NU Lilligant

uploaded by eternally

QC'd by: Blast, Raseri, Eternally
GP'd by: marthaa, Empress

[OVERVIEW]

With access to Quiver Dance, one of the best setup moves in the game, and Sleep Powder, a move that can be used to ease setup opportunities, Lilligant is a unique, albeit niche, choice among the Grass-type attackers in NU. Thanks to Lilligant's Z-Move access, it can blast through Pokemon that the likes of Rotom-C and Sceptile could only dream of, such as Garbodor, Vileplume, and Virizion. Quiver Dance boosts its Speed, allowing it to outspeed certain Choice Scarf users like Braviary and Vanilluxe and enabling it to do well against more offensive teams. However, its movepool is quite shallow, which forces it out of many walls in the tier, and it is very reliant on Z-Moves to be of much use during the game, limiting its options quite a lot. While Quiver Dance raises its Speed, it is still very much vulnerable to priority moves such as Sneasel's Ice Shard and faster Choice Scarf users like Delphox. Lilligant also faces competiton as an offensive Grass-type. Rotom-C has a great offensive typing and access to Trick and Will-O-Wisp to cripple special walls, Whimsicott has a great additional Fairy typing, more immediate power, and a far better movepool, and Sceptile is much faster and boasts better coverage options. All three aren't quite as one-dimensional as Lilligant is, either, thanks to their better movepools and stats.

[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 4: Hyper Beam / Dream Eater
item: Normalium Z / Psychium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Quiver Dance is Lilligant's most notable niche over a lot of its Grass-type competitors, allowing it to set up and hit extremely hard afterwards. Giga Drain is its most reliable STAB move, healing off whatever damage it might have taken. Sleep Powder can be used to set up far more easily. The last slot depends on the item you have chosen. Breakneck Blitz provides great neutral coverage with Grass-type moves and hits Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Guzzlord, but Shattered Psyche is notable in hitting Garbodor, Golbat, Vileplume, and Virizion super effectively.

Set Details
========

Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment and a Timid nature allow Lilligant to outspeed Hitmonlee and Vivillon. The ability choice doesn't really matter. However, Chlorophyll is preferred when going up against the rare sun teams. Z-Moves give Lilligant a lot of its viability. Normalium Z should be used for Breakneck Blitz, and Psychium Z should be used if you prefer Shattered Psyche.

Usage Tips
========

Lilligant's role is that of a setup sweeper. As such, it is best played later in the match. Using Quiver Dance as soon as the opponent switches in a check such as Sneasel, Golbat, or Garbodor is a wise decision, though bulkier checks such as the latter two may need to be weakened a bit beforehand. The Z-Move must be used wisely. When the opponent switches in something immune to Lilligant's Z-Move, such as Mismagius if running Breakneck Blitz or Houndoom if running Shattered Psyche, Sleep Powder is a good option. There are a lot of Pokemon in the tier that Lilligant can reliably use as setup fodder. These include the likes of Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Jellicent. Lastly, after you consume Lilligant's Z-Move, the move it is attached to isn't necessarily very good, as Dream Eater can be played around thanks to Sleep Clause and Hyper Beam gives the foe a free turn. Despite this, they can be used to grab a last ditch KO with the right circumstances.

Team Options
========

Lilligant struggles against Fire-types such as Delphox, Assault Vest Magmortar, and Assault Vest Incineroar. Because of this, pairing it up with Pokemon that can take care of these threats, such as Rhydon and Seismitoad, are encouraged. These Pokemon in particular also have access to Stealth Rock, which can, for instance, give Lilligant a chance to OHKO Delphox on the switch with Breakneck Blitz. Fire-types such as Delphox, Emboar, and Houndoom, collectively one of Lilligant's greatest checks, can also be good partners for it, beating opposing Grass-, Ice-, and Steel-types. Lastly, wallbreakers such as Emboar and Double Dance Rhydon can break down defensive checks like Garbodor and Golbat for Lilligant to sweep easier later.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Lilligant can best be summed up as a one-trick pony, although it does have some usable alternative options. Choice Scarf sets have a good niche in Healing Wish, as Lilligant is one of the few viable Pokemon in the tier to possess the move, but these sets suffer from Lilligant's poor movepool. Z-Nature Power is a notable other option, as it thwarts Sucker Punch while still giving Lilligant a strong Breakneck Blitz. Unlike Lilligant's other Z-Move options, it still has use after consuming the Z-Crystal. Hidden Power Fire hits opposing Grass-types reliably, Hidden Power Rock hits Fire- and Flying-types, and Hidden Power Ice covers the latter in addition to opposing Grass-types. In general, Hidden Power can be a option for teams that already have a Z-Move user. However, Z-Moves are a crucial part of Lilligant's niche in the tier. Finally, Substitute allows Lilligant to set up easily against Pokemon that rely on status to cripple it, such as Seismitoad and Regirock. However, it comes at the cost of either coverage or Sleep Powder, which are vital to Lilligant's sweep, making Substitute a far riskier option.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Revenge Killers**: 90 is a good Speed tier, but there are still several notable Pokemon that can outspeed Lilligant and do massive damage to it, preventing it from setting up. Priority users such as Ice Shard Sneasel and Choice Scarf users such as Delphox, Scyther, and Haunter can all revenge kill it, though not all of them can outspeed it at +1.

**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Choice Scarf Emboar can outspeed and OHKO Lilligant before it even gets the chance to set up. More defensively-oriented Fire-types work wonders as well. Assault Vest Incineroar can utilize disruptive moves like Fake Out and can soak up a Shattered Psyche thanks to its Dark typing. Assault Vest Magmortar is a more niche alternative, but it comes with the bonus of being immune to Sleep Powder thanks to Vital Spirit.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types are notable for their ability to soak up Sleep Powder and resist Lilligant's Grass-type STAB attacks. Many of them can revenge kill Lilligant, such as physical variants of Sceptile with Acrobactics, or can tank a hit from Lilligant and proceed to annoy it, such as Whimsicott and the rare Ferroseed. A lot of Grass-types that might seem like good checks, such as Vileplume and Virizion, are OHKOed by a boosted Shattered Psyche, however, so being aware of Lilligant's choice of Z-Move and making Lilligant waste it is necessary for them.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Cryogonal, Miltank, and Bulk Up Braviary can easily take a hit from Lilligant and either cripple it with status or set up on it. More offensive Pokemon that resist Lilligant's moveset or have good natural special bulk, such as Guzzlord and the aforementioned Incineroar and Magmortar, can tank a hit and KO it back. Golbat gets a particular mention, as specially defensive variants can use Roost to heal off Breakneck Blitz and do a massive chunk of damage with Brave Bird, but it can't take a Shattered Psyche all that well.

**Steel-types**: Without the rare Hidden Power Fire, Lilligant can't dent Steel-types very well, as they resist Grass and both of its Z-Move options. Ferroseed can set up Spikes on Lilligant, and Quiver Dance can backfire due to Ferroseed's access to Gyro Ball, Klinklang can set up on it, Silvally-Steel can use Toxic on it or use Parting Shot to lower its stats, and Togedemaru can annoy it with Encore or Toxic. Keep in mind, though, that aside from Ferroseed, all of these Pokemon can be hit by Sleep Powder on the switch.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I am not qc so take what I say with a grain of salt but it would be worth listing Drapion and Bulky Braviary as Checks or Counters.
Drapion can outspeed without a boost and with a Scarf set still outspeed. Scarf Braviary can check with Speed while Bulk Up Braviary is able to take a +1 Z-move with any proper Bulk Up set. Both these pokemon can run other sets that can each threaten to take it on before it's set up as well. They can lose if they are put to Sleep but this is already assuming you are at +1. It would also be worth listing how the Z-moves help it beat Golbat as it's equally or more relevant of a KO as Garbodor. Other pokemon such as Sneasel and Offensive Cryogonal can force it out as well, one of which you mentioned in Usage Tips but not under checks.

Contrary to the above ones I question if it's even worth listing or mentioning Silvally-steel as it's pretty much none-existent. Adding to this however, Sandslash-Alola should be listed under Steel type pokemon as it resists all coverage bar HP Fire, threatens to OHKO and with Jolly can even outspeed if hail is up against +1 Lilligant.
 

Blast

Member of the Alien Nation
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]
  • Access to Quiver Dance and Sleep Powder give Lilligant a niche over other Grass-type attacks such as Rotom-C and Sceptile. The latter move aids a lot in set up.
  • Z-Moves help Lilligant a lot. Thanks to Breakneck Blitz and Shattered Psyche, it can now bypass several Pokemon that it would otherwise be extremely prone to such as Garbodor, Vileplume, and Virizion.
  • Extremely shallow offensive movepool hurts its viability a lot. For one thing, it can't really hit Steel-types for much damage.
  • Is often reliant on its Z-Move being used correctly in order to be of much use in a match.
The Overview should touch on Lilligant's shortcomings compared to other Grass-types; it lacks the Speed of Sceptile and the versatility of Rotom-C, and due to its reliance on single-use Z-Moves for coverage, it doesn't have nearly as much use early-game.

[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 4: Hyper Beam / Dream Eater
item: Normalium Z / Psychium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Quiver Dance is Lilligant's most notable niche over a lot of its Grass-type competitors, allowing it to set up and hit extremely hard afterwards.
  • Giga Drain is your most reliable STAB, healing off whatever damage you might have taken.
  • Sleep Powder can be used to set up far easier.
  • The last slot depends on the item you have chosen. Z-Hyper Beam provides great neutral coverage with Grass-type moves, but Z-Dream Eater is notable in hitting Garbodor, Golbat, Vileplume, and Virizion super effectively. Mention that Breakneck Blitz hits Drapion and Incineroar
  • Z-Nature Power is a notable other option as it dodges Sucker Punch while still giving off a strong Breakneck Blitz. Move this to OO
Set Details
========
  • The ability choice doesn't really matter. However, Chlorophyll is preferred for when you go up against rare sun teams. Own Tempo's only possible use is against No Guard Machamp, who KOs you anyway.
  • Z-Moves give Lilligant a lot of its viability. Normalium Z should be used if you desire Z-Hyper Beam or Z-Nature Power, and Psychium Z should be used if you prefer Z-Dream Eater.
Add a quick point about the EV spread, more specifically what Timid is for
Usage Tips
========
  • Lilligant's role is that of a set up sweeper. As such, it is best played later in the match.
  • Using Quiver Dance as soon as the opponent switches into a check such as Sneasel, Golbat, or Garbodor is a wise decision. Afterwards, use of your Z-Move can be valuable. You want bulky checks to be weakened before trying to bust through them. Also keep in mind an opponent can play around an obvious Z-Move and that Sleep Powder is a useful tool for increasing mindgames.
  • There are a lot of Pokemon in the tier that Lilligant can reliably use as set-up fodder. These include the likes of Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Jellicent. Be wary of Sleep Powder's accuracy, however. It will miss when the player least expects it. It's confusing to say that Sleep Powder is inaccurate right after mentioning a bunch of Pokemon you can set up on without Sleep Powder
  • After you consume your Z-Move, the move it is attached to isn't necessarily very good, but they can have their uses, particularly Nature Power, which even after its Z-Move is gone, still has the ability to avoid Sucker Punch and is a decently powered move in Tri Attack. Dream Eater and Hyper Beam are less fortunate, however, as the former can be played around thanks to Sleep Clause and the latter gives the opponent a free turn. Despite this, they can be used to grab a last ditch KO provided the right circumstances.

Team Options
========
  • Lilligant struggles against Fire-types such as Delphox, Assault Vest Magmortar, and Assault Vest Incineroar. Because of this, pairing it up with Pokemon that can take care of these threats, such as Rhydon or Seismitoad, are encouraged. These Pokemon in particular also have access to Stealth Rock, which can, for instance, give Lilligant a chance to OHKO a lot of Jellicent variants at +1. Use a better calc than Jellicent. It barely matters because it's massive setup bait for Lilligant
  • Fire-types, collectively one of Lilligant's greatest checks, can also be a good partners for it, beating opposing Grass-types, Ice-types, and Steel-types. Examples of these include Emboar, Houndoom, and Delphox.
  • Lilligant functions very well on Aurora Veil based teams. Alolan Sandslash's great speed under Hail makes it the best setter for such a set-up, while Aurorus' support moves like Stealth Rock and Encore are very useful in aiding Lilligant's sweep even further. I'm not sure if you have to mention Aurora Veil specifically, seeing how none of the most common Veil builds actually use Lilli. Expand on teammates that can help Lilli break through its checks, it's relatively self-sufficient when it comes to setting up.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
  • Choice Scarf sets have one notable niche in Healing Wish access, which can be useful for teams that don't have room for Z-Memento or Z-Parting Shot. However, its shallow offensive movepool cripples such a set severely.
  • Hidden Power Fire hits Alolan Sandslash and the rare Ferroseed. However, Steelix, the most common Steel-type, gets hit neutrally by Grass-type attacks, and the others can be easily handled via team support.
Expand on Hidden Power, explain that it's an option for teams that already have a Z-Move user, but the power of Z-Moves are often crucial for Lilligant to sweep. Add a bullet for Substitute too.
Checks and Counters
===================

**Faster Pokemon**: 90 is a good Speed tier, but there are still several notable Pokemon that can outspeed Lilligant and do massive damage to it, preventing it from setting up. This includes the likes of Drapion, Tauros, Sneasel, Cryogonal, and Houndoom. Aside from Scarf Drapion, though, these fail to outspeed a +1 Lilligant. Change this section to revenge killers, the biggest offensive threats to Lilligant are the ones that can beat it after a boost. Priority and fast Scarfers would go here.

**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Choice Scarf Emboar can outspeed and OHKO Lilligant before it even gets the chance to set up. More defensively orientated Fire-types work wonders as well. Assault Vest Incineroar can utilize disruptive moves like Fake Out and can soak up a Shattered Psyche thanks to its Dark-typing. Assault Vest Magmortar is a more niche alternative, but it comes with the bonus of being immune to Sleep Powder thanks to the Vital Spirit ability.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types are notable for their ability to soak up a Sleep Powder and resisting Lilligant's Grass-type STAB attacks. Many of them can revenge kill Lilligant such as physical variants of Sceptile with Acrobactics, or can tank a hit from Lilligant and proceed to annoy it, such as Whimsicott and the rare Ferroseed. A lot of Grass-types that might seem like good checks, such as Vileplume or Virizion, are OHKO'ed by a boosted Shattered Psyche, however, so being aware of Lilligant's choice of Z-Move and making Lilligant waste it is necessary.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Specially Defensive Sableye can force Lilligant into a very tough situation, using Prankster Taunt to prevent Lilligant from using Quiver Dance or Sleep Powder, stalling it out via Recover, and surprisingly taking very little from Giga Drain and being immune to all of Lilligant's Z-Moves. Provided Lilligant has already put something to sleep, even Assault Vest Slowking can either 2HKO with Fire Blast or shuffle it out with Dragon Tail. More niche options such as Audino and Silvally-Steel can work as well. Hardly any of these examples are even close to relevant, and AV Slowking is not a reliable check at all. Try BU Braviary, Guzzlord or Cryogonal for better examples.

**Steel-type Pokemon**: While Steelix, the most common Steel-type, is neutral to Grass-type attacks, it can actually win against Lilligant provided that its very healthy and that Lilligant has already used up its Sleep Powder; this is because Heavy Slam 2HKOes Lilligant. Other Steel-types in the tier are rare and much more niche, but the likes of Ferroseed can wall Lilligant for days unless Lilligant runs the rare Hidden Power Fire. Alolan Sandslash deserves a mention due to having super effective STAB against Lilligant and if Jolly can outspeed Lilligant under Hail even at +1. Steelix's matchup is shaky at best even to an unboosted Lilli, Sandslash-A is a suicide Veil setter, and you already mentioned Ferroseed earlier. I'd honestly just delete this section.
Comments in bold, implement this and I'll take another look later
 

Blast

Member of the Alien Nation
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
In C&C, Scarf Braviary and Vanilluxe don't outspeed +1 Lilligant

QC 1/3
 
Updated to include recent metagame shifts and changes. Ban Ice Cream

Edit: Added mention of offensive Whimsicott to the overview and removed Drapion mentions!
 
Last edited:

etern

is a Community Leaderis a Top Tiering Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a defending SCL Championis a Former Smogon Metagame Tournament Circuit Champion
NU Leader
Overview:
  • Forced out by which walls?
  • Be a bit more blunt in explaining that Lilligant is a very niche pick compared to the consistency and greater effectiveness of the other three Grass-types, you could also mention the competition it faces from Virizion.
  • Likewise, put more emphasis on Quiver Dance as the thing which seperates it from other Grass-types, boosting speed is very important and something that the other Grass-types do not do, which can make it much more difficult to revenge kill by traditional means.
  • You should also talk about how even after a quiver dance it's still vulnerable to priority such as Sneasel's Ice Shard, and Choice Scarf users such as Delphox, Haunter, Dodrio, and Houndoom.
  • The last line is very vague, flesh it out a bit more.
Moves:
  • Give some more targets for Z-Hyper Beam. Guzzlord is fine, but things like Delphox and Houndoom should be mentioned first.
Other Options:
  • Add Choice Scarf with Healing Wish.
Checks & Counters:
  • You didn't implement Blast's check here, Braviary and Vanilluxe don't outspeed a +1 Lilligant. Use Delphox, Scyther, and Haunter instead.
  • Add a new section called "Steel-types". Move Ferroseed here, add Klinklang, Silvally Steel (Toxic), and Togedemaru.
3/3 After you've done this.
 

autumn

only i will remain
is a Site Content Manageris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
C&C Leader

GP 1/2
add remove comments

[OVERVIEW]

With access to Quiver Dance, one of the best set-up setup moves in the game, (AC) and Sleep Powder, a move that can be used to ease set-up setup opportunities, Lilligant is a unique, albeit niche choice among the Grass-type attackers in NU. Thanks to Lilligant's Z-Move access, it can blast through Pokemon that the likes of Rotom-C and Sceptile could only dream of, (AC) such as Garbodor, Vileplume, and Virizion. Quiver Dance boosts its Speed, allowing it to outspeed certain Choice Scarf users like Braviary and Vanilluxe, (RC) and also enables it to do well against more offensive teams builds. However, not all is well for Lilligant, as its movepool is quite shallow, which forces it out of many walls in the tier, and it is very reliant on Z-Move to be of much use during the game, limiting its use by options quite a lot. While Quiver Dance raises its Speed, it Lilligant is still very much vulnerable to priority moves such as Sneasel's Ice Shard or and faster Choice Scarf users like Delphox. But the biggest problem facing Lilligant is the competition it faces as an offensive Grass-type. Lilligant also faces competiton as an offensive Grass-type. Rotom-C has a great offensive typing, (RC) and access to Trick or and Will-O-Wisp to cripple special walls, Whimsicott has a great additional Fairy-type Fairy typing, more immediate power, and a far better movepool, and Sceptile is much faster and boasts better coverage options. All 3 three aren't quite as one-dimensional as Lilligant is either, thanks to their better movepools and stats.

[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 4: Hyper Beam / Dream Eater
item: Normalium Z / Psychium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Quiver Dance is Lilligant's most notable niche over a lot of its Grass-type competitors, allowing it to set up and hit extremely hard afterwards. Giga Drain is your its most reliable STAB move, healing off whatever damage you it might have taken. Sleep Powder can be used to set up far easier more easily. The last slot depends on the item you have chosen. Z-Hyper Beam Breakneck Blitz provides great neutral coverage with Grass-type moves, (RC) as well as hitting and hits Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Guzzlord, but Z-Dream Eater Shattered Psyche is notable in hitting Garbodor, Golbat, Vileplume, and Virizion super effectively.

Set Details
========

Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment and a Timid nature allow Lilligant to outspeed Hitmonlee and Vivillon. The ability choice doesn't really matter. However, Chlorophyll is preferred when going up against the rare sun teams. Z-Moves give Lilligant a lot of its viability. Normalium Z should be used for Breakneck Blitz if you desire Z-Hyper Beam, and Psychium Z should be used if you prefer Shattered Psyche Z-Dream Eater. Finally, the EV spread is standard, with fully invested Special Attack and Speed. Timid is preferred to outspeed Hitmonlee and Vivillon. (evs generally go first)

Usage Tips
======== (unbold)

Lilligant's role is that of a set up setup sweeper. As such, it is best played later in the match. Using Quiver Dance as soon as the opponent switches into a check such as Sneasel, Golbat, or Garbodor is a wise decision, though bulkier checks such as the latter two may need to be weakened a bit beforehand. The Z-Move must be used wisely. When the opponent switches in on something immune to your Z-Move of choice, such as Mismagius if Breakneck Blitz or Houndoom if Shattered Psyche, Sleep Powder is a good option. There are a lot of Pokemon in the tier that Lilligant can reliably use as set-up setup fodder. These include the likes of Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Jellicent. Lastly, after you consume your Z-Move, the move it is attached to isn't necessarily very good, as Dream Eater can be played around thanks to Sleep Clause and Hyper Beam gives the opponent foe a free turn. Despite this, they can be used to grab a last ditch KO provided with the right circumstances.

Team Options
========

Lilligant struggles against Fire-types such as Delphox, Assault Vest Magmortar, and Assault Vest Incineroar. Because of this, pairing it up with Pokemon that can take care of these threats, such as Rhydon or and Seismitoad, are encouraged. These Pokemon in particular also have access to Stealth Rock, which can, for instance, give Lilligant a chance to OHKO Delphox on the switch with Z-Hyper Beam. Fire-types, collectively one of Lilligant's greatest checks, can also be good partners for it, beating opposing Grass-types, Ice-types, and Steel-types. Examples of these include Emboar, Houndoom, and Delphox. Lastly, wallbreakers such as Emboar and Double Dance Rhydon can break down defensive checks like Garbodor or and Golbat, (RC) for Lilligant to sweep easier later.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Lilligant can best be summed up as a one-trick pony, although it does have some usable alternative options. Choice Scarf sets have a good niche in Healing Wish, being one of the few viable Pokemon in the tier to possess the move, (RC) but suffer from Lilligant's poor movepool. Z-Nature Power (leaving this because the base move is important) is a notable other option, (AC) as it dodges Sucker Punch while still giving off a strong Breakneck Blitz. Unlike Lilligant's other Z-Move options, it still has use after the crystal usage. Hidden Power Fire hits opposing Grass-types reliably, Hidden Power Rock hits Fire- and Flying-types, and Hidden Power Ice covers the latter in addition to opposing Grass-types. In general, Hidden Power can be a option for teams that already have a Z-Move user. However, Z-Moves are a crucial part of Lilligant's niche in the tier. Finally, Substitute allows Lilligant to set up easily against Pokemon reliant that rely on status to cripple it, such as Seismitoad or and Regirock. However, it comes at the cost of either coverage or Sleep Powder, which are vital to Lilligant's sweep, making Substitute a far riskier option.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Revenge Killers**: 90 is a good Speed tier, but there are still several notable Pokemon that can outspeed Lilligant and do massive damage to it, preventing it from setting up. Priority users such as Ice Shard Sneasel, (RC) and Choice Scarf users such as Delphox, Scyther, and Haunter can all revenge kill it, though not all of them can outspeed it after at +1.

**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Choice Scarf Emboar can outspeed and OHKO Lilligant before it even gets the chance to set up. More defensively orientated oriented Fire-types work wonders as well. Assault Vest Incineroar can utilize disruptive moves like Fake Out and can soak up a Shattered Psyche thanks to its Dark-(RH) typing. Assault Vest Magmortar is a more niche alternative, but it comes with the bonus of being immune to Sleep Powder thanks to the Vital Spirit ability.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types are notable for their ability to soak up a Sleep Powder and resisting Lilligant's Grass-type STAB attacks. Many of them can revenge kill Lilligant, (AC) such as physical variants of Sceptile with Acrobactics, or can tank a hit from Lilligant and proceed to annoy it, such as Whimsicott and the rare Ferroseed. A lot of Grass-types that might seem like good checks, such as Vileplume or and Virizion, are OHKO'ed OHKOed by a boosted Shattered Psyche, however, so being aware of Lilligant's choice of Z-Move and making Lilligant waste it is necessary for them.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Cryogonal and Bulk Up Braviary can easily take a hit from Lilligant and either cripple it with status or set up on it. More offensive Pokemon that resist Lilligant's moveset and/or have good natural special bulk, such as Guzzlord and the aforementioned Incineroar and Magmortar, can tank a hit and KO it back. Golbat gets a particular mention, (AC) as specially defensive variants can use Roost to heal off Breakneck Blitz and do a massive chunk with Brave Bird, but it can't take a Shattered Psyche all that well.

**Steel-types**: Without the rare Hidden Power Fire, Lilligant can't dent Steel-types very well, due to resisting as they resist both its STAB move and the Z-Move options. Ferroseed can set up Spikes in on Lilligant's face, and Quiver Dance can backfire due to Ferroseed's access to Gyro Ball, Klinklang can set up on it, Silvally-Steel can use Toxic on it or use Parting Shot to lower its stats, and Togedemaru can annoy it with Encore or Toxic. Keep in mind though that aside from Ferroseed, all of these Pokemon can be hit by Sleep Powder on the switch.
 

Empress

33% coffee / 33% alcohol / 34% estrogen
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
add remove comment
[OVERVIEW]

With access to Quiver Dance, one of the best setup moves in the game, (AC) and Sleep Powder, a move that can be used to ease setup opportunities, Lilligant is a unique, albeit niche, (AC) choice among the Grass-type attackers in NU. Thanks to Lilligant's Z-Move access, it can blast through Pokemon that the likes of Rotom-C and Sceptile could only dream of, such as Garbodor, Vileplume, and Virizion. Quiver Dance boosts its Speed, allowing it to outspeed certain Choice Scarf users like Braviary and Vanilluxe and enables enabling it to do well against more offensive teams. However, its movepool is quite shallow, which forces it out of many walls in the tier, and it is very reliant on Z-Moves to be of much use during the game, limiting its options quite a lot. While Quiver Dance raises its Speed, it is still very much vulnerable to priority moves such as Sneasel's Ice Shard and faster Choice Scarf users like Delphox. Lilligant also faces competition as an offensive Grass-type. Rotom-C has a great offensive typing and access to Trick and Will-O-Wisp to cripple special walls, Whimsicott has a great additional Fairy typing, more immediate power, and a far better movepool, and Sceptile is much faster and boasts better coverage options. All three aren't quite as one-dimensional as Lilligant is, (AC) either, thanks to their better movepools and stats.

[SET]
name: Quiver Dance
move 1: Quiver Dance
move 2: Giga Drain
move 3: Sleep Powder
move 4: Hyper Beam / Dream Eater
item: Normalium Z / Psychium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 Def / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Quiver Dance is Lilligant's most notable niche over a lot of its Grass-type competitors, allowing it to set up and hit extremely hard afterwards. Giga Drain is its most reliable STAB move, healing off whatever damage it might have taken. Sleep Powder can be used to set up far more easily. The last slot depends on the item you have chosen. Breakneck Blitz provides great neutral coverage with Grass-type moves and hits Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Guzzlord, but Shattered Psyche is notable in hitting Garbodor, Golbat, Vileplume, and Virizion super effectively.

Set Details
========

Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment and a Timid nature allow Lilligant to outspeed Hitmonlee and Vivillon. The ability choice doesn't really matter. However, Chlorophyll is preferred when going up against the rare sun teams. Z-Moves give Lilligant a lot of its viability. Normalium Z should be used for Breakneck Blitz, and Psychium Z should be used if you prefer Shattered Psyche.

Usage Tips
========

Lilligant's role is that of a setup sweeper. As such, it is best played later in the match. Using Quiver Dance as soon as the opponent switches into a check such as Sneasel, Golbat, or Garbodor is a wise decision, though bulkier checks such as the latter two may need to be weakened a bit beforehand. The Z-Move must be used wisely. When the opponent switches in something immune to your Lilligant's Z-Move of choice, such as Mismagius if running Breakneck Blitz or Houndoom running if Shattered Psyche, Sleep Powder is a good option. There are a lot of Pokemon in the tier that Lilligant can reliably use as setup fodder. These include the likes of Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Jellicent. Lastly, after you consume your Lilligant's Z-Move, the move it is attached to isn't necessarily very good, as Dream Eater can be played around thanks to Sleep Clause and Hyper Beam gives the foe a free turn. Despite this, they can be used to grab a last ditch KO with the right circumstances.

Team Options
========

Lilligant struggles against Fire-types such as Delphox, Assault Vest Magmortar, and Assault Vest Incineroar. Because of this, pairing it up with Pokemon that can take care of these threats, such as Rhydon and Seismitoad, are is encouraged. These Pokemon in particular also have access to Stealth Rock, which can, for instance, give Lilligant a chance to OHKO Delphox on the switch with Z-Hyper Beam Breakneck Blitz. Fire-types such as Emboar, Delphox, and Houndoom, collectively one of Lilligant's greatest checks, can also be good partners for it, beating opposing Grass-, Ice-, and Steel-types. Examples of these include Emboar, Houndoom, and Delphox. (Obviously these Pokemon are not Grass-, Ice-, or Steel-types, but it's best to leave no ambiguity.) Lastly, wallbreakers such as Emboar and Double Dance Rhydon can break down defensive checks like Garbodor and Golbat for Lilligant to sweep easier later.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]

Other Options
=============

Lilligant can best be summed up as a one-trick pony, although it does have some usable alternative options. Choice Scarf sets have a good niche in Healing Wish, being one as Lilligant is of the few viable Pokemon in the tier to possess the move, but it suffers these sets suffer from Lilligant's poor movepool. Z-Nature Power is a notable other option, as it dodges thwarts Sucker Punch while still giving off Lilligant a strong Breakneck Blitz. Unlike Lilligant's other Z-Move options, it still has use after the crystal usage consuming the Z-Crystal. Hidden Power Fire hits opposing Grass-types reliably, Hidden Power Rock hits Fire- and Flying-types, and Hidden Power Ice covers the latter in addition to opposing Grass-types. In general, Hidden Power can be a option for teams that already have a Z-Move user. However, Z-Moves are a crucial part of Lilligant's niche in the tier. Finally, Substitute allows Lilligant to set up easily against Pokemon that rely on status to cripple it, such as Seismitoad and Regirock. However, it comes at the cost of either coverage or Sleep Powder, which are vital to Lilligant's sweep, making Substitute a far riskier option.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Revenge Killers**: 90 is a good Speed tier, but there are still several notable Pokemon that can outspeed Lilligant and do massive damage to it, preventing it from setting up. Priority users such as Ice Shard Sneasel, (RC) and Choice Scarf users such as Delphox, Scyther, and Haunter can all revenge kill it, though not all of them can outspeed it at +1.

**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Delphox, Houndoom, and Choice Scarf Emboar can outspeed and OHKO Lilligant before it even gets the chance to set up. More defensively oriented Fire-types work wonders as well. Assault Vest Incineroar can utilize disruptive moves like Fake Out and can soak up a Shattered Psyche thanks to its Dark typing. Assault Vest Magmortar is a more niche alternative, but it comes with the bonus of being immune to Sleep Powder thanks to Vital Spirit.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types are notable for their ability to soak up Sleep Powder and resist Lilligant's Grass-type STAB attacks. Many of them can revenge kill Lilligant, such as physical variants of Sceptile with Acrobactics, or can tank a hit from Lilligant and proceed to annoy it, such as Whimsicott and the rare Ferroseed. A lot of Grass-types that might seem like good checks, such as Vileplume and Virizion, are OHKOed by a boosted Shattered Psyche, however, so being aware of Lilligant's choice of Z-Move and making Lilligant waste it is necessary for them.

**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Pokemon such as Cryogonal, Miltank, and Bulk Up Braviary can easily take a hit from Lilligant and either cripple it with status or set up on it. More offensive Pokemon that resist Lilligant's moveset or have good natural special bulk, such as Guzzlord and the aforementioned Incineroar and Magmortar, can tank a hit and KO it back. Golbat gets a particular mention, as specially defensive variants can use Roost to heal off Breakneck Blitz and do a massive chunk of damage with Brave Bird, but it can't take a Shattered Psyche all that well.

**Steel-types**: Without the rare Hidden Power Fire, Lilligant can't dent Steel-types very well, as they resist Grass and both of its STAB move and the Z-Move options. Ferroseed can set up Spikes on Lilligant, and Quiver Dance can backfire due to Ferroseed's access to Gyro Ball, Klinklang can set up on it, Silvally-Steel can use Toxic on it or use Parting Shot to lower its stats, and Togedemaru can annoy it with Encore or Toxic. Keep in mind, (AC) though, (AC) that aside from Ferroseed, all of these Pokemon can be hit by Sleep Powder on the switch.
GP 2/2
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top