Is Silvally Good?

Situational. Silvally is decent for main story playthroughs thanks to its flat base 95 stats and ability to change types using Memories. However, in serious competitive PvP, it fails entirely. Relying on its ability forces it to forfeit a crucial held item, leaving its damage output severely outclassed.

Silvally is a budget Arceus that sacrifices its item slot for type flexibility, making it mathematically inferior to specialized Pokémon.

Rating 4/10 · Tier Untiered (National Dex) / B-for In-Game · Role : Offensive Pivot / Setup Sweeper

Strengths

• Multi-Attack is a highly reliable 120 Base Power STAB move with zero drawbacks.
• Access to Parting Shot and U-turn makes it a functional momentum-gaining pivot.
• RKS System allows you to patch up a missing type in casual playthrough teams easily.

Weaknesses

• Using any type other than Normal forces you to hold a Memory, preventing the use of Choice items, Life Orb, or Heavy-Duty Boots.
• Base 95 offensive stats are far too low to break through modern defensive walls without a boosting item.
• Zero reliable recovery moves outside of Rest severely limits its longevity as a pivot.
• Terastallization in Gen 9 completely obsoletes its gimmick by offering type-shifting without consuming an item slot.

Silvally suffers from the classic 'jack of all trades, master of none' syndrome. With a completely flat stat distribution, it reaches a respectable 570 Base Stat Total. On paper, this looks solid for a playthrough. In practice, it lacks the min-maxed distribution required for modern competitive play.

In formats like National Dex, it sits firmly in the Untiered or PU brackets. You simply cannot justify running it over specialized threats in high-tier play. Its base Speed leaves it outpaced by common base 100s, and its offenses fail to secure critical OHKOs.

Competitively, it is forced into two distinct roles: an offensive pivot utilizing Parting Shot, or a Swords Dance setup sweeper. Both roles are heavily compromised by its ability, RKS System. To change its typing, Silvally must hold a Memory. This single mechanic ruins its viability, as modern pivots desperately need Heavy-Duty Boots, and modern sweepers rely on Life Orb or Lum Berry.

If you are forcing Silvally into a National Dex or Gen 8 competitive format, you must build around its limitations. Ironically, the most effective way to play the 'type-shifting' Pokémon is to keep it Normal-type.

The Life Orb Swords Dance Set

By ignoring the Memories, Silvally can hold a Life Orb. This immediately fixes its underwhelming damage output.

• Item: Life Orb
• Ability: RKS System
• Moves: Swords Dance / Multi-Attack / Flame Charge / Earthquake
• EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe (Jolly Nature)

Multi-Attack remains a 120 BP Normal-type move, hitting incredibly hard after a Swords Dance. Flame Charge is mandatory here; without it, you will be easily revenge-killed by faster threats. Earthquake provides essential coverage against Steel and Rock types that resist your primary STAB.

The Memory Pivot Set

If you absolutely need role compression, Fairy or Steel Memory sets function as decent pivots in lower tiers.

• Item: Fairy Memory or Steel Memory
• Moves: Parting Shot / Multi-Attack / Defog / Flamethrower
• EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe (Timid Nature)

This set focuses on utility. You come in on resisted hits, clear hazards with Defog, and use Parting Shot to sap the opponent's momentum. However, without Heavy-Duty Boots, taking hazard damage every time you switch in makes this set very frail over a long match.

Silvally shines brightest when paired with slow, devastating wallbreakers that struggle to enter the field safely. Because its base Speed is slightly below the crowded base 100 tier, it often takes a hit before using Parting Shot.

This 'slow pivot' mechanic is actually beneficial. By taking the opponent's attack and then lowering their offensive stats with Parting Shot, Silvally ensures that frail teammates like Dragapult or Choice Band Tyranitar can switch in completely unscathed.

In terms of direct matchups, Silvally (when holding a Fairy or Steel Memory) excels at checking passive defensive Pokémon. It can switch into Toxapex or Mandibuzz, ignore their weak attacks, and immediately grab momentum. The Fairy Memory variant specifically forces out common Dragon-types in lower tiers, threatening them with a STAB Fairy Multi-Attack before pivoting away.

The fatal flaw of Silvally is its item dependency. Trying to sweep with a Memory-held Silvally often leaves you mathematically short on damage. A base Attack stat without a Choice Band or Life Orb multiplier simply does not break through walls like Corviknight or Dondozo.

Entry hazards are its second biggest enemy. I have lost count of how many times Stealth Rock and a single layer of Spikes chipped my Fairy-Silvally into KO range. Because it cannot hold Heavy-Duty Boots, every time you switch in to use Defog or Parting Shot, you lose a massive chunk of your health.

Compounding this issue is the total lack of reliable recovery. Silvally does not learn Roost, Recover, or Slack Off. Your only option for healing is Rest, which is practically a death sentence in fast-paced singles formats without a Chesto Berry (which, again, you cannot hold if you want a different typing).

While it fails in PvP, Silvally is a fantastic addition to casual playthrough teams. In Pokémon Sun/Moon and Sword/Shield, obtaining Type: Null and evolving it gives you the ultimate flex slot for your roster.

If you chose a Grass starter and failed to catch a Water-type, simply hand Silvally the Water Memory. It instantly patches the hole in your team. For the Battle Tower in Gen 8, its flat stats are more than enough to out-muscle the AI, especially since the AI rarely switches out of bad matchups.

However, keep in mind that its evolution method requires high friendship. You will need to spend time using the Camp feature or feeding it berries before it becomes useful, as Type: Null's base Speed is far too sluggish for a comfortable playthrough.

Currently unavailable in Scarlet and Violet, Silvally's core identity has been entirely hijacked by Gen 9's mechanics. Terastallization does exactly what RKS System does, but better. Any Pokémon can now change its type while still holding a Choice Scarf or Leftovers.

If you are looking for a fast, Normal-type pivot in modern formats, Cyclizar is the strictly superior choice. It offers Regenerator for infinite longevity, Rapid Spin for hazard control, and Shed Tail to pass substitutes—all without locking its item slot.

If you want a versatile type-shifter, Greninja (with Protean) or Cinderace (with Libero) execute the concept flawlessly. They hit much harder, are significantly faster, and retain the freedom to use optimized competitive items.