Shelgon Movesets & Competitive Sets

This Shelgon can potentially tear apart bulky teams, as it has many setup opportunities against them and these teams have fewer methods of taking it down. Dragon Dance Shelgon is also an extremely effective late-game sweeper, especially if it is the last Pokemon alive, as it can no longer be phazed out. Dragon Dance boosts Shelgon's Attack and Speed, potentially allowing Shelgon to sweep. Outrage is Shelgon's STAB move and hits hard after several boosts. Furthermore, the locking-in effect of Outrage does not occur if selected by Sleep Talk. Rest allows Shelgon to absorb status and set up as much as it likes, especially in the face of walls, before healing off all the damage. Sleep Talk prevents Shelgon from being a sitting duck during its sleep and allows it to grab more boosts or hit something hard with Outrage. The HP and Defense EVs on the spread help Shelgon to avoid the 2HKO from Jolly Choice Band Sawk's Close Combat, and the rest are thrown into Attack to slightly power Shelgon up. An alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 Spe allows Shelgon to outpace base 95 Speed Pokemon at +2, but it loses out on a lot of bulk and, ultimately, setup opportunities. Do note that this alternative spread can outspeed Jynx, who otherwise troubles Shelgon, which is useful if you do not have any other methods of removing it. Shelgon dislikes opposing Bastiodon, which can easily tank a boosted Outrage and phaze it with Roar. Magnet Pull Probopass is a decent partner for Shelgon, as it can trap and kill Bastiodon. Sawk and Golurk are also good partners, as they can take care of the Steel-types that threaten to stop Shelgon. Meanwhile, Shelgon easily sets up on Alomomola and Tangela, both of which can wall Sawk and Golurk. Shelgon absolutely hates Jynx, as it can outspeed it, even at +2, and easily KO with Ice Beam. Choice Scarf variants can even outspeed Shelgon until it gets to +5 Speed. Metang beats Jynx and is therefore a good partner. Furthermore, it can also take care of Bastiodon if it carries Earthquake. Pursuit trappers can also help to reliably revenge kill Jynx and remove it entirely. Tauros and Lum Berry Skuntank are decent partners for this. Shelgon also appreciates Toxic Spikes support, as it allows Shelgon to wear down walls passively while it sets up against them. Scolipede and Garbodor are effective Toxic Spikes users.

This set focuses on Shelgon's amazing Defense to wall many of the tier's physical attackers. While it faces competition as a physical wall from the likes of Alomomola, Tangela, and Weezing, its typing gives it resistances to Water-, Fire-, Electric-, and Grass-type moves which few other Pokemon can handle in one teamslot. Wish is mainly a form of recovery for Shelgon. In a pinch, it can also grant a teammate some additional health, but due to Shelgon's low HP stat, it is recommended not to rely on it as a Wish passer. Protect allows Shelgon to scout for moves, rack up Toxic damage, and receive its own Wishes safely. Toxic helps Shelgon to cripple walls and annoy offensive opponents that do not appreciate residual damage. On the other hand, Roar can be used for Shelgon to take on the role of a phazer, and it prevents opponents from setting up on it. Dragon Claw is mainly used as a STAB move to finish off weakened foes and avoid becoming Taunt bait. While Rock Head sees no use on this set, it is the only ability available because Overcoat is illegal with Wish. This Shelgon set is good on stall teams that need resistances to the four elemental types because it can take on physical attackers relatively well. Because this set hates opposing special attackers, special walls are good teammates. Munchlax is a decent teammate, as it can handle Ice-type attacks easily. Its amazing Special Defense allows it to tank most special hits that Shelgon cannot, and it can even phaze if you choose to run Toxic on Shelgon. Lickilicky can handle special attackers decently well and provide Shelgon with Wish and Heal Bell support. This set hates Toxic Spikes; therefore, grounded Poison-type teammates, such as Garbodor and Vileplume, are recommended. Shelgon also needs cleric support because it can no longer stall effectively once it gets crippled by status. Lickilicky and Vileplume can fulfill that role as well. Finally, this set also loves Toxic Spikes support on the opponent's side, as its stalling job becomes much easier if it does not need to Toxic the opponent manually. The previously mentioned Garbodor can set them up easily.

Boasting the strongest Outrage in UU, Shelgon can easily poke gaping holes into the opposition's team after a Dragon Dance. The idea is simple: Dragon Dance up whenever you get the chance and start attacking. Outrage is for pure power, while Brick Break is Shelgon's strongest option against the Steel-types in UU who resist Outrage. Dragon Claw is mainly a filler move, but it allows Shelgon to dish out damage without having to lock himself into Outrage and potentially getting revenge killed. To demonstrate the power of Shelgon after he has used Dragon Dance, here are some damage calculations: +1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Milotic: 73.44% - 86.72% +1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Slowbro: 57.87% - 68.02% +1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Uxie: 57.06% - 67.23% +1 Outrage vs 252/252+ Tangrowth: 51.98% - 61.14% +1 Brick Break vs. 252/0 Registeel: 54.95% - 64.84% +1 Brick Break vs. 252/0 Steelix: 43.12% - 50.92% The EVs are relatively simple. Attack is maximized to deal as much damage as possible. 228 Speed EVs allow Shelgon to outrun neutral base 95s after a Dragon Dance, assuming an Adamant nature, although one may elect to run Jolly to outspeed their positive-natured counterparts. The rest of the EVs are dumped in HP, giving Shelgon some bulk. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 28 Atk / 228 Spe can also be used if one prefers bulk over immediate power. With this spread, Substitute and Leftovers can replace Dragon Claw and Life Orb, as the aim is for a more gradual sweep. While Shelgon packs enormous power, his poor Speed and Special Defense make it difficult to be able set up a Dragon Dance. It is a good idea to incorporate Encore and U-turn users to give Shelgon a free switch and an opportunity to set up. Dual screens are extremely beneficial to Shelgon. Clefable is possibly one of the best Encore users in UU due to her bulk and reliable recovery. She can also act as a defensive pivot to take special attacks aimed at Shelgon. Poliwrath and Azumarill can Encore and are capable of switching into the Ice attacks that are normally aimed at Shelgon. Lopunny and Mr. Mime gets special mentions for being able to use Encore and allowing Shelgon to switch in with Baton Pass; however, they are also defensively lacking and add to a team's frailty. Shelgon should preferably Dragon Dance on relatively weak-hitting enemies like Chansey and Uxie, but one must watch out for Thunder Wave and other forms of status, as they will either completely cripple Shelgon or deeply cut into his sweep. It is best to keep Shelgon for late-game, when faster special attackers have been eliminated or incapacitated, before attempting to sweep. It is also a good idea to eliminate or weaken any Steel-types on the opposing team as well. While this may sound like a lot of support, there are Pokemon who can do more than one of the above simultaneously. Magneton can trap Steels like Steelix and Registeel and hammer them with STAB Thunderbolts or a super effective Hidden Power Fire, although Magneton will generally lose to Registeel with Seismic Toss. The magnet can also set up dual screens for Shelgon. Dugtrio is another great partner to run alongside Shelgon, as he can trap and severely wound Steels not named Steelix so that Shelgon can just Brick Break through them. Bulky status spreaders like Uxie can also Thunder Wave faster opponents while setting up dual screens for Shelgon. Uxie can also use Memento to give Shelgon a free switch. Pokemon who can lay down Spikes also help Shelgon out immensely, as they can wear down opponents enough to get them into Outrage's kill range. Omastar and Cloyster are probably the best Spikers in the UU tier due to their great Defense and their ability to switch into Ice attacks directed at Shelgon and proceed to set up Spikes.

Bring Shelgon in late-game on something that can't really hurt it, like Flareon or Hidden Power Grass Plusle, set up with Dragon Dance, and pummel the foe with the appropriate move. Double-Edge will be Shelgon's main weapon and comes with no recoil thanks to Rock Head. Rock Slide and Brick Break give the best possible coverage against the Ghost-, Rock-, and Steel-types that resist Double-Edge. Brick Break can be replaced with Hidden Power Ground, though, to trade a super effective hit on Lickitung for a 4x super effective hit on Magcargo and a super effective hit on Metang. A Jolly nature is needed to outpace Raticate and the numerous base 95s at +1, although Adamant can be used, as Shelgon will then have a chance to OHKO Pidgeot with Rock Slide and a much higher chance to OHKO Hitmonchan after a layer of Spikes with Double-Edge. Speaking of which, Spikes is really important for the success of this set, as Shelgon is just on the cusp of a lot of OHKOs and 2HKOs at +1, making Glalie and Cacturne highly recommended offensive Spiking teammates. Shelgon's movepool is pretty tiny, so there's not a lot to use in the moveslots over the choices given, although Substitute is available and could prove useful to ease setting up and protect Shelgon from debilitating status or priority. Shelgon excels at cleaning up weakened teams, as it can 2HKO a large portion of the tier but normally won't be OHKOing much, especially bulky Pokemon like Graveler, Sudowoodo, defensive Tangela, Lickitung, and Whiscash. Shelgon's only relevant type weakness is to Ice-type attacks, which are few and far between, but having a defensive backbone to absorb them is a good idea, particularly specially defensive Normal-types like Lickitung and Kecleon and Pokemon that will beat Dewgong one-on-one like Sableye and Hitmonchan.

Shelgon is physically defensive enough to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Band Hitmonchan's Sky Uppercut after a turn of Protect, and that fact combined with a lack of physical weaknesses gives Shelgon a nice defensive niche in the tier. While Shelgon's Defense is high, it has little in the way of a supportive movepool outside of Wish, but it certainly makes do with what it's got. The main reason you'd choose Shelgon over Lickitung as a Wish passer is its lack of Fighting weakness, while Shelgon's appeal over Flareon is its higher physical Defense and lack of Water and Ground weaknesses. Protect is super nice for scouting Choice Band attacks, racking up Toxic damage, and guaranteeing Wish recovery, but it can be forgone for Roar, which not only is rare in the tier but also prevents the opponent from using Shelgon as complete setup fodder. Roar also pairs nicely with the defensive nature of this set by exposing the opponent's team and racking up Spikes damage. Body Slam is pretty weak, especially without STAB or Attack investment, but it's nice for a chance to paralyze, which completely cripples a couple of the Pokemon Shelgon can wall, namely Pidgeot and Raticate. There's not a lot available that can go in its place; Dragon Claw is available and will get roughly the same amount of damage on targets with equal defenses like Pidgeot, but it lacks a paralysis chance, will be significantly weaker against specially defensive targets like Hitmonchan and Flareon, and still leaves Shelgon walled by Steel-types like Mawile; however, the higher damage against Rock-types like Sudowoodo could prove useful if your team is weak against them. While Shelgon's typing is better suited for a specially defensive set, as it resists key special types in Water, Fire, Electric, and Grass, it simply doesn't have the bulk to pull it off, so it's not a good idea to take Shelgon in that direction. Hidden Power Ghost can be used somewhere on the set to ensure that Haunter can't just switch into Shelgon for free, but Haunter isn't super hard to counter and Shelgon will normally be passing Wish to its teammates anyway. Switching up the set and replacing Wish and Protect with RestTalk is an option that gives Shelgon a lot of longevity, but Shelgon just doesn't have the defensive or offensive presence on the battlefield to really make it worth it in the long run. Spikes support can really make or break the effectiveness of this set, making Glalie and defensive Roselia great teammates worth strong consideration. Bulky Water-types, particularly RestTalk Dewgong and Whiscash, will walk all over this set thanks to Ice Beam and the fact they won't mind being hit by status. Due to this, bulky Bellossom and offensive teammates to shatter these Pokemon such as Plusle and Haunter are needed. Chimecho with Taunt or Heal Bell can set up on this set pretty easily, making Dark-types good teammates as well. Finally, defensive Shelgon is best used in a defensive core with specially defensive teammates to cover those offensive Pokemon it cannot beat itself. Flareon stands out from the pack due to its access to Wish, resistance to Ice, and good synergy with Shelgon all around; the only issue with this core is the fact they are both weak to offensive Water-types like Seadra and Huntail. Other specially defensive candidates include Kecleon and Dewgong, both of which enjoy Wish support and Shelgon's ability to take on Hitmonchan.