Cloyster
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[Overview]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>While Cloyster may seem like an unconventional choice for the OU tier, it's one of the few viable Spikes users with a STAB priority attack and Explosion in its repertory to fill the role of a lead. Cloyster's decent typing and great physical defense allow it to take hits from many powerful leads, such as Swampert, Aerodactyl, and Jirachi. Although Cloyster is a solid Spikes user, its HP and Special Defense are very low by OU standards, meaning that powerful neutral special attacks will heavily damage it and super effective hits will almost always eliminate it. Cloyster's decent offensive stats mean that it can run a mixed set with STAB moves in the form of Surf and Ice Shard, gaining fantastic coverage against the common leads in the current metagame. As always, Explosion is an excellent move for a lead that has fulfilled its job to deal great amounts of damage while preventing Cloyster from becoming set-up fodder. Overall, Cloyster is a good choice in OU for teams that need Spikes support from the get-go.</p>
[SET]
name: OU Lead
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Surf
move 3: Ice Shard
move 4: Explosion
item: Life Orb
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Quiet
evs: 220 HP / 104 Atk / 180 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of Cloyster's set-up capabilities and great physical bulk. It can stack Spikes and deal with most leads in the current metagame with just its dual STAB moves. The combination of Surf followed by Ice Shard takes down many suicide leads, and Explosion lets it go out with a bang after it has finished its job. Shell Armor also helps to avoid random critical hits that may end Cloyster's Spikes set-up prematurely.</p>
<p>The EVs are tailored to beat or set-up against most common leads. In particular, the 220 HP EVs allow Cloyster to always survive Azelf's Fire Blast, take hits from Metagross's Meteor Mash and Jirachi's Iron Head, and even survive a Machamp's DynamicPunch, enabling a successful Spikes set-up. The 180 EVs in Special Attack along with the 104 Attack EVs are specifically used to take down Azelf leads with Surf followed by Ice Shard. 4 Speed EVs, even with a hindering nature, will allow Cloyster to outpace minimum Speed Tyranitar along with the slower Swampert and Machamp.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Cloyster's Surf can handle a lot of physically defensive leads like Metagross, Gliscor, Hippowdon, Bronzong, Skarmory, and Forretress without the need to use Explosion, thus saving the devastating move for stat-boosters like Gyarados and Suicune.</p>
<p>It is worth noting that a Life Orb-boosted Explosion is able to almost always take down Swampert, so teams that have problems with its early Stealth Rock can be stopped right away by sacrificing Cloyster early. If Stealth Rock isn't a problem for your team, then Cloyster can easily set up Spikes on the small damage taken from Swampert's Earthquake. Cloyster always survives Machamp's combination of DynamicPunch and Bullet Punch, meaning Cloyster can lay down one layer of Spikes and attempt to avoid the confusion from DynamicPunch and finish off Machamp with Explosion.</p>
<p>Cloyster functions well as a member of a Fire-, Water-, and Grass-type Pokemon core by covering its weaknesses with Heatran and Celebi; as a bonus, they can both set up Stealth Rock for your team. A Ghost-type partner might come in handy to block Rapid Spin; Rotom-A works best as it resists Cloyster's Electric-type weakness and is immune to its Fighting-type weakness.</p>
[Team Options]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>If you're using Cloyster in OU, chances are that you're using it to set-up Spikes. As such, you should always pair it with Pokemon that enjoy Spikes support, like Dragon Dance Tyranitar and Swords Dance Infernape. SubCharge Rotom-A can also utilize the support, and has the additional ability to block any attempts to Rapid Spin away Cloyster's Spikes. Cloyster can also be a part of a hail team based on indirect damage that doesn't want to spoil the surprise too early with Abomasnow in the lead position; Abomasnow also synergizes well with Cloyster defensively, being able to take the Grass- and Electric-type attacks thrown at Cloyster.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>One of Cloyster's main selling points has always been the move Rapid Spin, which can be used instead of Explosion. Mystic Water is an alternative item choice that can boost the power of Cloyster's strongest attack, Surf. If using Rapid Spin, another EV spread becomes viable: 220 HP / 32 Atk / 252 SpA / 4 Spe, which allows Cloyster to 3HKO Azelf leads via Surf + Rapid Spin + Ice Shard. Toxic Spikes can go over Spikes in both sets. A Rash nature will Speed tie minimum Speed Metagross, but a few EVs can be taken from HP to possibly outspeed, though it will make Cloyster more prone to die by Azelf's Fire Blast, so tread carefully.</p>
[Counters]
<h4>OU</h4>
<p>As far as lead match-ups are concerned, Cloyster's worst enemies are Roserade, Celebi, Starmie, and Empoleon. Against Roserade, Cloyster can still badly hurt it with Ice Shard while also breaking its Focus Sash before getting slept by Sleep Powder or annihilated by Leaf Storm, but against all the others Cloyster has to flee for its life. Some common switch-ins after Cloyster has taken down the opposing lead are Suicune and Gyarados that want to use Cloyster as set-up bait just to be surprised by an Explosion; Rotom-A is another common revenge killer that Cloyster has no business dealing with.</p>