Calyrex-Shadow

Competitive Strategy

Calyrex-Shadow Rider is the undisputed king of Ubers: **Offensive Specs:** - 165 Special Attack (tied for 2nd highest in game) - 150 Speed (outspeeds almost everything) - Astral Barrage: 120 BP Ghost STAB, hits both foes in doubles - Grim Neigh: +1 Special Attack every KO (snowballs out of control) **Life Orb Sweeper (Standard):** - Ability: As One (Spectrier) - Moves: Astral Barrage, Psyshock, Draining Kiss, Nasty Plot - Item: Life Orb - EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe - Nature: Timid - Strategy: Click Astral Barrage. Get KO. Grim Neigh activates. Repeat. Draining Kiss for recovery and Fairy coverage. **Choice Specs Nuke:** - Moves: Astral Barrage, Psyshock, Hyper Beam, Trick - Item: Choice Specs - Strategy: Maximum immediate power. Astral Barrage OHKOs most Ubers. Trick to cripple walls. **Nasty Plot Setup:** - Moves: Nasty Plot, Astral Barrage, Psyshock, Draining Kiss - Item: Life Orb or Weakness Policy - Strategy: Set up on passive Pokemon. +2 Astral Barrage OHKOs everything. **Damage Calculations (Life Orb):** - vs 252 HP Necrozma-DM: 79.8% - 94.1% (guaranteed 2HKO) - vs 252 HP Zacian-C: 52.9% - 62.4% (guaranteed 2HKO) - vs 0 HP Mewtwo: 89.5% - 105.5% (37.5% chance to OHKO) - vs 252 HP Yveltal: 31.7% - 37.4% (resists, but still chunks) **After One Grim Neigh Boost (+1 SpA):** - vs 252 HP Necrozma-DM: 118.8% - 140.1% (guaranteed OHKO) - vs 252 HP Zacian-C: 78.8% - 92.9% (guaranteed 2HKO) - vs 252 HP Yveltal: 47.3% - 55.9% (resists) **Why It Dominates Ubers:** - Fastest special attacker (150 Speed) - Highest Special Attack among fast Pokemon - Snowballs with Grim Neigh - Astral Barrage has no immunities (Ghost hits everything) - Psychic/Ghost typing is excellent offensively - Immune to Fake Out, Extreme Speed, Close Combat **Key Weaknesses:** - Dark-types wall it completely (Yveltal, Tyranitar) - Pursuit trapping (Weavile, Bisharp can trap and KO) - Priority moves (Sucker Punch, Shadow Sneak) - Relatively frail Defense (80 base) - No physical bulk (dies to Weavile Ice Shard) - Blissey/Chansey can stall it out **Best Partners:** - Dark-type checks: Fighting-types, Fairy-types, Bug-types - Stealth Rock setters: Pressure opponents, chip damage - Screens support: Light Clay Grimmsnarl (Reflect/Light Screen) - Pursuit absorbers: Ghost-types to bait Pursuit - Priority blockers: Psychic Terrain setters (blocks priority) **Tier Status:** - Ubers: Top 5 Pokemon in the tier - Banned from OU for being too centralizing - Dominant in VGC Series 13 (restricted format) **Fun Fact:** - Calyrex-Shadow is Calyrex riding Spectrier - As One ability is unique: combines two abilities - Signature move Astral Barrage is exclusive to this forme - In lore, it's the "High King" of the Crown Tundra