Scyther
Bug
Best attacking moveset: Fury Cutter and Bug Buzz, worth 11.7 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Scyther can learn 15 combinations. Fury Cutter with Bug Buzz does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Bug Buzz is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Scyther you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Fury Cutter and X Scissor, worth 11.3 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Slash | 12 | 1.0s | +8 | |
| Fury Cutter | Bug | 4 | 0.5s | +8 |
| Steel Wing Legacy | Steel | 14 | 1.0s | +8 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerial Ace | 55 | 2.5s | -33 | |
| Night Slash | Dark | 45 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Trailblaze | Grass | 65 | 2.0s | -50 |
| X Scissor | Bug | 45 | 1.5s | -33 |
| Bug Buzz Legacy | Bug | 95 | 3.5s | -50 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Scyther has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, photobomb.
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 3,060 at level 50, 2,706 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,546 CP at level 20, or 1,933 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,472 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 218 attack · 170 defense · 172 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 75,000 Stardust and 75 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 5 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 5,000 Stardust and 5 Candy |
| Size | 1.5 m and 56 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Scyther does not have one best moveset, it has 7. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Grass, Psychic, Dark.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Grass | Fury Cutter + Bug Buzz | 18.0 |
| Psychic | Fury Cutter + Bug Buzz | 18.0 |
| Dark | Fury Cutter + Bug Buzz | 18.0 |
| Fighting | Air Slash + Aerial Ace | 15.8 |
| Bug | Air Slash + Aerial Ace | 15.8 |
| Rock | Steel Wing + Trailblaze | 15.6 |
| Ground | Fury Cutter + Trailblaze | 14.2 |
| Water | Fury Cutter + Trailblaze | 14.2 |
| Ice | Steel Wing + X Scissor | 13.8 |
| Fairy | Steel Wing + Trailblaze | 13.2 |
| Normal | Fury Cutter + Bug Buzz | 11.7 |
| Electric | Fury Cutter + Bug Buzz | 11.7 |
| Dragon | Fury Cutter + Bug Buzz | 11.7 |
| Ghost | Air Slash + Night Slash | 11.4 |
| Air Slash + Aerial Ace | 10.1 | |
| Poison | Air Slash + Aerial Ace | 10.1 |
| Fire | Air Slash + Aerial Ace | 10.1 |
| Steel | Fury Cutter + Night Slash | 7.9 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Scyther is actually for.
Counters: what beats Scyther
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Glimmora | RockPoison | Rock Throw + Meteor Beam | 45.2 |
 Rampardos | Rock | Smack Down + Rock Slide | 44.8 |
 Tyrantrum | RockDragon | Rock Throw + Meteor Beam | 41.9 |
 Gigalith | Rock | Lock On + Meteor Beam Legacy | 41.9 |
 Rhyperior | GroundRock | Smack Down + Rock Wrecker Legacy | 40.5 |
 Terrakion | RockFighting | Smack Down + Rock Slide | 39.8 |
 Blacephalon | FireGhost | Incinerate + Mind Blown Legacy | 39.3 |
 Tyranitar | RockDark | Smack Down + Stone Edge Legacy | 38.2 |
 Regieleki | Electric | Lock On + Thunder Cage Legacy | 37.3 |
 Lycanroc | Rock | Rock Throw + Stone Edge | 36.4 |
Ranked by damage per second against Scyther's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.