Spannertastic
09-24-2008, 12:42 AM
Shiftry
The ninja tree with stilts. Yes, Gamefreak had an "Acid fun" day.
http://www.pokebip.com/pokemon/pokedex/images/sugimori/275.png
Ability 1: Chlorophyll: Doubles Speed in Sunshine
Ability 2: Early Bird: Reduces sleep time by 50%
Fun in the Sun
Shiftry@Heat Rock/Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Modest (+SpA, -Att) / Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Sunny Day
-SolarBeam
-Hidden Power Fire
-Dark Pulse/Explosion
This is what whoever designed Shiftry's statistics had in mind (While the artist was whacked out on Acid). Sunny Day first so you get your ADD-Esk speed boost and proseed to smash things around with No-Charge SolarBeam's and boosted Hidden Power Fire's.
The last slot is dependant on whether you want to have your Shiftry hang around or not. Dark Pulse is some reliable STAB damage and some coverage against Fire and Dragon types with the added bonus of not KOing yourself in the process. Explosion is going to ruin some stuff no matter what though and will pretty much always guarantee Shiftry a kill.
Rash nature is recommended for some extra Exploding power if you choose to use it.
The New Dance With Sharper Swords (Platinum)
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV's: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Seed Bomb
-Sucker Punch
-Brick Break
Now this is more like it. Platinum has given Shiftry exactly what he wanted; Powerful STAB. Sucker Punch is excellent because of its priority, Seed Bomb has a respectable 80 BP with the welcome 100% accuracy and these used with Brick Break mean the only Pokemon resistant to Shiftry's attacks are Toxicroak and Heracross. Heracross isn't really a threat due to Shiftry's primary use in the UU tier but you can opt for Aerial Ace over Brick Break if you feel you need something to take on the poisonous frog.
Again, like the other Swords Dance set and the Nasty Plot set, a plus speed nature is preferred in the absence of a Sunny Day boost.
This Ninja Got a New Headband (Platinum)
Shiftry@Choice Band
Chlorophyll
Adamant (+Att, -SpA)
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
-Seed Bomb
-Sucker Punch
-Brick Break
-Explosion
That 100 Base Attack stat is no longer going to waste thanks to Platinum's Tutor additions. Nothing is safe against this because of the unresisted type combination and newly increased attacking potential.
A Choice Band Explosion from 100 Base Attack with a boosting nature and full EV's is going to maim anything that isn't a ghost and the rest of the attacks allow it to get at least a neutral hit in on everything in the game and sport some pretty decent 80 BP STAB. This set would work the best if you were to offer it some Sunny Day support but a revenge kill at least is pretty easy to nab with this set regardless, especially with the addition of Sucker Punch.
Wooden Ninjas wear shades
Shiftry@Choice Specs
Chlorophyll
Modest (+SpA, -Att) / Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
EV's: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Leaf Storm
-Dark Pulse
-Extrasensory
-Hidden Power Ice or Fire/Explosion
This set is bad ***. Leaf Storm is massive with Choice Specs on and is your main form of attacking power. Dark Pulse is for Hypno and Grumpig ruining your fun and Extrasensory is the only choice when facing Muk.
The last slot is a choice between; killing Dragons, extra coverage (nothing in UU resists Grass/Dark/Psychic/Fire) or suicidal destruction.
Rash or Modest is for Explosion as explained in the above set.
Plotting: The Ninja way
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Timid (+Spe, -Att)
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Nasty Plot
-Grass Knot
-Dark Pulse
-Hidden Power Ice/Extrasensory/Focus Blast
Basic Plotting set in it's most generic but practical form. The first three moves are standard for Boosting and STAB and the last slot is for hitting more walls and Poisons or the Dragons and some Grass types. Focus Blast is mentioned because it grants you full coverage but it is at the large cost of accuracy.
Timid nature is preferred here if you're not planning on getting this guy some Sunny Day support.
Ninjas with Swords are not as scary as you might think (D/P)
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV's: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Rock Slide
-Brick Break
-Aerial Ace/Body Slam/Quick Attack
You may notice that Shiftry doesn't have any STAB moves on this set. That is due to his only physical STAB being Razor Leaf, Faint Attack and Payback which are all 60 base power or bellow. So they're out but it's not as bad as you might think.
Rock, Fighting and Normal/Flying are not resisted by anything in the game and Shiftry has a base 100 Attack with a very nice option of Swords Dancing it up even further.
The choice between Aerial Ace and Body Slam is between more Super Effective hits and Paralysis chance. Quick Attack is also there for some priority but it will amount to some pretty paltry damage and therefore only really useful for finishing off very weakened foes.
Again, like the Nasty Plot set, a plus speed nature is preferred in the absence of a Sunny Day boost.
Stilt treading banded Ninja (D/P)
Shiftry@Choice Band
Chlorophyll
Adamant (+Att, -SpA)
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
-Rock Slide
-Brick Break
-Aerial Ace/Quick Attack
-Explosion
Yep, I bet you guessed this was coming. It may be the 5th set down but it's nothing to scoff at. A Choice Band Explosion from 100 Base Attack with a boosting nature and full EV's is going to maim anything that isn't a ghost and the rest of the attacks allow it to get at least a neutral hit in on everything in the game. This set would work the best if you were to offer it some Sunny Day support but a revenge kill at least is pretty easy to nab with this set regardless.
Aerial Ace again gets in some nice Super Effective hits on the likes of Vileplume but Quick Attack's priority is quite nice on account of Shiftry's base 80 Speed.
You can run this set with a Jolly Nature is you want a bit of a Speed boost but the Attack drop isn't very appealing.
Over its shrubbish head
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Modest (+SpA, -Att) / Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Nasty Plot
-Grass Knot
-Dark Pulse
-Hidden Power Ice/Explosion
You must have support from Groudon for this to be even remotely effective. Dark Pulse takes out the Psychics and Giratina, while Grass Knot destroys Groudon and helps to wear down Kyogre. Note that Grass Knot is preferred to SolarBeam, as it has the same base power against most Ubers, and you don't get stuck charging up if Tyranitar, Kyogre or Rayquaza ruin your set up. Hidden Power Ice is highly recommended to hit Rayquaza on the switch, although you can switch to HP Rock if you want to cover Ho-oh too. HP Ground is also an option if you prefer to cover Heatran, Dialga and Metagross. Focus Blast will cover the first two, but only has the same base power as a STAB Dark Pulse against Metagross. Explosion is a worthwhile option as always.
Although this set is capable of doing some respectable damage, those weak defenses mean that switching in safely will not be easy. Even resisted attacks will leave a large dent in Shiftry.
Copied from Smogon's "Uber Sweeper" Analysis
Other Options
Shiftry has a few other things it can do in it's tricky little Movepool. A support set could be created but Shiftry just doesn't have the Defences for it to be worth a whole set. Some of the moves you could use would be: Leech Seed, Amnesia, Synthesis, Protect or Captivate I guess.
Also some other options in its Physical Movepool are X-Scissor, Dig (note: don't use this), Giga Impact (note: or this), Fake Out and Facade. These each have some uses (apart from the middle 2) that could be helpful against certain foes.
There are also a couple of leftover special options to in: Shadow Ball, Silver Wind and Giga Drain that could help out in some instances.
Opinion
I have always thought Shiftry was a cool Pokemon. It looks sweet even if it is a little unorthodox and has some fairly nice stats to make use of. The one thing Shiftry really wanted though was a higher speed to stop everyone looking at his poor defences so much.
Counters
In UU you should mostly watch out for fire types trying to make use of your sun and some nasty pokemon that may reach out of your coverage range and are ready with pretty much anything Super Effective.
Shiftry is a hit and run pokemon so if you are able to make sure you can take at least one hit then you're pretty safe.
Surprise U-Turns will decimate Shiftry.
The ninja tree with stilts. Yes, Gamefreak had an "Acid fun" day.
http://www.pokebip.com/pokemon/pokedex/images/sugimori/275.png
Ability 1: Chlorophyll: Doubles Speed in Sunshine
Ability 2: Early Bird: Reduces sleep time by 50%
Fun in the Sun
Shiftry@Heat Rock/Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Modest (+SpA, -Att) / Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Sunny Day
-SolarBeam
-Hidden Power Fire
-Dark Pulse/Explosion
This is what whoever designed Shiftry's statistics had in mind (While the artist was whacked out on Acid). Sunny Day first so you get your ADD-Esk speed boost and proseed to smash things around with No-Charge SolarBeam's and boosted Hidden Power Fire's.
The last slot is dependant on whether you want to have your Shiftry hang around or not. Dark Pulse is some reliable STAB damage and some coverage against Fire and Dragon types with the added bonus of not KOing yourself in the process. Explosion is going to ruin some stuff no matter what though and will pretty much always guarantee Shiftry a kill.
Rash nature is recommended for some extra Exploding power if you choose to use it.
The New Dance With Sharper Swords (Platinum)
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV's: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Seed Bomb
-Sucker Punch
-Brick Break
Now this is more like it. Platinum has given Shiftry exactly what he wanted; Powerful STAB. Sucker Punch is excellent because of its priority, Seed Bomb has a respectable 80 BP with the welcome 100% accuracy and these used with Brick Break mean the only Pokemon resistant to Shiftry's attacks are Toxicroak and Heracross. Heracross isn't really a threat due to Shiftry's primary use in the UU tier but you can opt for Aerial Ace over Brick Break if you feel you need something to take on the poisonous frog.
Again, like the other Swords Dance set and the Nasty Plot set, a plus speed nature is preferred in the absence of a Sunny Day boost.
This Ninja Got a New Headband (Platinum)
Shiftry@Choice Band
Chlorophyll
Adamant (+Att, -SpA)
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
-Seed Bomb
-Sucker Punch
-Brick Break
-Explosion
That 100 Base Attack stat is no longer going to waste thanks to Platinum's Tutor additions. Nothing is safe against this because of the unresisted type combination and newly increased attacking potential.
A Choice Band Explosion from 100 Base Attack with a boosting nature and full EV's is going to maim anything that isn't a ghost and the rest of the attacks allow it to get at least a neutral hit in on everything in the game and sport some pretty decent 80 BP STAB. This set would work the best if you were to offer it some Sunny Day support but a revenge kill at least is pretty easy to nab with this set regardless, especially with the addition of Sucker Punch.
Wooden Ninjas wear shades
Shiftry@Choice Specs
Chlorophyll
Modest (+SpA, -Att) / Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
EV's: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Leaf Storm
-Dark Pulse
-Extrasensory
-Hidden Power Ice or Fire/Explosion
This set is bad ***. Leaf Storm is massive with Choice Specs on and is your main form of attacking power. Dark Pulse is for Hypno and Grumpig ruining your fun and Extrasensory is the only choice when facing Muk.
The last slot is a choice between; killing Dragons, extra coverage (nothing in UU resists Grass/Dark/Psychic/Fire) or suicidal destruction.
Rash or Modest is for Explosion as explained in the above set.
Plotting: The Ninja way
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Timid (+Spe, -Att)
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Nasty Plot
-Grass Knot
-Dark Pulse
-Hidden Power Ice/Extrasensory/Focus Blast
Basic Plotting set in it's most generic but practical form. The first three moves are standard for Boosting and STAB and the last slot is for hitting more walls and Poisons or the Dragons and some Grass types. Focus Blast is mentioned because it grants you full coverage but it is at the large cost of accuracy.
Timid nature is preferred here if you're not planning on getting this guy some Sunny Day support.
Ninjas with Swords are not as scary as you might think (D/P)
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EV's: 252 Att / 4 Def / 252 Spe
-Swords Dance
-Rock Slide
-Brick Break
-Aerial Ace/Body Slam/Quick Attack
You may notice that Shiftry doesn't have any STAB moves on this set. That is due to his only physical STAB being Razor Leaf, Faint Attack and Payback which are all 60 base power or bellow. So they're out but it's not as bad as you might think.
Rock, Fighting and Normal/Flying are not resisted by anything in the game and Shiftry has a base 100 Attack with a very nice option of Swords Dancing it up even further.
The choice between Aerial Ace and Body Slam is between more Super Effective hits and Paralysis chance. Quick Attack is also there for some priority but it will amount to some pretty paltry damage and therefore only really useful for finishing off very weakened foes.
Again, like the Nasty Plot set, a plus speed nature is preferred in the absence of a Sunny Day boost.
Stilt treading banded Ninja (D/P)
Shiftry@Choice Band
Chlorophyll
Adamant (+Att, -SpA)
EV's: 4 HP / 252 Att / 252 Spe
-Rock Slide
-Brick Break
-Aerial Ace/Quick Attack
-Explosion
Yep, I bet you guessed this was coming. It may be the 5th set down but it's nothing to scoff at. A Choice Band Explosion from 100 Base Attack with a boosting nature and full EV's is going to maim anything that isn't a ghost and the rest of the attacks allow it to get at least a neutral hit in on everything in the game. This set would work the best if you were to offer it some Sunny Day support but a revenge kill at least is pretty easy to nab with this set regardless.
Aerial Ace again gets in some nice Super Effective hits on the likes of Vileplume but Quick Attack's priority is quite nice on account of Shiftry's base 80 Speed.
You can run this set with a Jolly Nature is you want a bit of a Speed boost but the Attack drop isn't very appealing.
Over its shrubbish head
Shiftry@Life Orb
Chlorophyll
Modest (+SpA, -Att) / Rash (+SpA, -SpD)
EV's: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
-Nasty Plot
-Grass Knot
-Dark Pulse
-Hidden Power Ice/Explosion
You must have support from Groudon for this to be even remotely effective. Dark Pulse takes out the Psychics and Giratina, while Grass Knot destroys Groudon and helps to wear down Kyogre. Note that Grass Knot is preferred to SolarBeam, as it has the same base power against most Ubers, and you don't get stuck charging up if Tyranitar, Kyogre or Rayquaza ruin your set up. Hidden Power Ice is highly recommended to hit Rayquaza on the switch, although you can switch to HP Rock if you want to cover Ho-oh too. HP Ground is also an option if you prefer to cover Heatran, Dialga and Metagross. Focus Blast will cover the first two, but only has the same base power as a STAB Dark Pulse against Metagross. Explosion is a worthwhile option as always.
Although this set is capable of doing some respectable damage, those weak defenses mean that switching in safely will not be easy. Even resisted attacks will leave a large dent in Shiftry.
Copied from Smogon's "Uber Sweeper" Analysis
Other Options
Shiftry has a few other things it can do in it's tricky little Movepool. A support set could be created but Shiftry just doesn't have the Defences for it to be worth a whole set. Some of the moves you could use would be: Leech Seed, Amnesia, Synthesis, Protect or Captivate I guess.
Also some other options in its Physical Movepool are X-Scissor, Dig (note: don't use this), Giga Impact (note: or this), Fake Out and Facade. These each have some uses (apart from the middle 2) that could be helpful against certain foes.
There are also a couple of leftover special options to in: Shadow Ball, Silver Wind and Giga Drain that could help out in some instances.
Opinion
I have always thought Shiftry was a cool Pokemon. It looks sweet even if it is a little unorthodox and has some fairly nice stats to make use of. The one thing Shiftry really wanted though was a higher speed to stop everyone looking at his poor defences so much.
Counters
In UU you should mostly watch out for fire types trying to make use of your sun and some nasty pokemon that may reach out of your coverage range and are ready with pretty much anything Super Effective.
Shiftry is a hit and run pokemon so if you are able to make sure you can take at least one hit then you're pretty safe.
Surprise U-Turns will decimate Shiftry.