed it, and due to Silvally-Water's natural bulk, it will be able to stay in and take a hit to 2HKO them with a coverage move afterwards. Meanwhile, Pokemon that are faster and threaten it more significantly do not enjoy taking that much damage from Surf. Note that despite the lack of investment in its defensive stats, it is still a solid check to the likes of Floatzel, so it is often useful to keep it healthy to deal with the threat late-game. Early on, it is often smart to refrain from revealing exactly what coverage moves Silvally-Water is running in order to keep your opponent guessing as to whether or not their Altaria is a safe switch-in. This is especially relevant after revealing two attacking moves on this set, as most people will expect Silvally-Water to run Defog and U-turn, meaning a third move can catch them off guard.
Team Options
========
Since Silvally-Water does not have any form of recovery and wants to switch in as much as possible, an entry hazard remover is necessary. Due to Species Clause, no other Silvally forme can used for this role, leaving Altaria and Komala as the best options. The latter can also use Wish to heal Silvally-Water, while both also act as status absorbers. Silvally-Water appreciates a Fire / Water / Grass core around it, as Pokemon like Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, Servine, Monferno, Simisear, and Rapidash cover its weaknesses quite well. These Pokemon also appreciate Silvally-Water checking Fire-, Water-, and Ground-types in return. Since this Silvally-Water forces quite a lot of switches, it pairs well with all forms of hazards. Notable setters include Bronzor, Golem, and Crustle. Bronzor also notably checks Abomasnow well, which pairs well with non-Flamethrower sets. Pokemon immune to Electric, like Electivire and Golem, pair well with Silvally-Water to prevent Volt Switch users from generating momentum for free. Lastly, while this set is fairly strong offensively, it is unable to get through common Pokemon on stall like Lickilicky, so a stallbreaker like Komala or Regigigas is a good partner.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
The second attacking move on the defensive set can be replaced with Toxic to cripple a wide variety of defensive Pokemon, like specially defensive Pyukumuku and Vigoroth, but the ability to significantly hurt Abomasnow or Altaria is generally more worth it. Defog can be used on the offensive set, but without one of its coverage moves the set's effectiveness decreases significantly and the set gets chipped far more easily due to the lack of defensive investment, making it a worse Defogger. Silvally-Water has a wide variety of utility moves in its arsenal, including Thunder Wave, Magic Coat, Tailwind, and Heal Block, but it lacks the moveslots to make effective use of them. Silvally-Water can potentially use a Swords Dance set with Multi-Attack and coverage moves like the elemental fangs, Rock Slide, and Zen Headbutt, but this is outclassed by physical Floatzel sets, gets walled completely by Gourgeist-XL, and suffers from low-Base Power coverage moves, especially when compared to its special moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Pokemon like Rotom-S and Oricorio-E can come in and outspeed both common Silvally-Water sets, heavily threatening it, although they have a hard time switching in. Electivire is bulky enough to come in on any move without risking a 2HKO, bar Surf from the offensive set, and immediately force out Silvally-Water, generating momentum via Volt Switch.
**Grass-types**: If Silvally-Water is not running Flamethrower, Abomasnow can switch into it for free and heavily pressure the team. However, it always has to be wary of the potential Fire-type move. Other Grass-types like Gourgeist-XL and Tangela have to be careful of the common Ice Beam as well, but they still make it hard for Silvally-Water to utilize Surf and Thunderbolt.
**Residual Damage**: Due to Silvally-Water's complete lack of recovery, getting worn down through moves like Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic, and Toxic Spikes can quickly take it out.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon like Komala, Lickilicky, and Muk can easily take any of Silvally-Water's hits while only having to fear Toxic, and Komala and Muk are immune even to that. Bronzor is also capable of taking any hit with ease while being immune to Toxic and beating Silvally-Water with a Toxic of its own, allowing it to keep up Stealth Rock easily.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Xayah, 167012]]
- Quality checked by: [[DurzaOffTopic, 357488], [Froasty, 446575], [jklioe, 424692]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [FireFlame479, 231476]]
[OVERVIEW]
Silvally-Water's solid defensive typing, well-balanced stat spread, good coverage, and access to Defog make it a very solid pick for many teams in ZU. Thanks to its typing, access to Thunderbolt, and lack of vulnerability to Taunt and Switcheroo, Silvally-Water is one of metagame's best defensive answers to Floatzel. A good matchup against the tier's most common entry hazard setters in Golem and Probopass also makes Silvally-Water one of the best hazard removers in ZU, and thanks to Surf's good offensive synergy with BoltBeam coverage, Silvally-Water is a solid offensive pivot. These factors combine to make Silvally-Water arguably the best Silvally forme in ZU. However, a lack of recovery and inability to hold Leftovers mean Silvally-Water gets worn down quite easily, especially since it is often a team's Defogger, which leads to it switching into entry hazards quite often. This lack of recovery also means it hates getting statused, cutting into its longevity even more. Abomasnow and Altaria being as relevant as they are hurts Silvally-Water, as it causes some four-moveslot syndrome where it has to choose between Flamethrower and Ice Beam and sacrifice its matchup against one of the two or even both. As an offensive Water-type, Silvally-Water faces a lot of competition from Floatzel and Swanna, though it carves a niche thanks to its access to U-turn and better defensive stats, which can make it easier to fit Silvally-Water on a team.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Ice Beam / Flamethrower / Surf
move 3: Defog
move 4: U-turn / Parting Shot
item: Water Memory
ability: RKS System
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 100 SpA / 160 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
While not being a STAB move, Thunderbolt is the most important move on the set, as it threatens Floatzel, which this set is meant to reliably answer. Notably, it manages to KO it after two rounds of Stealth Rock, as well as 2HKOing physically defensive Mareanie and OHKOing Swanna. The second slot is reserved for another attacking move: Ice Beam is most common, as it synergizes very well with Thunderbolt, heavily threatening Altaria, Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, and Golem. Flamethrower is an option to retain coverage on Gourgeist-XL and Tangela while targeting Abomasnow and Pinsir as well. This is also Silvally-Water's strongest move against Bronzor, although it still does not do much damage. Surf is Silvally-Water's most powerful move due to STAB and does considerable damage to most Pokemon that don't resist it, but it leaves Silvally-Water walled by most Grass-types. Defog is essential on every team and Silvally-Water is a good user of the move thanks to its good matchup with many of the metagame's entry hazard setters like Golem, Probopass, and Crustle. U-turn allows Silvally-Water to pivot out of bad matchups after removing hazards or keep up momentum on forced switches. It also does decent damage to Pokemon weak to it like Servine and Abomansow thanks to Silvally-Water's solid base Attack, which means that Flamethrower is not as important as it otherwise would be. Parting Shot is an option over U-turn to offer utility in stat drops, but it can be blocked by Soundproof Bouffalant and Mr. Mime and gives Defiant Pawniard and Purugly +3 Attack, making U-turn much safer.
Set Details
========
160 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Silvally-Water to outspeed Servine, meaning it can U-turn out on it or threaten it with Ice Beam or Flamethrower while also moving before Pokemon like Shiftry and Monferno. 100 Special Attack EVs ensure that Floatzel goes down to Thunderbolt after two rounds of Stealth Rock damage, allow Silvally-Water to 2HKO Mareanie with Thunderbolt, and enable it to OHKO physically defensive Altaria with Ice Beam after Stealth Rock. If Flamethrower is chosen, an alternative EV spread of 248 HP / 124 SpA / 136 Spe should be used to guarantee the OHKO onto Abomasnow while still outspeeding base 80 Speed Pokemon like Shiftry.
Usage Tips
========
Silvally-Water should be focused on pivoting in and out, constantly keeping up momentum. In order to do this, it needs to ensure entry hazards are getting consistently removed, and it needs to avoid status, as it will get chipped too quickly otherwise. It has solid natural bulk, and this is bolstered by HP investment, which lets it switch in once or twice against certain attackers of which it does not resist the STAB moves, like Pinsir. This can be very useful to immediately remove hazards, threaten the opposing team, or generate momentum. If there is a Pokemon on the opposing team that Silvally-Water can check, like Floatzel or Swanna, it is often wise to keep it healthy to neutralize that threat. Remember that Silvally-Water does not have any way of getting its health back; while it wants to pivot in and out, it's important to carefully consider what damage is worth taking. Due to Silvally-Water's wide movepool, your opponent will often be unsure of exactly what moves Silvally-Water has, and you can use this to your advantage. By spending much of the early-game using U-turn to pivot in and out and not revealing Silvally-Water's set, you can lull your opponent into a false sense of security before suddenly catching them off guard with a surprising coverage move. Silvally-Water can be used as a decent Knock Off absorber, as RKS System prevents Water Memory from being removed and prevents the move's power increase, allowing it to switch into Pokemon like Kecleon effectively.
Team Options
========
Especially if you're not running Flamethrower, a good answer to Abomasnow is necessary. Defensively, Bronzor is the best, and offensive answers include Simisear and Rapidash. Note that Bronzor also forms a good entry hazard control core with Silvally-Water. Since Silvally-Water is a solid answer to Floatzel, Pokemon that hate its presence appreciate the support it offers. Thus, the previously mentioned Simisear and Rapidash but also Pokemon like Choice Scarf Abomasnow enjoy being paired with Silvally-Water. In return, each of them threatens Abomasnow. Since Silvally-Water does not have any form of recovery, it can easily be crippled by status, most notably Toxic. Thus, a status absorber like Komala is quite useful. Note that Komala can also heal Silvally-Water back up with Wish, adding to its longevity. A Pokemon immune to Electric-type moves, like Electivire or Golem, is important as a teammate, as Silvally-Water is easily forced out by Volt Switch users like opposing Electivire. Silvally-Water fits well onto Fire / Water / Grass cores, so partners like Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, Rapidash, and Combusken can form a deadly combination.
[SET]
name: Offensive Pivot
move 1: Surf
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam / Flamethrower
move 4: U-turn
item: Water Memory
ability: RKS System
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
On this set, Surf is used to give Silvally-Water a powerful move, allowing it to pressure and force switches more easily. Thunderbolt is the most important coverage move, hitting Pokemon like Mareanie, Floatzel, and Swanna hard, 2HKOing the former while OHKOing the latter two. The third slot is reserved for a move to dent Grass-types, with both capable of threatening Pokemon like Gourgeist-XL and Tangela. Ice Beam is generally preferred, as it has the added benefit of usually OHKOing even specially defensive Altaria after Stealth Rock. Flamethrower, meanwhile, is capable of OHKOing Abomasnow as well as 2HKOing Bronzor after some chip damage. U-turn allows Silvally-Water to pivot around, especially with this more offensive set forcing more switches and thus allowing it to keep up momentum even more effectively.
Set Details
========
The EV spread allows Silvally-Water to hit as hard as possible while still outspeeding Pokemon like Monferno and Shiftry. A Timid nature is an option over a Modest nature in order to outspeed Pokemon like Oricorio formes and Mr. Mime, but a Modest nature is generally preferred to usually OHKO Floatzel with Thunderbolt, have a good chance to 2HKO specially defensive Probopass after Stealth Rock, and increase Silvally-Water's general damage output.
Usage Tips
========
This Silvally-Water set should focus on using its wide coverage to force switches and generate momentum for its team with U-turn. Due to the Special Attack investment and Modest nature, it hits quite hard despite not having the highest base stats, and it can be quite a nuisance to switch into. A lot of the time, Silvally-Water is best off using Surf once it is on the field. The Pokemon that can take it easily usually do not outspeed it, and due to Silvally-Water's natural bulk, it will be able to stay in and take a hit to 2HKO them with a coverage move afterwards. Meanwhile, Pokemon that are faster and threaten it more significantly do not enjoy taking that much damage from Surf. Note that despite the lack of investment in its defensive stats, it is still a solid check to the likes of Floatzel, so it is often useful to keep it healthy to deal with the threat late-game. Early on, it is often smart to refrain from revealing exactly what coverage moves Silvally-Water is running in order to keep your opponent guessing as to whether or not their Altaria is a safe switch-in. This is especially relevant after revealing two attacking moves on this set, as most people will expect Silvally-Water to run Defog and U-turn, meaning a third move can catch them off guard.
Team Options
========
Since Silvally-Water does not have any form of recovery and wants to switch in as much as possible, an entry hazard remover is necessary. Due to Species Clause, no other Silvally forme can used for this role, leaving Altaria and Komala as the best options. The latter can also use Wish to heal Silvally-Water, while both also act as status absorbers. Silvally-Water appreciates a Fire / Water / Grass core around it, as Pokemon like Gourgeist-XL, Tangela, Servine, Monferno, Simisear, and Rapidash cover its weaknesses quite well. These Pokemon also appreciate Silvally-Water checking Fire-, Water-, and Ground-types in return. Since this Silvally-Water forces quite a lot of switches, it pairs well with all forms of hazards. Notable setters include Bronzor, Golem, and Crustle. Bronzor also notably checks Abomasnow well, which pairs well with non-Flamethrower sets. Pokemon immune to Electric, like Electivire and Golem, pair well with Silvally-Water to prevent Volt Switch users from generating momentum for free. Lastly, while this set is fairly strong offensively, it is unable to get through common Pokemon on stall like Lickilicky, so a stallbreaker like Komala or Regigigas is a good partner.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
The second attacking move on the defensive set can be replaced with Toxic to cripple a wide variety of defensive Pokemon, like specially defensive Pyukumuku and Vigoroth, but the ability to significantly hurt Abomasnow or Altaria is generally more worth it. Defog can be used on the offensive set, but without one of its coverage moves the set's effectiveness decreases significantly and the set gets chipped far more easily due to the lack of defensive investment, making it a worse Defogger. Silvally-Water has a wide variety of utility moves in its arsenal, including Thunder Wave, Magic Coat, Tailwind, and Heal Block, but it lacks the moveslots to make effective use of them. Silvally-Water can potentially use a Swords Dance set with Multi-Attack and coverage moves like the elemental fangs, Rock Slide, and Zen Headbutt, but this is outclassed by physical Floatzel sets, gets walled completely by Gourgeist-XL, and suffers from low-Base Power coverage moves, especially when compared to its special moves.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Pokemon like Rotom-S and Oricorio-E can come in and outspeed both common Silvally-Water sets, heavily threatening it, although they have a hard time switching in. Electivire is bulky enough to come in on any move without risking a 2HKO, bar Surf from the offensive set, and immediately force out Silvally-Water, generating momentum via Volt Switch.
**Grass-types**: If Silvally-Water is not running Flamethrower, Abomasnow can switch into it for free and heavily pressure the team. However, it always has to be wary of the potential Fire-type move. Other Grass-types like Gourgeist-XL and Tangela have to be careful of the common Ice Beam as well, but they still make it hard for Silvally-Water to utilize Surf and Thunderbolt.
**Residual Damage**: Due to Silvally-Water's complete lack of recovery, getting worn down through moves like Stealth Rock, Spikes, Toxic, and Toxic Spikes can quickly take it out.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon like Komala, Lickilicky, and Muk can easily take any of Silvally-Water's hits while only having to fear Toxic, and Komala and Muk are immune even to that. Bronzor is also capable of taking any hit with ease while being immune to Toxic and beating Silvally-Water with a Toxic of its own, allowing it to keep up Stealth Rock easily.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Xayah, 167012]]
- Quality checked by: [[DurzaOffTopic, 357488], [Froasty, 446575], [jklioe, 424692]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [FireFlame479, 231476]]
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