The new generation of Pokemon is here with Pokemon ScarletandViolet. With so many old faces to choose from, and so many new monsters already making their mark on the competitive meta, it can be difficult for certain Pokemon to stand out. There are always exceptions though, and there may be a new face of the meta in Cyclizar.
In the beginning stages of each new Pokemon generation, players try a lot of things to see what new strategies can be deployed in order to become as successful as they can be. There is a lot of experimentation to be done and tested, especially for a generation that has introduced so many Pokemon with great abilities, stats, and moves. Not to mention that getting into competitive Pokemon is more accessible than ever with a lot of mechanics for getting competitively viable Pokemon being streamlined.
What Makes Cyclizar Good?
On a first glance, Cyclizar's base stats may not stand out. It's a fast Pokemon, which is among the most important stats in the competitive meta due to speed tiers determining who moves first, and in a game where dealing immediate, overwhelming damage or setting up a strategy is the ploy of most trainers, moving fast is oftentimes a priority. It's base 121 speed is among the fastest available Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, allowing it to move before many other monsters unless situations like priority moves or trick room teams come into play. It also does have solid Attack with a 95, but since the rest of its stats are middling, it comes out to only having a base stat total of 501.
What really makes the Mount Pokemon shine comes from other aspects, such as its good defensive typing of Normal and Dragon. This grants it resistances and an immunity to common offensive types such as Water, Fire, Electric, Grass, and Ghost. It is weak to Dragon, Fairy, Ice, and Fighting types, but can address those by Terastallizing into other types to throw opponents for a loop. Having resistance to Water type Pokemon is especially big; many offensive Water types see vast amounts of play at competitive levels.
Another facet of Cyclizar's viability is its move set, with a potential for stalling sets using moves such as Shed Tail, a new move that allows the user to not only set up a substitution, but also switch out for another Pokemon in the party. To get this move off, trainers only need 50% of Cyclizar's health pool to be available, and if that condition is met, Cyclizar is fast enough to out speed most Pokemon, which makes this move a breeze to get off. Setting up a substitute can give glass cannons time to fire off mass amounts of damage before taking any themselves, or it can allow time for set-up strategies using moves such as Swords Dance or Calm Mind.
With a move that not only allows a substitute, but also a switch in on that same turn, it's easy to see why a Shed Tail Cyclizar is on a good amount of teams in both doubles and singles formats in PokemonScarlet and Violet competitive play right now. Though it is less prevalent in doubles due to there being multiple potential attackers on a substitute, in singles Cyclizar is an imposing force found on a lot of squads. With Regenerator as a Hidden Ability, it can gain health every time it switches out of the battlefield too, making multiple Shed Tails a very possible outcome.
Cyclizar has ways to learn other moves like Draco Meteor, Knock Off, Rapid Spin, and U-Turn, all of which can be incredibly helpful for dismantling other teams. Draco Meteor is among the most powerful moves in the game, and with a respectable 85 Special Attack stat, Cyclizar can damage other Pokemon with a STAB boosted 130 base power move. Knock Off and Rapid Spin provide ways to clear out items and field hazards such as Stealth Rocks, Spikes, or Toxic Spikes. U-Turn can provide means of switching out if there isn't enough health left for Shed Tail too, making Cyclizar a fantastic pivot while setting the field for other Pokemon in a trainer's party.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.
