[OVERVIEW]
Clefable, blessed with being born in RBY, has access to an expansive toolbox of support options in addition to a good defensive typing and two excellent defensive abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware. Its wide movepool allows it to function as an entry hazard setter with Stealth Rock, spread status with Thunder Wave or Toxic, hinder opposing Pokemon with Knock Off, and even run an offensive set with coverage moves like Flamethrower and Thunderbolt. This versatility makes Clefable a great addition to most team archetypes, letting it support offensive teammates with utility sets, wall setup sweepers with Unaware, or act as a special attacking setup sweeper with an offensive Calm Mind set. However, despite all of the attributes that make Clefable such a great addition to many teams, it suffers from middling defensive stats and can get overwhelmed by particularly strong attackers, requiring other bulky teammates to be the ones primarily taking hits and potentially struggling against offensive teams.
[SET]
Clefable @ Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Knock Off / Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock / Thunder Wave
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Clefable is an excellent utility Pokemon thanks to its access to a number of support moves combined with Magic Guard, which grants it incredible longevity when paired with Soft-Boiled's instant recovery, since it can't be worn down by passive damage. Moonblast allows it to threaten a number of common offensive threats, such as Dragapult, Weavile, and Urshifu-R. Knock Off helps Clefable's teammates make progress by removing items like Leftovers from Heatran and Melmetal and Assault Vest from Galarian Slowking, scaring away potential switch-ins that need their items to check certain threats. Clefable is also a good Stealth Rock setter, with decent matchups against a number of entry hazard removers like Tornadus-T that allow it to safely set up entry hazards. Thunder Wave can be run over either of these moves to hinder Clefable switch-ins like Melmetal and Heatran so its teammates can handle them more easily. Leftovers is used to allow Clefable to passively recover health, while Rocky Helmet can be run instead to punish physical attackers like Weavile and Buzzwole as well as Pokemon like Landorus-T and Corviknight using U-turn to pivot out against it.
Team Options
========
Clefable fits well on nearly any team structure, providing support for attackers on offensive teams and leveraging its good defensive typing and ability to switch into offensive threats on defensive teams, as well as offering its ability to act as a Knock Off absorber since it isn't as reliant on Heavy-Duty Boots as other walls. Utility Clefable is a generally passive Pokemon and struggles against walls like Slowbro and Blissey, so it pairs well with offensive teammates like Weavile and Choice Band Tyranitar that can remove them while benefitting from Clefable's ability to check Fighting-types and slow down opposing offensive Pokemon. Steel-types like Melmetal and Kartana easily threaten Clefable, so checks like Skarmory, Zapdos, and Ferrothorn are appreciated. Clefable is also walled by Poison-types like Galarian Slowking, so Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T are necessary to take care of them while providing additional offensive pressure against Steel-types. Clefable can be overwhelmed by powerful special attackers like Choice Specs Tapu Lele, Volcanion, and Blacephalon, so special checks like Blissey, Gastrodon, and Heatran are welcome teammates. Melmetal helps Clefable against a number of threats, including Calm Mind sweepers like Tapu Koko and opposing Clefable as well as Galarian Slowking and Nihilego. Clefable can form an entry hazard-stacking core with Skarmory or Ferrothorn, which complement the pressure of Clefable's Stealth Rock with Spikes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Clefable can make use of Magic Guard to run a Trick + Sticky Barb set to effectively impair opposing Pokemon, especially opposing walls, but should be wary of accidentally taking a Choice item or Assault Vest with Trick, ruining its defensive sets. Toxic is an alternative to Thunder Wave that can put opposing Pokemon on a timer, but since Clefable's most common checks are immune to Toxic, Thunder Wave is generally more effective. Clefable has access to Wish and Teleport, but its middling bulk makes it a subpar Wish passer, and a Wish + Protect set eats into Clefable's already limited moveslots. Encore can be used to lock foes into a move, allowing Clefable to set up entry hazards or a teammate to safely switch in. Healing Wish can be used to give offensive teammates like Dragonite and Volcarona a second life. Clefable can run a specially defensive EV spread to easily check Dragapult and offensive Zapdos variants, but this comes at the cost of being more vulnerable to strong physical attackers.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: If not running Flamethrower or Thunderbolt, Clefable is easily checked by Steel-types like Melmetal, Excadrill, Scizor, and Kartana.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types like Galarian Slowking, Nidoking, and Nihilego easily switch into Clefable, although they generally don't like taking Knock Off.
**Heatran**: Between its Steel / Fire typing and Flash Fire, Heatran checks just about every Clefable variant, with specially defensive variants even taking very little damage from Thunderbolt, though it has to be careful of Thunder Wave and risks being PP stalled out of Magma Storms between their poor accuracy and the chance of full paralysis.
[CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theia.439018/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/setsusetsuna.548068/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Clefable, blessed with being born in RBY, has access to an expansive toolbox of support options in addition to a good defensive typing and two excellent defensive abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware. Its wide movepool allows it to function as an entry hazard setter with Stealth Rock, spread status with Thunder Wave or Toxic, hinder opposing Pokemon with Knock Off, and even run an offensive set with coverage moves like Flamethrower and Thunderbolt. This versatility makes Clefable a great addition to most team archetypes, letting it support offensive teammates with utility sets, wall setup sweepers with Unaware, or act as a special attacking setup sweeper with an offensive Calm Mind set. However, despite all of the attributes that make Clefable such a great addition to many teams, it suffers from middling defensive stats and can get overwhelmed by particularly strong attackers, requiring other bulky teammates to be the ones primarily taking hits and potentially struggling against offensive teams.
[SET]
Clefable @ Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Moonblast
- Soft-Boiled
- Knock Off / Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock / Thunder Wave
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Clefable is an excellent utility Pokemon thanks to its access to a number of support moves combined with Magic Guard, which grants it incredible longevity when paired with Soft-Boiled's instant recovery, since it can't be worn down by passive damage. Moonblast allows it to threaten a number of common offensive threats, such as Dragapult, Weavile, and Urshifu-R. Knock Off helps Clefable's teammates make progress by removing items like Leftovers from Heatran and Melmetal and Assault Vest from Galarian Slowking, scaring away potential switch-ins that need their items to check certain threats. Clefable is also a good Stealth Rock setter, with decent matchups against a number of entry hazard removers like Tornadus-T that allow it to safely set up entry hazards. Thunder Wave can be run over either of these moves to hinder Clefable switch-ins like Melmetal and Heatran so its teammates can handle them more easily. Leftovers is used to allow Clefable to passively recover health, while Rocky Helmet can be run instead to punish physical attackers like Weavile and Buzzwole as well as Pokemon like Landorus-T and Corviknight using U-turn to pivot out against it.
Team Options
========
Clefable fits well on nearly any team structure, providing support for attackers on offensive teams and leveraging its good defensive typing and ability to switch into offensive threats on defensive teams, as well as offering its ability to act as a Knock Off absorber since it isn't as reliant on Heavy-Duty Boots as other walls. Utility Clefable is a generally passive Pokemon and struggles against walls like Slowbro and Blissey, so it pairs well with offensive teammates like Weavile and Choice Band Tyranitar that can remove them while benefitting from Clefable's ability to check Fighting-types and slow down opposing offensive Pokemon. Steel-types like Melmetal and Kartana easily threaten Clefable, so checks like Skarmory, Zapdos, and Ferrothorn are appreciated. Clefable is also walled by Poison-types like Galarian Slowking, so Ground-types like Garchomp and Landorus-T are necessary to take care of them while providing additional offensive pressure against Steel-types. Clefable can be overwhelmed by powerful special attackers like Choice Specs Tapu Lele, Volcanion, and Blacephalon, so special checks like Blissey, Gastrodon, and Heatran are welcome teammates. Melmetal helps Clefable against a number of threats, including Calm Mind sweepers like Tapu Koko and opposing Clefable as well as Galarian Slowking and Nihilego. Clefable can form an entry hazard-stacking core with Skarmory or Ferrothorn, which complement the pressure of Clefable's Stealth Rock with Spikes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Clefable can make use of Magic Guard to run a Trick + Sticky Barb set to effectively impair opposing Pokemon, especially opposing walls, but should be wary of accidentally taking a Choice item or Assault Vest with Trick, ruining its defensive sets. Toxic is an alternative to Thunder Wave that can put opposing Pokemon on a timer, but since Clefable's most common checks are immune to Toxic, Thunder Wave is generally more effective. Clefable has access to Wish and Teleport, but its middling bulk makes it a subpar Wish passer, and a Wish + Protect set eats into Clefable's already limited moveslots. Encore can be used to lock foes into a move, allowing Clefable to set up entry hazards or a teammate to safely switch in. Healing Wish can be used to give offensive teammates like Dragonite and Volcarona a second life. Clefable can run a specially defensive EV spread to easily check Dragapult and offensive Zapdos variants, but this comes at the cost of being more vulnerable to strong physical attackers.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types**: If not running Flamethrower or Thunderbolt, Clefable is easily checked by Steel-types like Melmetal, Excadrill, Scizor, and Kartana.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types like Galarian Slowking, Nidoking, and Nihilego easily switch into Clefable, although they generally don't like taking Knock Off.
**Heatran**: Between its Steel / Fire typing and Flash Fire, Heatran checks just about every Clefable variant, with specially defensive variants even taking very little damage from Thunderbolt, though it has to be careful of Thunder Wave and risks being PP stalled out of Magma Storms between their poor accuracy and the chance of full paralysis.
[CREDITS]
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/theia.439018/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/slowpoke-fan.617219/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/setsusetsuna.548068/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/