I’m trying to decide how best to use a Delta Scyther. I have a rough idea of three builds I might use: A Super Luck + Scope Lens crit-focused build, a Hustle + Wide Lens build, and a Hustle + eviolite (or maybe focus sash) + hone claws build.
Crit Build (Super Luck + Scope Lens)
The basic idea for this build is that a crit without Hustle has the same power as a normal hit with Hustle, but without Hustle’s reduced accuracy. And when using a high-crit-ratio move (cross chop, stone edge, night slash, slash), Super Luck / Scope Lens scyther should get a guaranteed crit. Other moves should crit half the time.
The advantages this build has vs. the hustle builds:
- Unlike hustle + lens scyther, is guaranteed to hit with 100% accuracy moves (barring accuracy/evasion modifiers)
- Better accuracy than hustle+lens scyther:
- close combat, ice shard, etc.: 100% vs 88%
- icicle crash: 90% vs. ~79%
- stone edge: 80% vs. 70%
- Unlike hustle + hone claws scyther, doesn’t require a setup turn
- Crits ignore unfavorable stat changes. (Not sure how helpful this will actually be in the game—would welcome input)
The disadvantages vs. the two hustle builds:
- Weaker fighting-type attack. Cross Chop’s 100 BP * guaranteed crit = 150 effective power (but only 80% acc.), whereas hustle scyther uses Close Combat with 180 effective power and 88% acc. Close Combat’s 120 BP * 50% chance of crit = 150 expected power (but high variability—120 or 180). Cross Chop doesn’t have Close Combat’s stat drop, but scyther is so fragile anyway that I don’t really think it matters.
- Hustle + hone claws scyther has slightly greater accuracy than Super Luck + Scope Lens scyther. (e.g. stone edge works out to 85% after the hone claws)
Hustle + Wide Lens Build
This build is really simple. Scyther hits very hard because of Hustle. Wide Lens mitigates but does not eliminate the accuracy loss. The upsides of this build are pretty obvious. The key downside is accuracy. Stone edge is probably too inaccurate to use, and icicle crash is less than 80% accurate. Even 100% acc moves like Close Combat and Ice Shard will miss more than 10% of the time.
Hustle + Hone Claws + Eviolite/Focus Sash Build
This build takes a turn to set up, but after a Hone Claws it’s very strong. The +1 acc boost more than cancels out the hustle loss, so this build will actually be more accurate than the crit build. And the combination of Hustle and the +1 attack means it should hit absurdly hard. (If an Eviolite adds enough bulk to make healing worthwhile, Drain Punch might even work over Close Combat.) Maybe a moveset like the following?
- Hone Claws
- Icicle Crash
- Close Combat/Drain Punch
- Stone Edge
Ultimately, my biggest concern with this build is that even with Eviolite, Scyther’s lack of bulk will be a problem for it setting up. Its base speed is good but not great, so it needs to be able to reliably take two hits—and I’m not sure it can.