NU Sigilyph

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JustoonSmitts

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[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. To begin, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect damage such as Stealth Rock damage, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, which, combined with its access to Roost, Calm Mind, and Cosmic Power, gives it great durability. Tinted Lens, meanwhile, can increase its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. Sigilyph also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves as well as common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and Speed tier leave it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie as well as common Choice Scarf Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. While it may have a high Special Attack, certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and give Sigilyph more opportunities to safely switch in, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, and Passimian as well as punish Pursuit and U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects Sigilyph from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making Life Orb a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon's moves like Vileplume's Giga Drain and Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to, since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. It can also be brought in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Magic Guard helps Sigilyph come in more easily, since it makes it immune to Stealth Rock damage, and preserve its health, since it doesn't take Life Orb recoil. It's because of this amazing ability that Sigilyph can even be at 1% health and still be able to come in on a double switch and continue to wallbreak. Have your team set up entry hazards as soon as possible so Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs and OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam, since it can hit Dark-type switch-ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Togedemaru.

Team Options
========

Sigilyph needs entry hazard support to help it net important OHKOs and 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so it can set up Spikes more easily. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey, and Scrafty also make great partners that make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is the safest STAB move to spam thanks to the lack of Pokemon immune to it. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad and 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move and is safe to use against Pokemon like Steelix.

Set Details
========

With the given EV spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens means Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and can spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOes Slowking, and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, with a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STAB moves normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.

Team Options
========

This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Since this Pokemon is great at whittling down Steelix, Slowking, and Rhydon, partners like Heliolisk, Comfey, and Braviary are able to use their STAB moves more freely. Any Pokemon with entry hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix, and Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as against Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so it can continue to sweep and allows it to switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more ease. Cosmic Power can make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill, since it boosts both of its defenses. Protect can give Sigilyph a safety net against Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving Sigilyph an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to avoid damage from Stealth Rock and Toxic poison, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon, as well as KOing Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat and Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald, since it is immune to the residual damage from poison and burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, and pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf and Choice Specs users like Togedemaru and Heliolisk and Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners that help Sigilyph net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-Move after boosting, such as against bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can also check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph, and it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them in return. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph, while Decidueye can soft check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave, since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing, since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium Z set with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis caused by Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock and Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team, and it can help Sigilyph set up against and beat bulky Incineroar. However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better, since Sigilyph can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph.

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOes Sigilyph with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs sets, however.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow, since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Fireflame479, 231476], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
 

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Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
[OVERVIEW]
  • Unfortunately, Sigilyph has poor defenses and its defensive typing leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped. It's also because of these low defenses that it cannot directly switch into most attacks.
  • Sigilyph's speed tier, while decent, does leave it outpaced and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, and Mega Glalie, as well as common Choice Scarfed Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru.
  • It may have a high Special Attack but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Assault Vest Magmortar.
- Sigilyph's defenses are hardly that poor (they're literally better than Xatu's); just combine those first two points I quoted and emphasize that most faster Pokemon in the tier can prey upon Sigilyph's weaknesses.
- Also note that Sigilyph lacks any particularly powerful attacks and thus can be left at a disadvantage against most offensive Pokemon that it cannot immediately KO, such as Incineroar, Comfey, or Braviary.
- AV Mortar is not that prominent anymore; replace with Delphox.

  • Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match.
  • Meanwhile, Protect can scout for potential priority moves like Sneasel's Ice Shard, as well as scout for Choice users and Z-Moves.
- You could also mention that Roost gives Sigilyph more safe switch-ins, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon.
- Sneasel has no reason to go for Ice Shard so remove this point; Protect is primarily, if not exclusively, to scout out Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Rotom, and Passimian, as well as punish Pursuit or U-turn attempts. I'm not even sure how well Sigilyph can even take advantage of scouting any Z-Moves that would be used against it, since the base moves are likely to KO it the next turn anyway.

If Sigilyph's team has a Pokemon that can deal with Dark-types, don't be afraid to let Sigilyph get knocked out by a Pursuit or Knock Off amd let that teammate deal with said threats.
It seems counter-intuitive to just sac Sigilyph willy-nilly, especially since the whole point of Protect on the set is to save Sigilyph from these attacks. Rephrase or outright remove this sentence.

  • Air Slash has wide coverage and can even 2HKO Steelix.
  • Heat Wave is primarily used against Pokemon like Steelix and Togedemaru.
  • Energy Ball hits Pokemon that are not threatened by Air Slash such as Rhydon and Seismitoad.
  • Psyshock allows Sigilyph to hit Pokemon like Slowking, Heliolisk, and Vaporeon harder than its other moves.
- Emphasize that Air Slash will be the main move to spam due to STAB along with lack of immunities, as well as being able to 2HKO offensive Incineroar. Also Air Slash actually doesn't 2HKO Steelix nearly all of the time.
- Heat Wave also OHKOes Vikavolt, which would threaten back a KO.
- Those two are plenty threatened by Air Slash (offensive Rhydon & Toad are both 2HKOed); just point out Energy Ball's ability to OHKo both of them. Energy Ball also 2HKOes Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise.
- Remove Vaporeon from Psyshock's targets and replace it with Delphox; Psyshock has a high chance of 2HKOing WishFox switch-ins, even if the second Psyshock is weakened by Mystical Fire.

Set Details
========
  • Tinted Lens makes Sigilyph's attacks nearly impossible to resist. For example, Psyshock 2HKOs Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO Steelix.
Yeah it kinda doesn't; list a better example.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Discussed in discord: CM + Flyinium Sigilyph generally wants 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe for its spread instead.

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Protect is used to reduce the power of other Z-Moves and scout for Choice Scarf Pokemon like Passimian and Rotom.
  • Psyshock can also be used to hit Pokemon like Comfey, Vaporeon, and Magmortar harder than Air Slash can.
  • Cosmic Power can also be considered to boost Sigilyph's bulk, making it tricky to take down once it sets up. However, critical hits bypass these defensive boosts.
- Not gonna lie, I'm doubting the usefulness of Protect on this set, and is better off removed from the set. For starters, between Flyinium Z & Calm Mind, Sigilyph already has a lot less to fear from Scarfers like Passimian's Knock Off and Rotom's STABs & Trick, and are better off scouting them with Roost instead. Meanwhile, any Z-Move users that Sigilyph would consider Protecting against are already pretty bad matchups for Sigilyph or remain too powerful to set up on, so there's little point in defending as opposed to switching or tring to KO them with Skystrike if you can. Allow me to suggest Reflect instead; it allows Sigilyph to have slightly better mid-game presence, it alleviates pressure from faster physical attackers such as Aerodactyl, Sneasel, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru (thus making them easier to scout while also thwarting Pursuit attempts), and it even lets Sigilyph set up on and beat Pokemon like non-Curse Steelix and bulky Incineroar.
- I imagine that between the (now) 0 SpA investment, the set being designed to boost as much as it wants, and Flyinium Z being available as an immediate nuke, Psyshock just isn't worthwhile.
- Cosmic Power can remain in Moves, but mention that it is an alternative to Reflect that does not wear off over time. However, since Reflect provides a faster defensive buff as well as team support, Cosmic Power is usually overshadowed. Also, ideally Sigilyph won't need to boost past +2 Def. Btw, no need to specify the vulnerability to critical hits here, since Sigilyph is supplemented with Calm Mind for power, and Cosmic Power is not the primary boosting move anyway.

Set Details
========

  • The given spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat and prevents Heliolisk from OHKOing it at +2.
  • Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up.
  • Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it and bypass Air Slash's shaky accuracy.
- Heliolisk is an awful matchup for this Sigilyph set regardless; just list the reasoning for the new spread is to take advantage of its Speed tier and the remaining EVs are to maximize bulk.
- Ok from what discord has discussed with me, Flyinium Z is not a wallbreaking tool (especially pointless for a Sigi set that is already built to wallbreak); it is primarily to allow Sigilyph to KO certain offensive threats before they KO it.
0 SpA Sigilyph Supersonic Skystrike (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Sneasel: 196-232 (78 - 92.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 0 SpA Sigilyph Supersonic Skystrike (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Incineroar: 253-298 (76.4 - 90%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 0 SpA Sigilyph Supersonic Skystrike (140 BP) vs. 104 HP / 0 SpD Vikavolt: 294-346 (91.5 - 107.7%) -- 50% chance to OHKO, guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 0 SpA Sigilyph Supersonic Skystrike (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Mismagius: 220-261 (84.2 - 100%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
0 SpA Sigilyph Supersonic Skystrike (140 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Pangoro: 408-480 (123.2 - 145%) -- guaranteed OHKO
0 SpA Sigilyph Supersonic Skystrike (140 BP) vs. 156 HP / 0 SpD Dhelmise: 338-398 (105.6 - 124.3%) -- guaranteed OHKO
Usage Tips
========
  • Supersonic Skystrike should be used to dent more specially defensive Pokemon like Slowking, Comfey, and Magmortar.
  • Protect should be used to weaken any potential Z-Moves aimed at Sigilyph.
Already explained why these explanations are functionally incorrect; also remove Protect.

Team Options
========
  • Hazard setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners so that Sigilyph can net OHKOs or 2HKOs after boosting.
  • - You can mention some examples of KOes Sigilyph can get with the aid of hazards; the Skystrike calcs listed earlier are a good start.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Sigilyph can also run support options such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support. Defog is especially appealing since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. However, its lack of bulk usually means that such a set is better done by Xatu thanks to Magic Bounce controlling hazards.
  • A set with Flame Orb with Cosmic Power / Psycho Shift / Roost / Air Slash can be used to spread burns and can boost Sigilyph's bulk to elephantine proportions, making it nearly impossible to take out if it sets up. However, this set is weak without offensive boosts, the defensive boosts are nullified by critical hits, and it is hard countered by Incineroar.
- The reason Sigilyph doesn't run those support options is not because it lacks bulk (again, better than Xatu's); it's because they occupy a valuable moveslot that Sigilyph wants for either coverage or survivability, whereas Xatu has considerably less moveslot issues for support moves.
- First off Cosmic Power + Psycho Shift Flame Orb is bad don't even mention it. However, mention that Flame Orb + Psycho Shift is an alternative variation that the Calm Mind Flyinium set can run, with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis such as Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock or Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, and the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Reflect, and ofc it's useless against Incineroar as you've already mentioned.

Checks and Counters
===================
- Try to avoid repeating Pokemon in sections too much; Sneasel has been mentioned 3 times now, in fact I think nearly every Pokemon in C&C has been mentioned at least twice.
- Dark-types: Emphasize bulky Incineroar and Guzzlord as more reliable checks since they have an easier time switching into offensive Sigilyph. Honestly I hesitate to even list Pangoro and Scrafty as checks since every set threatens Air Slash against them; you're probably better off mentioning Absol, Malamar, and Houndoom as replacements.
- Faster Threats: Again, too many repeats; since this section is more vague than the sections that list types, I suggest moving this to later sections. For this section, the only things I can think of that aren't already in other sections are Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius, and note how each of them deals with Sigilyph (Aero resists Air Slash, KOes with Stone Edge, and threatens Pursuit; CM Delphox can overpower Sigilyph, Mismagius revenge kills Sigilyph and has Nasty Plot to take down CM variants). Choice Specs Accelgor and Choice Scarf Braviary can also revenge a weakened Sigilyph much like Passimian can, assuming Sigilyph doesn't have any protection in the form of Calm Mind, Reflect, or Flyinium Z, respectively.
- Electric-types: Note that these Electric-types check the Calm Mind variant remarkably well. Emphasize Togedemaru as being the most solid check due to its resistance against all of Sigilyph's moves bar Heat Wave, as well as its 4x Flying resistance against the Tinted Lens set.
- Specially Defensive Pokemon: Replace Magmortar with Wish Delphox instead.
- Ice-types: You can add Piloswine to the list.
 

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
is a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributor
[OVERVIEW]

  • Unfortunately, Sigilyph has poor bulk, its defensive typing leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped, and its speed tier, while decent, does leave it outpaced and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, and Mega Glalie, as well as common Choice Scarfed Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru.
Again, Sigilyph's bulk is not poor, especially the CM set. Remove this point.

  • Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. It also comes with a chance to burn the opponent.
  • Psyshock is another strong STAB option to hit Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, and Heliolisk harder than its other moves.
- Why did you bother listing Heat Wave's burn chance when you didn't point out Air Slash's flinch chance or Energy Ball's SpD drop chance? Remove this point.
- Add Garbodor as a target. You may also point out Psyshock's ability to OHKO all of these Pokemon after SR damage.

Usage Tips
========
  • If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Rotom or even Z-Move users.
You're not using Protect against Z-Moves, since the users in all likelihood would beat you anyway (or vice versa). Remove this point.


[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Moves
========
  • Air Slash is the STAB move of choice, as it can hit potential switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro hard.
  • Heat Wave is primarily used against Pokemon like Vikavolt, Steelix, and Togedemaru.
  • Energy Ball can )HKO Rhydon ans Seismitoad, as well as 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise.
  • Psyshock allows Sigilyph to hit Pokemon like Slowking, Heliolisk, and Delphox harder than its other moves.
- The main reason Air Slash is used is because its lack of immunities makes it the ideal STAB and mono-attack of choice; hitting those aforementioned Dark-types for solid damage is more so a bonus if anything.
- Note the difference in Heat Wave KOes (OHKOes Vikavolt and Choice Scarf Togedemaru, 2HKOes Steelix).
- OHKO typo
- Likewise, note the difference in Psyshock KOes.

Set Details
========
  • Tinted Lens makes Sigilyph's attacks nearly impossible to resist. For example, Psyshock 2HKOs Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO offensive Incineroar
- Yeah this doesn't showcase Tinted Lens; replace with Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Team Options
========
  • Any Pokemon with hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, or Dhelmise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so that it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak.
- Add Blastoise to the list; you could even add that Blastoise can lure in Grass-types for Sigilyph to break.

Set Details
========
Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it and bypass Air Slash's shaky accuracy.
A bit of an overstatement since SSSS is primarily used against frail/Flying-weak offensive Pokemon than anything else (also 95% accuracy isn't bad enough to be considered shaky lol). List specifically what Supersonic Skystrike should be used against, aka the targets you've listed in Team Options.

  • This Sigilyph should idealy be used to KO certain offensive threats with Supersonic Skystrike before it gets knocked out itself.
  • Bring Sigilyph into battle with either a double switch, pivot, or once a teammate has been knocked out since it is way too frail to come in against a direct attack. It can also come in against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald since it is immune to the residual damage from poison or burns thanks to Magic Guard.
- First line should be explained in Set Details instead of Usage Tips.
- Yeah this Sigilyph of all sets is more than capable of switching into attacks; if anything this Sigilyph has less to gain from aggressive pivoting/double switches than other sets so emphasize how it aims to take advantage of bulkier Pokemon.

Team Options
========
  • Hazard setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners so that Sigilyph can net OHKOs or 2HKOs after boosting, such as bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, Vikavolt, Mismagius, Pangoro, and Dhelmise.
  • Defensive Pokemon like Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. These Pokemon can also keep Mega Glalie in check.
  • Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.
- Your hazard setters are merely Stealth Rock setters, so specify them as such. Mention how the Stealth Rock setters also help check threats such as Aerodactyl and Togedemaru for Sigilyph. ALSO, specify how Sigilyph is KOing these Pokemon (also the aim for hazards is for Sigi to OHKO these Pokemon, not 2HKO). Some of these don't need hazards to OHKO (Pangoro and Dhelmise are OHKOed by +0 Skystrike), and it's offensive Incineroar that Sigilyph should be hurrying to OHKO, not bulky Incineroar. Refer to the calcs again if you have to.
- Why are the defensive partners only Water-types? Can't you list any more bulky teammates, like Incineroar responding to Sneasel & Delphox for Sigilyph, or Dhelmise/Decidueye to help check Heliolisk and Dragon Tail Slowking, while elaborating on how Sigilyph helps them (aka what mons they can lure in for Sigi to take advantage of)?

Do this and QC 1/3
 
Last edited:

Punchshroom

FISHIOUS REND MEGA SHARPEDO
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move 4: Reflect / Cosmic Power
nuke reflect from this and send it as far into the deepest pits of hell as you can; this is not viable. protect / cosmic power / stored power are fine options here.

will check at a later point but pls fix this
Yeah at least justify this change before declaring the move unviable; I've already explained why I think Protect is the unviable move on my end.
Not gonna lie, I'm doubting the usefulness of Protect on this set, and is better off removed from the set. For starters, between Flyinium Z & Calm Mind, Sigilyph already has a lot less to fear from Scarfers like Passimian's Knock Off and Rotom's STABs & Trick, and are better off scouting them with Roost instead. Meanwhile, any Z-Move users that Sigilyph would consider Protecting against are already pretty bad matchups for Sigilyph or remain too powerful to set up on, so there's little point in defending as opposed to switching or tring to KO them with Skystrike if you can. Allow me to suggest Reflect instead; it allows Sigilyph to have slightly better mid-game presence, it alleviates pressure from faster physical attackers such as Aerodactyl, Sneasel, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru (thus making them easier to scout while also thwarting Pursuit attempts), and it even lets Sigilyph set up on and beat Pokemon like non-Curse Steelix and bulky Incineroar.
No comment on Stored Power.
 

Rabia

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GP & NU Leader
You argue that Reflect helps better scout fast physical attackers, which is objectively incorrect; Protect removes all risks of critical hits, flinches, etc. and doesn't falter under the circumstance that the physical attacker is already in versus you. It also lets you scout versus Pokemon such as Choice Specs Heliolisk and Guzzlord, which pose significant threats even if Sigilyph has used Calm Mind, and take advantage of that. You cite Reflect as letting Sigilyph set up versus non-Curse Steelix and pivot Incineroar, and this niche seems largely overrated; non-Curse Steelix is both uncommon and not really as close to setup fodder as you're leading on given the prevalence of Roar on such variants to prevent Steelix from losing to things it relies on Curse to beat. Sure, you beat Toxic + Protect (or dual STAB + one of those two options) just fine, but Cosmic Power at that point is better. Reflect is also being incredibly overrated on your end for its usefulness versus Incineroar, at least in comparison to Cosmic Power; Incineroar is 3HKOing Sigilyph after just one boost, meaning you can easily boost a second time as it switches in and in all likelihood use it as setup fodder.

Stored Power is what lets this set achieve one of its intended purposes - stallbreak. Without it, you are relying on flinches to actually beat Pyukumuku down

tl;dr Protect is a more reliable way of scouting fast physical attackers and lets Sigilyph scout faster special attackers, while Cosmic Power is just better overall. While I concede the argument that Reflect gives this set more team utility, I don't really see that overcoming the drawbacks to using it.
 

Punchshroom

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Fine you've convinced me, except idk about slashing Stored Power on the main set since it's primarily just for one (two?) Unaware target(s).

JustoonSmitts in addition to all of what Rabia said, you can add in CM's Usage Tips about Protect being able to scout Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl, and dropping the Z-Move to punish the former via a OHKO after Stealth Rock.
 

Rabia

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GP & NU Leader
View attachment 174379
**art is mine.**​

[OVERVIEW]

  • Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes.
  • For starters, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect recoil damage from things such as Stealth Rock, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, giving it much more durability, while Tinted Lens can boost its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage.
  • It also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves and common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Sigilyph also has reliable recovery in Roost and a boosting move in Calm Mind to help it survive longer and dish more damage.
  • Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and speed tier leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, and Mega Glalie, as well as common Choice Scarfed Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. mention Aerodactyl in the first list too
  • It may have a high Special Attack but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Roost / Protect make the order Roost / Protect / Psyshock and adjust their mentions in the Moves section
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switchins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro.
  • Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru.
  • Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock, as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise.
  • Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.
  • Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and it gives Sigilyph more safe switch-ins, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon.
  • Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Rotom, and Passimian, as well as punish Pursuit or U-turn attempts.
Set Details
========

  • Magic Guard protects Sigilyph from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making it a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. Magic Guard is not an item. Fix the wording to reflect what you mean here.
  • With a Timid Nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.
Usage Tips
========

  • Because of its poor bulk, Sigilyph should never come in against a direct attack. Instead, bring it in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. it can come in on certain attacks!!! just say it's preferred not to.
  • Have your team set up hazards as soon as possible so that Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs or OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable.
  • Air Slash is the safest move to spam since it can hit Dark-type switch ins like Incineroar for decent damage. it's not really for this reason as much as it is because it has no immunities. also mention how predicting is necessary to make use of Sigilyph's great coverage
  • Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost.
  • If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Rotom, Braviary, and Passimian.
Team Options
========

  • Sigilpyh needs entry hazards to help it net important KOs or 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so that it can set up Spikes easier. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise.
  • Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber.
  • Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian.
  • Set up sweepers that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey and Scrafty also make great partners to make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. I wouldn't call Incineroar a setup sweeper as much as it is a wallbreaker that sets up to well, wallbreak. Maybe just change the wording to "Setup Pokemon"
  • Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Air Slash the main STAB move to spam thanks to its lack of immunities, as well as being able hit Pokemon like Icineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. most moves can hit Pokemon. does Air Slash hit them hard? for good damage? give this sentence a qualifier of some kind
  • Heat Wave is used to OHKO Vikavolt and Togedemaru, as well as 2HKO Steelix. its primary purpose is to hit Steel-types hard, so mention Steelix, Togedemaru, and hell even Silvally-Steel up here first, and then you can mention how it also hits some other Pokemon harder than Sigilyph's moves.
  • Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad, as well as 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise.
  • Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Slowking and Delphox after Stealth Rock damage. specify Assault Vest Slowking. also, Sigilyph doesn't need Stealth Rock to 2HKO Delphox with Psyshock, so reword this sentence.
Set Details
========

  • With the given spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output.
  • Tinted Lens makes Sigilyph's attacks nearly impossible to resist. For example, Psyshock 2HKOs Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon. I'd focus the wording on how Tinted Lens makes it so Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and allows it to spam its coverage moves much more easily.
Usage Tips
========

  • Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team.
  • Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking.
  • Sigilyph is also very frail, so it should never be brought in against a direct attack. It is advisable to bring it in with a pivot, a predicted double switch, or if a teammate has been KOd. It would also be advisable to get rid of Dark-type Pokemon such as Sneasel since this set is very vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped. I mean, you can pivot into Close Combat from Passimian. I'd just say it's preferable to bring Sigilyph in via these other methods as opposed to directly switching it in.
  • Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STABs normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.
  • If Sigilyph's team has a Pokemon that can deal with Dark-types such as Incineroar or Sneasel, then it is okay to let Sigilyph go down to a Pursuit or Knock Off after it has weakened defensive Pokemon for its team. I'd just remove this sentence. I think the idea of "once a Pokemon has served its purpose, it is expendable to an extent" is generally common knowledge.
  • Do not let Sigilyph be afflicted with any status condition as poison from Toxic will shorten its time breaking walls and paralysis can potentially make it unable to do anything for a turn.
Team Options
========

  • This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker.
  • Any Pokemon with hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so that it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also lure in Grass-types for Sigilyph. how does Blastoise lure in Grass-types? do you mean it draws them in?
  • Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix and in return, they can check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Togedemaru is not really a check to Dark-types tbh
  • Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, or Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs. give some examples
  • Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so that they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay.
  • A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Protect / Cosmic Power
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

  • Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper.
  • Air Slash is the STAB move of choice, as it can hit potential switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro hard. also talk about its good neutral coverage (no immunities to Flying)
  • Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so that it can continue to sweep. also lets it switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more impunity.
  • Protect is important to scout for Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. it also lets Sigilyph scout Choice item users like Choice Specs Heliolisk and Choice Scarf Togedemaru.
  • Cosmic Power can be used instead to boost both of its defenses. it also makes Sigilyph harder to revenge kill in general thanks to it boosting both of Sigilyph's defenses.
  • Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke after using Supersonic Skystrike, but requires multiple boosts to be potent. you should talk about how Stored Power gives Sigilyph a stronger move against certain Flying-resistant Pokemon (provide some examples) and how it ensures Sigilyph can break stall (Pyukumuku could potentially give this some headaches).
  • Reflect can also be considered to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team and it can help it set up against and beat bulky Incineroar . However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better since it can continue boosting its defenses. no. move this to other options.
Set Details
========

  • The given spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk.
  • Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up.
  • Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as Dhelmise, Pangoro, and Mismagius. I don't like these examples; I would prefer some specially defensive neutral targets personally, such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon.
Usage Tips
========

  • Calm Mind Sigilyph can be used throughout the match to take out a specific threat like Dhelmise or Vikavolt, but it can also be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out. I'd actually prefer if you put the emphasis on it being primarily a late-game sweeper and then mentioned how it is capable of taking out certain threats mid-game if it can.
  • This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Choice-locked Passimian's Close Combat or Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm.
  • Bring Sigilyph into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald since it is immune to the residual damage from poison or burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power.
  • Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Incineroar, Pangoro, or Mismagius. Pangoro drops to +1 Air Slash; replace its mention with something that requires the Z-Move to be bopped. Also specify Special Attack boosts; boosting your defenses doesn't impact Sigilyph's ability to KO threats.
  • If running Protect, use it to scout or Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage. There should also be talk of using Protect to scout other Choice item Pokemon and how that lets you pivot to the appropriate answer if need be.
Team Options
========

  • Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners so that Sigilyph can net OHKOs or 2HKOs after boosting, such as bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, Vikavolt, Mismagius, Pangoro, and Dhelmise. are these OHKOs and 2HKOs with Air Slash? Supersonic Skystrike? A combination of the two? Also, I think you can list fewer examples here. I'd keep the Incineroar and Sneasel ones for sure.
  • Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph and in return, it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them.
  • Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph while Decidueye can soft-check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Pangoro for these teammates.
  • Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

  • Sigilyph can also run support options such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support. Defog is especially appealing since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. However, using these moves would sacrifice a potential coverage move that Sigilyph needs. eh, the last slot on the Life Orb set is generally pretty flexible and up to the team's needs anyhow. not too sure I agree with the idea that you would be dropping a coverage move.
  • A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium set, with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis such as Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock or Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar.
  • + Reflect
Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into offensive Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types, such as Absol, Houndoom ,and Malamar can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. RestTalk Malamar is a pretty fine switch-in to Sigilyph fwiw, so I'd move it into the first list you gave (and put Sneasel in the second list). No need to specify offensive Sigilyph though in that first list; they can switch into defensive variants just fine.

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOs it with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Mismagius "Mismagius can revenge kill Mismagius" by overpowering Calm Mind variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Specs Accelgor and Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Braviary can also threaten weakened Sigilyph without Calm Mind, Reflect, or Flyinium Z. I have not seen a Choice Specs Accelgor in years, nor is Choice Scarf Braviary a set. Remove those mentions imo. Remove the Reflect mention and change the Calm Mind one to Cosmic Power.

**Electric-types**:Sigilyph is threatened by many Electric-types like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Rotom. Togedamru is the most solid check due to its resistance against all of Sigilyph's moves bar Heat Wave, as well as its 4x Flying resistance against the Choice Specs set. Keep in mind that Rotom needs Choice Scarf to outspeed Sigilyph and none of them want to directly come in against any of Sigilyph's other moves like Psyshock or Heat Wave. I don't think we need this section; all of these Pokemon fit into the Faster Threats category anyhow. Could probably just add a mention of one of them into that list.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Comfey, Slowking, or Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs and Flyinium Z Sigilyph however. add Druddigon to this list and remove Comfey from it. specify Wish Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking. fwiw Druddigon and Slowking don't give a fuck about the Flyinium Z set boosting given they both commonly run Dragon Tail.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Sneasel, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard. Sneasel can also Pursuit trap Sigilyph. move Sneasel mention up to Dark-types section; it's an extremely effective check, and I'd like to see that reflected with it being mentioned earlier in the analysis.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
qc 2/3 after you implement and write up. let me know if you have questions
 

quziel

I am the Scientist now
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a member of the Battle Simulator Staff
View attachment 174379
**art is mine.**​

[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. For starters, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect recoil damage from things such as Stealth Rock, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, giving it much more durability, while Tinted Lens can boost its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. It also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves and common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Sigilyph also has reliable recovery in Roost and a boosting move in Calm Mind to help it survive longer and dish more damage. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and speed tier leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie, as well as common Choice Scarfed Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. It may have a high Special Attack but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switchins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock, as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and it gives Sigilyph more safe switch-ins, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Rotom, Aerodactyl, and Passimian, as well as punish Pursuit or U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage. Removed Rotom mention; scarf rotom is not common, and you already have enough examples.

Set Details
========

Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects it from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making it a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid Nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon like Sceptile locked into Leaf Storm Vileplume's Giga Drain or Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. Instead, bring it in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Have your team set up hazards as soon as possible so that Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs or OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam since it can hit Dark-type switch ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Rotom, Braviary, and Passimian. Something about Magic Guard, and preserving Sigil no matter how low its HP gets (even a 1% HP sigil can still wallbreak, and can still be brought in on a double).

Team Options
========

Sigilpyh needs entry hazards to help it net important KOs or 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so that it can set up Spikes easier. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Setup Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey and Scrafty also make great partners to make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash the safest STAB move to spam thanks to its lack of immunities. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard, as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad, as well as 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move, and threatens Steelix rather than Slowking.

Set Details
========

With the given spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens makes it so Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and allows it to spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOs Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. It would also be advisable to get rid of Dark-type Pokemon such as Sneasel since this set is very vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STABs normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively. Do not let Sigilyph be afflicted with any status condition as poison from Toxic will shorten its time breaking walls and paralysis can potentially make it unable to do anything for a turn. Honestly, this set doesn't hugely care about Toxic; if it gets in its getting kills.

Team Options
========

Stuff that wants Steelix/Slowking/Rhydon whittled; this is a wallbreaker that forces Flying resists to take a ton of damage, so mention sweepers that like that. This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Any Pokemon with hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so that it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix. Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, or Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as with Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check threaten bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so that they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Protect / Cosmic Power Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so that it can continue to sweep and it allows it switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more impunity. Protect is important to scout for Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl, as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Cosmic Power can be used instead to make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill since it boosts both of its defenses. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving it an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however. Switch order of CP/Protect.

Set Details
========

The given spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon. This move KOs Sneasel after SR, mention that.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat or Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm Vileplume's Giga Drain. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald since it is immune to the residual damage from poison or burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, or pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf or Specs users like Togedemaru or Heliolisk, or Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners so that Sigilyph can net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-move after boosting, such as bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph and in return, it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph while Decidueye can soft-check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Pangoro Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium set, with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis such as Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock or Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team and it can help it set up against and beat bulky Incineroar . However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better since it can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types, such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOs it with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [Rabia, 336073], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Tag me when this is implemented so I can give it another look; making a fair few changes.
 

quziel

I am the Scientist now
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a member of the Battle Simulator Staff
View attachment 174379
**art is mine.**​

[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. For starters, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect recoil damage from things such as Stealth Rock, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, giving it much more durability, while Tinted Lens can boost its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. It also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves and common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Sigilyph also has reliable recovery in Roost and a boosting move in Calm Mind to help it survive longer and dish more damage. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and speed tier leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie, as well as common Choice Scarfed Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. It may have a high Special Attack but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switchins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock, as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and it gives Sigilyph more safe switch-ins, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, and Passimian, as well as punish Pursuit or U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects it from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making it a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid Nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon like Vileplume's Giga Drain or Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. It can also be brought in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Magic Guard helps Sigilyph come in much easier since it is immune to Stealth Rock damage and helps preserve its health since it doesn't take Life Orb recoil. It's because of this amazing ability that Sigilyph can even be at 1% health and still be able to come in on a double switch and continue to wallbreak. Have your team set up hazards as soon as possible so that Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs or OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam since it can hit Dark-type switch ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Rotom, Braviary, and Passimian Passimian and Togedemaru.

Team Options
========

Sigilpyh needs entry hazards to help it net important KOs or 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so that it can set up Spikes easier. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Setup Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey and Scrafty also make great partners to make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash the safest STAB move to spam thanks to its lack of immunities. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard, as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad, as well as 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move, and is safe to use against Pokemon like Steelix.

Set Details
========

With the given spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens makes it so Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and allows it to spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOs Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. It would also be advisable to get rid of Dark-type Pokemon such as Sneasel since this set is very vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped. Reword the previous sentence a bit, mention that you generally shouldn't use Psyshock before Sneasel is removed. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STABs normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.

Team Options
========

This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Since this Pokemon is great at whittling down Steelix, Slowking, and Rhydon, partners like Heliolisk, Comfey, and Braviary are able to use thier STAB moves more freely. Any Pokemon with hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so that it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix. Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, or Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as with Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so that they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so that it can continue to sweep and it allows it switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more impunity. Cosmic Power can be used instead to make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill since it boosts both of its defenses. Protect can give Sigilyph a safety net against Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl, as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving it an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however.

Set Details
========

The given spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon, as well as KO Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat or Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald since it is immune to the residual damage from poison or burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, or pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf or Specs users like Togedemaru or Heliolisk, or Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners so that Sigilyph can net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-move after boosting, such as bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph and in return, it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph while Decidueye can soft-check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium set, with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis such as Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock or Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team and it can help it set up against and beat bulky Incineroar . However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better since it can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types, such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOs it with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [Rabia, 336073], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Works, 3/3 once implemented. Note: The overview flows really awkwardly, I'd recommend rewording for clarity before submitting to GP.
 

Dawn of Ares

Power of Athena!
is a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
amcheck:
[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. To begin, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect recoil damage from things such as Stealth Rock, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, which combined with its access to Roost, Calm Mind, and Cosmic Power, gives it much more durability. Tinted Lens, meanwhile, can increase its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. Sigilyph also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves, as well as common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and speed tier leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie, as well as common Choice Scarf Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. It may have a high Special Attack but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evsEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock, as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and it gives Sigilyph more safe switch-ins, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, and Passimian, as well as punish Pursuit or U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects it from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making it a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid Nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon like Vileplume's Giga Drain or Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. It can also be brought in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Magic Guard helps Sigilyph come in much easier since it is immune to Stealth Rock damage and helps preserve its health since it doesn't take Life Orb recoil. It's because of this amazing ability that Sigilyph can even be at 1% health and still be able to come in on a double switch and continue to wallbreak. Have your team set up hazards as soon as possible so that Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs or OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam since it can hit Dark-type switch-ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Togedemaru.

Team Options
========

Sigilpyh needs entry hazards to help it net important OHKOs or 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so that it can set up Spikes easier. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Setup Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey, and Scrafty also make great partners tothat make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evsEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash the safest STAB move to spam thanks to its lack of immunities. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard, as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad, as well as 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move, and is safe to use against Pokemon like Steelix.

Set Details
========

With the given spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens makes it so Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and allows it to spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOes Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, with a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STABsSTAB moves normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.

Team Options
========

This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Since this Pokemon is great at whittling down Steelix, Slowking, and Rhydon, partners like Heliolisk, Comfey, and Braviary are able to use thiertheir STAB moves more freely. Any Pokemon with hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so that it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix. Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, or Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as with Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so that they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evsEVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so that it can continue to sweep and it allows it to switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more impunity. Cosmic Power can be used instead to make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill since it boosts both of its defenses. Protect can give Sigilyph a safety net against Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl, as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving it an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however.

Set Details
========

The given spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon, as well as KO Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat or Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald since it is immune to the residual damage from poison or burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, or pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf or Specs users like Togedemaru or Heliolisk, or Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners so thatthat help Sigilyph can net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-move after boosting, such as bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph and in return, it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph while Decidueye can soft-check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium set, with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis such ascaused by Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock or Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team and it can help it set up against and beat bulky Incineroar. However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better since it can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types, such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph.

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOes it with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs, however.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.
 

Fireflame

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[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. To begin, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect damage from things such as Stealth Rock, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, which,(AC) combined with its access to Roost, Calm Mind, and Cosmic Power, gives it much more durability. Tinted Lens, meanwhile, can increase its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. Sigilyph also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves,(RC) as well as common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and Speed tier leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie,(RC) as well as common Choice Scarf Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. It may have a high Special Attack but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock,(RC) as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and it gives Sigilyph more safe switch-ins opportunities to safely switch in, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, and Passimian,(RC) as well as (you don't need a comma before the phrase "as well as" if there's no verb after it) punish Pursuit or and U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects it Sigilyph from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making it Life Orb a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon's moves like Vileplume's Giga Drain or and Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to,(AC) since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. It can also be brought in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Magic Guard helps Sigilyph come in much easier more easily since it is immune to Stealth Rock damage and helps preserve its health,(AC) since it doesn't take Life Orb recoil. It's because of this amazing ability that Sigilyph can even be at 1% health and still be able to come in on a double switch and continue to wallbreak. Have your team set up entry hazards as soon as possible so that Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs or and OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam,(AC) since it can hit Dark-type switch-ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Togedemaru.

Team Options
========

Sigilpyh needs entry hazards to help it net important OHKOs or and 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so that it can set up Spikes easier more easily. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Setup Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey, and Scrafty also make great partners that make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash the safest STAB move to spam thanks to its lack of immunities Pokemon immune to it. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard,(RC) as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad,(RC) as well as 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move,(RC) and is safe to use against Pokemon like Steelix.

Set Details
========

With the given EV spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens makes it so Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and allows it to spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOes Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, with a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STAB moves normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.

Team Options
========

This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Since this Pokemon is great at whittling down Steelix, Slowking, and Rhydon, partners like Heliolisk, Comfey, and Braviary are able to use their STAB moves more freely. Any Pokemon with entry hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so that it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix.(period),(AC) and Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, or and Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as with against Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so that they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so that it can continue to sweep and it allows it to switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more impunity. Cosmic Power can be used instead to (it's in a different moveslot) make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill,(AC) since it boosts both of its defenses. Protect can give Sigilyph a safety net against Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl,(RC) as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving it an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon, as well as KOing Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat or and Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald since it is immune to the residual damage from poison or and burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, or pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf or and Choice Specs users like Togedemaru or and Heliolisk,(RC) or and Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners that help Sigilyph net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-Move after boosting, such as against bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can also check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph and in return, it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them in return. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph,(AC) while Decidueye can soft-check soft check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support,(AC) since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing,(AC) since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium Z set,(RC) with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis caused by Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock or and Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team,(AC) and it can help it Sigilyph set up against and beat bulky Incineroar. However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better,(AC) since it Sigilyph can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types,(RC) such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph.

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOes it with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs sets, however.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow,(AC) since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
GP 1/2
 

JustoonSmitts

I draw stuff for a living
is a Top Artistis a Contributor to Smogon
Remove Add Comments (AC)= add comma (RC)= remove comma (AH)= add hyphen (RH)= remove hyphen
[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. To begin, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect damage from things such as Stealth Rock, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, which, combined with its access to Roost, Calm Mind, and Cosmic Power, gives it much more durability. Tinted Lens, meanwhile, can increase its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. Sigilyph also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves as well as common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and Speed tier leaves it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie as well as common Choice Scarf Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. It may have a high Special Attack but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and it gives Sigilyph more opportunities to safely switch in, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, and Passimian as well as punish Pursuit and U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects Sigilyph from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making Life Orb a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon's moves like Vileplume's Giga Drain and Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to, since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. It can also be brought in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Magic Guard helps Sigilyph come in more easily since it is immune to Stealth Rock damage and preserve its health, since it doesn't take Life Orb recoil. It's because of this amazing ability that Sigilyph can even be at 1% health and still be able to come in on a double switch and continue to wallbreak. Have your team set up entry hazards as soon as possible so Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs and OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam, since it can hit Dark-type switch-ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Togedemaru.

Team Options
========

Sigilpyh needs entry hazards to help it net important OHKOs and 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so it can set up Spikes more easily. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Setup Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey, and Scrafty also make great partners that make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash the safest STAB move to spam thanks to the lack of Pokemon immune to it. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad and 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move and is safe to use against Pokemon like Steelix.

Set Details
========

With the given EV spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens makes it so Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and allows it to spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOes Slowking and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, with a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STAB moves normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.

Team Options
========

This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Since this Pokemon is great at whittling down Steelix, Slowking, and Rhydon, partners like Heliolisk, Comfey, and Braviary are able to use their STAB moves more freely. Any Pokemon with entry hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix, and Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as against Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so it can continue to sweep and allows it to switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more impunity. Cosmic Power can make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill, since it boosts both of its defenses. Protect can give Sigilyph a safety net against Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving it an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon, as well as KOing Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat and Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald since it is immune to the residual damage from poison and burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, or pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf and Choice Specs users like Togedemaru and Heliolisk and Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners that help Sigilyph net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-Move after boosting, such as against bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can also check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph and it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them in return. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph,(AC) while Decidueye can soft check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support, since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing, since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium Z set with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis caused by Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock and Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team, and it can help Sigilyph set up against and beat bulky Incineroar. However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better, since Sigilyph can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph.

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOes it with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs sets, however.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow, since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Fireflame479, ], [, ]]
GP 1/2
Implemented, thank you Fireflame479. Ready for one more.
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. To begin, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect damage from things such as Stealth Rock damage, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, which, combined with its access to Roost, Calm Mind, and Cosmic Power, gives it much more great durability. Tinted Lens, meanwhile, can increase its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. Sigilyph also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves as well as common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and Speed tier leaves leave it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie as well as common Choice Scarf Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. While it may have a high Special Attack, (AC) but certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and it gives give Sigilyph more opportunities to safely switch in, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, and Passimian as well as punish Pursuit and U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects Sigilyph from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making Life Orb a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon's moves like Vileplume's Giga Drain and Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to, since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. It can also be brought in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Magic Guard helps Sigilyph come in more easily, (AC) since it is makes it immune to Stealth Rock damage, (AC) and preserve its health, since it doesn't take Life Orb recoil. It's because of this amazing ability that Sigilyph can even be at 1% health and still be able to come in on a double switch and continue to wallbreak. Have your team set up entry hazards as soon as possible so Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs and OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam, since it can hit Dark-type switch-ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Togedemaru.

Team Options
========

Sigilpyh Sigilyph needs entry hazard support to help it net important OHKOs and 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so it can set up Spikes more easily. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Setup Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey, and Scrafty also make great partners that make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is the safest STAB move to spam thanks to the lack of Pokemon immune to it. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad and 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move and is safe to use against Pokemon like Steelix.

Set Details
========

With the given EV spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens makes it so means Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and allows it to can spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOes Slowking, (AC) and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, with a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STAB moves normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.

Team Options
========

This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Since this Pokemon is great at whittling down Steelix, Slowking, and Rhydon, partners like Heliolisk, Comfey, and Braviary are able to use their STAB moves more freely. Any Pokemon with entry hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix, and Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as against Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so it can continue to sweep and allows it to switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more impunity ease. Cosmic Power can make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill, since it boosts both of its defenses. Protect can give Sigilyph a safety net against Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving it Sigilyph an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to be undamaged by avoid damage from Stealth Rock and poison from Toxic poison, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon, as well as KOing Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat and Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald, (AC) since it is immune to the residual damage from poison and burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, or and pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf and Choice Specs users like Togedemaru and Heliolisk and Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners that help Sigilyph net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-Move after boosting, such as against bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can also check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph, (AC) and it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them in return. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph,(AC) while Decidueye can soft check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave to provide its team with further support, since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing, since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium Z set with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis caused by Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock and Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team, and it can help Sigilyph set up against and beat bulky Incineroar. However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better, since Sigilyph can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph.

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOes it Sigilyph with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs sets, however.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow, since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Fireflame479, 231476], [, ]]
 

JustoonSmitts

I draw stuff for a living
is a Top Artistis a Contributor to Smogon
remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
[OVERVIEW]

Sigilyph is one of the most versatile offensive Pokemon in NU thanks to the combination of its many great attributes. To begin, it has two fantastic abilities to aid in its offensive prowess. Magic Guard prevents indirect damage such as Stealth Rock damage, poison damage from Toxic, and Life Orb recoil, which, combined with its access to Roost, Calm Mind, and Cosmic Power, gives it great durability. Tinted Lens, meanwhile, can increase its damage output against Pokemon that resist its STAB coverage. Sigilyph also has a decent Speed tier as well as a good Special Attack stat with a very wide offensive movepool that includes Heat Wave and Energy Ball to deal with Steel-types that resist its STAB moves as well as common Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Steelix. Unfortunately, Sigilyph's defensive typing and Speed tier leave it vulnerable to being Pursuit trapped and threatened by faster offensive threats such as Heliolisk, Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Mega Glalie as well as common Choice Scarf Pokemon like Passimian and Togedemaru. While it may have a high Special Attack, certain sets are walled by specially defensive Pokemon such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Delphox.

[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Roost / Protect / Psyshock
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is Sigilyph's most spammable move that can help damage Dark-type switch-ins such as Incineroar, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Heat Wave is Sigilyph's best way to deal with Steel-type Pokemon such as Steelix and Togedemaru. Energy Ball can deal with Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Regirock as well as bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Vaporeon, and Blastoise. Roost could also be used to keep Sigilyph healthy throughout the match and give Sigilyph more opportunities to safely switch in, such as against Golbat, Vileplume, and Vaporeon. Meanwhile, Protect can scout for Choice-locked attacks from the likes of Sneasel, Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, and Passimian as well as punish Pursuit and U-turn attempts. Psyshock is another strong STAB option to OHKO Pokemon such as Golbat, Vileplume, Heliolisk, and Garbodor after Stealth Rock damage.

Set Details
========
Magic Guard is Sigilyph's best ability for this set because it protects Sigilyph from indirect damage from Stealth Rock, Toxic poison, and Life Orb recoil, making Life Orb a great item choice to boost Sigilyph's power. With a Timid nature and maximum Speed investment, Sigilyph is just fast enough to outspeed Pokemon like Golbat and Rotom without Choice Scarf and fire off a strong attack.

Usage Tips
========

Sigilyph can come in against certain Pokemon's moves like Vileplume's Giga Drain and Passimian's Close Combat, but it usually prefers not to, since it needs to be healthy enough to wallbreak throughout the match. It can also be brought in on a double switch, with the help of a pivot, or even against more passive Pokemon such as Xatu, Vaporeon, and Decidueye. Magic Guard helps Sigilyph come in more easily, since it makes it immune to Stealth Rock damage, and preserve its health, since it doesn't take Life Orb recoil. It's because of this amazing ability that Sigilyph can even be at 1% health and still be able to come in on a double switch and continue to wallbreak. Have your team set up entry hazards as soon as possible so Sigilyph can net more 2HKOs and OHKOs, making some threats like Incineroar and Sneasel much more manageable. Air Slash is the safest move to spam, since it can hit Dark-type switch-ins like Incineroar for decent damage. Since Sigilyph does force switches against Pokemon like Vileplume and Seismitoad, it can be a good idea to go ahead and heal with Roost. If running Protect, use it to scout for Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Togedemaru.

Team Options
========

Sigilyph needs entry hazard support to help it net important OHKOs and 2HKOs. Pokemon like Rhydon, Seismitoad, and Garbodor can fit this role excellently. Garbodor can also exploit the switches that Sigilyph forces so it can set up Spikes more easily. Druddigon is also notable, since it can set up Stealth Rock against Xatu and threaten Heliolisk and Rotom thanks to Mold Breaker. All of these Pokemon appreciate Sigilyph's ability to deal with hazard removers such as Golbat, Dhelmise, and Blastoise. Since Sigilyph threatens Grass-types, Pokemon like Slowking, Rhydon, and Sceptile make good partners. These Pokemon also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Toxic and act as a status absorber. Similarly, Pokemon that are weak to Fighting-type attacks like Heliolisk, Togedemaru, and Pangoro appreciate Sigilyph's ability to switch into Close Combat from Choice Scarf Passimian. Pokemon that can set up on Dark-types such as Incineroar, Comfey, and Scrafty also make great partners that make Sigilyph's time wallbreaking easier. Incineroar and Scrafty can also threaten Ice-types like Sneasel and Mega Glalie for Sigilyph. Pivots like Xatu, Rotom, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph in safely. Togedemaru can also take Electric-type attacks for Sigilyph.

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Air Slash
move 2: Heat Wave
move 3: Energy Ball
move 4: Psyshock / Psychic
item: Choice Specs
ability: Tinted Lens
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Air Slash is the safest STAB move to spam thanks to the lack of Pokemon immune to it. Heat Wave is used to hit Steel-types such as Steelix, Togedemaru, and Silvally-Steel hard as well as OHKO Vikavolt. Energy Ball can OHKO Rhydon and Seismitoad and 2HKO Vaporeon, which Sigilyph cannot do otherwise. Psyshock allows Sigilyph to OHKO Heliolisk and 2HKO Delphox and Assault Vest Slowking after Stealth Rock damage. Psychic is Sigilyph's strongest move and is safe to use against Pokemon like Steelix.

Set Details
========

With the given EV spread and Choice Specs, Sigilyph becomes a threatening wallbreaker with amazing damage output. Tinted Lens means Sigilyph doesn't really need to predict and can spam its coverage moves much more easily. For example, Psyshock 2HKOes Slowking, and Air Slash will 2HKO Rotom and offensive Rhydon.

Usage Tips
========

Choice Specs Sigilyph can function as a powerful wallbreaker that can break down or even 2HKO defensive Pokemon like Slowking and Steelix for its team. Because this set forgoes Magic Guard in exchange for Tinted Lens, getting rid of Stealth Rock should be a priority before Sigilyph can begin wallbreaking. It is advisable to bring Sigilyph in with a pivot, with a predicted double switch, or against resisted hits such as Passimian's Close Combat. Thanks to Tinted Lens, Sigilyph can even deal with Pokemon that resist its STAB moves normally. Even Slowking and Steelix need to be cautious of directly switching into Sigilyph because it can 2HKO them with Psyshock and Air Slash, respectively.

Team Options
========

This Sigilyph is great for balanced teams that need a powerful wallbreaker. Since this Pokemon is great at whittling down Steelix, Slowking, and Rhydon, partners like Heliolisk, Comfey, and Braviary are able to use their STAB moves more freely. Any Pokemon with entry hazard control such as Xatu, Rotom, Dhelmise, or Blastoise can make a great partner for Sigilyph so it doesn't have to switch into Stealth Rock when it attempts to wallbreak. Blastoise can also draw in Grass-types for Sigilyph. Pivots such as Passimian, Heliolisk, and Togedemaru can help bring Sigilyph safely into battle. Passimian and Togedemaru also appreciate Sigilyph's ability to break down Slowking and Steelix, and Passimian can also check Dark-types for Sigilyph. Hazard setters like Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad can help Sigilyph net important 2HKOs or even OHKOs such as against Assault Vest Slowking. Pokemon such as Passimian, Vikavolt, and Magmortar appreciate Sigilyph's ability to check bulky Pokemon such as Slowking, Rhydon, Weezing, and Vileplume so they can spam their own STAB moves much more. In return, these Pokemon can help keep Pokemon that threaten Sigilyph such as Sneasel, Mega Glalie, and Incineroar at bay. A cleric such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino can help heal Sigilyph with Wish and Heal Bell support.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind + Flyinium Z
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Air Slash
move 3: Roost
move 4: Cosmic Power / Protect
item: Flyinium Z
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind boosts Sigilyph's damage output, turning it into a dangerous sweeper. Air Slash has amazing neutral coverage, making it a good move to spam. Roost keeps Sigilyph healthy so it can continue to sweep and allows it to switch into weak attacks like Scald from Vaporeon and defensive Slowking with more ease. Cosmic Power can make Sigilyph hard to revenge kill, since it boosts both of its defenses. Protect can give Sigilyph a safety net against Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl as well as other potential Choice item users such as Heliolisk and Togedemaru. Stored Power can also be used as a potential nuke against Flying-resistant Pokemon like Rhydon and Rotom after using Supersonic Skystrike, giving Sigilyph an advantage over stall teams. This move requires multiple boosts to be potent, however.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Sigilyph to outspeed Pokemon such as Rotom without a Choice Scarf and Golbat. The remaining EVs should aim to maximize Sigilyph's bulk. Magic Guard allows Sigilyph to avoid damage from Stealth Rock and Toxic poison, giving it more opportunities to begin setting up. Flyinium Z turns Air Slash into a one-time nuke to deal heavy damage to Pokemon such as pivot Incineroar and Druddigon, as well as KOing Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage.

Usage Tips
========

Calm Mind Sigilyph should be used as a late-game sweeper if its checks and counters are weakened or knocked out, but it can take out certain threats mid-game if it needs to. This Sigilyph can actually pivot into direct attacks thanks to its invested bulk, but it should still aim to come into attacks it resists such as Passimian's Close Combat and Choice Specs Sceptile's Leaf Storm. Sigilyph can also come into battle against more passive Pokemon such as Seismitoad, Vaporeon, and Blastoise to take any incoming Toxic or Scald, since it is immune to the residual damage from poison and burns thanks to Magic Guard. From here it can begin setting up Calm Mind or Cosmic Power. Once it has boosted, Sigilyph can use Supersonic Skystrike to net important KOs against certain Pokemon that its team may struggle against, such as Druddigon, Comfey, and pivot Incineroar. If running Protect, use it to scout for potential Choice Scarf and Choice Specs users like Togedemaru and Heliolisk and Pursuit from Sneasel and Aerodactyl. Afterwards, it can punish the former by OHKOing it with a boosted Supersonic Skystrike after Stealth Rock damage or pivot into the appropriate answer.

Team Options
========

Stealth Rock setters such as Rhydon, Steelix, and Seismitoad make good partners that help Sigilyph net OHKOs or 2HKOs with its Z-Move after boosting, such as against bulky Incineroar, Sneasel, and Druddigon. Pivots such as Passimian, Rotom, and Togedemaru can bring Sigilyph in safely. Passimian and Togedemaru can also check Sneasel, Rhydon, and Heliolisk for Sigilyph, and it can check Pokemon like Vileplume and Weezing for them in return. Defensive Pokemon like Incineroar, Delphox, Decidueye, and Slowking appreciate Sigilyph's abillity to take Toxic for them. Incineroar can also help deal with Sneasel and Delphox for Sigilyph, while Decidueye can soft check Pokemon like Heliolisk and Assault Vest Slowking for Sigilyph. In return, Sigilyph can help check Passimian for these teammates. Pokemon like Magmortar, Alolan Exeggutor, and Slowking can dispatch of Pokemon that resist Air Slash such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Togedemaru.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Sigilyph can also run support options on the Life Orb set such as Defog and Thunder Wave, since the last moveslot is extremely flexible. Defog is especially appealing, since Sigilyph is immune to Stealth Rock damage thanks to Magic Guard. A set with Flame Orb and Psycho Shift is an alternative variation of the Calm Mind Flyinium Z set with the benefit of being able to spread burns while being immune to paralysis caused by Thunder Wave from Slowking and Regirock and Glare from Druddigon. However, it loses the option of an emergency nuke in Supersonic Skystrike, the defensive buffer that Psycho Shift provides is less reliable than that of Cosmic Power, and it is hard walled by Incineroar. Reflect can also be considered on the Flyinium Z set to give Sigilyph a decent mid-game presence to relieve pressure from Pokemon like Sneasel, Aerodactyl, and Choice Scarf Togedemaru from itself and its team, and it can help Sigilyph set up against and beat bulky Incineroar. However, Cosmic Power accomplishes this much better, since Sigilyph can continue boosting its defenses.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Incineroar and Guzzlord can easily switch into Sigilyph and threaten it out of the match. Other Dark-types such as Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom can also achieve the same thing but do not want to switch directly into Sigilyph's moves. Sneasel also threatens to Pursuit trap Sigilyph.

**Faster Threats**: Sigilyph is often forced out by faster threats such as Heliolisk, Aerodactyl, Delphox, and Mismagius; Heliolisk always threatens Sigilyph with its STAB moves, Aerodactyl resists Air Slash, KOes Sigilyph with Stone Edge, and threatens to Pursuit trap it, Calm Mind Delphox can easily overpower Sigilyph, and Mismagius can revenge kill Sigilyph by overpowering Cosmic Power variants with Nasty Plot. Choice Scarf users such as Passimian and Togedemaru can also threaten Sigilyph.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Any set lacking Psyshock cannot really hurt specially bulky Pokemon such as Druddigon, Assault Vest Slowking, or Wish Delphox, so they can usually pivot into its moves and force Sigilyph out. These Pokemon are threatened by Choice Specs sets, however.

**Ice-types**: Sigilyph is threatened by Pokemon like Mega Glalie, Piloswine, and Mega Abomasnow, since they can either outspeed it or pressure it with Ice Shard.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[JustoonSmitts, 239732]]
- Quality checked by: [[Punchshroom, 169054], [Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Fireflame479, 231476], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Thank you, The Dutch Plumberjack! This is done!
 
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