clefable

[OVERVIEW]

Clefable has a great and hard to come by typing for a defensive Pokemon, mono-Fairy. Fairy-type is fantastic because it helps Clefable excel against Pokemon such as Garchomp and Hydreigon, while also having only two relatively rare weaknesses. On top of it's good typing and defenses it has an excellent movepool. Calm Mind and Minimize make Clefable a threatening sweeper that can be incredibly difficult to take out. Two great abilities round off Clefable's fantastic traits. With Unaware, foes can't even set up to overpower Calm Mind or Kee Berry boosts. While Magic Guard is useful against Toxic, making it near impossible to stall Clefable out. At first glance Minimize may seem like too risky of a strategy, but with the right support from things such as Speed Control from Thunder Wave, Clefable has a favorable chance to win against a lot of common Pokemon, such as Garchomp and Blaziken. However, Clefable isn't limited to only Minimize strategies. Its movepool is wide enough for Clefable to be played in many ways, such as a support role utilizing Stealth Rock and Thunder Wave or even offensive sets utilizing Clefable's impressive coverage moves.

Some of Clefable's weaknesses stem from its stats. Clefable is very slow, and this downside can be big when Minimize isn't working out and paralysis support is almost necessary because of this. Clefable's defenses, while are high enough to get by, often aren't high enough to take on the most powerful attackers in the format such as Mega Kangaskhan and Sylveon. Against these Pokemon it is difficult to find opportunities to set up and Clefable will easily be overwhelmed. Minimize sets also have the downside of being limited to one attack, set up moves and recovery are too necessary to pass up so Clefable will have to rely on STAB or Stored Power. And because of the pentagon rule in Battle Spot, Clefable doesn't have access to its best recovery, Soft-Boiled, so instead it has to look to less reliable options in Moonlight or RestoChesto. While these downside can be a nuisance, it doesn't stop Clefable from being a great pick for teams looking to support a bulky late-game sweeper.

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Moonblast / Stored Power
move 3: Minimize / Thunder Wave / Fire Blast
move 4: Moonlight / Rest
item: Kee Berry / Chesto Berry
ability: Unaware / Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Calm Mind allows Clefable to hit harder and makes it more difficult to take out, without Calm Mind Clefable is often too passive. Moonblast is a good, consistent STAB move that doesn't need too many boosts to start dealing decent damage. It's also useful to hit common Pokemon such as Garchomp and Mega Salamence super effectively. Stored Power can be used over Moonblast for insane amounts of damage after a lot of boosts, but will leave it walled by Dark-types. It is much less flexible than Moonblast as it requires Clefable to have a large amount of boosts before it can be useful, and because of this it is best used on Minimize sets. Minimize puts Clefable in a position where it's very hard for your opponent to beat it once Clefable gets a few boosts. Alongside boosts to Clefable's defenses Evasion becomes a very powerful strategy. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple a lot of threats, such as Blaziken and Mega Salamence, and makes it easier for Clefable to keep setting up Calm Minds becaue it can safely outspeed and heal up when it needs to against the paralyzed foe. Fire Blast can be used for more coverage against Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Scizor. Flamethrower can also be used if you don't like missing but it is significantly weaker. Encore can be used over Minimize or a coverage move to mess with some defensive Pokemon, locking them into recovery or other status moves, which gives Clefable free turns to set up. Moonlight is a nice and reliable recovery move, it is usually the preferred choice for recovery as it gives us the most flexibility possible and frees up our item slot. Rest is decent recovery with Chesto Berry. It's less flexible than Moonlight but helps deal with Toxic, and isn't hindered by sand like Moonlight is.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment is used to take on the large amount of physical attackers in the format, such as Blaziken, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mega Salamence. Since Clefable has Calm Mind to raise its Special Defense, investment in Defense is more important. Kee Berry is used so Pokemon such as Blaziken and Choice Band Garchomp can't 2HKO Clefable, the boost makes it much easier for Clefable to set up on physical attackers. If running Rest, Chesto Berry should be used instead. Unaware makes Clefable tougher to take out because set up sweepers can't rely on getting an OHKO after setting up. This also makes Clefable a nice check to common set up sweepers such as Mega Salamence and Blaziken. Magic Guard can be used so Clefable is immune to Toxic and Burn, which can be useful against stall teams and defensive Pokemon carrying Toxic such as Cresselia and Zapdos. But when running Minimize, Unaware is usually the preferred ability so Clefable can't be set up on and be KO'd in one turn.

Usage Tips
========

Clefable works best against paralyzed Pokemon because outspeeding helps Clefable out a lot, as it will always have the upper hand when going for Calm Mind or Minimize. Getting free turns off full paralysis is also a huge advantage to quickly and safely get maximum Evasion boosts. Sets with Minimize are best used late game when the opposing team has been weakened, so try to take out Pokemon that may threaten Clefable early on. Using Clefable as the last Pokemon can also help to avoid it getting phazed. When Clefable is up against strong physical attackers make sure to recover off the first hit while Kee Berry activates before trying to set up. Before Kee Berry boost many threats can 2HKO CLefable such as Blaziken, Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Salamence. In most games, you should prioritize getting Minimize boosts, this will give Clefable many free turns later on to set up Calm Mind. Don't get too greedy with Calm Mind, once you are at a comfortable position start attacking. Two or three Calm Minds are usually enough to close out the game. Make sure you are wisely deciding when to recover and when to set up. Try to keep Clefable at a healthy amount of HP, using Calm Mind when Clefable is low even when it looks like it may still live the next hit can be risky due to potential critical hits. It is best to set up Calm Minds on Pokemon that don't threaten Clefable such as defensive Rotom-W, Suicune, and Cresselia. This is especially true when using Magic Guard or Rest so Toxic or Burn  isn't an issue from those Pokemon. If you are running Stored Power, make sure to prioritize taking out Dark-types, or consider benching Clefable at team preview if you see a Dark-type you feel will be too difficult to play around. When running Fire Blast, it can be used when expecting Scizor or Ferrothorn to come in to take them out as fast as possible. Clefable can usually afford to take some hits from Ferrothorn but Scizor is still threatening and should be removed as fast as possible. When running Kee Berry, try to make good use of it if Clefable looks like it can sweep a team. It may be tempting to use Clefable early in some situations if you're using Thunder Wave or coverage moves, but if a sweep looks like a strong possibility it may be better to save Clefable for later to keep the boost from Kee Berry.

Team Options
========

As mentioned earlier, paralysis gives Clefable a big advantage and makes setting up much easier. Teammates who can spread paralysis reliably are necessary on every team with Clefable. Thundurus makes a great partner, utilizing Prankster Thunder Wave. Thundurus can also use Swagger to potentially get more free turns for Clefable with Confusion hits, and thanks to Unaware the Attack boosts from Swagger are not a problem. Thundurus is usually the go-to user of Thunder Wave and Swagger because it can also deal with Talonflame, which is a big issue for Clefable when carrying Taunt. Klefki does a similar job to Thundurus with a great typing that can make it a bit better than Thundurus sometimes, but is much worse against Talonflame and doesn't have an offensive presence like Thundurus does. Klefki is often used as a backup teammate in matchups where Thundurus may be worse. Serperior can also spread paralysis for Clefable. Glare is also able to hit Ground-types who are normally immune to Thunder Wave, which can sometimes be useful. Serperior can use sets with Focus Sash and Swagger to give Clefable more potential free turns with confusion hits. With Focus Sash, it can also work as a lure to take out Gengar with Mirror Coat. It can also run a bulkier set with Reflect which can be nice if Clefable is able to get in under Reflect, making it easy to set up on physical attackers. Glalie and Ditto also benefit from some of Clefable's common teammates utilizing paralysis and Swagger. Glalie can set up Substitutes on paralyzed opponents, fishing for Moody boosts, and Ditto can copy Swagger boosts from physical attackers. Mega Gengar can trap threats to Clefable such as Mega Venusaur and Cresselia with Toxic. It can use Will-O-Wisp on physical attackers, making it much easier for Clefable to set up on them. If Clefable is running Thunder Wave itself, Mega Gengar can take advantage of it with Hex. Garchomp is a nice teammate for Clefable as it can take on Steel-types such as Heatran and Aegislash. Rock Tomb may also come in handy in some situations before sending in Clefable to set up. Clefable can also switch into opposing Garchomps so your own doesn't have to risk dealing with the mirror match. Since Minimize can be a somewhat unreliable strategy at times, Mega Kangaskhan is a good partner because it is very consistent and can usually be a good backup win condition in matchups where Clefable might not shine. Clefable is also good at dealing with various offensive threats such as Garchomp and Blaziken and can set up defensive Pokemon that wall Mega Kangaskhan such as Suicune and Cresselia, so Mega Kangaskhan can have an easier time. If Clefable is running Thunder Wave, Kangaskhan appreciates the speed control on Pokemon such as Blaziken and Mega Salamence. Rotom-W can help deal with Talonflame and can switch into Mamoswine so Clefable doesn't have to risk a Fissure hitting. Rotom-W can also spread status such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave to aid Clefable in setting up. Clefable can work well with physical set up sweepers, such as Mega Salamence and Dragonite, as Clefable can easily switch into Will-o-Wisp without fear if it has Rest or Magic Guard and can set up on physical walls such as Suicune and Cresselia.

[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Moonlight / Stealth Rock / Encore
move 4: Stealth Rock / Encore / Fire Blast / Heal Bell / Healing Wish
item: Sitrus Berry / Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
ability: Unaware
nature: Calm
evs: 236 HP / 164 Def / 108 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Moonblast is Clefable's best option for STAB. Thunder Wave cripples many threats such as Blaziken and Mega Salamence. With Unaware it can take a hit from setup sweepers and retaliate with Thunder Wave. Moonlight is Clefable's best option for recovery and helps it stay around longer. Stealth Rock is a nice move to break Focus Sashes and get some chip damage, this is most useful with very offensive teammates. Encore can lock something into a status move, this is especially good against defensive Pokemon. Fire Blast offers good coverage against Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Scizor. Heal Bell can help remove troublesome status on offensive teammates. It can also be used to avoid Clefable itself from being toxic stalled. Healing Wish works very well with offensive teammates, bringing something back after being weakened or burned. This is especially nice with powerful threats such as Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Mawile.

Set Details
========

236 HP EVs give Clefable maximum recovery from Sitrus Berry. 108 EVs in Special Defense with a Calm nature allow Clefable to live a Sludge Bomb from Mega Gengar so Clefable can cripple it with Thunder Wave, while the remaining EVs were put into Defense. Unaware allows Clefable to take on setup sweepers. Sitrus Berry allows Clefable to take hits better, as it turns many 2HKOs into 3HKOs. It allows Clefable to switch into pokemon such as Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Azumarill much easier. Rocky Helmet can be used to help deal with physical attackers such as Blaziken, Mega Kangaskhan and Talonflame. Many of these Pokemon use moves with recoil and when combined with damage from Rocky Helmet it quickly racks up damage on them without Clefable even needing to attack. It is especially good against Mega Kangaskhan because of Parental Bond activating Rocky Helmet twice. Leftovers can be used if Sitrus Berry is taken, the recovery each turn can be useful in some scenarios, especially against garchomps without a boosting item to avoid a 2HKO from Earthquake.

Usage Tips
========

This set aims to support the team and create opportunities for teammates to succeed. Setting Stealth Rocks early can make it easier for offensive teammates to pick up KOs, thanks to Focus Sashes being broken and the extra chip damage. When using Encore, it should be used to lock something into a useless move such as a defensive Pokemon using its recovery. This can give Clefable's teammates opportunities to come in and get free turns to setup. Thunder Wave should be used on fast threats such as Blaziken and Genger, so they become much easier to revenge kill. Support from Heal Bell or Healing Wish can allow you to play a bit more recklessly with Clefable's teammates, as you can sometimes afford to take a burn or paralysis or let a Pokemon get significantly weakened if you know you can heal it later. With Unaware, Clefable can be used a check to most setup sweepers, using Thunder Wave on them as Clefable takes a hit. Though Clefable should be wary of switching directly in because most setup sweepers, such as Mega Blaziken and Mega Salamence, are powerful enough to 2HKO if they opt to simply attack instead of setting up.

Team Options
========

This set should be used with more offensive teammates. If a team appears to be weak to many common setup sweepers and struggles to revenge kill very fast threats then Clefable is a good option. Mega Gengar appreciates Clefable paralyzing Blaziken and other fast setup sweepers such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Salamence. It can also use the paralysis Clefable spreads to its advantage with Hex. Mega Kangaskhan appreciates Blaziken and Mega Gengar being paralyzed and greatly benefits from Healing Wish support as Double Edge recoil can quickly wear down on Kangaskhan and it is a prime target for Rocky Helmet users. Many setup sweepers appreciate Clefable setting Stealth Rock and using Encore to buy them free turns to set up. Mega Salamence, Mega Charizard X, and Dragonite are all good examples of setup sweepers that work well with Clefable and form 2/3 of a Dairy/Dragon/Steel core. Blaziken appreciates Clefable's ability to deal with Mega Salamence. Clefable's Stealth Rock support also makes it much easier for Blaziken to sweep by breaking Focus Sashes and weakening Pokemon such as Charizard and Talonflame.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Cosmic Power can be used instead of Calm Mind, this makes it harder for physical attackers to damage Clefable. It is best used with Stored Power since the high base power will make up for the lack of Special Attack boost. However, this makes Clefable more susceptible to critical hits as it will take much longer for Clefable to win the game compared to Calm Mind. More offensive sets with Life Orb and Magic Guard can be used. Clefable has a lot of good coverage moves such as Thunderbolt for Talonflame, Psychic for Mega Venusaur and Gengar, Grass Knot for bulky Water- and Ground-types. These sets can catch your opponent off guard very well as you'll often be carrying coverage for some of Clefable's common switch-ins. Substitute can be used on Minimize sets to help against OHKO move users and after using Minimize you can utilize Substitutes to give you more turns. Substitute will usually be used with Leftovers and it will need to be used over recovery. Substitute usually isn't optimal because it is difficult to fit in the moveset and the other moves for Minimize sets are too good to pass up on.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-types**: Heatran resists Moonblast 4x and can use Toxic to beat Clefable without Rest or Magic Guard very easily. It can use Magma Storm to trap Clefable and also use Taunt to shut down any setup, and more offensive sets can use Flash Cannon to hit Clefable super effectively. Toxic variants of Aegislash easily beat Clefable without Rest or Magic Guard. It sets up Substitutes for free on Clefable, making it very difficult for Clefable to take it out. It can also hit Clefable super effectively if running Iron Head or Flash Cannon. Scizor takes little from Moonblast and Choice Band Bullet Punch will 2HKO even after a Kee Berry boost. Scizor also doesn't care about paralysis much because it has access to that priority. However, Scizor does have to watch out for Clefable running Fire Blast. Mega Mawile can OHKO with Iron Head and takes little from Moonblast, and can still 2HKO if Kee Berry went off earlier. Ferrothorn can be very difficult for Clefable to take down and Leech Seed makes it difficult for Clefable to stay healthy. However, when running Kee Berry and Minimize Clefable can usually effectively stall Ferrothorn out of Gyro Ball PP, sets with Fire Blast will also take Ferrothorn down fairly easily. Mega Lucario is very threatening and can 2HKO even after Clefable has set up two Calm Minds. Excadrill is able to 2HKO even after a Kee Berry boosts and also takes very little from Moonblast, especially if it is an Assault Vest variant.

**Poison-types**: Mega Gengar can trap Clefable and hit it super effectively with Sludge Bomb. Greninja can 2HKO with Gunk Shot even after Kee Berry activates and will resist Moonblast after using it, but can't safely switch-in due to fear of Moonblast before Protean. Mega Venusaur hits hard with Sludge Bomb and takes very little from Moonblast. It can be very hard to deal with when running Sleep Powder or Leech Seed, if Clefable doesn't have Magic Guard. Amoonguss can use Clear Smog to remove all of Clefable's boosts and can use Spore to punch switch-ins if Clefable decides to switch out.

**Talonflame**: Choice Band Talonflame will struggle to take down Clefable after a Kee Berry boost and a few Minimize boosts. However, Talonflames utilizing Taunt are able to shut Clefable down completely, take little from Moonblast and can Roost to take Clefable on even longer.

**Rotom-W and Rotom-H**: These two are able to cripple Clefable with Trick when running Choice sets. Rotom-H takes little from Moonblast and can take on Clefable's most common teammate, Thundurus.


**Powerful Attackers**: Pokemon that are able to deal a lot of damage make it very difficult for Clefable to find turns to set up. Mega Kangaskhan can 2HKO with Adamant Double Edge even after a Kee Berry boost. Choice Specs Sylveon can 2HKO even after a Calm Mind. Mega Charizard Y takes little from Moonblast and can OHKO with Overheat. If Clefable run Unaware it will always takes the same amount of damage from Overheat even after the Special Attack drops.

**OHKO Moves**: Clefable spends a lot of turns setting up, giving many chances for OHKO moves to hit and Minimize doesn't help against them as they have a fixed accuracy. Assault Vest Mamoswine and Lapras and both bulky enough to take several hits from Clefable while they attempt to hit Fissure and Sheer Cold. Gliscor and Glalie can set up Substitutes on turns that Clefable sets up and start trying to hit Guillotine and Sheer Cold.

**Chansey/Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey both take very little from Moonblast, and even at +6 are unable to be 2HKO'd. They can also toxic stall Clefable that aren't running Rest or Magic Guard.