[Overview]
<p>In a tier filled with a dozen viable Grass-types with their own quirks, Leafeon faces some serious competition for some sunlight and attention. As an offensive Pokemon, Sawsbuck gives Leafeon a run for its money, with access to STAB Normal-type moves and Nature Power. Defensively, Leafeon can neither take repeated attacks like Tangela, nor absorb Toxic Spikes like Amoonguss. Atypical of Grass-types, Leafeon's best status options are the rather lackluster Grasswhistle and Toxic. The fact that Leafeon loses to most of the competing Grass-types does not help. However, Leafeon compensates for its weaknesses with an unique movepool and a combination of power, bulk, and Speed; Roar and Wish are moves that a defensive Grass-type would kill for. Leafeon's power and Speed allow it to not miss a beat as a sweeper, while its bulk makes it a superior Baton Pass user to Sawsbuck. Leafeon, just like the other dozen Grass-types of NU, occupies a small and highly specific niche; if—and only if—you play to its unique strengths, Leafeon can be a Grass-type worthy of use over a myriad of alternatives.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Baton Pass / Return
item: Leftovers
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Offensively, Leafeon is a rare breed: it hits the magical base 95 Speed tier, has a great Attack, and yet manages to have a very respectable Defense stat. In Return (pun intended), Leafeon is shafted by its nearly non-existent coverage. Swords Dance boosts its decent Attack to new heights, and allows Leafeon to bust through defensive Pokemon that does not resist its STAB. Leaf Blade is a strong physical STAB, and will be Leafeon's main offensive move. Substitute allows Leafeon to scout opponents and set up on opposing defensive Pokemon without worrying about status moves. With Leafeon's bulk, its Substitutes can stand up against the attacks of some defensive Pokemon. Return, its best coverage option, enables Leafeon to hit Emboar and other Fire-types. Alternatively, Baton Pass lets Leafeon pass the Substitute or the Attack boost when Leafeon is inevitably walled by the likes of Amoonguss and Tangela.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread allows Leafeon to outspeed maximum Speed Sawk, while the rest goes into bulk because said bulk is what sets Leafeon apart from Sawsbuck. Of course, a straightforward spread with maximum Attack and Speed is still viable. Alternatively, 252 HP / 148 Def / 104 Spe with an Impish nature significantly improves Leafeon's physical bulk, and specifically lets its Substitute survive defensive Regirock's Stone Edge. This allows for a bulky, Baton Pass-oriented set, but the current set balances Baton Passing utility with sweeping duty. Leftovers is the superior item choice, as it grants additional bulk and recovers HP lost to Substitute. Synthesis is an alternative move that prevents the opponent from wearing down Leafeon with entry hazards and weak attacks. However, Synthesis still leaves Leafeon walled by common defensive Pokemon, namely Amoonguss and Tangela. In theory, X-Scissor sounds useful to hit opposing Grass-types such as Exeggutor, but most Grass-types take neutral damage from this move due to their Poison typing, and +2 Leafeon's X-Scissor can only 3HKO Tangela at best.</p>
<p>Grass-types, namely Amoonguss and Tangela, wall Leafeon to eternity, so Leafeon requires teammates such as Choice Specs Altaria and Choice Band Emboar that can dispose of them. In return, Leafeon sets up on Regirock and Alomomola, which can pose a problem for Emboar. Flying-types such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Swellow resist Leaf Blade, and outspeed and OHKO Leafeon. Regirock and Golem both resist Flying-type moves, and can set up Stealth Rock to restrict their switches. Leafeon also requires Stealth Rock support in order to wear down opposing Fire-types. Most notably, Braviary is never OHKOed by +2 Leafeon Return without Stealth Rock. Finally, if you opt to run Baton Pass over Return, Rapidash and Samurott are fine recipients as they resist Fire- and Ice-type moves that Leafeon is weak to. Klang also makes a fine recipient thanks to its immunity to Clear Smog and resistance to Giga Drain.</p>
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Wish / Heal Bell
move 2: Protect / Synthesis
move 3: Roar
move 4: Leaf Blade
item: Leftovers
ability: Leaf Guard
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With access to both Wish and Heal Bell, Leafeon makes a stellar cleric and a decent physical wall. Depending on the rest of the team, Leafeon can choose to either replenish their health or remove their statuses. Wish is the move that truly sets Leafeon apart from other defensive Grass-types, and is naturally listed as the primary option because there are alternatives, such as Vileplume and Meganium, whicho also have access to Aromatherapy. Protect is recommended alongside Wish, as Protect allows Leafeon to reliably heal itself and scout the opposition. On the other hand, Synthesis pairs better with Heal Bell, as Leafeon cannot last long without reliable recovery. Roar is the crux of the set, and allows Leafeon to phaze opposing Pokemon and force entry hazard damage. In fact, Leafeon is one of the few Grass-types in NU that can both Roar and support the team. Finally, Leaf Blade is a reliable STAB with no drawback, and allows Leafeon to deal damage when the need arises.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread simply maximizes Leafeon's Defense, while Leftovers is the standard item choice for a defensive Pokemon. Yawn is an alternative phazing move that can replace Roar, and can be used alongside Protect to stump opposing U-turn users. However, Yawn does not go through Substitute, and loses its ability to phaze after Sleep Clause activates. Because Yawn lacks the immediacy of Roar, a clever opponent can play around Yawn by sacrificing a disposable Pokemon to the sleep, which leaves Leafeon helpless against a host of setup sweepers, such as Swords Dance Sawsbuck, whom Leafeon could otherwise Roar away. Toxic is a general utility move on a defensive Pokemon, and puts opposing Pokemon on a timer. Especially as defensive Leafeon tends to lure out prominent wallbreakers such as Choice Band Emboar and Braviary, it can Toxic these troublesome Pokemon on the switch and rack up Toxic damage with Protect. However, Leafeon is strapped for moveslots as is, and Leafeon unfortunately tends to lure out Poison-type Pokemon as much as it does Fire- and Flying-types.</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest drawback of defensive Leafeon is that it gives relatively free switch-ins to metagame threats such as Choice Band Emboar, Braviary, and Amoonguss. However, the fact that the first two are often Choice-locked means that Leafeon's defensive teammates can take advantage of them. Regirock is a perfect defensive partner: not only does it resist Fire- and Flying-type attacks for Leafeon, but it also provides Stealth Rock support to wear down the very Pokemon that uses those moves. In return, Leafeon resists Grass-, Water-, and Ground-type moves for Regirock and provides reliable healing. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Lickilicky and Flareon naturally make good partners for absorbing Ice- and Fire-type attacks. Most notably, Hypno is an uncommon but a viable teammate considering how it can counter Amoonguss incredibly well. Because Leafeon's biggest draw over Tangela is Roar, entry hazard support from the likes of Omanyte and Garbodor is incredibly helpful. With Spikes, Leafeon can use Roar more effectively, while Toxic Spikes have incredible synergy with Wish and Protect.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Befitting an Eeveelution, Leafeon's offensive movepool suffers greatly. This is especially damaging for Leafeon, as Grass-type moves have subpar coverage. Bullet Seed is a possibility to KO Golem through Sturdy and break frail Substitutes, but sees very situational use. Dig is Leafeon's best option to hit Probopass and Bastiodon, but it hits very little outside of those two Pokemon. Leafeon is a decent Sunny Day sweeper, and can afford to set it up by itself with Sunny Day and Synthesis. A dedicated Baton Pass set can be viable, but such a set needs a team built around Baton Pass, and is rather circumstantial. Finally, Curse is an option, but wastes one of Leafeon's redeeming traits in its high Speed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Swellow, Charizard, and Choice Scarf Braviary, among others, are great offensive replies to Leafeon, as they can outspeed and OHKO Leafeon. However, these Fire- or Flying-types are limited by Stealth Rock. Similarly, Cinccino can revenge kill a low-health Leafeon through its Substitute, but is too frail to switch in. Tangela, Vileplume, and Amoonguss are superb defensive replies, as they resist Leaf Blade and take nothing from boosted Return. Amoonguss and Vileplume can retaliate with their Poison-type STAB, while Tangela's Hidden Power Ice will easily do in Leafeon. Alternatively, Garbodor can set up entry hazards on Leafeon and erase its Swords Dance boosts with Clear Smog. Klang can take any attack from Leafeon and break its Substitute with Gear Grind. Altaria and Bastiodon can prevent any Baton Passing attempts with Roar, but they do not appreciate repeatedly taking boosted hits.</p>
<p>In a tier filled with a dozen viable Grass-types with their own quirks, Leafeon faces some serious competition for some sunlight and attention. As an offensive Pokemon, Sawsbuck gives Leafeon a run for its money, with access to STAB Normal-type moves and Nature Power. Defensively, Leafeon can neither take repeated attacks like Tangela, nor absorb Toxic Spikes like Amoonguss. Atypical of Grass-types, Leafeon's best status options are the rather lackluster Grasswhistle and Toxic. The fact that Leafeon loses to most of the competing Grass-types does not help. However, Leafeon compensates for its weaknesses with an unique movepool and a combination of power, bulk, and Speed; Roar and Wish are moves that a defensive Grass-type would kill for. Leafeon's power and Speed allow it to not miss a beat as a sweeper, while its bulk makes it a superior Baton Pass user to Sawsbuck. Leafeon, just like the other dozen Grass-types of NU, occupies a small and highly specific niche; if—and only if—you play to its unique strengths, Leafeon can be a Grass-type worthy of use over a myriad of alternatives.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Baton Pass / Return
item: Leftovers
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Offensively, Leafeon is a rare breed: it hits the magical base 95 Speed tier, has a great Attack, and yet manages to have a very respectable Defense stat. In Return (pun intended), Leafeon is shafted by its nearly non-existent coverage. Swords Dance boosts its decent Attack to new heights, and allows Leafeon to bust through defensive Pokemon that does not resist its STAB. Leaf Blade is a strong physical STAB, and will be Leafeon's main offensive move. Substitute allows Leafeon to scout opponents and set up on opposing defensive Pokemon without worrying about status moves. With Leafeon's bulk, its Substitutes can stand up against the attacks of some defensive Pokemon. Return, its best coverage option, enables Leafeon to hit Emboar and other Fire-types. Alternatively, Baton Pass lets Leafeon pass the Substitute or the Attack boost when Leafeon is inevitably walled by the likes of Amoonguss and Tangela.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread allows Leafeon to outspeed maximum Speed Sawk, while the rest goes into bulk because said bulk is what sets Leafeon apart from Sawsbuck. Of course, a straightforward spread with maximum Attack and Speed is still viable. Alternatively, 252 HP / 148 Def / 104 Spe with an Impish nature significantly improves Leafeon's physical bulk, and specifically lets its Substitute survive defensive Regirock's Stone Edge. This allows for a bulky, Baton Pass-oriented set, but the current set balances Baton Passing utility with sweeping duty. Leftovers is the superior item choice, as it grants additional bulk and recovers HP lost to Substitute. Synthesis is an alternative move that prevents the opponent from wearing down Leafeon with entry hazards and weak attacks. However, Synthesis still leaves Leafeon walled by common defensive Pokemon, namely Amoonguss and Tangela. In theory, X-Scissor sounds useful to hit opposing Grass-types such as Exeggutor, but most Grass-types take neutral damage from this move due to their Poison typing, and +2 Leafeon's X-Scissor can only 3HKO Tangela at best.</p>
<p>Grass-types, namely Amoonguss and Tangela, wall Leafeon to eternity, so Leafeon requires teammates such as Choice Specs Altaria and Choice Band Emboar that can dispose of them. In return, Leafeon sets up on Regirock and Alomomola, which can pose a problem for Emboar. Flying-types such as Choice Scarf Rotom-S and Swellow resist Leaf Blade, and outspeed and OHKO Leafeon. Regirock and Golem both resist Flying-type moves, and can set up Stealth Rock to restrict their switches. Leafeon also requires Stealth Rock support in order to wear down opposing Fire-types. Most notably, Braviary is never OHKOed by +2 Leafeon Return without Stealth Rock. Finally, if you opt to run Baton Pass over Return, Rapidash and Samurott are fine recipients as they resist Fire- and Ice-type moves that Leafeon is weak to. Klang also makes a fine recipient thanks to its immunity to Clear Smog and resistance to Giga Drain.</p>
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Wish / Heal Bell
move 2: Protect / Synthesis
move 3: Roar
move 4: Leaf Blade
item: Leftovers
ability: Leaf Guard
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With access to both Wish and Heal Bell, Leafeon makes a stellar cleric and a decent physical wall. Depending on the rest of the team, Leafeon can choose to either replenish their health or remove their statuses. Wish is the move that truly sets Leafeon apart from other defensive Grass-types, and is naturally listed as the primary option because there are alternatives, such as Vileplume and Meganium, whicho also have access to Aromatherapy. Protect is recommended alongside Wish, as Protect allows Leafeon to reliably heal itself and scout the opposition. On the other hand, Synthesis pairs better with Heal Bell, as Leafeon cannot last long without reliable recovery. Roar is the crux of the set, and allows Leafeon to phaze opposing Pokemon and force entry hazard damage. In fact, Leafeon is one of the few Grass-types in NU that can both Roar and support the team. Finally, Leaf Blade is a reliable STAB with no drawback, and allows Leafeon to deal damage when the need arises.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread simply maximizes Leafeon's Defense, while Leftovers is the standard item choice for a defensive Pokemon. Yawn is an alternative phazing move that can replace Roar, and can be used alongside Protect to stump opposing U-turn users. However, Yawn does not go through Substitute, and loses its ability to phaze after Sleep Clause activates. Because Yawn lacks the immediacy of Roar, a clever opponent can play around Yawn by sacrificing a disposable Pokemon to the sleep, which leaves Leafeon helpless against a host of setup sweepers, such as Swords Dance Sawsbuck, whom Leafeon could otherwise Roar away. Toxic is a general utility move on a defensive Pokemon, and puts opposing Pokemon on a timer. Especially as defensive Leafeon tends to lure out prominent wallbreakers such as Choice Band Emboar and Braviary, it can Toxic these troublesome Pokemon on the switch and rack up Toxic damage with Protect. However, Leafeon is strapped for moveslots as is, and Leafeon unfortunately tends to lure out Poison-type Pokemon as much as it does Fire- and Flying-types.</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest drawback of defensive Leafeon is that it gives relatively free switch-ins to metagame threats such as Choice Band Emboar, Braviary, and Amoonguss. However, the fact that the first two are often Choice-locked means that Leafeon's defensive teammates can take advantage of them. Regirock is a perfect defensive partner: not only does it resist Fire- and Flying-type attacks for Leafeon, but it also provides Stealth Rock support to wear down the very Pokemon that uses those moves. In return, Leafeon resists Grass-, Water-, and Ground-type moves for Regirock and provides reliable healing. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Lickilicky and Flareon naturally make good partners for absorbing Ice- and Fire-type attacks. Most notably, Hypno is an uncommon but a viable teammate considering how it can counter Amoonguss incredibly well. Because Leafeon's biggest draw over Tangela is Roar, entry hazard support from the likes of Omanyte and Garbodor is incredibly helpful. With Spikes, Leafeon can use Roar more effectively, while Toxic Spikes have incredible synergy with Wish and Protect.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Befitting an Eeveelution, Leafeon's offensive movepool suffers greatly. This is especially damaging for Leafeon, as Grass-type moves have subpar coverage. Bullet Seed is a possibility to KO Golem through Sturdy and break frail Substitutes, but sees very situational use. Dig is Leafeon's best option to hit Probopass and Bastiodon, but it hits very little outside of those two Pokemon. Leafeon is a decent Sunny Day sweeper, and can afford to set it up by itself with Sunny Day and Synthesis. A dedicated Baton Pass set can be viable, but such a set needs a team built around Baton Pass, and is rather circumstantial. Finally, Curse is an option, but wastes one of Leafeon's redeeming traits in its high Speed.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Swellow, Charizard, and Choice Scarf Braviary, among others, are great offensive replies to Leafeon, as they can outspeed and OHKO Leafeon. However, these Fire- or Flying-types are limited by Stealth Rock. Similarly, Cinccino can revenge kill a low-health Leafeon through its Substitute, but is too frail to switch in. Tangela, Vileplume, and Amoonguss are superb defensive replies, as they resist Leaf Blade and take nothing from boosted Return. Amoonguss and Vileplume can retaliate with their Poison-type STAB, while Tangela's Hidden Power Ice will easily do in Leafeon. Alternatively, Garbodor can set up entry hazards on Leafeon and erase its Swords Dance boosts with Clear Smog. Klang can take any attack from Leafeon and break its Substitute with Gear Grind. Altaria and Bastiodon can prevent any Baton Passing attempts with Roar, but they do not appreciate repeatedly taking boosted hits.</p>
