OU Clefable

Eclipse

Like a chimp with a machine gun
is a Contributor Alumnus

QC: p2 / Subject 18 / Gary
GP: TDP / P Squared

[OVERVIEW]

Clefable's good bulk along with its great defensive typing allows it to serve as a strong check to attackers such as Zygarde, Mega Heracross, Latios, and Mega Medicham, a role that it can perform well due to its reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled. Its ability to act as a strong defensive threat is bolstered by its two amazing abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware that allow Clefable to avoid all residual damage or act as a stop to setup sweepers, respectively. Magic Guard Clefable brings great utility for its teammates as a Stealth Rock setter that has a great matchup against Mega Sableye, easing the matchup against stall teams, or as a strong Calm Mind sweeper. On the other hand, Unaware Clefable is able to stop many setup sweepers that defensive teams would normally have issues dealing with such as Swords Dance Mega Heracross, Dragon Dance Zygarde, and Tail Glow Manaphy. However, despite its good bulk, Clefable can find itself overwhelmed by attackers that it normally can check provided that it has taken prior damage as well as by strong attackers such as Ash-Greninja that are able to pressure it too much for it to perform its roles efficiently. In addition, due to its low Speed, Clefable is very susceptible to Taunt users such as Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele, which prevent it from providing utility for its team.

[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Soft-Boiled
move 3: Stealth Rock / Calm Mind
move 4: Flamethrower / Knock Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

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

Moonblast allows Clefable to deal decent damage to threats such as Mega Heracross and Mega Medicham; it also lets Clefable avoid being passive against Taunt users such as Tapu Fini. Soft-Boiled allows Clefable to keep itself healthy throughout the match and switch into the threats that it checks such as Mega Heracross and Zygarde. Stealth Rock lets Clefable support its team by garnering residual damage for teammates to take advantage of; Clefable is a notable setter of Stealth Rock due to its ability to threaten Mega Sableye, a common deterrent to entry hazard setters on stall builds. Calm Mind may be used if there is another Stealth Rock setter on the team, and it allows Clefable to perform as a strong setup sweeper due to its inability to be worn down by residual damage as well as its strong bulk. Flamethrower is useful in order to hit Steel-types that Clefable otherwise has great difficulty in dealing with such as Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Knock Off is useful for removing items from Clefable's checks such as Leftovers from Ferrothorn and Celesteela and Thick Club from Alolan Marowak. Thunder Wave allows Clefable to cripple a potential switch-in by halving its Speed, making it easier to set up Calm Minds or simply letting a teammate take advantage of the foe.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allows Clefable to avoid 2HKOs from a number of strong physical attacks in the metagame, such as Choice Band Zygarde's Thousand Arrows, Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, and Mega Medicham's High Jump Kick. This spread also allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Latios's Psyshock. Special Defense EVs may be added to avoid 2HKOs from special attackers that Clefable's teammates would prefer it to check; 176 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature, for example, allow Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Tapu Koko's Magnet-boosted Thunderbolt in Electric Terrain after Leftovers recovery. A Relaxed nature to preserve Clefable's Attack is not necessary if running Knock Off, as Knock Off is mainly used for utility as opposed to damage, and it is preferable to run Bold in order to outspeed Sassy Celesteela. Leftovers is the necessary item for this set, as it allows Clefable to meet many of the aforementioned defensive benchmarks while also giving it useful recovery throughout the match to continue switching into the threats that it checks. Magic Guard allows Clefable to avoid damage from Stealth Rock, Spikes, burn, and poison, which allows Clefable to better serve as a pivot into attackers that it deals with.

Usage Tips
========

Clefable should be brought directly into the match into Pokemon that it checks such as Zygarde and Mega Heracross; from there, Clefable can use Soft-Boiled to regain health, throw out a Moonblast to wear down the threat in front of Clefable, or set up Stealth Rock on the predicted switch. When Clefable is in the match, the player should look at the opponent's team to see what they have to check Clefable; if the opponent has a Steel-type like Celesteela or Ferrothorn, it is best not to go for Moonblast and rather to predict their switch by using Knock Off to remove their item or using Flamethrower to wear them down. If Clefable is running Stealth Rock, it is best to try setting up the entry hazard at the earliest opportunity for teammates to take advantage of. When facing stall teams with Mega Sableye, if they decide to lead with Sableye, do not use Stealth Rock immediately, as they will attempt to use Protect and Mega Evolve on the first turn to bounce the hazard back. Instead, throw out a Moonblast, and then after Mega Sableye has switched out, attempt to set up Stealth Rock only if you are sure that Mega Sableye will not try to switch back into Clefable. Despite its good bulk, Clefable will find itself gradually worn down throughout the match by switching into threats that it checks, so finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled is important; Clefable can recover up on predicted switches to an opponent's Steel-type or to a passive threat that cannot inflict much damage to Clefable. If Clefable is running Calm Mind over Stealth Rock, it is not ideal to start setting up early on in the match; once Steel- and Poison-type threats that could severely threaten Clefable such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, Nihilego, and Alolan Muk are weakened, Clefable can set up Calm Mind on predicted switches, finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled in order to sweep provided that the enemy team has been sufficiently weakened.

Team Options
========

Partners that deal with opposing Steel-types make for fantastic partners with Clefable; Heatran can handle many Steel-types for Clefable such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor, and it can even set up Stealth Rock for Clefable, opening up room for Clefable to run Calm Mind. Volcarona appreciates the Stealth Rock support given by Clefable so that it can easily break past opposing teams; Clefable's Stealth Rock notably lets Volcarona break past stall teams by breaking Dugtrio's Focus Sash, while Volcarona can take out Steel-types that Clefable has difficulty dealing with. It can also run Hidden Power Ground to beat Heatran, a notable answer to Clefable. Other wallbreakers, such as Zygarde, Mega Heracross, and Mega Medicham, appreciate the Stealth Rock support that Clefable provides; these wallbreakers even assist Calm Mind Clefable in paving the way for a sweep by weakening bulky threats that can easily deal with Calm Mind Clefable, such as Celesteela. Ferrothorn can form a hazard setting core with Clefable, being able to set up Spikes to complement Clefable's Stealth Rock. In addition, Ferrothorn can help check the likes of Tapu Koko, which can offensively pressure Clefable. Clefable can help Ferrothorn by checking the likes of Zygarde, Mega Heracross, and Mega Medicham for it. Skarmory and Toxapex can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, respectively; Skarmory can help check Swords Dance Landorus-T and Tapu Bulu, which can break past Clefable, while Toxapex can check the likes of Greninja for Clefable. Celesteela can help Clefable defeat a number of special attackers that it has difficulty dealing with such as Tapu Lele and Magearna; Clefable is able to check Zygarde and Mega Medicham for Celesteela in return. Assault Vest Tangrowth helps check Tapu Koko and Greninja; it also appreciates Clefable handling the physical threats that Tangrowth has difficulty taking on without physical bulk investment. Landorus-T makes for a good partner, appreciating Stealth Rock support from Clefable while also being able to break past defensive and offensive teams alike with a Double Dance set. Stealth Rock Landorus-T may also be used so that Clefable has room to run Calm Mind.

[SET]
name: Unaware
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Wish
move 3: Protect
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Unaware
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

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

Moonblast stops Clefable from being completely shut down by Taunt users and allows it to wear down its switch-ins. Wish is Clefable's most consistent way to heal itself with the assistance of Protect; Clefable is also able to create Wishes to pass to any of its weakened team members or to bring them in safely. Protect is primarily used to guarantee a safe Wish in order to regain health it has lost throughout the match, though it can also be used to scout for powerful moves and coverage as well as rack up Leftovers recovery. Heal Bell lets Clefable heal off any status such as poison by the likes of Zygarde while also healing off status for the rest of its team, ensuring that they will not get worn down by the likes of burn and poison.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allows Clefable to handle numerous physical setup sweepers that can otherwise threaten the stall and balanced teams that this set finds itself on; this spread allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, allowing Clefable to serve as a great check to it. More Special Defense investment may be used if Clefable's team is weak to Manaphy; 64 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature allow Clefable to avoid the OHKO from Manaphy's Hydro Vortex in the rain and heal off the damage with the combination of Wish and Protect, although this leaves Clefable at the mercy of a number of physical attackers that its teammates normally have difficulty dealing with. Leftovers is the necessary item on this set so that Clefable can gain passive recovery throughout the match as well as when it uses Protect. Unaware allows Clefable to ignore any boosts that the foe has accumulated, meaning that it can serve as a great check to Swords Dance users such as Garchomp and Mega Heracross.

Usage Tips
========

Clefable is primarily used on stall or balanced teams as a direct switch-in to setup sweepers such as Coil or Dragon Dance Zygarde and Swords Dance Mega Heracross; these threats have difficulty breaking past Clefable due to their inability to use boosts to beat it. Although Pokemon such as Zygarde that Clefable normally checks may run moves like Toxic to deal with it, Heal Bell lets Clefable prevent poison from wearing it down too much and stall Zygarde out. Moonblast is a good move to throw out to wear down opposing Pokemon in combination with poison from Toxapex's Toxic Spikes or Mega Sableye's Will-O-Wisp. Wish should be used whenever Clefable is running low on health, as keeping Clefable as healthy as possible is vital to its performance on its team; once it has used Wish, Protect should be used the next turn to guarantee that Clefable can heal using its own Wish. Given that this set is relatively passive, using Wish so that Clefable can pass it to any of its teammates so that they can come in for free is a good idea; for example, if an opponent brings Tapu Koko into Unaware Clefable to try breaking past it, Clefable can use Wish on the predicted switch and switch into Chansey to heal off any damage it may have taken in the process.

Team Options
========

This set is mainly used to handle physical attackers, so Pokemon that can handle special attackers such as Tapu Koko, Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Greninja, and Ash-Greninja make for great partners; Chansey and Toxapex are able to perform this role well, as the former can set up Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams more easily, and the latter can burn the foe with Scald as well as set up Toxic Spikes for Clefable and its teammates to take advantage of. Clefable has difficulty handling specific physical attackers such as Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Poison-types like Alolan Muk, so counters to these threats such as Skarmory, which can eliminate them with Counter, are very useful for Clefable. Dugtrio is able to eliminate many powerful threats to Clefable and its teammates, such as Heatran and Hoopa-U, while also being able to use Pursuit to wear down Alolan Marowak, a major threat to the defensive teams that Unaware Clefable finds itself on. Mega Sableye is able to deter hazards from a majority of setters in the tier, which allows Clefable to continually switch into the threats that it checks; for example, Mega Heracross cannot 2HKO Clefable if Stealth Rock is not present on the field. Zapdos is also able to deal with Steel-types such as Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn while being able to Defog away hazards for Clefable to continue performing as a setup sweeper check.

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

Thunderbolt may be used to hit the likes of Tapu Fini, Celesteela, Skarmory, and Toxapex all in one slot; this move is preferred to be run with Ice Beam for overall coverage against the likes of Zygarde, Garchomp, and Landorus-T. Moonlight may be used on the Unaware set as an alternate form of recovery over Wish, although its much lower PP along with its recovery being weather dependent makes this an inferior option. The combination of Unaware and Calm Mind allows Clefable to win Calm Mind wars by ignoring any boosts that the opponent is accumulating while setting up boosts itself. Clefable may run an offensive Life Orb set with Magic Guard and maximum Special Attack investment that takes advantage of its giant movepool and decent power while also negating any recoil caused by Life Orb. Encore may be used in order to lock a foe such as Ferrothorn into Leech Seed, allowing Clefable to take advantage of it by setting up Stealth Rock. Healing Wish is an option that allows Clefable to bring back any of its teammates to full health at the cost of Clefable itself.

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

**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn all easily take Clefable's Moonblast and take advantage of it with their STAB moves. Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn must watch out for Flamethrower, but otherwise Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards, and Celesteela can throw out a powerful STAB Heavy Slam.

**Fire-types**: Volcarona, Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran all serve as great checks to Clefable due to their ability to resist its Moonblast and respond with a strong Fire-type STAB attack that Clefable has difficulty taking. Mega Charizard Y can hit Clefable with a Drought-boosted Fire Blast, Volcarona can set up Quiver Dance on Clefable, and Heatran can trap Clefable with Magma Storm while using Taunt on it or setting up Stealth Rock on Clefable.

**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Alolan Muk, Gengar, Amoonguss, Nidoking, and Mega Venusaur take very little from Moonblast and respond with a super effective STAB move. Gengar and Alolan Muk must watch out for Knock Off, but they all do a great job of switching in and taking on Clefable.

**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Smeargle, and Heatran can all prevent Clefable from healing by using Soft-Boiled or Wish, setting up Stealth Rock, or setting up a Calm Mind.

**Offensive Pressure**: Since Clefable does not have great overall bulk to handle physical and special attackers at the same time, it can be easily pressured by attackers that it does not have the investment to take on; it can get 2HKOed by special attackers such as Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja if running Defense investment, while it can be broken past by the likes of Zygarde and Mega Medicham if running Special Defense investment.
 
Last edited:

p2

Banned deucer.

QC: ? / ? / ?
GP: ? / ?

[OVERVIEW]

* Clefable's good bulk along with its great defensive typing allows it to serve as a strong check to attackers such as Zygarde, Mega Heracross, Latios, and Mega Medicham, which it can perform well at doing due to its reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled.
* It's ability to act as a strong defensive threat is bolstered by its two amazing abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware, which allows Clefable to avoid all residual damage or act as a stop to setup sweepers, respectively.
* Magic Guard Clefable brings great utility for its teammates in the form of being a Stealth Rock setter which has a great matchup against Mega Sableye, easing the matchup against stall teams, or by performing as a strong Calm Mind sweeper.
* Unaware Clefable is able to stop many setup sweepers that defensive teams would normally have issues dealing with such as Swords Dance Mega Heracross, Dragon Dance Zygarde, and Tail Glow Manaphy.
* Despite its good bulk, Clefable can find itself overwhelmed by attackers that it normally can check provided that it has taken prior damage as well as strong attackers such as Ash-Greninja which pressure it too much to perform its roles efficiently.
* Due to its low Speed, Clefable is very susceptible to Taunt users such as Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele which either shut it down from providing utility for its team.

[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Soft-Boiled
move 3: Stealth Rock / Calm Mind
move 4: Knock Off / Flamethrower
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

swap ft and knock around, ft is a lot more splashable and easy to fit mostly because how easily it pressures typical removal on stall

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

* Moonblast is Clefable's main STAB move which allows it to deal decent damage to threats that it can threaten with Moonblast such as Mega Heracross and Mega Medicham; it also lets Clefable avoid being passive against Taunt users such as Tapu Fini.
* Soft-Boiled gives Clefable reliable recovery that it can use to keep itself healthy throughout the match and switch into the threats that it checks such as Mega Heracross and Zygarde.
* Stealth Rock lets Clefable support its team by garnering residual damage for teammates to take advantage of; Clefable is a notable setter of Stealth Rock due to its ability to threaten Mega Sableye, a common deterrent to hazard setters on stall builds.
* Calm Mind may be used if there is another Stealth Rock setter on the team, and it allows Clefable to perform as a strong setup sweeper due to its inability to be worn down by residual damage as well as its strong bulk.
* Knock Off is useful for removing useful items from Clefable's checks such as Leftovers from Ferrothorn and Celesteela, or Thick Club from Alolan Marowak.
* Flamethrower is useful in order to hit Steel-types that Clefable otherwise has great difficulty in dealing with such as Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor.
* Thunder Wave allows Clefable to cripple a potential switchin by halving their Speed, making it easier to set up Calm Minds or simply cripple the opponent for a teammate to take advantage of.

Set Details
========

* Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allows Clefable to avoid 2HKOes from a number of physical threats in the metagame, such as Choice Band Zygarde's Thousand Arrows, Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, and Mega Medicham's High Jump Kick. This spread also allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Latios's Psyshock.
* Special Defense EVs may be added to avoid 2HKOes from special attackers that Clefable's teammates would prefer it to check; 176 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature, for example, allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Tapu Koko's Magnet-boosted Thunderbolts in Electric Terrain after Leftovers recovery.
* A Relaxed nature is not necessary if running Knock Off, as Knock Off is mainly used for Utility as opposed to damage, and it is preferable to run Bold in order to outspeed Sassy Celesteela.
* Leftovers is the necessary item for this set, as it allows Clefable to meet many of the aforementioned defensive benchmarks while also giving it useful recovery throughout the match to continue switching into the threats that it checks.
* Magic Guard is the ability for this set, as it allows Clefable to avoid damage from Stealth Rock, Spikes, burn, and poison, which allows Clefable to better serve as a pivot into attackers that it deals with.

Usage Tips
========

* Clefable should be brought directly into the match into Pokemon that it checks such as Zygarde and Mega Heracross; from there, Clefable can use Soft-Boiled to regain health, throw out a Moonblast to wear down the threat in front of Clefable or predict the switch by setting up Stealth Rock.
* When Clefable is in the match, the player should look at the opponent's team to see what they have to check it; if the opponent has a Steel-type like Celesteela or Ferrothorn, it is best not to go for Moonblast, and rather predict their switch by using Knock Off to remove their item or using Flamethrower to wear them down.
* If running Stealth Rock, it is best to try and set up the entry hazards as early as possible whenever Clefable finds the right opportunity to set them up for teammates to take advantage of.
* When facing stall teams with Mega Sableye, if they decide to lead with Mega Sableye, do not use Stealth Rock immediately as they will attempt to Protect on the first turn. Instead, throw out a Moonblast, then attempt to set up Stealth Rock if you are sure that Mega Sableye will not try to switch back into Clefable.
* Clefable will find itself gradually worn down throughout the match by switching into threats that it checks, so finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled is important; Clefable can use Soft-Boiled on predicted switchins into an opponent's Steel-type or switchin into a passive threat that cannot inflict much damage to Clefable.
* If running Calm Mind, it is not ideal to start setting up Calm Mind early on in the match; once Steel- and Poison-type threats that could severely threaten Clefable such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, Nihilego, and Alolan Muk are weakened, then Clefable can set up Calm Mind on predicted switches, finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled in order to sweep provided that the enemy team has been sufficiently weakened.

Team Options
========

* Partners which deal with opposing Steel-types make for fantastic partners with Clefable; Heatran can handle many Steel-types for Clefable such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor; Heatran can even set up Stealth Rock for Clefable, opening up room for Clefable to run Calm Mind.
* Volcarona appreciates the Stealth Rock support given by Clefable so that it can easily break past opposing teams; given that Clefable can help get Stealth Rock against stall builds, breaking Dugtrio's Focus Sash, Volcarona can break past defensive teams while also taking out Steel-types that Clefable has difficulty dealing with; it can also run Hidden Power Ground to beat Heatran, a notable answer to Clefable.
* Other wallbreakers, such as Mega Heracross and Mega Medicham, appreciate the Stealth Rock support that Clefable provides; these wallbreakers even assist Calm Mind Clefable in paving the way for a sweep by weakening bulky threats that can easily deal with Calm Mind Clefable, such as Celesteela. mention zyg as a breaker
* Ferrothorn can form a hazard setting core with Clefable, being able to set up Spikes to complement Clefable's Stealth Rock. In addition, Ferrothorn can help check the likes of Ash-Greninja and Tapu Koko which are big threats to Clefable. Clefable can help Ferrothorn by checking the likes of Zygarde, Mega Heracross, and Mega Medicham for it.i wouldnt really call ashgren a threat to clef, more something that just pressures it a lot because clef is honestly the one threatening it because it cant spam dark spam easily etc. mention skarm as a spiker too. toxapex for tspikes too.
* Tapu Koko can help defeat Celesteela and Mega Scizor(?) for Clefable, as well as being able to safely bring Clefable in with the assistance of Volt Switch or U-turn. im not sure what clef is needing voltturn support for anyway, its not a frail breaker or anything like that. mention celesteela too because it harasses a lot of stuff clef doesnt like and vice versa
* Assault Vest Tangrowth helps check Tapu Koko and Greninja; it also appreciates Clefable handling the physical threats that Tangrowth has difficulty taking on without physical defense investment.
* Landorus-T makes for a good partner, appreciating Stealth Rock support from Clefable while also being able to break past defensive and offensive teams alike with a Double Dance set. Stealth Rock Landorus-T may also be used so that Clefable has room to run Calm Mind.


[SET]
name: Unaware
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Wish
move 3: Protect
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Unaware
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

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

* Moonblast is Clefable's main STAB attack that is also necessary so that Clefable is not completely shut down by Taunt users while also allowing it to wear down its switchins.
* Wish is Clefable's most consistent way to heal itself with the assistance of Protect; it is also able to create Wishes to pass to any of its weakened team members or to bring them in safely.
* Protect is primarily used to guarantee a safe Wish in order to regain any health it has lost throughout the match, however it can also be used to scout for powerful moves and coverage as well as regain Leftovers recovery.
* Heal Bell is used so that Clefable can heal off any status such as poison by the likes of Zygarde while also healing off status for the rest of its team, ensuring that they will not get worn down by the likes of burn or poison.

Set Details
========

* Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allow Clefable to handle numerous physical setup sweepers which can otherwise threaten the stall and balanced teams that this set finds itself on; this spread allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, allowing Clefable to serve as a great check to it.
* More Special Defense investment may be used if Clefable's team is weak to Manaphy; 64 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature allow Clefable to avoid the OHKO from Manaphy's Hydro Vortex in the rain and heal off the damage with the combination of Wish and Protect, although this leaves Clefable at the mercy of a number of physical attackers that its teammates normally have difficulty dealing with.
* Leftovers is the necessary item on this set so that Clefable has passive recovery which it can gain throughout the match as well as when it uses Protect.
* Unaware is the main ability for this set, as it allows Clefable to ignore any boosts that the opponent has accumulated, meaning that it can serve as a great check to Swords Dance users such as Garchomp and Mega Heracross.

Usage Tips
========

* Clefable is primarily used on stall or balanced teams as a direct switchin to setup sweepers such as Coil or Dragon Dance Zygarde, as well as Swords Dance Mega Heracross; these threats have difficulty breaking past Clefable due to their inability to use boosts to beat it.
* Although some threats that Clefable normally checks may have methods to deal with it, such as Zygarde which run Toxic to wear down Clefable, it has Heal Bell to prevent poison from wearing it down too much so that Clefable can stall Zygarde out.
* Moonblast is a good move to throw out to wear down Clefable's opponents so that its teammates can take advantage of it with poison from the likes of Toxapex's Toxic Spikes or Chansey's Toxic or burns from Mega Sableye's Will-o-Wisp or Toxapex's Scald.
* Wish should be used whenever Clefable is running low on health or whenever it is slightly weakened, as keeping Clefable as healthy as possible is vital to its performance on its team; once it has used Wish, Protect should be used the next turn to guarantee that Clefable can heal using its own Wish.
* Given that this set is relatively passive, using Wish so that Clefable can pass it to any of its teammates so that they can come in for free is a good idea; for example, if an opponent brings Tapu Koko into Unaware Clefable to try and break past it, Clefable can use Wish on the predicted switch and switch into Chansey to heal off any damage it may have taken in the process.

Team Options
========

* Given that this set is mainly used to handle physical attackers, partners which can handle special attackers such as Tapu Koko, Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Greninja, and Ash-Greninja make for great partners; Chansey and Toxapex are able to perform this role well, as Chansey can set up Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams more easily, and Toxapex can burn the opponent with Scald as well as set up Toxic Spikes for Clefable and its teammates to take advantage of.
* Clefable still has difficulty handling specific physical attackers such as Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Poison-types like Alolan Muk, so counters to these threats such as Skarmory are very useful for Clefable, as Skarmory can use Counter to eliminate said threats.
* Dugtrio is able to eliminate many powerful threats to Clefable and its teammates such as Heatran and Hoopa-U, while also being able to use Pursuit to wear down Alolan Marowak; a major threat to the defensive teams that Unaware Clefable finds itself on.
* Mega Sableye is able to deter hazards from a majority of hazard setters in the tier which allows Clefable to continually switch into the threats that it checks, such as Mega Heracross which cannot 2HKO Clefable if Stealth Rock is not present on the field.
* Zapdos is also able to deal with Steel-types such as Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn while being able to Defog away hazards for Clefable to continue performing as a setup sweeper check.

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

* Thunderbolt may be used to hit the likes of Tapu Fini, Celesteela, Skarmory, and Toxapex all in one slot; this move is preferred to be run with Ice Beam for overall coverage against the likes of Zygarde, Garchomp, and Landorus-T.
* Moonlight may be used as an alternate form of recovery over Wish, although the much lower PP of Moonlight along with its recovery being weather-dependent makes this an inferior option.
* The combination of Unaware and Calm Mind allows Clefable to win Calm Mind wars by ignoring any boosts that the opponent is accumulating while setting up boosts itself.
* Clefable may run an offensive Life Orb set with Magic Guard which takes advantage of its giant movepool and decent power with maximum Special Attack investment and a Life Orb while also negating any recoil caused by Life Orb.
* Encore may be used in order to lock an opponent such as Ferrothorn into Leech Seed, allowing Clefable to take advantage of it by setting up Stealth Rock.
* Healing Wish is an option which allows Clefable to bring back any of its teammates to full health at the cost of Clefable itself.

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

**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn all easily take Clefable's Moonblast and take advantage of it with their STAB moves. Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn must watch out for Flamethrower, but otherwise Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards, and Celesteela can throw out a powerful STAB Heavy Slam.

**Fire-types**: Volcarona, Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran all serve as great checks to Clefable due to their ability to resist its Moonblast and respond with a strong Fire-type STAB that Clefable has difficulty taking. Mega Charizard Y can hit Clefable with a Drought-boosted Fire Blast, Volcarona can set up Quiver Dance on Clefable, and Heatran can trap Clefable with Magma Storm while using Taunt on it or setting up Stealth Rock on Clefable.

**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Alolan Muk, Gengar, Amoonguss, Nidoking, and Mega Venusaur take very little from Moonblast and respond with a super effective STAB move. Gengar and Alolan Muk must watch out for Knock Off, however they all do a great job of switching in and taking on Clefable.

**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Smeargle, and Heatran can all prevent Clefable from healing by using Soft-Boiled or Wish, setting up Stealth Rock, or setting up a Calm Mind.

**Offensive Pressure**: Since Clefable does not have great overall bulk to handle attackers on both sides of the spectrum, it can be easily pressured by attackers that it does not have the investment to take on; it can get 2HKOed by special attackers such as Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja if running Defense investment, while it can be broken past by the likes of Zygarde and Mega Medicham if running Special Defense investment.
1/3
 

Lumari

empty spaces
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris an Administrator Alumnus
TFP Leader


remove
add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Clefable's good bulk along with its great defensive typing allows it to serve as a strong check to attackers such as Zygarde, Mega Heracross, Latios, and Mega Medicham, which it can perform well at doing due to its reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled. Its ability to act as a strong defensive threat is bolstered by its two amazing abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware that allow Clefable to avoid all residual damage or act as a stop to setup sweepers, respectively. To begin, Magic Guard Clefable brings great utility for its teammates in the form of being as a Stealth Rock setter which that has a great matchup against Mega Sableye, easing the matchup against stall teams, or by performing as a strong Calm Mind sweeper. Next, (AC) is Unaware Clefable, which is able to stop many setup sweepers that defensive teams would normally have issues dealing with such as Swords Dance Mega Heracross, Dragon Dance Zygarde, and Tail Glow Manaphy. However, despite its good bulk, Clefable can find itself overwhelmed by attackers that it normally can check provided that it has taken prior damage as well as strong attackers such as Ash-Greninja which that are able to pressure it too much to perform its roles efficiently. In addition, due to its low Speed, Clefable is very susceptible to Taunt users such as Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele, (AC) which prevent it from providing utility for its team.

[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Soft-Boiled
move 3: Stealth Rock / Calm Mind
move 4: Flamethrower / Knock Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

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

Moonblast is Clefable's main STAB move that allows it to deal decent damage to threats that it can threaten with Moonblast such as Mega Heracross and Mega Medicham; it also lets Clefable avoid being passive against Taunt users such as Tapu Fini. Soft-Boiled gives Clefable reliable recovery that it can use to allows Clefable to keep itself healthy throughout the match and switch into the threats that it checks such as Mega Heracross and Zygarde. Stealth Rock lets Clefable support its team by garnering residual damage for teammates to take advantage of; Clefable is a notable setter of Stealth Rock due to its ability to threaten Mega Sableye, a common deterrent to entry hazard setters on stall builds. Calm Mind may be used if there is another Stealth Rock setter on the team, and it allows Clefable to perform as a strong setup sweeper due to its inability to be worn down by residual damage as well as its strong bulk. Flamethrower is useful in order to hit Steel-types that Clefable otherwise has great difficulty in dealing with such as Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Knock Off is useful for removing useful items from Clefable's checks such as Leftovers from Ferrothorn and Celesteela (RC) or and Thick Club from Alolan Marowak. Thunder Wave allows Clefable to cripple a potential switchin switch-in by halving their its Speed, making it easier to set up Calm Minds or simply cripple the opponent for letting a teammate to take advantage of the foe.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allows Clefable to avoid 2HKOes 2HKOs from a number of strong physical threats attacks in the metagame, such as Choice Band Zygarde's Thousand Arrows, Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, and Mega Medicham's High Jump Kick. This spread also allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Latios's Psyshock. Special Defense EVs may be added to avoid 2HKOes 2HKOs from special attackers that Clefable's teammates would prefer it to check; 176 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature, for example, allows allow Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Tapu Koko's Magnet-boosted Thunderbolts Thunderbolt in Electric Terrain after Leftovers recovery. A Relaxed nature to preserve Clefable's Attack (clarification) is not necessary if running Knock Off, as Knock Off is mainly used for utility as opposed to damage, and it is preferable to run Bold in order to outspeed Sassy Celesteela. Leftovers is the necessary item for this set, as it allows Clefable to meet many of the aforementioned defensive benchmarks while also giving it useful recovery throughout the match to continue switching into the threats that it checks. Magic Guard is the ability for this set, as it allows Clefable to avoid damage from Stealth Rock, Spikes, burn, and poison, which allows Clefable to better serve as a pivot into attackers that it deals with.

Usage Tips
========

Clefable should be brought directly into the match into Pokemon that it checks such as Zygarde and Mega Heracross; from there, Clefable can use Soft-Boiled to regain health, throw out a Moonblast to wear down the threat in front of Clefable, (AC) or predict the switch by setting set up Stealth Rock on the predicted switch. When Clefable is in the match, the player should look at the opponent's team to see what they have to check it; if the opponent has a Steel-type like Celesteela or Ferrothorn, it is best not to go for Moonblast (RC) and rather predict their switch by using Knock Off to remove their item or using Flamethrower to wear them down. If Clefable is running Stealth Rock, it is best to try and set setting up the entry hazards hazard as early as possible whenever Clefable finds the right opportunity to set them up for teammates to take advantage of. When facing stall teams with Mega Sableye, if they decide to lead with Mega Sableye, do not use Stealth Rock immediately, (AC) as they will attempt to Protect on the first turn. Instead, throw out a Moonblast, and then attempt to set up Stealth Rock if you are sure that Mega Sableye will not try to switch back into Clefable. Despite its good bulk, Clefable will find itself gradually worn down throughout the match by switching into threats that it checks, so finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled is important; Clefable can use Soft-Boiled recover up on predicted switchins into switches to an opponent's Steel-type or switchin into a passive threat that cannot inflict much damage to Clefable. If Clefable is running Calm Mind over Stealth Rock, it is not ideal to start setting up Calm Mind early on in the match; once Steel- and Poison-type threats that could severely threaten Clefable such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, Nihilego, and Alolan Muk are weakened, then Clefable can set up Calm Mind on predicted switches, finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled in order to sweep provided that the enemy team has been sufficiently weakened.

Team Options
========

Partners which that deal with opposing Steel-types make for fantastic partners with Clefable; Heatran can handle many Steel-types for Clefable such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor, (comma) Heatran and it can even set up Stealth Rock for Clefable, opening up room for Clefable to run Calm Mind. Volcarona appreciates the Stealth Rock support given by Clefable so that it can easily break past opposing teams; given that Clefable's can help get Stealth Rock against stall builds, breaking Dugtrio's Focus Sash, notably lets Volcarona can break past defensive stall teams by breaking Dugtrio's Focus Sash, while also taking Volcarona can take out Steel-types that Clefable has difficulty dealing with. (period) It can also run Hidden Power Ground to beat Heatran, a notable answer to Clefable. Other wallbreakers, such as Zygarde, Mega Heracross, (AC) and Mega Medicham, appreciate the Stealth Rock support that Clefable provides; these wallbreakers even assist Calm Mind Clefable in paving the way for a sweep by weakening bulky threats that can easily deal with Calm Mind Clefable, such as Celesteela. Ferrothorn can form a hazard setting core with Clefable, being able to set up Spikes to complement Clefable's Stealth Rock. In addition, Ferrothorn can help check the likes of Tapu Koko, (AC) which can offensively pressure Clefable. Clefable can help Ferrothorn by checking the likes of Zygarde, Mega Heracross, and Mega Medicham for it. Other hazard setters such as Skarmory and Toxapex can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, (AC) respectively; Skarmory can help check Swords Dance Landorus-T and Tapu Bulu, which can break past Clefable, while Toxapex can check the likes of Greninja for Clefable. Celesteela can help Clefable defeat a number of special attackers that it has difficulty dealing with such as Tapu Lele and Magearna; Clefable is able to check Zygarde and Mega Medicham for Celesteela in return. Assault Vest Tangrowth helps check Tapu Koko and Greninja; it also appreciates Clefable handling the physical threats that Tangrowth has difficulty taking on without physical defense bulk investment. Landorus-T makes for a good partner, appreciating Stealth Rock support from Clefable while also being able to break past defensive and offensive teams alike with a Double Dance set. Stealth Rock Landorus-T may also be used so that Clefable has room to run Calm Mind.

[SET]
name: Unaware
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Wish
move 3: Protect
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Unaware
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

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

Moonblast is Clefable's main STAB attack, (AC) that is also necessary so that which stops Clefable is not from being completely shut down by Taunt users while also allowing and allows it to wear down its switchins switch-ins. Wish is Clefable's most consistent way to heal itself with the assistance of Protect; it Clefable is also able to create Wishes to pass to any of its weakened team members or to bring them in safely. Protect is primarily used to guarantee a safe Wish in order to regain any health it has lost throughout the match, however though it can also be used to scout for powerful moves and coverage as well as regain rack up Leftovers recovery. Heal Bell is used so that lets Clefable can heal off any status such as poison by the likes of Zygarde while also healing off status for the rest of its team, ensuring that they will not get worn down by the likes of burn or and poison.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allows Clefable to handle numerous physical setup sweepers that can otherwise threaten the stall and balanced teams that this set finds itself on; this spread allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, allowing Clefable to serve as a great check to it. More Special Defense investment may be used if Clefable's team is weak to Manaphy; 64 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature allow Clefable to avoid the OHKO from Manaphy's Hydro Vortex in the rain and heal off the damage with the combination of Wish and Protect, although this leaves Clefable at the mercy of a number of physical attackers that its teammates normally have difficulty dealing with. Leftovers is the necessary item on this set so that Clefable has can gain passive recovery which it can gain throughout the match as well as when it uses Protect. Unaware is the main ability for this set, as it allows Clefable to ignore any boosts that the opponent foe has accumulated, meaning that it can serve as a great check to Swords Dance users such as Garchomp and Mega Heracross.

Usage Tips
========

Clefable is primarily used on stall or balanced teams as a direct switchin switch-in to setup sweepers such as Coil or Dragon Dance Zygarde (RC) as well as and Swords Dance Mega Heracross; these threats have difficulty breaking past Clefable due to their inability to use boosts to beat it. Although some threats Pokemon such as Zygarde that Clefable normally checks may have methods run moves like Toxic to deal with it, such as Zygarde which run Toxic to wear down Clefable, it has Heal Bell to lets Clefable prevent poison from wearing it down too much so that Clefable can and stall Zygarde out. Moonblast is a good move to throw out to wear down Clefable's opponents opposing Pokemon so that its Clefable's teammates can take advantage of it with poison from the likes of Toxapex's Toxic Spikes or Chansey's Toxic or burns from Mega Sableye's Will-o-Wisp Will-O-Wisp or Toxapex's Scald. (i'm actually not following what's going on in this sentence, right now it sounds like you're trying to clean the opposing team via chip damage) Wish should be used whenever Clefable is running low on health or whenever it is slightly weakened, (or pick the other one) as keeping Clefable as healthy as possible is vital to its performance on its team; once it has used Wish, Protect should be used the next turn to guarantee that Clefable can heal using its own Wish. Given that this set is relatively passive, using Wish so that Clefable can pass it to any of its teammates so that they can come in for free is a good idea; for example, if an opponent brings Tapu Koko into Unaware Clefable to try and break breaking past it, Clefable can use Wish on the predicted switch and switch into Chansey to heal off any damage it may have taken in the process.

Team Options
========

This set is mainly used to handle physical attackers, therefore so partners which Pokemon that can handle special attackers such as Tapu Koko, Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Greninja, and Ash-Greninja make for great partners; Chansey and Toxapex are able to perform this role well, as Chansey the former can set up Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams more easily, and Toxapex the latter can burn the opponent with Scald as well as set up Toxic Spikes for Clefable and its teammates to take advantage of. Clefable still has difficulty handling specific physical attackers such as Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Poison-types like Alolan Muk, so counters to these threats such as Skarmory, which can eliminate them with Counter, are very useful for Clefable, as Skarmory can use Counter to eliminate said threats. Dugtrio is able to eliminate many powerful threats to Clefable and its teammates such as Heatran and Hoopa-U (RC) while also being able to use Pursuit to wear down Alolan Marowak, (comma) a major threat to the defensive teams that Unaware Clefable finds itself on. Mega Sableye is able to deter hazards from a majority of hazard setters in the tier, (AC) which allows Clefable to continually switch into the threats that it checks; (SC) such as for example, Mega Heracross which cannot 2HKO Clefable if Stealth Rock is not present on the field. Zapdos is also able to deal with Steel-types such as Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn while being able to Defog away hazards for Clefable to continue performing as a setup sweeper check.

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

Thunderbolt may be used to hit the likes of Tapu Fini, Celesteela, Skarmory, and Toxapex all in one slot; this move is preferred to be run with Ice Beam for overall coverage against the likes of Zygarde, Garchomp, and Landorus-T. Moonlight may be used on the Unaware set as an alternate form of recovery over Wish, although the its much lower PP of Moonlight along with its recovery being weather dependent (RH) makes this an inferior option. The combination of Unaware and Calm Mind allows Clefable to win Calm Mind wars by ignoring any boosts that the opponent is accumulating while setting up boosts itself. Clefable may run an offensive Life Orb set with Magic Guard and maximum Special Attack investment that takes advantage of its giant movepool and decent power with maximum Special Attack investment and a Life Orb while also negating any recoil caused by Life Orb. Encore may be used in order to lock an opponent such as Ferrothorn into Leech Seed, allowing Clefable to take advantage of it by setting up Stealth Rock. Healing Wish is an option which that allows Clefable to bring back any of its teammates to full health at the cost of Clefable itself.

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

**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn all easily take Clefable's Moonblast and take advantage of it with their STAB moves. Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn must watch out for Flamethrower, but otherwise Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards, and Celesteela can throw out a powerful STAB Heavy Slam.

**Fire-types**: Volcarona, Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran all serve as great checks to Clefable due to their ability to resist its Moonblast and respond with a strong Fire-type STAB attack that Clefable has difficulty taking. Mega Charizard Y can hit Clefable with a Drought-boosted Fire Blast, Volcarona can set up Quiver Dance on Clefable, and Heatran can trap Clefable with Magma Storm while using Taunt on it or setting up Stealth Rock on Clefable.

**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Alolan Muk, Gengar, Amoonguss, Nidoking, and Mega Venusaur take very little from Moonblast and respond with a super effective STAB move. Gengar and Alolan Muk must watch out for Knock Off, however but they all do a great job of switching in and taking on Clefable.

**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Smeargle, and Heatran can all prevent Clefable from healing by using Soft-Boiled or Wish, setting up Stealth Rock, or setting up a Calm Mind.

**Offensive Pressure**: Since Clefable does not have great overall bulk to handle physical and special attackers on both sides of the spectrum at the same time, it can be easily pressured by attackers that it does not have the investment to take on; it can get 2HKOed by special attackers such as Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja if running Defense investment, while it can be broken past by the likes of Zygarde and Mega Medicham if running Special Defense investment.
 

Eclipse

Like a chimp with a machine gun
is a Contributor Alumnus
I changed the Will-O-Wisp sentence to reflect that Moonblast can help wear down opposing threats in combination with burns from Mega Sab's WoW or Toxapex's TSpikes to clear it up a bit. Thanks and ready for final check!
 

P Squared

a great unrecorded history
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
GP 2/2

[OVERVIEW]

Clefable's good bulk along with its great defensive typing allows it to serve as a strong check to attackers such as Zygarde, Mega Heracross, Latios, and Mega Medicham, a role that which it can perform well due to its reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled. Its ability to act as a strong defensive threat is bolstered by its two amazing abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware that allow Clefable to avoid all residual damage or act as a stop to setup sweepers, respectively. To begin, Magic Guard Clefable brings great utility for its teammates as a Stealth Rock setter that has a great matchup against Mega Sableye, easing the matchup against stall teams, or as a strong Calm Mind sweeper. Next, On the other hand, Unaware Clefable is able to stop many setup sweepers that defensive teams would normally have issues dealing with such as Swords Dance Mega Heracross, Dragon Dance Zygarde, and Tail Glow Manaphy. However, despite its good bulk, Clefable can find itself overwhelmed by attackers that it normally can check provided that it has taken prior damage as well as by strong attackers such as Ash-Greninja that are able to pressure it too much for it to perform its roles efficiently. In addition, due to its low Speed, Clefable is very susceptible to Taunt users such as Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele, which prevent it from providing utility for its team.

[SET]
name: Magic Guard
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Soft-Boiled
move 3: Stealth Rock / Calm Mind
move 4: Flamethrower / Knock Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

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

Moonblast is Clefable's main STAB move that (it is its only STAB move on this set) allows it Clefable to deal decent damage to threats such as Mega Heracross and Mega Medicham; it also lets Clefable avoid being passive against Taunt users such as Tapu Fini. Soft-Boiled allows Clefable to keep itself healthy throughout the match and switch into the threats that it checks such as Mega Heracross and Zygarde. Stealth Rock lets Clefable support its team by garnering residual damage for teammates to take advantage of; Clefable is a notable setter of Stealth Rock due to its ability to threaten Mega Sableye, a common deterrent to entry hazard setters on stall builds. Calm Mind may be used if there is another Stealth Rock setter on the team, and it allows Clefable to perform as a strong setup sweeper due to its inability to be worn down by residual damage as well as its strong bulk. Flamethrower is useful in order to hit Steel-types that Clefable otherwise has great difficulty in dealing with such as Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Knock Off is useful for removing items from Clefable's checks such as Leftovers from Ferrothorn and Celesteela and Thick Club from Alolan Marowak. Thunder Wave allows Clefable to cripple a potential switch-in by halving its Speed, making it easier to set up Calm Minds or simply letting a teammate take advantage of the foe.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allows Clefable to avoid 2HKOs from a number of strong physical attacks in the metagame, such as Choice Band Zygarde's Thousand Arrows, Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, and Mega Medicham's High Jump Kick. This spread also allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Latios's Psyshock. Special Defense EVs may be added to avoid 2HKOs from special attackers that Clefable's teammates would prefer it to check; 176 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature, for example, allow Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Tapu Koko's Magnet-boosted Thunderbolt in Electric Terrain after Leftovers recovery. A Relaxed nature to preserve Clefable's Attack is not necessary if running Knock Off, as Knock Off is mainly used for utility as opposed to damage, and it is preferable to run Bold in order to outspeed Sassy Celesteela. Leftovers is the necessary item for this set, as it allows Clefable to meet many of the aforementioned defensive benchmarks while also giving it useful recovery throughout the match to continue switching into the threats that it checks. Magic Guard allows Clefable to avoid damage from Stealth Rock, Spikes, burn, and poison, which allows Clefable to better serve as a pivot into attackers that it deals with.

Usage Tips
========

Clefable should be brought directly into the match into Pokemon that it checks such as Zygarde and Mega Heracross; from there, Clefable can use Soft-Boiled to regain health, throw out a Moonblast to wear down the threat in front of Clefable, or set up Stealth Rock on the predicted switch. When Clefable is in the match, the player should look at the opponent's team to see what they have to check Clefable it; if the opponent has a Steel-type like Celesteela or Ferrothorn, it is best not to go for Moonblast and rather to predict their switch by using Knock Off to remove their item or using Flamethrower to wear them down. If Clefable is running Stealth Rock, it is best to try setting up the entry hazard at the earliest opportunity as early as possible whenever Clefable finds the right opportunity to set them up for teammates to take advantage of. When facing stall teams with Mega Sableye, if they decide to lead with Mega Sableye, do not use Stealth Rock immediately, as they will attempt to use Protect and Mega Evolve on the first turn to bounce the hazard back. Instead, throw out a Moonblast, and then after Mega Sableye has switched out, attempt to set up Stealth Rock only if you are sure that Mega Sableye will not try to switch back into Clefable. Despite its good bulk, Clefable will find itself gradually worn down throughout the match by switching into threats that it checks, so finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled is important; Clefable can recover up on predicted switches to an opponent's Steel-type or to a passive threat that cannot inflict much damage to Clefable. If Clefable is running Calm Mind over Stealth Rock, it is not ideal to start setting up Calm Mind early on in the match; once Steel- and Poison-type threats that could severely threaten Clefable such as Celesteela, Ferrothorn, Nihilego, and Alolan Muk are weakened, Clefable can set up Calm Mind on predicted switches, finding opportunities to heal back up with Soft-Boiled in order to sweep provided that the enemy team has been sufficiently weakened.

Team Options
========

Partners that deal with opposing Steel-types make for fantastic partners with Clefable; Heatran can handle many Steel-types for Clefable such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor, and it can even set up Stealth Rock for Clefable, opening up room for Clefable to run Calm Mind. Volcarona appreciates the Stealth Rock support given by Clefable so that it can easily break past opposing teams; Clefable's Stealth Rock notably lets Volcarona break past stall teams by breaking Dugtrio's Focus Sash, while Volcarona can take out Steel-types that Clefable has difficulty dealing with. It can also run Hidden Power Ground to beat Heatran, a notable answer to Clefable. Other wallbreakers, such as Zygarde, Mega Heracross, and Mega Medicham, appreciate the Stealth Rock support that Clefable provides; these wallbreakers even assist Calm Mind Clefable in paving the way for a sweep by weakening bulky threats that can easily deal with Calm Mind Clefable, such as Celesteela. Ferrothorn can form a hazard setting core with Clefable, being able to set up Spikes to complement Clefable's Stealth Rock. In addition, Ferrothorn can help check the likes of Tapu Koko, which can offensively pressure Clefable. Clefable can help Ferrothorn by checking the likes of Zygarde, Mega Heracross, and Mega Medicham for it. Skarmory and Toxapex can set up Spikes and Toxic Spikes, respectively; Skarmory can help check Swords Dance Landorus-T and Tapu Bulu, which can break past Clefable, while Toxapex can check the likes of Greninja for Clefable. Celesteela can help Clefable defeat a number of special attackers that it has difficulty dealing with such as Tapu Lele and Magearna; Clefable is able to check Zygarde and Mega Medicham for Celesteela in return. Assault Vest Tangrowth helps check Tapu Koko and Greninja; it also appreciates Clefable handling the physical threats that Tangrowth has difficulty taking on without physical bulk investment. Landorus-T makes for a good partner, appreciating Stealth Rock support from Clefable while also being able to break past defensive and offensive teams alike with a Double Dance set. Stealth Rock Landorus-T may also be used so that Clefable has room to run Calm Mind.

[SET]
name: Unaware
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Wish
move 3: Protect
move 4: Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Unaware
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

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

Moonblast is Clefable's main STAB attack, which stops Clefable from being completely shut down by Taunt users and allows it to wear down its switch-ins. Wish is Clefable's most consistent way to heal itself with the assistance of Protect; Clefable is also able to create Wishes to pass to any of its weakened team members or to bring them in safely. Protect is primarily used to guarantee a safe Wish in order to regain any health it has lost throughout the match, though it can also be used to scout for powerful moves and coverage as well as rack up Leftovers recovery. Heal Bell lets Clefable heal off any status such as poison by the likes of Zygarde while also healing off status for the rest of its team, ensuring that they will not get worn down by the likes of burn and poison.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP and Defense investment with a Bold nature allows Clefable to handle numerous physical setup sweepers that can otherwise threaten the stall and balanced teams that this set finds itself on; this spread allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Heracross's Rock Blast, allowing Clefable to serve as a great check to it. More Special Defense investment may be used if Clefable's team is weak to Manaphy; 64 Special Defense EVs with a Calm nature allow Clefable to avoid the OHKO from Manaphy's Hydro Vortex in the rain and heal off the damage with the combination of Wish and Protect, although this leaves Clefable at the mercy of a number of physical attackers that its teammates normally have difficulty dealing with. Leftovers is the necessary item on this set so that Clefable can gain passive recovery throughout the match as well as when it uses Protect. Unaware is the main ability for this set, as it allows Clefable to ignore any boosts that the foe has accumulated, meaning that it can serve as a great check to Swords Dance users such as Garchomp and Mega Heracross.

Usage Tips
========

Clefable is primarily used on stall or balanced teams as a direct switch-in to setup sweepers such as Coil or Dragon Dance Zygarde and Swords Dance Mega Heracross; these threats have difficulty breaking past Clefable due to their inability to use boosts to beat it. Although Pokemon such as Zygarde that Clefable normally checks may run moves like Toxic to deal with it, Heal Bell lets Clefable prevent poison from wearing it down too much and stall Zygarde out. Moonblast is a good move to throw out to wear down opposing Pokemon in combination with poison from Toxapex's Toxic Spikes or Mega Sableye's Will-O-Wisp. Wish should be used whenever Clefable is running low on health, as keeping Clefable as healthy as possible is vital to its performance on its team; once it has used Wish, Protect should be used the next turn to guarantee that Clefable can heal using its own Wish. Given that this set is relatively passive, using Wish so that Clefable can pass it to any of its teammates so that they can come in for free is a good idea; for example, if an opponent brings Tapu Koko into Unaware Clefable to try breaking past it, Clefable can use Wish on the predicted switch and switch into Chansey to heal off any damage it may have taken in the process.

Team Options
========

This set is mainly used to handle physical attackers, so Pokemon that can handle special attackers such as Tapu Koko, Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Greninja, and Ash-Greninja make for great partners; Chansey and Toxapex are able to perform this role well, as the former can set up Stealth Rock to wear down opposing teams more easily, and the latter can burn the foe opponent with Scald as well as set up Toxic Spikes for Clefable and its teammates to take advantage of. Clefable still has difficulty handling specific physical attackers such as Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Poison-types like Alolan Muk, so counters to these threats such as Skarmory, which can eliminate them with Counter, are very useful for Clefable. Dugtrio is able to eliminate many powerful threats to Clefable and its teammates, such as Heatran and Hoopa-U, while also being able to use Pursuit to wear down Alolan Marowak, a major threat to the defensive teams that Unaware Clefable finds itself on. Mega Sableye is able to deter hazards from a majority of setters in the tier, which allows Clefable to continually switch into the threats that it checks; for example, Mega Heracross cannot 2HKO Clefable if Stealth Rock is not present on the field. Zapdos is also able to deal with Steel-types such as Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn while being able to Defog away hazards for Clefable to continue performing as a setup sweeper check.

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

Thunderbolt may be used to hit the likes of Tapu Fini, Celesteela, Skarmory, and Toxapex all in one slot; this move is preferred to be run with Ice Beam for overall coverage against the likes of Zygarde, Garchomp, and Landorus-T. Moonlight may be used on the Unaware set as an alternate form of recovery over Wish, although its much lower PP along with its recovery being weather dependent makes this an inferior option. The combination of Unaware and Calm Mind allows Clefable to win Calm Mind wars by ignoring any boosts that the opponent is accumulating while setting up boosts itself. Clefable may run an offensive Life Orb set with Magic Guard and maximum Special Attack investment that takes advantage of its giant movepool and decent power while also negating any recoil caused by Life Orb. Encore may be used in order to lock a foe an opponent such as Ferrothorn into Leech Seed, allowing Clefable to take advantage of it by setting up Stealth Rock. Healing Wish is an option that allows Clefable to bring back any of its teammates to full health at the cost of Clefable itself.

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

**Steel-types**: Mega Scizor, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn all easily take Clefable's Moonblast and take advantage of it with their STAB moves. Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn must watch out for Flamethrower, but otherwise Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards, and Celesteela can throw out a powerful STAB Heavy Slam.

**Fire-types**: Volcarona, Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran all serve as great checks to Clefable due to their ability to resist its Moonblast and respond with a strong Fire-type STAB attack that Clefable has difficulty taking. Mega Charizard Y can hit Clefable with a Drought-boosted Fire Blast, Volcarona can set up Quiver Dance on Clefable, and Heatran can trap Clefable with Magma Storm while using Taunt on it or setting up Stealth Rock on Clefable.

**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Alolan Muk, Gengar, Amoonguss, Nidoking, and Mega Venusaur take very little from Moonblast and respond with a super effective STAB move. Gengar and Alolan Muk must watch out for Knock Off, but they all do a great job of switching in and taking on Clefable.

**Taunt Users**: Taunt users such as Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Smeargle, and Heatran can all prevent Clefable from healing by using Soft-Boiled or Wish, setting up Stealth Rock, or setting up a Calm Mind.

**Offensive Pressure**: Since Clefable does not have great overall bulk to handle physical and special attackers at the same time, it can be easily pressured by attackers that it does not have the investment to take on; it can get 2HKOed by special attackers such as Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja if running Defense investment, while it can be broken past by the likes of Zygarde and Mega Medicham if running Special Defense investment.
 
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