Caelum
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Yeah, I guess it got stuff.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/shaymin
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Seed Flare
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Air Slash / Psychic
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice / Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Shaymin has a relatively limited move pool, but it's just diverse enough for it to effectively make use of Choice Specs. Seed Flare is the primary selling point and even Blissey won't enjoy switching in if it drops her Special Defense when she makes an appearance. Earth Power is to damage grounded Steel- types, in particular Heatran. Air Slash helps to pick off Fighting-types such as Breloom, Heracross, and Infernape who may be tempted to come in on a Seed Flare. Air Slash is also your best option against opposing Grass-types, such as Celebi. Psychic can be used over Air Slash if you want neutral coverage on Zapdos while still hitting Fighting-types and Gengar. However, you are now left powerless against Celebi. Hidden Power Fire is a good complement to this set and allows Shaymin to take on non-grounded Steel Pokemon such as Skarmory and Bronzong. Hidden Power Ice is a decent option to OHKO Salamence and Dragonite but Air Slash will 2HKO both most of the time anyway. The final option is Grass Knot due to Seed Flare's low PP and shaky accuracy.<p>
<p>Rest can also be used in the final slot to abuse Natural Cure, however, it will be difficult to find time to use it. As with any Choice Specs user, Shaymin can effectively make use of Choice Scarf as a surprise as well.</p>
<p>Be careful not to use this as an inferior Shaymin-S, you should be using this for its greater defensive abilities since offensively Shaymin-S outclasses this entirely.</p>
[SET]
name: Sweeping Shaymin
move 1: Seed Flare
move 2: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice / Earth Power
move 3: Leech Seed
move 4: Rest
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Shaymin's purpose here is to use its 320 Speed to systematically wreak utter havoc on the opponent's team with Seed Flare and its 40% chance to lower the opponent's Special Defense by 2 stages. Leech Seed is chosen because it gives Shaymin the upper hand against Blissey and Snorlax with their massive HP. Rest is to heal off residual Life Orb recoil damage and any damage Shaymin might accrue throughout the course of the battle.</p>
<p>In the second slot either a Hidden Power or Earth Power can be used for additional coverage. Hidden Power Fire is a nice complement to Leech Seed, and it helps Shaymin beat Steel Pokémon like Skarmory and Bronzong. Hidden Power Ice should be used if Salamence and Dragonite are huge threats to the rest of the team. Earth Power is useful against Fire-types and grounded steels such as Heatran and Metagross, who otherwise wall Shaymin.</p>
<p>Timid is chosen to allow Shaymin to outspeed all positive Speed natured base 90 Pokemon like Roserade and Lucario, and all positive Speed natured base 95 Pokemon like Gliscor and Kingdra. Modest can be chosen if outspeeding those Pokemon is less important than the added power. 32 HP EVs reach 349 HP, the perfect number for a Life Orb set, which yields 11 uses of Life Orb, as opposed to 10. Also noteworthy is that Shaymin's Natural Cure ability allows it to heal the Sleep status (along with any other status) when it switches out, meaning it can Rest with little to no concern.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Seed Flare / Grass Knot
move 2: Rest
move 3: Aromatherapy
move 4: Leech Seed / Grasswhistle / Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 6 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A change of pace here, with the focus being on Defense and support rather than all out attack. As this version of Shaymin should stick around for quite some time, Grass Knot is listed as option over Seed Flare due to issues with PP. Rest and Natural Cure work very well together, although it requires Shaymin to switch out to remove the sleep status. Aromatherapy is a rare and useful commodity which Shaymin uses quite effectively. In the last slot you can choose Leech Seed for some extra healing for Shaymin and its team mates; Grasswhistle has a mediocre 55% chance of sleeping the foe, but given Shaymin’s defenses, it’s not that bad. Finally, you can opt for Hidden Power Fire to hit Steels and Grassers. HP Ice or Ground are also viable options.</p>
[SET]
name: SubSeeder
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Seed Flare
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 6 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Once again, it is Seed Flare which helps to differentiate Shaymin from other Grass-types. This strategy is notorious for causing switches, and with Seed Flare's chance of slashing the opponents Special Defense, Shaymin may cause even more switching. Hidden Power Fire is recommended in the last slot so you can wear down Skarmory, who could otherwise switch in freely and Whirlwind away your Subs. It also maims Scizor who can hinder your strategy with U-turn.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Not much. Synthesis is available for instant recovery, but with the prevalence of Sandstorm in OU play it only heals a meager 25% with each use. Growth can be used to raise its respectable Special Attack, but that role is better left to Shaymin-S who's higher Speed and Special Attack make it a superior option. Grasswhistle can be used as a sleep move, but the low accuracy rarely makes it worth it. A physical sweeper set can work with Swords Dance, Seed Bomb, and Zen Headbutt but Shaymin-S and Celebi do this better. Toxic has some utility on the defensive set as well.</p>
[EVs]
<p>For Choice Specs sets, max out Special Attack and Speed. Modest provides more power, but with Timid you have the option of outrunning the likes of neutral natured Salamence, Zapdos and Staraptor. Timid also guarantees Shaymin will outrun the likes of Porygon-Z, Lucario and Houndoom.</p>
<p>For the Tank/Support set, focus your EVs in HP and Defense, with a Bold nature.</p>
<p>SubSeeder works best with max HP and Speed.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Shaymin’s movepool is relatively limited, and, as such, is almost a subset of Celebi’s, with Seed Flare and a subpar sleeping move thrown in. Because of this, everything that Shaymin can do is done by Celebi as well, and usually, the GSC legend does it better. Furthermore, with the addition of Shaymin-S it now appears that even the SubSeed strategy or sweeping role is better left to its more offensive counterpart. Generally, when using Shaymin, you'll want to capitalize on its defensive prowess to avoid making it an inferior Shaymin-S.</p>
<p>However, Shaymin's typing, great defenses, and Seed Flare mean that it can still be salvaged. Seed Flare is not to be underestimated; it has a big base power and has a good chance to pack twice the punch in the following turn because of its secondary effect, even if the first hit was resisted, which can make it rather difficult for the opponent to switch into Shaymin. Shaymin's pure Grass type means that it is not weak to Pursuit, unlike Celebi, and makes it able to take Gengar's Shadow Balls and maybe even a Bug move, since Shaymin is only 2x weak to Bug. When comparing it to Shaymin-S, Shaymin seems entirely outclassed as a sweeper. While this is true to some extent, Shaymin's superior defensive typing and lack of weakness to Stealth Rock still makes it a reliable option for most teams, even if it doesn't pack quite the punch of Shaymin-S.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Heatran can come in on anything but Earth Power with ease. Salamence or Dragonite work if Shaymin isn't carrying Hidden Power Ice, although Choice Specs Psychic has a good chance to 2HKO the Dragons. Skarmory and Scizor can all handle everything barring Hidden Power Fire, and can screw up the SubSeeder with Whirlwind or U-turn, respectively. Shaymin-S makes a very good counter with its 4x resistance to Seed Flare and its ability to hit it with STAB Super Effective Air Slashes. However, Shaymin-S cannot come in on Hidden Power Ice.</p>
<p>The SubSeeder set is also countered by any faster Pokémon, especially one that has a Super Effective move on Shaymin. Pokémon with the move U-turn can remove the Substitute and switch out to a Pokémon that can counter Shaymin.</p>
<p>Against the Support and the Choice Specs set, Blissey and Cresselia can switch into Shaymin and threaten to Ice Beam it. Registeel and Regice make great counters with their high Special Defense, resistance to Shaymin's STAB attack, and Clear Body to prevent a drop in their Special Defense from Seed Flare. If it has Grasswhistle, any Sleep Talker with a strong Super Effective move can switch in and scare Shaymin away.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/shaymin
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Seed Flare
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Air Slash / Psychic
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice / Grass Knot
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest
evs: 6 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Shaymin has a relatively limited move pool, but it's just diverse enough for it to effectively make use of Choice Specs. Seed Flare is the primary selling point and even Blissey won't enjoy switching in if it drops her Special Defense when she makes an appearance. Earth Power is to damage grounded Steel- types, in particular Heatran. Air Slash helps to pick off Fighting-types such as Breloom, Heracross, and Infernape who may be tempted to come in on a Seed Flare. Air Slash is also your best option against opposing Grass-types, such as Celebi. Psychic can be used over Air Slash if you want neutral coverage on Zapdos while still hitting Fighting-types and Gengar. However, you are now left powerless against Celebi. Hidden Power Fire is a good complement to this set and allows Shaymin to take on non-grounded Steel Pokemon such as Skarmory and Bronzong. Hidden Power Ice is a decent option to OHKO Salamence and Dragonite but Air Slash will 2HKO both most of the time anyway. The final option is Grass Knot due to Seed Flare's low PP and shaky accuracy.<p>
<p>Rest can also be used in the final slot to abuse Natural Cure, however, it will be difficult to find time to use it. As with any Choice Specs user, Shaymin can effectively make use of Choice Scarf as a surprise as well.</p>
<p>Be careful not to use this as an inferior Shaymin-S, you should be using this for its greater defensive abilities since offensively Shaymin-S outclasses this entirely.</p>
[SET]
name: Sweeping Shaymin
move 1: Seed Flare
move 2: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice / Earth Power
move 3: Leech Seed
move 4: Rest
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 224 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Shaymin's purpose here is to use its 320 Speed to systematically wreak utter havoc on the opponent's team with Seed Flare and its 40% chance to lower the opponent's Special Defense by 2 stages. Leech Seed is chosen because it gives Shaymin the upper hand against Blissey and Snorlax with their massive HP. Rest is to heal off residual Life Orb recoil damage and any damage Shaymin might accrue throughout the course of the battle.</p>
<p>In the second slot either a Hidden Power or Earth Power can be used for additional coverage. Hidden Power Fire is a nice complement to Leech Seed, and it helps Shaymin beat Steel Pokémon like Skarmory and Bronzong. Hidden Power Ice should be used if Salamence and Dragonite are huge threats to the rest of the team. Earth Power is useful against Fire-types and grounded steels such as Heatran and Metagross, who otherwise wall Shaymin.</p>
<p>Timid is chosen to allow Shaymin to outspeed all positive Speed natured base 90 Pokemon like Roserade and Lucario, and all positive Speed natured base 95 Pokemon like Gliscor and Kingdra. Modest can be chosen if outspeeding those Pokemon is less important than the added power. 32 HP EVs reach 349 HP, the perfect number for a Life Orb set, which yields 11 uses of Life Orb, as opposed to 10. Also noteworthy is that Shaymin's Natural Cure ability allows it to heal the Sleep status (along with any other status) when it switches out, meaning it can Rest with little to no concern.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Seed Flare / Grass Knot
move 2: Rest
move 3: Aromatherapy
move 4: Leech Seed / Grasswhistle / Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 6 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>A change of pace here, with the focus being on Defense and support rather than all out attack. As this version of Shaymin should stick around for quite some time, Grass Knot is listed as option over Seed Flare due to issues with PP. Rest and Natural Cure work very well together, although it requires Shaymin to switch out to remove the sleep status. Aromatherapy is a rare and useful commodity which Shaymin uses quite effectively. In the last slot you can choose Leech Seed for some extra healing for Shaymin and its team mates; Grasswhistle has a mediocre 55% chance of sleeping the foe, but given Shaymin’s defenses, it’s not that bad. Finally, you can opt for Hidden Power Fire to hit Steels and Grassers. HP Ice or Ground are also viable options.</p>
[SET]
name: SubSeeder
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Seed Flare
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 6 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Once again, it is Seed Flare which helps to differentiate Shaymin from other Grass-types. This strategy is notorious for causing switches, and with Seed Flare's chance of slashing the opponents Special Defense, Shaymin may cause even more switching. Hidden Power Fire is recommended in the last slot so you can wear down Skarmory, who could otherwise switch in freely and Whirlwind away your Subs. It also maims Scizor who can hinder your strategy with U-turn.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Not much. Synthesis is available for instant recovery, but with the prevalence of Sandstorm in OU play it only heals a meager 25% with each use. Growth can be used to raise its respectable Special Attack, but that role is better left to Shaymin-S who's higher Speed and Special Attack make it a superior option. Grasswhistle can be used as a sleep move, but the low accuracy rarely makes it worth it. A physical sweeper set can work with Swords Dance, Seed Bomb, and Zen Headbutt but Shaymin-S and Celebi do this better. Toxic has some utility on the defensive set as well.</p>
[EVs]
<p>For Choice Specs sets, max out Special Attack and Speed. Modest provides more power, but with Timid you have the option of outrunning the likes of neutral natured Salamence, Zapdos and Staraptor. Timid also guarantees Shaymin will outrun the likes of Porygon-Z, Lucario and Houndoom.</p>
<p>For the Tank/Support set, focus your EVs in HP and Defense, with a Bold nature.</p>
<p>SubSeeder works best with max HP and Speed.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Shaymin’s movepool is relatively limited, and, as such, is almost a subset of Celebi’s, with Seed Flare and a subpar sleeping move thrown in. Because of this, everything that Shaymin can do is done by Celebi as well, and usually, the GSC legend does it better. Furthermore, with the addition of Shaymin-S it now appears that even the SubSeed strategy or sweeping role is better left to its more offensive counterpart. Generally, when using Shaymin, you'll want to capitalize on its defensive prowess to avoid making it an inferior Shaymin-S.</p>
<p>However, Shaymin's typing, great defenses, and Seed Flare mean that it can still be salvaged. Seed Flare is not to be underestimated; it has a big base power and has a good chance to pack twice the punch in the following turn because of its secondary effect, even if the first hit was resisted, which can make it rather difficult for the opponent to switch into Shaymin. Shaymin's pure Grass type means that it is not weak to Pursuit, unlike Celebi, and makes it able to take Gengar's Shadow Balls and maybe even a Bug move, since Shaymin is only 2x weak to Bug. When comparing it to Shaymin-S, Shaymin seems entirely outclassed as a sweeper. While this is true to some extent, Shaymin's superior defensive typing and lack of weakness to Stealth Rock still makes it a reliable option for most teams, even if it doesn't pack quite the punch of Shaymin-S.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Heatran can come in on anything but Earth Power with ease. Salamence or Dragonite work if Shaymin isn't carrying Hidden Power Ice, although Choice Specs Psychic has a good chance to 2HKO the Dragons. Skarmory and Scizor can all handle everything barring Hidden Power Fire, and can screw up the SubSeeder with Whirlwind or U-turn, respectively. Shaymin-S makes a very good counter with its 4x resistance to Seed Flare and its ability to hit it with STAB Super Effective Air Slashes. However, Shaymin-S cannot come in on Hidden Power Ice.</p>
<p>The SubSeeder set is also countered by any faster Pokémon, especially one that has a Super Effective move on Shaymin. Pokémon with the move U-turn can remove the Substitute and switch out to a Pokémon that can counter Shaymin.</p>
<p>Against the Support and the Choice Specs set, Blissey and Cresselia can switch into Shaymin and threaten to Ice Beam it. Registeel and Regice make great counters with their high Special Defense, resistance to Shaymin's STAB attack, and Clear Body to prevent a drop in their Special Defense from Seed Flare. If it has Grasswhistle, any Sleep Talker with a strong Super Effective move can switch in and scare Shaymin away.</p>