Is Scyther Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Bug Catching Contest prize and National Park encounter. Bug/Flying with AbilityTechnician boosting weaker moves. Trade with Metal Coat for Scizor, adding Bug/Steel typing. Scyther alone handles Chuck and Erika. Scizor is one of the best Pokemon in HGSS.
Scyther has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Scyther trades roughly evenly with Bugsy's team.
Scyther has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Scizor trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Chuck's typing presses Scizor's defenses.
Scizor trades roughly evenly with Jasmine's team.
Scizor has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Scizor trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Scizor resists most of Brock's coverage and hits back hard.
Scizor has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Scizor trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Scizor resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Scizor has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Scizor resists most of Sabrina's coverage and hits back hard.
Blaine's team hits Scizor's weaknesses hard.
Scizor has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Scizor resists most of Will's coverage and hits back hard.
Scizor has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Scizor has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Scizor has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Scizor trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Catchable
Catch Scyther in the National Park (walking, Lv 13-14, rare). Pre-National Dex.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM89BugU-turnPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- LV 21FlyingWing AttackPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 35
- LV 33NormalRazor WindPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10
- LV 41BugX-ScissorPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Clair
- TM40FlyingAerial AcePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20Mt. Mortar
- LV 53FlyingAir SlashPower 113Accuracy 95%PP 20
- LV 57NormalSwords DancePower —Accuracy 100%PP 30
Evolve Scyther to Scizor
Scyther evolves into Scizor when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Morty.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM89BugU-turnPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- After Whitney
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- LV 33NormalRazor WindPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10
- LV 41BugX-ScissorPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 53SteelIron HeadPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Brock
- TM47SteelSteel WingPower 105Accuracy 90%PP 25From the celebrity in the Route 28 house
- LV 57NormalSwords DancePower —Accuracy 100%PP 30
How to Get Scyther in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Scyther sticks to one location and stays rare, with a level spread from the low teens to the high 20s. There is no second spot to fall back on, so the Safari-style patience applies here.
1 location to catch Scyther
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 3Where To Catch Scyther in HGSS
Scyther is where the line starts, caught through walking encounters at Lv. 13-28. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
- Step 2Evolve into Scizor
Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in HeartGold & SoulSilver for Scyther.
How to Get Shiny Scyther in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Scyther slashes through the National Park, but breeding it Masuda-style is the quicker path to a shiny. Compare Shiny Scyther odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Scyther Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Curious how fast a hunt could go? Work out your HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny odds for Scyther.
Scyther Weakness
Scyther's Bug/Flying typing leaves it vulnerable to Rock, Fire, Electric, Ice, and Flying. Rock hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Ground-type attacks completely.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Rock |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Electric, Ice, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Grass, Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ground |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Scyther Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Scyther
 Glaceon Ice | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Scyther View Lapras builds →Ice Beam 2x86-101%KO Thunderbolt 2x57-68% | ||
 Ninetales Fire | C | |
 Arcanine Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Scyther View Arcanine builds →Fire Blast 2x118-140%KO Thunder Fang 2x48-57% | ||
 Sudowoodo Rock | C | |
Obtain MethodRoute 36 Interact Encounter | ||
 Magmar Fire | C | |
 Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Scyther View Graveler builds →Rock Tomb 4x99-117%KO Fire Blast 2x45-55% | ||
 Magnemite ElectricSteel | C | |
 Plusle Electric | B | |
 Flaaffy Electric | C | |
 Quilava Fire | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Cyndaquil (New Bark Town Gift) | ||
 Noctowl Normal | C | |
 Minun Electric | C | |
 Chatot Normal | C | |
Scyther Evolutions
Evolving Scyther into Scizor takes a trade. It's not a simple level-up, so check the chain details below. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Scyther easily with 48 breeding partners from the Bug egg group. Pass egg moves like Baton Pass, Bug Buzz, Counter and 7 more to offspring.
HGSS Scyther Best Moveset
Bug/Flying at 110 Attack and 105 Speed with AbilityTechnician boosting moves under 60 base power by 50%. The moveset fires boosted physical attacks fast, and 80 in both defenses provide surprising bulk. 25% HP from MoveStealth Rock per switch is the cost.
Best Build
Scyther best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- U Turn
- Aerial Ace
- Swords Dance
- Night Slash
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
You'll want to breed for Baton Pass and Bug Buzz on Scyther. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Bug Buzz and X-Scissor, they expand what Scyther can actually threaten in practice.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
22 of 23 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It slashes through grass with its sharp scythes, moving too fast for the human eye to track.
When it moves, it leaves only a blur. If it hides in grass, its protective coloration makes it invisible.
Scyther HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
No. Scyther only evolves into Scizor through a real trade. There is no in-game alternative in HeartGold & SoulSilver. The Metal Coat must be held during the trade. Bring one over from a sibling Gen 3 game if needed.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Scyther does the job early-game if you need a Bug/Flying type on your team. Evolve it into Scizor before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, use Scyther as a sweeper. Physical side carries the damage. It outspeeds most threats,
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Jolly on Scyther. +Speed is what matters, and the -Sp. Atk cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the sweeper role.
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, build your team around Donphan, Victreebel, and Shuckle. These have the highest co-usage rates with Scyther in competitive formats. They cover each other's weaknesses.
Game Availability
Scyther has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 22 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
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