Best Offensive Singles Rental Team for VGC & Competitive

This is a strategy guide and complete explanation of an Offensive Singles Team for Ranked Battle in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV). Read on for the team's rental code and tips on how to use this team effectively in competitive play, recommended movesets and best builds, and strategies and synergies for each Pokemon.

Offensive Team Summary and Rental Code

Rental Code	V8526M

This offensive-oriented team features Palafin as the lead attacker, switching out with Flip Turn to Clodsire so that it can set up with Stealth Rock. With hazards up, it can then switch back in once transformed and sweep with its Water-type STAB moves.

Hydreigon is a great substitute for lead attacker and has great synergy with Corviknight. Sylveon and Meowscarada are sub attackers that can replace any of the defensive pivots, with Meowscarada particularly effective against dual screen setters thanks to Flower Trick.

Offensive Team Movesets & Best Builds

Lead Choice Band Palafin Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Jolly (+Spe, -Sp. Atk)
EV Spread	HP 4 / Atk 252 / Spe 252
Final Stat Values	HP 176 / Atk 122 / Def 92 / Sp. Def / Spe 167 After Transforming: HP 176 / Atk 212 / Def 117 / Sp. Def 107 / Spe 167
Ability	Zero to Hero
Tera Type
Held Item	Choice Band
Moveset	・ Flip Turn ・ Jet Punch ・ Wave Crash ・ Ice Punch

Palafin is an ideal lead for offensive-oriented teams, though it requires switching out with Flip Turn to activate its Zero to Hero Ability an Attack and Defense boost. Once it transforms though, it can freely overpower enemies with Choice Band-boosted Jet Punch and Wave Crash, while using Ice Punch to handle bulky Grass-types.

This build has Water Tera type to further boost the power of Jet Punch and Wave Crash.

Offensive Pivot Corviknight Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Impish (+Def, -Sp. Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def 252 / Sp. Def 4
Final Stat Values	HP 205 / Atk 107 / Def 172 / Sp. Def 106 / Spe 87
Ability	Pressure
Tera Type
Held Item	Rocky Helmet
Moveset	・ Brave Bird ・ U-turn ・ Taunt ・ Roost

Corviknight's impressive physical bulk and to Roost and Taunt make it an excellent offensive pivot, with Brave Bird a strong STAB that hits hard once it terastallizes into a Flying-type even without Attack investment. Terastallizing into a pure Flying-type also removes its Fire weakness.

A combination of Pressure and Rocky Helmet allows Corviknight to inflict residual damage on the opposing team, while also lowering the PP of their moves. U-Turn allows it to pivot back to a teammate once it's done stalling, potentially switching back to Palafin for a sweep.

Defensive Pivot Clodsire Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Careful (+Sp. Def, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 252 / Def 20 / Sp.Def 236
Final Stat Values	HP 237 / Atk 95 / Def 83 / Sp. Def 236 / Spe 40
Ability	Water Absorb
Tera Type
Held Item	Black Sludge
Moveset	・ Earthquake ・ Stealth Rock ・ Yawn ・ Recover

Specially defensive Clodsire is a great defensive pivot, providing Stealth Rock and Yawn support to phaze opposing setup sweepers and defensive Pokemon. Earthquake gives it a strong Ground-type STAB that has respectable neutral coverage, while Recover allows it to heal off damage when stalling.

This build has the Poison Tera-type to remove its Ice-type weaknesses, while strengthening its resistance to Grass-types.

Choice Specs Hydreigon Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 4 / Sp. Atk 252 / Spe 252
Final Stat Values	HP 168 / Def 110 / Sp.Atk 117 / Sp. Def 110 / Spe 165
Ability	Levitate
Tera Type
Held Item	Choice Specs
Moveset	・ Draco Meteor ・ Dark Pulse ・ Fire Blast ・ Flash Cannon

This Hydreigon build forgoes Nasty Plot and instead goes on the offensive with Choice Specs, boosting the power of its dual stabs Draco Meteor and Dark Pulse and severely damaging anything that doesn't resist it.

Fire Blast and Flash Cannon are its main coverage move, with the latter getting STAB once it terastallizes into a Steel-type. Hydreigon should always switch with Corviknight if it encounters a check or counter as the two cover each other's weaknesses.

Assault Vest Sylveon Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Modest (+Sp. Atk, -Atk)
EV Spread	HP 244 / Def 4 / Sp. Atk 252/ Sp. Def 4 / Spe 4
Final Stat Values	HP 201 / Def 86 / Sp. Atk 178 / Sp. Def 151 / Spe 81
Ability	Pixilate
Tera Type
Held Item	Assault Vest
Moveset	・ Hyper Voice ・ Tera Blast ・ Shadow Ball ・ Quick Attack

Sylveon's natural bulk makes allows it to run an Assault Vest which gives it more opportunities to switch into special attackers thanks to the Special Defense boost. This is a straightforward bulky attacker with Hyper Voice providing strong Fairy-type STAB thanks to Pixilate while Shadow Ball allows it to threaten Ghost-types.

This Sylveon has Fire Tera typing to surprise the Steel-types that often wall it, gaining a STAB in Tera Blast to hit back for super effective damage.

Knock Off Meowscarada Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -Sp. Atk)
EV Spread	Atk 252 / Def 4 / Spe 252
Final Stat Values	HP 151 / Atk 178 / Def 91 / Sp. Def 90 / Spe 175
Ability	Overgrow
Tera Type
Held Item	Focus Sash
Moveset	・ Flower Trick ・ Knock Off ・ U-turn ・ Sucker Punch

Meowscarada is a powerful physical attacker that serves as this team's revenge killer, with its great Speed and access to STAB Sucker Punch allowing it to take on faster opponents. Knock Off is its strongest STAB move and gives it a utility that separates it from other attackers as the move removes the target's held team.

This build has Grass Tera type to remove its middling weakness to Fighting-type moves and also boosts the power of its Flower Trick.

Offensive Team Strategies and Synergies

Team Strategies and Options
Form the Team with Defensive Checks
Overcome Dual Screen Setters with Meowscarada
Go Full Offense Against Gholdengo

Form the Team with Defensive Checks

Sample Team 1	+ + Standard, well-rounded team composition.
Sample Team 2	+ + A special-oriented alternative that's great at overcoming Palafin's usual checks and counters.

Although the overall strategy is to go all out on offense, both Palafin and Hydreigon require support from defensive Pokemon so that they can sweep properly. Palafin, in particular, requires switching out to activate its Ability and it's best to pair it with defensive pivots that can handle it's usual checks and counters.

Hydreigon is similar since holding Choice Specs means it's locked into one attack and will need to switch out to change it.

In both sample teams, Corviknight functions as an offensive pivot that stalls with Roost and Pressure. Clodsire is a more straightforward defensive Pokemon that should setup Stealth Rock to ensure the attackers can hit relevant KOs and put pressure on the opposing team.

Overcome Dual Screen Setters with Meowscarada

Sample Offensive Core
Hydreigon	Sylveon	Meowscarada

Offensive teams in general struggle against dual screen setters, particularly Grimmsnarl who can set up priorty-boosted Reflect and Light Screen.

Palafin struggles against this strategy so if a Grimmsnarl is in the team preview, consider choosing Meowscarada instead. Flower Trick always lands a critical hit, which means it ignores defensive boosts from Reflect as well as Attack cuts from Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp.

Go Full Offense Against Gholdengo

Sample Offensive Core
Palafin	Corviknight	Hydreigon

Gholdengo is one of the best wallbreakers in the current metagame and it's great at overcoming Corviknight and Clodsire's defensive core by just setting up with Nasty Plot due to its immunity to Taunt and Yawn.

If a Gholdengo is on the team preview, choose Hydreigon instead of Clodsire. It's a great check to Gholdengo as it resists its Ghost-type STAB and can hit back with a super effective STAB Dark Pulse.

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