Shiftry Movesets & Competitive Sets

Shiftry is the most viable Chlorophyll sweeper in the tier, being able to muscle past common checks to Grass-types and sweep with its near perfect coverage at +2. Solar Blade helps Shiftry wallbreak more effectively if run on full sun teams, although Leaf Blade is more consistent once sun runs out and against other weather teams. Knock Off provides wide neutral coverage, hitting Grass-resistant Pokemon such as Noivern, Metagross, and Galarian Slowbro. Low Kick hits most Steel-types harder and has a chance to 2HKO Incineroar. Heat Wave is boosted by sun, hitting Fairy-types like Galarian Weezing and Togekiss neutrally as well as OHKOing Chople Berry Cobalion and Heracross, but it misses out on Incineroar and hits most Low Kick targets such as Registeel for slightly lower damage. Protect is an option that significantly improves Shiftry's matchup against teams that rely on Golisopod to check sun, although it sacrifices a valuable move. Shiftry only fits on teams with sun setters, so Torkoal or Ninetales is a mandatory partner. Torkoal fits best on full sun teams, providing Stealth Rock and setup opportunities with Yawn, while Ninetales is more of a standalone wallbreaker that can form a semi-sun core with Shiftry. Darmanitan can also take advantage of sun, breaking down the opposing team's defensive structure and bring Shiftry into Water-types with U-turn. Heliolisk can similarly wallbreak under sun and pivot out of Ground-types. Entry hazard removal is necessary, as sun teams will often have multiple hazard-weak Pokemon, and Shiftry can get chipped into KO range of priority moves easily. Defog Noivern is a good utility option for this role, while Xatu can bounce back hazards and pivot with Teleport. Other hazard setters such as Rhyperior and Cobalion are needed if running Ninetales.

Shiftry is a powerhouse in sun, outspeeding the whole unboosted metagame and most Choice Scarf users. Shiftry's deadly STAB combination lets it OHKO most Pokemon it outspeeds, and it can easily break through defensive teams after a Swords Dance or Growth. Sucker Punch lets Shiftry revenge kill faster attackers when sun is not up. Sun-boosted Heat Wave lets Shiftry OHKO strong physical walls that can take its other moves, such as Shiinotic and Tangela, as well as OHKO Abomasnow. Shiftry is a staple on sun teams due to it raw power and lack of offensive and defensive checks under sun. Sun setters such as Uxie, Liepard, and Exeggutor make for great partners that enables Shiftry to wallbreak or sweep. The former two can even safely bring Shiftry onto the field with U-turn. Other Chlorophyll users such as Exeggutor can also take advantage of sun and form a Grass spam core with Shiftry, weakening each other's checks. Fire-types like Ninetales and Rapidash can also utilize sun to boost their STAB moves and weaken Shiftry's checks like opposing Fire-types, Piloswine, and Gurdurr.

Shiftry is a powerful mixed attacker and stallbreaker. Sucker Punch lets Shiftry pick off faster attackers that have been weakened, such as Rotom, Manectric, and Jynx. Leaf Storm acts as a powerful special nuke, heavily damaging physical walls such as Qwilfish, Gurdurr, and Cofagrigus. Swords Dance lets Shiftry act as a late-game cleaner by empowering its Sucker Punch and also lets it wallbreak more easily with Knock Off, OHKOing Altaria that have been weakened after a Swords Dance. Defog is an alternative if the team lacks a Defogger and takes advantage of Shiftry's good matchup against common entry hazard setters such as Rhydon and Uxie. Shiftry is a good pick for any offensive team looking for a strong wallbreaker with a great stall matchup. Qwilfish is an amazing partners that punishes U-turn with Rocky Helmet; in return, Shiftry improves the effectiveness of its Spikes by removing Heavy-Duty Boots from Pokemon like Rapidash with Knock Off. Other physical wallbreakers such as Silvally formes, Sawk, and Kangaskhan appreciate Shiftry weakening physical walls such as Tangela with the combination of Knock Off and Leaf Storm. Shiftry also appreciate VoltTurn support from users such as Articuno, Uxie, and Rotom, which can safely bring it onto the field. Faster threats that resist Sucker Punch, like Sawk and Alolan Persian, are able to consistently force out Shiftry; therefore, checks to them like Rotom-S and Poliwrath are appreciated.

Shiftry has decent Attack and fairly decent Speed with incredible wallbreaking potential thanks to Swords Dance, Black Glasses, and Dark-type STAB moves and is strictly seen on Sunny Day variant Grass teams. Shiftry is great for Psychic- and Ghost-type matchups and beats common threats such as Dragapult and Indeedee. Substitute is useful for avoiding moves like Will-O-Wisp, Toxic, and Strength Sap from Pokemon such as Galarian Corsola, Mew, and Toxapex; with Substitute up, Shiftry can get a free Swords Dance and wall break. The combination of Sucker Punch and Substitute makes it difficult for revenge kills from Pokemon like Trace Gardevoir or Gengar to happen. Chlorophyll doubles its Speed, making Shiftry a fiercer wallbreaker to eliminate. Knock Off is useful for inflicting massive damage and removing the item of anything that tries to switch in against it, while Sucker Punch is useful for KOing faster sweepers such as Dragapult and Gengar. Maximum Speed investment allows Shiftry to outspeed Choice Scarf Charizard and Salazzle in sun, and maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature permits Shiftry to reach its full wallbreaking potential. Whimsicott and Virizion are viable options to set up Sunny Day, allowing Shiftry to outspeed Pokemon such as Mew and Jirachi because of Chlorophyll. Whimsicott is a better Sunny Day setter that helps with Dragon-, Dark-, and Fighting-types thanks to Moonblast; Choice Scarf Virizion is useful for outspeeding threats like Alolan Ninetales, Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan, and Choice Scarf Charizard and has access to Smart Strike, Stone Edge, and Close Combat, which is useful for the Ice-type matchup. Appletun is one of the only Grass-types that can properly tank Fire-type attacks from Pokemon such as Hydreigon and Dragapult. Venusaur is another Pokemon that takes advantage of sun and can use Life Orb and Growth or Choice Specs and helps in the Fairy- and Steel-type matchup because of Weather Ball and Sludge Bomb. Ferrothorn is one of the best defensive utilities that has access to entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes; it is useful for tanking attacks from offensive Pokemon like Weavile and Cloyster and is very crucial for the Ice-type matchup. Rotom-C cripples Pokemon with Choice Scarf and Trick, which is incredibly useful for against Pokemon such as Corviknight, Mew, and Toxapex. Finally, Celebi gets Stealth Rock, which allows Ferrothorn to run Spikes, and has a number of coverage moves such as Psychic and Earth Power which helps fend off Poison- and Fighting-type Pokemon better.

Moves Swords Dance boosts Shiftry's Attack to high levels, making it a great sweeper. Knock Off is a great STAB move that deals heavy damage and removing the target's item. Sucker Punch makes up for Shiftry's mediocre Speed, as it has +1 priority; it also can OHKO Adamant Hitmonlee at +2 as well as threaten any faster Pokemon. Seed Bomb allows Shiftry to deal with Rhyperior and Alomomola, hitting them super effectively. It also allows Shiftry to deal with Aromatisse, which otherwise walls it. Set Details Maximum Attack and Speed EVs make Shiftry as fast and powerful as it can be. A Jolly nature is used to outspeed Adamant Hitmonlee and to Speed tie with base 80 Speed Pokemon, most notably Glalie before it Mega Evolves. Life Orb is used to maximize damage output as well as give Shiftry the liberty to switch moves. Usage Tips Swords Dance Shiftry should be used as a late-game sweeper, and it should only attempt to sweep after all its checks and counters, such as Virizion, Mega Glalie, and Drapion, have been weakened or beaten. Shiftry can also be used early-game for its strong Knock Off or to revenge kill with Sucker Punch. This will also lead the opponent into thinking that Shiftry is not carrying Swords Dance, only to be surprised with a late-game sweep. Knock Off should be spammed freely, as it cripples a lot of Pokemon. Team Options Entry hazards aid the sweep of Swords Dance Shiftry by inflicting residual damage on the opponent's Pokemon. As such, Spikes users such as Omastar, Accelgor, and Qwilfish are recommended. Omastar also has access to Stealth Rock, while Qwilfish can stack Toxic Spikes as well. Special wallbreakers, such as Clawitzer, Choice Specs Meloetta, and Choice Specs or Calm Mind Delphox, are good to wear down the opponent's walls, giving Shiftry an easier time sweeping. Hitmonlee also makes for a good partner, as it is a wallbreaker and has access to Rapid Spin to remove any entry hazards on Shiftry's side of the field.

Moves Defog removes entry hazards from both sides of the field, supporting Shiftry's teammates. Knock Off is a strong STAB move that cripples a lot of Pokemon, removing their items, making it very difficult to switch into. Sucker Punch has +1 priority and is a STAB move: it makes Shiftry a great revenge killer, especially against frail foes such as Jolteon and Delphox. Leaf Storm gives Shiftry the ability to KO Pokemon such as Alomomola and Rhyperior, as well as making Shiftry a mixed attacker; paired with Knock Off, it makes it extremely hard for foes to switch into Shiftry. Set Details The EVs are to used maximize Attack and Speed, with the remaining EVs dumped into Special Attack, allowing Shiftry to outspeed Pokemon like Hitmontop, Adamant Hitmonlee, Modest Meloetta, and Adamant Kabutops. Life Orb boosts Shiftry's damage output. A Hasty nature is used to let Shiftry Speed tie with Jolly Kabutops, Medicham, Gallade, and non-Mega Glalie. Usage Tips Shiftry is a Pokemon that can be used throughout the entire match. If you see an opportunity to Defog, use it; otherwise, Knock Off is a generally safe move. Shiftry should be used to cripple defensive cores of Rhyperior and Alomomola with Leaf Storm; it also can hit Amoonguss hard on the switch and remove Eviolite from Togetic with Knock Off. If possible, save Shiftry for late-game cleaning or revenge killing. It can also come in mid-game to Defog if needed. If predicted right, Shiftry can come into Rhyperior, Clawitzer, Alomomola, and Jellicent and can KO them, but beware of Scald burns, as well as coverage moves that could KO Shiftry. Team Options Delphox, Fletchinder, and Mega Glalie love to have entry hazards removed and therefore make for great partners. They can deal with Shiftry's checks, such as Virizion, while Shiftry can deal with their common switch-ins, such as Alomomola and Jellicent. Uxie is a great partner, as it can deal with Virizion and spread Thunder Wave, helping Shiftry deal with faster threats. Alomomola can deal with Fire-types, such as Mega Camerupt, Delphox, Typhlosion, and Fletchinder, as well as pass Wishes to Shiftry.

Dark Pulse is Shiftry's go-to STAB attack as a spammable option with excellent coverage and no drawbacks. Leaf Storm is significantly stronger than Dark Pulse, but it drops Shiftry's Special Attack after use, making it less spammable than Dark Pulse. The choice of Hidden Power coverage depends on what you need to hit; Hidden Power Ground hits Fire-types like Monferno and Rapidash, but Hidden Power Fire hits Bronzor specifically. Both hit Klang as well, but Ground is the preferred option since Bronzor can still take some damage from Dark Pulse whereas Monferno switches in relatively safely otherwise. The last moveslot varies on what the team needs as well; Focus Blast hits Dark-type switch-ins like Zweilous and Scraggy hard, but Sucker Punch gives a priority option for potentially finishing off an otherwise problematic offensive threat. If Shiftry is loaded up with Sucker Punch, Shiftry will prefer a Mild nature. It is important to remember that Choice Specs Shiftry is at its strongest the first turn it is out on the field. Shiftry's power and coverage before locking into a move is intimidating and sometimes difficult to handle, but as soon as Shiftry does select a move, then the opponent can switch into the appropriate answer. Some threats, like Monferno and Audino, can also feel fairly safe switching in regardless of what is chosen. Because of this, having a strong defensive backbone to counter the incoming threats is key. Pokemon like Stunfisk and Tentacool are excellent choices for this, as they can reliably switch in on threats like Monferno and even set up entry hazards to help Shiftry's job of wallbreaking. Shiftry also loves having a teammate that can make good use of all of the holes it has burned through the opposing team, so Pokemon that can sweep after Shiftry has done its job such as Monferno, Trick Room Beheeyem, and Golduck are excellent choices.

This set trades the immediate power of Choice Specs in favor of setting up with Swords Dance for more versatility, stronger coverage options, and stronger priority. Swords Dance boosts Shiftry's respectable base 105 Attack to new heights, allowing it to threaten both offensive and defensive teams alike. STAB Sucker Punch after a Swords Dance can OHKO a large list of offensive threats like Zebstrika while also giving Shiftry a priority option. Nature Power in BW turns into Earthquake, giving Shiftry some much-needed coverage to hit Poison- and Steel-types like Arbok and Klang that would wall Shiftry otherwise. Life Orb is the preferred item for giving Shiftry more power overall, especially for Seed Bomb, but Dark Gem is also useful for an emergency boosted Sucker Punch to fend off a potential sweep. While Shiftry is fast enough to be a good wallbreaker, it is not fast enough to be a consistent sweeper. Base 80 Speed is good, but Shiftry's nemesis Monferno sits just out of reach at base 81. This means that Shiftry, even at +2, is best viewed from a wallbreaking perspective. Defensive partners for Shiftry such as Stunfisk can take hits directed at Shiftry and set up hazards to push offensive threats within Sucker Punch range. Shiftry also appreciates partners that can take on walls like Bronzor and Vileplume that Shiftry can't overcome, such as Monferno and Simisear.

Swords Dance Shiftry is an effective late-game sweeper, as its typing allows it to take on a wide array of Pokemon in the tier after a Swords Dance boost. It is one of the few viable Pokemon that gets STAB Sucker Punch, meaning it has strong priority that allows it to pick off the remaining members of your opponent's team. Seed Bomb is a reliable Grass-type STAB move that hits many Pokemon that other Swords Dance sweepers such as Absol can't take on such as Poliwrath and Alomomola. Nature Power always turns into Earthquake, and is Shiftry's best option in taking down Fire-types like Entei while also dealing solid damage to Steel-types such as Steelix and Klinklang. Early Bird is the most useful of Shiftry's abilities, giving it less hassle with sleep inducers like Lilligant carrying Hidden Power Rock. Chlorophyll is a decent option if Shiftry is being used on a sun team, but that is a harder archetype to play with in the current metagame. Life Orb is given to Shiftry to allow it to deal heavy damage and use its powerful moves interchangeably. Lum Berry is another useful option, as it gives Shiftry an advantage against status inducers and Scald users that flock throughout RU. An Adamant nature gives Shiftry the most attacking power needed to burst through the opponent at the expense of Speed tying with Swords Dance Gallade and Kabutops. Jolly is useful for avoiding these Speed ties altogether. There are a couple of other viable moves that can fit into Shiftry's final moveslot. Substitute is a good move to avoid status without taking up an item slot like Lum Berry does, but Shiftry gets worn down easily enough as it is. Rock Slide might seem like a good option on paper to defeat Moltres, but the only advantage Rock Slide has is that it defeats defensive SubRoost Moltres; the more common offensive Moltres is OHKOed by a +2 Sucker Punch after Stealth Rock damage anyway. Low Kick deals more damage to Steelix than Nature Power does, but it has limited use otherwise, not to mention that Steelix is not an opponent Shiftry will want to face alone. When it comes to finding good teammates for Shiftry, Emboar and Moltres offer the ability to lure in bulky Water-types like Lanturn and Slowking that Shiftry can set up on easily. They also have the added utility of taking on some of Shiftry's enemies such as Escavalier and Ferroseed. Shiftry will sometimes find it hard to work around faster Fighting-types like Primeape, so Pokemon that can threaten them or cripple them, including Mesprit and Rotom, will be appreciated. Entry hazard support is very welcome to ease Shiftry's sweep. The common entry hazard setters, Smeargle and Qwilfish, are two good options. Smeargle pairs well with Shiftry's offensive playstyle and Qwilfish sets entry hazards up reliably while also being able to take on Fire-types that threaten Shiftry like Emboar and Entei. Shiftry also threatens the tier's best spinner, Kabutops, so entry hazards are not hard to keep on the field. As Shiftry can't break through bulky Pokemon with Regenerator such as Tangrowth and Amoonguss, any Fire-type that can lure these Pokemon in and take them out are huge assets.

Thanks to Shiftry's great typing and diverse movepool, it makes a great mixed attacker that also functions as a wallbreaker. Shiftry has access to Leaf Storm, a 140 Base Power STAB move that has the ability to tear up any non-resistant switch-in. Combine this with its access to Sucker Punch, which allows it to pick off Pokemon that survive Leaf Storm, and Shiftry already has most of the tools it needs to succeed. Hidden Power Fire is mainly used to defeat Escavalier and Ferroseed which would otherwise wall this set. Dark Pulse, on the other hand, is a STAB move with great neutral coverage and eases the pressure against Substitute users. Focus Blast offers the best coverage alongside Shiftry's Dark-type STAB moves, with no Pokemon that resist both Focus Blast and Shiftry's Dark-type STAB moves in the tier, and also deals with Clefable without lowering Shiftry's Special Attack. Nature Power, on the other hand, deals a large amount of damage to Entei and Emboar, preventing them from taking Shiftry on easily. Life Orb is the item of choice on this set, as it gives the Shiftry needed power to break through walls and allows it to switch moves to accommodate for different threats. 252 Special Attack EVs and a Rash nature gives Shiftry the greatest damage output for Leaf Storm, allowing it to OHKO Slowking a majority of the time and always OHKO Qwilfish. 252 Speed EVs allows Shiftry to Speed tie with other base 80s, including Kabutops and Gallade, and allows it to outspeed some of the most common walls. Although this set capitalizes on Shiftry's ability to use its massively powerful Leaf Storms, an alternate spread of 80 Atk / 176 SpA / 252 Spe with a Naughty nature can be used to allow Shiftry to 2HKO Roselia and OHKO Emboar after Stealth Rock with Nature Power, assuming these two Pokemon threaten your team. Mixed attacking Shiftry is more of an asset to its team and doesn't rely on other teammates to help it as much as it helps its teammates. Kabutops is a good teammate for removing entry hazards, as Shiftry is easily worn down by them, as well as threaten Moltres. Entry hazard setters are even more notable partners for this set, as hazards help weaken defensive Pokemon to the point where Shiftry can break through them without much trouble. Qwilfish is once again a great partner in this role, as it can set up entry hazards and take on many of Shiftry's common checks and counters. Shiftry's wallbreaking ability is useful for other offensive teammates that struggle with common walls. Life Orb Aerodactyl and Guts Swellow both appreciate Shiftry's wallbreaking support. Entei is a good teammate to defeat Escavalier that often force out Shiftry not carrying Hidden Power Fire and appreciates Shiftry's ability to remove Alomomola, Slowking, and Uxie from the field. Shiftry also supports Rotom, which has trouble wearing down the troublesome Clefable, Amoonguss, and Escavalier.

Shiftry is a very capable late game cleaner, capable of finishing off the opponent's team if it has been weakened significantly. Nasty Plot makes walling Shiftry very difficult. Due to Shiftry's frailty, however, it can only boost up when an opponent is expected to switch, or against a weak resisted move, such as Ferrothorn's Power Whip. Grass Knot hits for 120 Base Power against many Uber Pokemon, most notably against Kyogre, one of the biggest threats to dedicated sun teams. Dark Pulse hits a fair number of Uber Pokemon for super effective damage, the most prominent being Mewtwo and Giratina-O. The chance to flinch can also come in handy given Shiftry's high Speed stat in the sun. Focus Blast provides valuable coverage against Ferrothorn, Dialga, and Arceus, but Hidden Power Fire nails Ferrothorn and Scizor while lacking the drawback of shaky accuracy. A Life Orb and a Modest nature are necessary, since Shiftry needs every bit of power that it can get. Because Shiftry outspeeds so many Choice Scarf Pokemon in the sun, such as Palkia, Torment is an interesting choice. With it, Shiftry can come in on a choice-locked Pokemon, use Torment, and grab a Nasty Plot boost as the opponent is forced to use Struggle. Ho-Oh is one of the biggest threats to Shiftry, so Hidden Power Rock can be considered to help deal with it. Likewise, Hidden Power Ice can be used to OHKO Rayquaza and hit Zekrom a bit harder. Shiftry can also opt to use Low Kick, a Naive Nature, and run Growth over Nasty Plot so that it has a better shot at breaking through Chansey or Blissey. It cannot be stressed enough that Shiftry must be supported by Groudon. Without Drought, Shiftry becomes essentially useless. Though it can work on any team that has a Groudon, Shiftry fits best on dedicated sun teams. Ho-Oh is a common fixture on these kinds of teams, and it covers Shiftry's weaknesses well. Entry hazard support is also essential to Shiftry's sweep, so Pokemon that can reliably provide Spikes, such as Forretress and Ferrothorn, are greatly appreciated. Groudon itself can provide Stealth Rock. Dual screen support helps to compensate for Shiftry's frailty and makes it easier for it to set up. Deoxys-S can set up both screens, and can also use Spikes to further support Shiftry.

In addition to a great physical set, Shiftry can run an excellent specially-oriented set. Once again, the usefulness of Fake Out must be emphasized for disrupting the opponent and giving Shiftry's teammate a chance to attack. Leaf Storm is a powerful Grass-type STAB move, and with a sky-high 140 Base Power it wrecks anything that doesn't resist it. Unfortunately, Leaf Storm cuts Shiftry's Special Attack in half when it is used, so it should only be used if absolutely necessary. Dark Pulse covers Shiftry's other STAB, and gives it a chance to flinch the opponent, too. With Protect, Shiftry can shield itself from all assaults while its partner deals with a problem Pokemon, or uses a multi-hit move such as Earthquake. Shiftry can utilize Substitute to good effect, giving it a facade to take hits and stay relatively safe, firing off shots of its own. If Substitute is used, however, a Life Orb is the appropriate item choice, because Substitute negates Focus Sash's effect. In sun, Shiftry has almost no fear of being outsped, so a Modest nature is used to boost Shiftry's Special Attack stat. With Shiftry's lackluster defenses, it will not be staying on the field for extended periods of time, so a Life Orb can only help it. If one wishes to preserve Shiftry past the first few turns, however, a Focus Sash is a suitable alternative. Chlorophyll and 252 Speed EVs keep Shiftry going as fast as it can in sun, and 252 Special Attack EVs help it hit as hard as possible. Hidden Power Ice grants coverage on Dragon- and Flying-types, to which Shiftry often struggles to damage. However, Dark Pulse deals with both Latias and Latios anyway, so the additional coverage is not vital. Likewise, Hidden Power Fire helps Shiftry damage Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, but on a sun team, Shiftry is often partnered with Fire-types such as Ninetales and Charizard, so using this move is generally unnecessary. As before, Shiftry greatly appreciates sun support, which Ninetales is more than happy to provide. Psychic-types such as Latios work well alongside Shiftry to take on the Fighting-type Pokemon that threaten Shiftry. Again, Hitmontop provides Shiftry with Intimidate and Wide Guard support, potentially changing the course of a match by allowing Shiftry time to attack.

Fake Out is a great move for disrupting the opponent, forcing them to Protect or get flinched, wasting a turn either way. The few Pokemon that outspeed Shiftry are hit hard by its priority STAB Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch is one of the best STAB priority moves in the metagame, hitting the common Ghost- and Psychic-types for super effective damage. Seed Bomb is Shiftry's secondary STAB, landing a super effective hit on some Pokemon that resist Sucker Punch, such as Terrakion, and gives Shiftry a reliable backup attack if the opponent chooses not to attack. The last slot is somewhat controversial. Many insist that with Explosion's recent nerf, it is no longer a viable option. However, Explosion is a fantastic move for clearing the field when Shiftry is low on HP, or, should Shiftry be dead weight in a battle, get some last-ditch damage off on the opposing team. However, unless Shiftry's partner is a Ghost-type or uses Protect, Explosion is extremely risky. Protect is a great move for any Pokemon in VGC metagames, and the best choice if Explosion is unappealing. Shiftry can make great use of Life Orb, which boosts its damage output and allows it to get important OHKOs, such as on 4 HP Terrakion with Seed Bomb. Unfortunately, a Life Orb is better used by a teammate, in which case a Focus Sash can be used to keep Shiftry alive for an additional turn. Chlorophyll doubles Shiftry's Speed in sun, allowing it to outspeed nearly every Pokemon in the metagame. Because of this, Shiftry may use an Adamant nature without fear of being outsped. Shiftry needs all the Attack and Speed it can get, and the EV spread reflects that. Sun support is critical to Shiftry, and Ninetales is the perfect Pokemon to provide it. Ninetales's ability, Drought, brings permanent sun to the field and doubles Shiftry's Speed, making for a great teammate. Due to Shiftry's trouble with spread moves, Hitmontop is an excellent partner, providing Wide Guard support and Intimidating physical attackers attempting to hit Shiftry hard.

Nature Power OHKOes Heatran. This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This set is the special version of Swords Dance Shiftry; simply use Nasty Plot to boost Shiftry's Special Attack, and proceed to sweep. With sun support, Solar Beam is the recommended choice; however, if you feel keeping the sun up will be a daunting task, Grass Knot is available as a safe alternative. Be wary, however, as Lanturn takes far less damage from Grass Knot than from Solar Beam. Milotic and Blastoise are easily disposed of with either move, so the choice ultimately comes down to preference. Hidden Power Fire takes care of Steel- and Grass-types, while the final moveslot depends on your play-style. Dark Pulse is the secondary STAB move of choice while Explosion provides Shiftry with the opportunity to go out with a bang. Keep in mind that if the sun runs out, having a reliable STAB move in Dark Pulse makes it the more appealing choice. Dark Pulse also provides Shiftry with a way to bypass Fire-types who would wall the set otherwise. Although Shiftry is able to OHKO Registeel with a +2 Low Kick from the Swords Dance set, it is unable to do so with a Nasty Plot-boosted Hidden Power Fire, which only deals 72.5% - 85.7% damage in the sun. It is highly recommended that you employ Spikes and Stealth Rock support since Registeel will pose a problem should it survive and proceed to paralyze Shiftry with Thunder Wave. The same support as the Swords Dance set is needed for this set as well. Sun support is more prevalent to this set's success, so teammates who can reliably set it up are required. Uxie and Ambipom make good Sunny Day leads due to their great Speed. Qwilfish once again is a good choice for Spikes support in order to achieve a possible OHKO on Registeel. Altaria is needed since Shiftry doesn't have a priority move to circumvent Vacuum Wave users such as Blaziken and Toxicroak. Moltres again makes a good partner to switch into any bulky Grass-types who may stand in Shiftry's way; however, Hidden Power Fire should usually be enough to dispose of them.

This set makes use of Shiftry's higher Attack stat, which it can quickly boost with Swords Dance. Shiftry has six resistances and one immunity, so finding an opportunity to come in and set up shouldn't be too difficult. Using this set will require a decent amount of prediction, however, as Sucker Punch will only work when the opponent is using an attacking move. When your opponent tries to get around Sucker Punch by using non-damaging moves, you should respond either by using one of Shiftry's other attacking options or by further boosting its Attack with Swords Dance. Shiftry has a rare and powerful tool in its STAB Sucker Punch. Combined with STAB Seed Bomb to hit bulky Water- and Ground-types and Low Kick to hit Steel-types, Shiftry has the ability to hurt both walls and sweepers alike. Still, Shiftry's coverage is somewhat limited by the fact that both Sucker Punch and Low Kick are not consistent. Thanks to Sucker Punch, Shiftry can afford to run an Adamant nature, which allows it to pack quite a punch after a Swords Dance. Here are some damage calculations to demonstrate Shiftry's power. +2 Life Orb Seed Bomb vs 248/252+ Milotic: 132.8% - 156.2% +2 Life Orb Seed Bomb vs 252/252+ Slowbro: 106.6% - 125.4% +2 Life Orb Seed Bomb vs 80/252+ Hariyama: 68.2% - 80.2% +2 Life Orb Sucker Punch vs 4/0 Toxicroak: 71.4% - 84.4% +1 Life Orb Sucker Punch vs 252/4 Hitmontop: 39.8% - 47% +2 Life Orb Sucker Punch vs 0/0 Blaziken: 77.1% - 90.7% +1 Life Orb Sucker Punch vs 252/252+ Arcanine: 50.8% - 59.6% +2 Life Orb Sucker Punch vs 252/84 Moltres: 80.9% - 95.6% +2 Life Orb Low Kick vs 252/0+ Steelix: 94.9% - 111.9% While not necessary, sun support will greatly aid this Shiftry, allowing it to reach 518 Speed, outspeeding pretty much anything in the metagame. Only faster Chlorophyll users and Choice Scarf users will outspeed Shiftry in the sun. Of these Pokemon, the most common is Jumpluff, who can outspeed Shiftry and either hit it with a 4x super effective U-turn or Encore Shiftry's Swords Dance. Sun support allows Shiftry to strike first with any of its moves, as opposed to just Sucker Punch. This reduces your reliance on Sucker Punch, so Shiftry can sweep much more reliably against an opponent who is trying to out-predict you with moves like Substitute or Will-O-Wisp. Sunshine will also hurt Toxicroak, who resists every move on this set, due to its Dry Skin ability. When considering Swords Dance Shiftry, you should evaluate the merits of using it over Absol, who sports a much higher Attack stat and Superpower for coverage. In general, Shiftry's advantages over Absol stem from its Grass typing, which provides key resistances to Water-, Grass-, Electric-, and Ground-type attacks. STAB Seed Bomb is an excellent weapon for taking out UU's physical walls, such as Donphan, Rhyperior, and Omastar. In addition, Shiftry has a much higher HP stat than Absol, giving it more chances to make use of its resistances. The choice between the two Pokemon is largely up to the style of play that you want to use with your Sucker Punch sweeper. If you prefer Absol's raw power and don't mind its frailty, it is usually the better choice. However, if you feel that extra bulk and resistances will be more helpful in setting up consistently, or find that Absol runs into too many problems against bulky Water- and Ground-types, then pick Shiftry. This set runs into problems against Pokemon who can outspeed it and set up Substitute or use status moves to circumvent Sucker Punch. Such Pokemon include Mismagius, Alakazam, Espeon, and Sceptile. Shiftry can still come out on top against these Pokemon, but it must predict their moves extremely well by using Seed Bomb as they use Substitute and using Sucker Punch when they decide to attack. Note that with Sunny Day support, this becomes a non-issue. Toxicroak resists every move on the set and can hit Shiftry super effectively with either of its STAB moves. Hitmontop is also a nuisance because it resists Sucker Punch and can hit Shiftry with priority moves of its own. However, these Fighting-types can be finished off if they've been somewhat weakened, as a +2 Sucker Punch hits hard even when resisted. Pokemon who resist Seed Bomb and Low Kick but not Sucker Punch, namely Moltres, Altaria, and Venusaur, can still cause this set problems if they avoid attacking Shiftry at predictable moments. Good teammates to counteract Moltres and Altaria are Milotic, Slowking, and Lanturn. Venusaur is difficult to counter outright, however, Registeel and specially-defensive Weezing have an easy time with most versions of Venusaur. Finally, Claydol and Uxie make good teammates to switch into the various Fighting-types of UU and both are excellent choices to provide Sunny Day and Stealth Rock support.

Shiftry is a useful Attacking Lead in UU due to its ability to KO and cripple many common leads, including Alakazam, Mesprit, Uxie, Cloyster, Omastar, and Qwilfish. Shiftry's strong offensive movepool, stats, and typing allow it to act as a cleaner as well, granting it superb mid- and late-game usability. Dark Pulse is Shiftry's most consistent STAB attack, and it also allows Shiftry to 2HKO the ever-common Uxie and Mesprit leads. With Leaf Storm being Shiftry's strongest STAB attack, it can effectively KO most Pokemon that don't resist it after a Dark Pulse. Low Kick helps damage Registeel, which would otherwise wall Shiftry completely. There are two possible options in the final moveslot. Explosion allows Shiftry to completely wipe out leads that it can't beat otherwise, such as Moltres and Arcanine. However, using Sucker Punch allows Shiftry to deal with Alakazam leads almost 100% of the time, and it also gives it an option to attack Moltres before dying, should you choose to keep Shiftry in. Focus Sash is the best item choice for this set because it allows Shiftry to heavily damage a large variety of leads and continue attacking after a potentially fatal blow from the opponent. Holding a Focus Sash also allows Shiftry to use Explosion more assuredly. Early Bird is the best choice for Shiftry's ability, as sleep moves are more common in UU than Sunny Day. The EV spread allows Shiftry to outrun 4 Speed Uxie and max Speed Omastar leads, with the remaining EVs pushed into Attack to increase the power of Low Kick and Explosion (or Sucker Punch). A Rash nature is required for the 2HKO on standard Uxie leads without weakening Explosion or slowing Shiftry down. The only unfortunate side-effect about using a Shiftry Anti-Lead set is that it has very serious four moveslot syndrome, with many of its lesser options being ousted from the set in favor of the main ones already listed. Protect is an option over Low Kick as it gives Shiftry a chance to beat Ambipom, provided that Shiftry holds a Focus Sash, but Shiftry is usually better off just switching. Extrasensory can hit Venusaur and Fighting-types hard, but there isn't really a place for it. Likewise, Hidden Power Rock can eliminate Moltres and Scyther while dealing heavy damage against any other Fire-type leads, but it doesn't fit into the set any better than Extrasensory.

At first glance, using Shiftry in Ubers seems to be a foolish endeavor. However, very few Ubers learn Nasty Plot, and in the sun, Shiftry is able to reach 518 Speed with a neutral nature, easily outpacing threats such as Choice Scarf Garchomp, Rock Polish Groudon, and even Deoxys-S, and OHKOing each aforementioned Pokemon with the proper move. Dark Pulse is an excellent move to use against Pokemon such as Giratina-O, Giratina, Latias, and other Psychic-types, OHKOing all of them after a Nasty Plot. However, if you know your opponent is packing a Kyogre, you may wish to use Grass Knot first for a surprise attack, as Kyogre, who summons rain, outspeeds Shiftry outside of the sun and can end its sweep if it uses Nasty Plot. With a Life Orb, Shiftry OHKOes a 252/0 Kyogre 46.15% of the time with Stealth Rock damage (a guaranteed OHKO on any other variant). If a defensive Kyogre is not OHKOed, Shiftry can strike again with a Grass Knot, as it outpaces such a Kyogre. It's worth noting that Solar Beam is not recommended, because Grass Knot hits most Ubers for the same Base Power anyway, and if Shiftry gets stuck charging against an incoming Kyogre or Rayquaza, you will lose Shiftry. The final slot has two potential options. Hidden Power Ice is useful if you predict a Rayquaza switch-in. Otherwise, Explosion can be employed to get past Blissey and open the door for another special attacker to sweep (use Rash over Modest if you use Explosion). Focus Blast is great against Dialga, Darkrai, and Heatran, but the inaccuracy can really be detrimental to Shiftry's sweeping chances. Substitute can help in easing prediction, and with it this set can be employed as a lure for Rayquaza with Hidden Power Ice over one of the first three moves. Hidden Power Fire can be used to surprise incoming Metagross and Scizor, OHKOing the former in the sun after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes. What makes this set unique is that it is not only a sweeper, but also a check to threats. Specifically, this Shiftry outpaces a standard +2 Groudon and ends its sweep with Grass Knot. Also, Shiftry doesn't fear Wobbuffet due to its Dark-typing, which grants it immunity to Mirror Coat. However, this set requires quite a bit of support to work well. First of all, Groudon is a requirement to use alongside this set: without the sun, Shiftry is dead weight on your team. Other than that, the use of Stealth Rock, and possibly Spikes, is highly recommended. Deoxys-S does an excellent job of setting up both, which can make it quite a bit easier to OHKO threats such as the aforementioned Kyogre. Shiftry is quite frail and difficult to switch in, and it is even more difficult to find the time to use Nasty Plot to ensure a sweep. Therefore, the use of Wobbuffet is recommended to get Shiftry safely on the field and ensure that you get a free turn to use Nasty Plot via Encoring a non-attacking move. Scizor is a nightmare for this set, resisting both of Shiftry's STAB moves and OHKOing with Bullet Punch or U-turn, or even striking your switch-in and going to a counter, thus giving your opponent control of the match. Fortunately, setting up Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes and going to Groudon can make it difficult for Scizor to repeatedly do this. Other than that, defensively oriented Calm Mind users such as Giratina-O and Kyogre are a problem, and you will need to be lucky with Dark Pulse's 20% flinch chance (or its intrinsic critical hit chance) to have a shot at defeating them. Therefore, the use of Encore and Mirror Coat on Wobbuffet is once again recommended. To ensure that you are not placing too much on the blue blob's plate, you can consider using a Palkia, who can defeat Giratina-O with Outrage and Kyogre with Thunder. Blissey walls this set without the use of Explosion, so you will need a way to get past her. Fortunately, a mixed Palkia with Outrage can 2HKO Blissey. Otherwise, you should consider the use of a mixed Dialga with Brick Break or a Scizor alongside a Tickle Wobbuffet. Finally, Rayquaza can defeat and set up on Shiftry, so make sure that you have a check for it. A defensive Groudon can defeat the Dragon Dance variant, while Swords Dance variants can be revenge killed by a Choice Scarf Dialga. Lugia and Scarf Jirachi can also handle most Rayquaza if necessary. As a last resort, Scizor can use Bullet Punch, but it will not OHKO without prior damage.

While Shiftry primarily runs a special set, it also has access to Swords Dance to hit hard from the physical side. This set plays fairly similarly to the Nasty Plot variant, though it handles Blissey and Dialga better at the cost of overall power and a worse match-up against Giratina and Rayquaza. Shiftry's options for STAB attacks aren't stellar, but they get the job done. After a Swords Dance, Seed Bomb OHKOes Groudon, Palkia, Blissey, and Kyogre (among others). Speaking of Kyogre, this set's strategy of dealing with it is similar to that of the Nasty Plot: use Seed Bomb on the first turn. Offensive Kyogre are OHKOed, while defensive sets are outsped and 2HKOed. Your other main attack is Feint Attack, which, after a Swords Dance, OHKOes Lugia, Mewtwo, Latias, Wobbuffet, and Giratina-O. Unfortunately, it only 2HKOes Giratina, who can use Will-O-Wisp and stall Shiftry out. Finally, Low Kick is your best option against Dialga, Heatran, and Darkrai, all of whom are OHKOed after one turn of setup. Explosion is usable alongside Sucker Punch simply due to the power, but note that it hits many of the same targets as Feint Attack, so using both is redundant. Sucker Punch, though it takes prediction to use successfully, is a viable option over Feint Attack. It is mainly useful against faster opponents and in unfavorable weather, scoring an OHKO on Palkia and offensive Kyogre. Due to the ubiquity of those two Pokemon, Sucker Punch is a solid choice. However, Feint Attack remains the superior option because it deals more consistent damage to threats who aren't guaranteed to attack you, like the aforementioned Mewtwo, Latias, Wobbuffet, and Giratina-O. While Shiftry is a demigod in the sun, it is decidedly average outside of the sun. Kyogre can enter after a KO, cutting Shiftry's Speed in half with the rain and thus ending a possibility of a sweep. It goes without saying that your team should possess a strong Kyogre check, such as Latias or Palkia. In fact, you may even choose to consider a Kyogre lure, such as Ho-Oh with Brave Bird or Heatran with Hidden Power Grass, since Kyogre is such a threat to Drought-abusing teams. Rayquaza is also a potent threat to Shiftry (if you don't have Sucker Punch) since Air Lock nullifies the sun, but fortunately Groudon is a decent check to it. If you have additional concerns about Swords Dance or Dragon Dance Rayquaza, you should consider a Scarfed Dialga or Palkia, respectively. Finally, to defeat Steel-types such as Scizor and Metagross, you can consider a Latias or Latios with Hidden Power Fire as a lure. Other than that, the partners for this set generally mirror those of the last set. Stealth Rock and Spikes support are recommended to neuter Scizor, who still counters this Shiftry. Deoxys-S, Froslass, and Forretress do a good job of setting up the aforementioned entry hazards, but keep in mind that Forretress has little offensive presence, and may get set up on. Groudon support is a necessity to provide the sun, and Wobbuffet is recommended to help you set up.

Nothing resists Shadow Ball + Brick Break, Choice Band Explosion HURTS and Quick Attack / Fake Out if you need to finish off something. You need prediction, like every Choice Bander. The lack of STAB hurts, but you have the element of unpredictability. Ability won't matter all that much, Early Bird can help sopping up Sleep status and still be able to wake up before the match is over, Chlorophyll if you can get your opponent or one of your other Pokemon to use Sunny Day.

A lot like the last set, except with Swords Dance this time over Choice Band.

The EVs given are for if you do not have Hidden Power. If you do, you'll need 4 more Speed EVs at the cost of HP to make sure Shiftry is faster than +Speed Deoxys-A in the sun. Choice Band is helpful because Shiftry can only come in on a very limited number of Pokemon and needs to 2HKO the switch-in to survive.

If you feel you can set up with Shiftry, it learns Swords Dance, which is really helpful.