Chi-Yu Movesets and Best Builds

This is a guide to movesets and best builds for using Chi-Yu in competitive play for the games Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV). Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Tera Type, and Held Items to use with Chi-Yu, as well as its strengths and weakness.

Chi-Yu - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Moveset for Ranked Battle	Tera Raid Build

Chi-Yu Base Stats, Ability and Type

Chi-Yu Type, Abilities, and Type Effectiveness

Paldea #396		Type
Chi-Yu
		Abilities
		Beads of Ruin
Weak to:
	(2x)
Damaged Normally By:	(1x)
Resists:	(0.5x)
Immune to:	(0x)

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Chi-Yu

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Chi-Yu

Choice Scarf Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Modest (+Sp.Atk, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 4 / Sp.Atk 252 / Spe 252
Final Stat Values	HP 131 / Def 100 / Sp.Atk 205 / Sp.Def 140 / Spe 152
Ability	Beads of Ruin
Tera Type
Held Item	Choice Scarf
Moveset	・ Overheat ・ Dark Pulse ・ Flamethrower ・ Tera Blast

Summary

Thanks to Chi-Yu's Beads of Ruin Ability inflicting a 25% decrease on the opponent's Special Defense, it can run an effective Choice Scarf set to outpace its usual checks and counters.

Beads of Ruin makes it difficult to switch into Dual Fire and Dark-type STAB has great neutral coverage

Ability and Held Item

Ability	Held Item
Beads of Ruin	Choice Scarf

Beads of Ruin is Chi-Yu's only Ability and reduces the Special Defense of all Pokemon on the field by 25%. This allows Chi-Yu to inflict heavy damage even against dedicated Special Walls.

Choice Scarf doubles Chi-Yu's effective Speed stat at the cost of locking it on the first move it used. With the given EV spread, Chi-Yu has an effective Speed stat of 304.

Moves Breakdown

Overheat is Chi-Yu's strongest Fire-type move and boasts a 130 Base Power at the cost of lowering its Special Attack by two stages after every use. Dark Pulse is its main Dark-type STAB and has a 20% chance to cause the target to flinch.

Flamethrower is a weaker Fire-type STAB but doesn't lower Chi-Yu's Special Attack and is best used if you're planning to stay on the field for consistent damage.

Tera Blast with a Fairy Tera Type is a great coverage option for Chi-Yu, allowing it to threaten problematic Dragon and Fighting-types like Dragonite and both Urshifu forms.

Best Tera Type: Fairy

Fairy Tera Type Matchup
Weak to:
	(2x)
Damaged Normally By:	(1x)
Resists:	(0.5x)
Immune to:	(0x)

Fairy is the best Tera Type for Chi-Yu since it is a great defensive typing, and it gives Chi-Yu's Tera Blast great offensive coverage.

Alternatively, it could use a Stellar Tera Type so that it can boost the damage of whatever move it chooses to use without having to commit to a single Tera Type.

Best Fairy (Tera) Type Pokemon for Ranked Battles

EV Spread and Nature

Full EV investment in Special Attack and Speed allows it to hit as hard as possible with its special attacks and get an effective Speed stat of 304 with Choice Scarf equipped, while the remaining EVs are placed in HP to round off its bulk.

Other Viable Moves

Key Damage Calculations

The following calculations take into account Chi-Yu's given EV spread with a Modest Nature.

Damage Dealt by Chi-Yu
80 HP｜96 Sp.Def Defensive EV Investment: HP 4 (Jolly) Item: Wellspring Mask	Overheat 172-204 (110.2 - 130.7%) Guaranteed OHKO Also Applies for Hearthflame and Cornerstone Forms
91 HP｜100 Sp.Def Defensive EV Investment: HP 244 | Sp.Def 4 (Adamant) Item: Rocky Helmet	Tera Fairy Tera Blast 102-121 (51.7 - 61.4%) Guaranteed 2HKO
100 HP｜60 Sp.Def Defensive EV Investment: Def 4 (Adamant) Item: Punching Glove	Tera Fairy Tera Blast 308-366 (176 - 209.1%) Guaranteed OHKO

Game8's Competitive Damage Calculator

Revenge Killer Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EV Spread	4 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe
Final Stat Values	131 HP / 100 Def / 187 Sp. Atk / 140 Sp. Def / 167 Spe
Ability	Beads of Ruin
Tera Type
Held Item	Choice Specs
Moveset	・ Overheat ・ Dark Pulse ・ Tera Blast ・ Psychic

This set aims to come in mid-game, after a teammate has been knocked out and take out a threat to your team. Not many Pokemon will want to take a Choice Specs-boosted Overheat at -1 Special Defense, and few Pokemon can switch into it.

Tera Fairy is the Tera Type of choice, because this lets Chi-Yu heavily damage Pokemon like Urshifu or Dragonite which would otherwise counter it. Tera Fire / Dark are also viable options because it can further boost Chi-Yu's STAB damage.

Other Viable Moves

Key Damage Calculations

Damage Dealt by Chi-Yu
114 HP｜80 Sp. Def Defensive EV Investment: 252 HP / 252 Sp. Def Item: Rocky Helmet	Choice Specs Flamethrower 216 ~ 254 (97.7 ~ 114.9%) 81.3% chance to OHKO
114 HP｜80 Sp. Def Defensive EV Investment: 252 HP / 252 Sp. Def Item: Rocky Helmet	Choice Specs Overheat 312 ~ 368 (141.1 ~ 166.5%) Guaranteed OHKO
114 HP｜80 Sp. Def Defensive EV Investment: 252 HP / 252 Sp. Def Item: Occa Berry	Choice Specs Overheat 312 ~ 368 (70.5 ~ 83.2%) Guaranteed 2-Hit KO
114 HP｜80 Sp. Def (-1 Beads of Ruin Sp. Def drop) Defensive EV Investment: 252 HP / 252 Sp. Def Item: Occa Berry	Choice Specs Overheat 207 ~ 244 (93.6 ~ 110.4%) 62.5% Chance to OHKO

Doubles Movesets for Chi-Yu

Offensive Lead Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Modest (+Sp. Atk, -Atk)
EV Spread	252 Sp. Atk / 4 Sp. Def / 252 Spe
Final Stat Values	130 HP / 100 Def / 205 Sp. Atk / 141 Sp. Def / 152 Spe (228 with Choice Scarf)
Ability	Beads of Ruin
Tera Type
Held Item	Choice Scarf
Moveset	・ Heat Wave ・ Dark Pulse ・ Snarl ・ Overheat

Chi-Yu can best be utilized with another Special Attacker who can take advantage of its Beads of Ruin debuff. Pokemon with high Speed and Special Attack are ideal partners for Chi-Yu.

Choice Scarf Snarl is great against opposing Chi-Yu and Flutter Mane leads, which can help protect your Flutter Mane from getting KOd by opposing Shadow Ball.

Other Viable Moves

Key Damage Calculations

Damage Dealt by Chi-Yu
114 HP｜80 Sp. Def (-1 Beads of Ruin Sp. Def drop) Defensive EV Investment: 236 HP / 116 Sp. Def Item: Rocky Helmet	Heat Wave 192 ~ 228 (87.6 ~ 104.1%) 18.8% Chance to OHKO
70 HP｜105 Sp. Def (-1 Beads of Ruin Sp. Def drop) Defensive EV Investment: 252 HP / 4 Sp. Def Ability: Psychic Surge Item: Psychic Seed	Dark Pulse 198 ~ 234 (111.8 ~ 132/2%) Guaranteed OHKO

How to Use Chi-Yu Effectively

Revenge Kill Then Switch Out

Chi-Yu can come in after a teammate has been knockedd out, and Overheat against an opponent with -1 Special Defense. This will usually result in a KOd Pokemon if it cannot resist Overheat. After doing this, switch Chi-Yu out so that it can do it again, and score another KO.

Utilize Chi-Yu's High Special Attack and its Ability

Chi-Yu's 135 Base Special Attack is a perfect match to its Beads of Ruin Ability, which gives every Pokemon on the field -1 Special Defense. This allows it to deal massive damage on neutral hits.

How to Build a Team with Chi-Yu

Chi-Yu has trouble denting bulky Dark-types so teammates that can deal with them are great to have alongside Chi-Yu.

Sample Singles Team

Physical Sweeper	Revenge Killer	Backup Special Attacker
Garchomp	Chi-Yu	Sylveon

Sylveon is especially good against Tyranitar if it does not Terastallize. It can also switch into a Fighting-type move for resisted damage, and threaten back with a powerful Hyper Voice.

Garchomp is great against Pokemon like Maushold because of its Rough Skin. It also sits at a comfortable Speed Tier of 102, where it can usually outspeed threats to Chi-Yu.

Sample Doubles Team

Special Attacker	Special Attacker
Flutter Mane	Chi-Yu
Support / Special Attacker	Special Attacker
Lilligant	Torkoal

Flutter Mane and Chi-Yu are a powerful duo who can shred through opposing leads with ease especially when they attack together.

However they may find trouble against opposing Weather teams. Tyranitar can effectively wall Chi-Yu, while its partners with Sand Rush can outspeed and threaten Flutter Mane.

Torkoal can switch in mid-match and change the weather for a more advantageous setup.

Lilligant, Torkoal's usual partner, can be a nuisance and put opponents to sleep with Sleep Powder.

Counters for Chi-Yu

Chi-Yu's 100 Base Speed limits its performance, being outsped by Pokemon like Garchomp and even Sandy Shocks if it is running a Speed boosting Nature. It is also heavily walled by Tyranitar.

Forcing Chi-Yu into situations where it can't deal meaningful damage, or outspeed will result in it getting switched out or getting KOd outright.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Tyranitar	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Tyranitar can easily wall Chi-Yu's offense. ・It can KO Chi-Yu with a super-effective Stomping Tantrum. ・Can break Chi-Yu's Focus Sash with Sand damage. ▶️Tyranitar Best Movesets
Garchomp	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Can outspeed and KO Chi-Yu with Earthquake. ▶️Garchomp Best Movesets
Maushold	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Can outspeed and KO Chi-Yu with Population Bomb even through Focus Sash. ▶️Maushold Best Movesets

Best Chi-Yu Team for Paldea Prologue Online Competition

In the recently concluded Paldea Prologue Online Competition, all 400 Paldea Pokedex Pokemon are legal, including Koraidon and Miraidon. This was the best team for using Chi-Yu in this competition.

Best Teams for Paldea Prologue

Chi-Yu Team Breakdown

Chi-Yu has natural synergy with both Torkoal and Flutter Mane. It can use Sun-boosted Heat Waves when paired with Torkoal, and Flutter Mane can spam Dazzling Gleam when next to Chi-Yu.

Murkrow can manually set up Sun when anticipating a Pelipper switch-in. Lilligant, Torkoal's usual partner, can put opponents to sleep with Sleep Powder.

Lastly, Wash Rotom with a Fire Tera Type can benefit from the sun, giving it incredible coverage in Electric, Water, and Fire.

This team makes use of the Focus Sash Offensive Lead Doubles Build.

VGC Doubles Team Building

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