Since Xia hasn't been on since the 15th and the topic isin't being posted in, i'm posting the Clefable update with Xia words to get it uploaded.
His thread can ne found and locked here
EDIT:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/clefable
[Overview]
<p>To try to classify what exactly Clefable does is a monumental task. The reason for Clefable's greatness lies in her unique ability, Magic Guard. With Magic Guard, Clefable will only be hurt by attacking moves, which makes her a dream come true for anyone who hates stall, and a nightmare for stall users, who find that their status effects and entry hazards are rendered useless. Her stats may seem to leave much to be desired, but her movepool stretches out to the stars, giving her unparalleled versatility. Clefable can also fill many roles, including supporting the team with Wish, sweeping with Calm Mind, wallbreaking with a mixed set, and more.</p>
<p>However, despite all of Clefable's perks, she does have some major flaws that drag her down. Even Magic Guard cannot mask Clefable's rather meager stats, which ensure that Clefable will always have trouble either walling things or garnering the power to 2HKO and OHKO targets. Her Normal typing is also much more of a curse then a blessing, leaving her with nothing in the way of resistances and a weakness to Fighting, which is popular in UU. Regardless, Clefable makes for the ultimate "glue" Pokemon and can fit on nearly any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Ice Beam / Encore
move 2: Softboiled / Wish
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Thunder Wave / Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable may be looked at as a poor man's Chansey, but Clefable has two big notable advantages over the pink pudgy egg blob: a usable Special Attack stat and access to Encore. Unfortunately, due to the way Clefable is played, she can only take advantage of one of these perks at a time. Ice Beam is the recommended choice because it allows Clefable to break Rotom's Substitutes, as well as provide a nice hit on Torterra and Venusaur. Encore was extremely useful in the past when Ghost-types were running sets with both Substitute + Taunt, but they have now fallen out of favor and been replaced by straight-up Taunt + 3 attacks sets, making Encore somewhat useless against them. Still, Encore is an amazing tool in Clefable's arsenal that allows her to beat multiple Pokemon in UU who rely on Substitute, such as SubPerior and Substitute + Charge Beam Lanturn.</p>
<p>Depending on how team-oriented you'd like Clefable to be, Softboiled and Wish are both great recovery options. However, a downside to using Wish without Protect is that Clefable is unable to survive attacks that would otherwise only 3HKO it. Seismic Toss provides consistent damage to everything (excluding Ghost-types) and is the best attack Clefable has against walls like Registeel. Thunder Wave spreads paralysis and helps Clefable's Encore cripple Pokemon later in the match much more easily. Heal Bell makes Clefable more of a team supporter by ridding your sweepers of all status effects.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread given maximizes Clefable's special walling prowess. While this may seem like a futile attempt at making Clefable as bulky as Chansey, it actually allows Clefable to handily wall various special threats, such as Life Orb Venusaur and Milotic, and eventually defeat them. A more physically oriented EV spread of 252 HP / 152 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe allows Clefable to more easily defeat Donphan and Rhyperior, but Clefable is much more adept at walling specially oriented threats.</p>
<p>Since Clefable's main goal with this set is to wall various special threats, teammates who can capitalize on this are the best choices. Slowbro is a phenomenal Pokemon to pair with Clefable, as Slowbro patches up Clefable's sole weakness, and in return, Clefable can switch into just about any special Electric-, Ghost-, Dark-, or Grass-type attack. Many sweepers also enjoy having Clefable as a backup when the going gets rough. Feraligatr and Rhyperior both love Clefable's ability to switch into special attacks and essentially give them a second life (through Heal Bell and Wish) should their first attempt at a sweep fail.</p>
<p>Since Clefable (especially with Encore) causes a lot of switches, entry hazards are a great way of racking up some free damage. Helpful Stealth Rock users include Donphan, Registeel, and Steelix. Donphan may be the best choice overall, since both of the Steel choices share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable, and with Rapid Spin Hitmontop on the loose, Close Combat isn't something you want to have a weakness to. Good Spikes users include Cloyster and Omastar; again, be wary of stacking Fighting-type weaknesses. Toxic Spikes, though helpful in most other situations, isn't really welcome when Thunder Wave is part of Clefable's moveset, so it's best to omit it from your team when using this set.</p>
<p>Rapid Spinners, especially Foresight Hitmontop, pretty much wreck this set. Ghost-types like Mismagius and Spiritomb are great candidates to block Rapid Spin, though Foresight can cause problems. For this reason, it may be in your best interest to carry a speedy Pokemon with access to a Flying- or Psychic-type attack to remove Hitmontop from the equation altogether. Since Foresight will be the move you switch in on, sweepers like Espeon and bulky walls like Weezing are both good choices; just be sure your counters can take a Mach Punch and stay standing, as it's a featured move on nearly every Hitmontop.</p>
[SET]
name: Stall
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Toxic / Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable is unarguably one of the best stallers in the UU metagame. This stems from her immunity to all kinds of passive damage, including entry hazards and damaging statuses such as burn and Toxic, which usually cripple other walls. In addition to this, Clefable packs great overall defenses, pseudo-instant recovery in the form of Wish and Protect, and Seismic Toss to deal consistent damage against foes that can shut Clefable down with Taunt. Aside from stalling, Clefable can also provide some valuable team support via Wish and Toxic or Heal Bell. Toxic is always useful to cripple opposing walls that are difficult to beat otherwise, such as Milotic, whereas Heal Bell's ability to cure your team of status can easily prove useful against opponents who possess Pokemon that like to abuse status-inducing moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable's EVs are geared towards her Special Defense, as specially offensive threats are easier for Clefable to deal with than physically based ones. This is partially due to the fact that all the Fighting-types in UU use physical attacks, and Clefable has little hope of sponging physical hits from the likes of Hitmonlee or Hariyama, whereas she is perfectly capable of taking on special attacks from the likes of Venusaur. However, a more physically defensive spread is still usable, since Clefable still has enough Defense to take on foes such as Rhyperior and Donphan, though Clefable does a worse job at this role than a Pokemon like Leafeon, who boasts considerably more Defense and a super effective STAB move to take on these Pokemon with.</p>
<p>There are numerous changes that can be made to this set. Cosmic Power can give Clefable more stall power, and thanks to her immunity to dangerous statuses such as Toxic, Clefable is one of the best user of the move in the game. However, it leaves Clefable susceptible to being pseudo-hazed, and using Cosmic Power will force Clefable to drop either Seismic Toss or Toxic. Losing either is not particularly desirable, as it leaves Clefable a veritable sitting duck against many foes. Without Toxic, Clefable can't stall without major support, and without Seismic Toss, she is walled by every Pokemon who is immune to Toxic, most of whom can simply take the opportunity to set up. Ice Beam with a Calm nature is an option over Seismic Toss to hit Ghost-types, who would otherwise be able to switch into Clefable with ease and shut her down with either Substitute or Taunt, but aside from that, Seismic Toss is superior. Softboiled is an option if you find that Clefable needs a less time-consuming form of recovery, or if you want both Heal Bell and Toxic on the same set, though Wish and Protect are easily superior for stalling purposes.</p>
<p>Residual damage is the greatest addition to this set, bar none. Toxic Spikes in particular are a great asset, since they are the easiest way of causing poison status without wasting a moveslot. Drapion and Cloyster are both great Toxic Spikes users, though Drapion may be the better choice because he does not share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable. Toxic Spikes can be absorbed by Poison-type Pokemon, so having a counter to the most common Poison-types in Venusaur, Drapion, and Toxicroak is a good idea. Donphan is able to handle the latter two reliably with his STAB Earthquake and great bulk, while Arcanine or Moltres are able to defeat the ubiquitous Venusaur. Due to how much Clefable appreciates entry hazards, Ghost-types are useful to block Rapid Spin. Mismagius, Rotom, and Spiritomb are ideal Pokemon for this job; they can even use Will-O-Wisp to burn Pokemon who are immune to Toxic. Ironically, Clefable herself is walled by the former two Pokemon if they possess Taunt or Substitute, but Spiritomb makes a magnificent counter to them due to his ability to trap and KO them with Pursuit.</p>
<p>Stat-boosting Pokemon tend to give Clefable trouble as well; due to her poor offensive prowess (Seismic Toss just doesn't cut it against many foes), many Pokemon can set up with ease. RestTalk Calm Mind Uxie, for example, will take little damage from Seismic Toss and will be able to set up several Calm Minds before Resting away Toxic and any accumulated damage. To deal with such foes, pseudo-hazers and Haze Milotic are the best options; the latter especially possessing monstrous defenses and a great typing to take on most stat-boosting threats. Defensive Venusaur is a fantastic phazer, as he can check a multitude of different threats depending on whether he is physically defensive or specially defensive. Specially defensive Venusaur can take on Mismagius and Rotom, not really minding burns thanks to Heal Bell support from Clefable, while physically defensive Venusaur can check Rhyperior and Feraligatr. In addition to this, phazers can also take advantage of the entry hazards that Clefable enjoys, since they can shuffle the opposing team around to rack up residual damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb + Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Softboiled
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Modest
evs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Calm Mind Clefable is one of the most dangerous—and overlooked—threats for defensive teams in UU. Unlike most Calm Mind sweepers, Clefable has solid physical bulk and lacks easily exploitable weaknesses. In addition, Magic Guard grants Clefable an immunity to entry hazard and poison damage, rendering the majority of a stall team's strategy ineffective. To top it all off, an instant recovery move in Softboiled means that even whittling down Clefable's health through repeated weak attacks is not an option.</p>
<p>Calm Mind and Softboiled form the core of the set, allowing Clefable to set up on weaker attackers while recovering lost health. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are the preferred attacking moves, since together they hit every Pokemon in UU with the exception of Lanturn, Magneton, and Shedinja for at least neutral damage. Lanturn and Magneton are setup bait for Clefable, while Shedinja is rarely seen and easily disposed of with Stealth Rock. In addition, Thunderbolt and Ice Beam provide vital super effective coverage against key threats. Thunderbolt zaps Milotic and its fellow Water-types, while Ice Beam nails Ground- and Grass-types, such as Donphan, Rhyperior, and Venusaur.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Modest nature and 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Clefable's offensive potential. 96 Speed EVs put it at 180 Speed, allowing it to outpace Adamant Rhyperior. The remaining EVs are dumped into HP to capitalize on Clefable's natural bulk. If you're concerned about outpacing Milotic, using 172 Speed EVs beats minimum Speed variants, but adding a few additional EVs may be a good idea since Milotic tend to invest slightly in Speed. Unfortunately, Clefable does not have a STAB special attack that it can use. However, there are a few alternatives to the moves suggested. Using Psychic instead of Ice Beam allows Clefable to hit Hitmontop super effectively while retaining power against Venusaur. Alternatively, Toxic can replace Thunderbolt to defeat Haze Milotic; in this case, Ice Beam is preferred because no Pokemon is immune to it.</p>
<p>There aren't many Pokemon who can reliably stop Calm Mind Clefable, especially on defensive teams, which means luring and weakening the few checks that exist can result in an easy sweep. Haze Milotic will erase Clefable's boosts before Clefable can hit it with Thunderbolt. However, Milotic usually loses in the long run, as the eventuality of paralysis or critical hit will put the odds heavily in Clefable's favor. Stall teams can pair Milotic with Aromatherapy Chansey to PP stall Clefable. To avoid this, weakening Milotic to 50% HP prevents it from countering Clefable; if it tries to Haze at that health, Thunderbolt will KO, while if it tries to Recover, +1 Thunderbolt will deal far more damage than it can heal. Many Pokemon, including physical Blaziken, Passho Berry Houndoom, and Choice Band Azumarill, can adequately weaken Milotic. However, a cleaner way to get rid of it is with a lure packing Explosion, such as Steelix or Curse Registeel. Keep in mind that using these recklessly may not be successful since they also lure in Omastar and Cloyster seeking to set up Spikes. Explosion lures are also a good way to eliminate Rapid Spin Hitmontop; Regirock is the best such lure due to its high Attack stat, Clear Body, and its ability to outpace defensive Hitmontop. Pokemon with Choice items and Trick can cripple Clefable, but simply switching Clefable out for another Pokemon will neutralize the threat. Additionally, since most Trick users are Ghost- or Psychic-type, a Pursuit user such as Houndoom or Drapion can eliminate them.</p>
<p>Beyond using Pokemon with super effective Fighting-type attacks, the easiest way for offensive teams to deal with Clefable is to have one Pokemon batter Clefable so that it cannot set up and have a second finish it off. Since these attackers rely on their high Speed to hit Clefable first, paralysis support helps Clefable a lot, particularly against special attackers. When Clefable can use Calm Mind before it is hit with a special attack, it can set up against a much larger range of Pokemon.</p>
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Softboiled
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Quiet
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>It seems ridiculous to think that Clefable could pull off a wallbreaker set when there are offensive behemoths available like Blaziken, who sports 120/110 attacking stats to Clefable's rather meager 70/85. However, with Magic Guard negating the recoil from Life Orb and Double-Edge and Softboiled to heal off any damage Clefable sustains, Clefable is an almost prefect wallbreaker. Double-Edge plows through special walls like Chansey, managing a guaranteed 2HKO even without entry hazards. Fire Blast roasts Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur and Registeel, while Grass Knot trips up Rhyperior and Slowbro. Softboiled keeps Clefable in tip-top shape so she can continue to break down the opposing team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs offer maximum Attack and Special Attack, while the Quiet nature preserves Clefable's good bulk. A Toxic Orb can be used in place of Life Orb, and Facade in place of Double-Edge, to obtain immunity to status, but this means that there will be a significant drop in power. Psychic is usable if you need the ability to lure in and pummel Fighting-types, but the loss of coverage means Clefable will be walled by far more Pokemon than Psychic will cover.</p>
<p>Like with every other set, Clefable enjoys entry hazard support to help her garner 2HKOs on the majority of UU's walls. The two best choices for teammates to set up Stealth Rock are Claydol and Donphan, both of whom can also remove any entry hazards with Rapid Spin. Donphan can strike opponents back with a powerful STAB Earthquake, revenge threats with Ice Shard, and Roar to abuse entry hazards. Claydol, on the other hand, offers Levitate, ensuring that he won't be worn down as easily, a valuable resistance to Fighting, and much better Special Defense. Spikes can be set up by either Omastar or Cloyster. Both are weak to Fighting, however, so having something to take these assaults will help. Either Uxie or Spiritomb will work excellently here; Uxie can set up Stealth Rock if you don't want the extra Grass weakness that Claydol and Donphan bring, while Spiritomb can easily switch in on Fighting-types and burn them.</p>
<p>Although Clefable has the reputation of slicing through stall like a hot knife through butter, there's still some Pokemon commonly used on stall teams that give it trouble. Hitmontop is the greatest threat to Clefable, with Intimidate to help weather Double-Edge and the ability to outspeed and obliterate Clefable with Close Combat. Hariyama is another check, but he runs the risk of being 2HKOed by Double-Edge with Spikes support. Spiritomb is also a huge problem for Clefable, as Fire Blast is only a 3HKO, and Pressure will stall out Fire Blast's PP with ease. Spiritomb can even Will-O-Wisp to ruin Clefable's Attack if she isn't using Toxic Orb. Specially defensive Milotic can stall Grass Knot with Recover, although a timely critical hit will destroy it. An easy way of handling these counters is to run Toxic Spikes. This will allow Clefable to defeat Milotic without a critical hit, force Spiritomb to eventually Rest, and limit the amount of times Hitmontop and Hariyama can switch in. Drapion works quite well in this regard, as he can abosrb Toxic Spikes and lay down his own. Drapion can also take on Mismagius, another Ghost-type who can give Clefable some trouble.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Softboiled
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is infamous for dismantling stall teams because of its powerful boosting move, Calm Mind, coupled with immunities to entry hazards and Toxic. Since stall teams rely primarily on residual damage to defeat opposing Pokemon, their attacking moves are almost always backed by zero EV investment and are consequently most efficient at chipping down frail Pokemon without recovery. However, Clefable is neither frail, nor does she lack a reliable recovery move. By alternating Calm Mind with Softboiled, Clefable is able to insolently set up right in the face of common defensive Pokemon like Milotic, Chansey, Weezing, and Donphan. Once she reaches +6/+6, she can use the almost-perfect coverage granted by Ice Beam and Thunderbolt to calmly pick apart the opposing team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although the offensive and defensive Calm Mind sets appear very similar, their play styles are distinct. Most notably, the defensive EV spread and presence of Leftovers (instead of a Life Orb) make this set much more resilient, allowing it to shrug off weak attacks more easily. This makes Clefable more suited for taking on heavy stall teams, since she won't have to use Softboiled as often, making it much harder to PP stall. It also means the set fits better on a defensively-minded team itself, because the additional bulk means Clefable can provide some defensive support without losing too much HP (which would compromise her ability to successfully set up later). For example, the HP investment and Leftovers allows defensive Calm Mind Clefable to take on Charge Beam users, such as Lanturn and Rotom, with greater ease.</p>
<p>Of course, there is a tradeoff to going defensive. The lack of Speed EVs means Clefable cannot hope to beat slow heavy-hitters like Azumarill or Rhyperior, who can finish off a slightly weakened Clefable with powerful Choice Band-boosted attacks. Without Special Attack EVs or a Life Orb, Clefable's non-STAB attacks feel like tickles until she is able to boost up with Calm Mind. As a result, she doesn't perform as well against bulky defensive teams, which usually carry a few checks who must be worn down with repeated Thunderbolt or Ice Beam on the switch. It takes much longer to wear down these checks without any Special Attack investment or a Life Orb.</p>
<p>The EV spread on this set is self-explanatory. HP and Defense are maximized with a Bold nature so Clefable can take as many hits as possible, and the last 4 EVs are put in Special Defense. Since Clefable has Calm Mind to boost her Special Defense, Defense is prioritized. However, investing in Special Defense makes Clefable a much better answer to threats like Charge Beam Rotom and special-attacking Venusaur. A few EVs can be put into Speed to allow Clefable to outspeed Donphan and Azumarill who invest just enough to outpace 0 Speed Clefable, but this isn't reliable, and it's not a guarantee that Clefable will actually be faster.</p>
<p>Clefable can't set up against Roar/Whirlwind users like Steelix and Hariyama, especially if they have Wish support from Chansey or opposing Clefable. In a last Pokemon situation, Clefable doesn't fear being phazed out, but Perish Song from Mismagius or Altaria will spell doom. Stall Hitmontop gives Clefable a hard time due to his high Special Defense and STAB Close Combat or Revenge. Milotic can use Haze to erase Clefable's Calm Minds, but it's worth noting that the chance of a Thunderbolt paralyze followed by Milotic being fully paralyzed makes this specific matchup particularly favorable for either player. The best way to weaken specific stall Pokemon is heavily battle- and team-dependent, but a generally good idea is to use lures and trappers. Swords Dance Brick Break Scyther significantly dents Steelix; Pursuit Houndoom takes out Stall Mismagius; Nasty Plot Passho Berry Houndoom weakens or KOes Milotic. Although these lures are nifty tricks, thinking about the team matchup in a battle and forcing the opponent to use specific Pokemon to defend against your other threats is the best way to weaken a defensive pillar.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Wish / Softboiled / Encore
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Light Clay
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable, due to her immense special bulk and amazing ability, has many chances to come in and set up dual screens. What separates Clefable from other dual screen users is her access to Wish and a wide variety of support moves, which most dual screeners lack. While Softboiled is the more reliable healing move, Wish can help your other teammates immensely by restoring 50% of their health on the switch in. If keeping Clefable fully functioning isn't a concern to you, then Encore can be used to ruin opposing Pokemon trying to set up on you. Seismic Toss is there so that Clefable isn't complete Taunt bait, and it's your best option to deal a respectable amount of damage to a wide variety of foes. Ice Beam is also an option to get a good hit on Ghost-types, but since Clefable's main focus with this set is to support a sweeper on your team, this isn't a large concern.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is designed to give Clefable as much special bulk as possible. Light Clay is the recommended item as it gives the dual screens eight turns in play, instead of five, thus giving Clefable's teammates more time to wreak havoc. Because Clefable is more specially defensive, setting up Reflect first is generally the best move to make. However, it ultimately comes down to whichever Pokemon the opponent has in play at the time Clefable is ready to start setting up the dual screens.</p>
<p>The best teammates to pair with Clefable are those who can capitalize the most from having dual screens in play. Normally frail sweepers, such as Charizard and Belly Drum Linoone, suddenly become difficult to take down when behind the appropriate screen, and can easily turn the tide of battle. Another strategy to use is to pair Clefable with already bulky Pokemon who take a couple of turns to get completely set up in order to sweep. An example of this is Tangrowth, who, if not on a team based around Sunny Day, needs to set up both Sunny Day and Swords Dance in order to sweep. The added bulk from dual screens can give Tangrowth the extra time he needs to fully set up and rip the opposing team to shreds.</p>
<p>Clefable will generally have trouble against Pokemon that have access to powerful Fighting-type moves. Hitmonlee and Hariyama can threaten Clefable with Close Combat and Force Palm, respectively, making Mismagius and Spiritomb excellent partners. They are both immune to Fighting-type attacks and have access to Calm Mind, making it much easier to boost their stats when dual screens are in play. When it comes to dealing damage, Ghost-types can walk right into Seismic Toss and start boosting their stats, but Clefable is able to Encore them if they do so, which gives you a good chance of setting up screens.</p>
[SET]
name: Lv. 2 Endeavor (F.E.A.R)
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Protect
move 3: Encore
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic
item: Focus Sash
ability: Magic Guard
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Generally, FEAR sets are shunned as being nothing but gimmicks due to the wide use of Stealth Rock. Clefable, however, manages to break the mold with Magic Guard. The idea behind this set is simple: switch Clefable in on a non-damaging move or after something on your team has died, survive a hit with Focus Sash, and then Endeavor. This set is meant to be used with sandstorm, hail, or Toxic Spikes, which will finish off the opponent at the end of the turn. Even if the opposing Pokemon happens to be immune to your weather of choice, entry hazards will ensure that that Pokemon won't be able to do much of anything for the rest of the match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Every move other then Endeavor is really filler at best, but can prove marginally useful. Protect can scout Fake Out and sleep inducing moves, while Encore can be useful if the opponent spamming a recovery move. Thunder Wave can hit any Mismagius who think they can get a free switch in, while Toxic will heavily cripple any Spiritomb who tries to switch in. If you want to achieve maximum rage from your opponent, using Trick Room with weather will ensure two KOs, and it's also possible to run Cleffa and Clefairy alongside Clefable to get 3 KOs at worst.</p>
<p>Clefable's biggest problem is Ghost-types who are immune to Endeavor, so having partners to handle them is the most improtant thing to consider. Pursuit users are valuable to help get rid of Mismagius and Rotom. Spiritomb is the best option due to his solid defenses and the ability to play mind games with Sucker Punch and Pursuit. Absol and Houndoom are also viable if you want more power, but their lower defenses make them less reliable. Spiritomb is a bit harder to eliminate, but powerful attackers such as Blaziken can handily deal with it.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Clefable's gargantuan movepool gives her nearly endless options to play around with, allowing her to fill almost role you may need. Clefable has access to Stealth Rock, but she usually gets more mileage out of a different support move. Clefable can also pull off a Trick set with a Flame Orb to cripple many of her checks, but as with Stealth Rock, she usually has better things to do. A Belly Drum set is an interesting option considering Clefable's access to Softboiled to heal off Belly Drum recoil, but Clefable will rarely find an opportunity to set it up against a good team that hasn't either already been weakened enough to be taken care of by another set. Clefable also has access to Healing Wish, Gravity, Cosmic Power, and Knock Off, but these options tend to be done better by other Pokemon or are just gimmicks.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Clefable is very hard to counter due to the numerous different sets and moves she can run. However, there are plenty of individual counters for each set. The support and stall sets can easily be handled by almost any Fighting-type. Hariyama gets special mention due to actually wanting to get paralyzed, which protects him from the more debilitating burn and poison. The Calm Mind sets are a bit tougher to handle, but bulky Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Hitmontop will work well. The wallbreaker is much harder to switch into, but laying on offensive pressure will prevent it from accomplishing much. Finally, if all else fails, Perish Song can ensure that any Clefable will not accomplish anything if it's the last Pokemon.</p>
His thread can ne found and locked here
EDIT:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/clefable
[Overview]
<p>To try to classify what exactly Clefable does is a monumental task. The reason for Clefable's greatness lies in her unique ability, Magic Guard. With Magic Guard, Clefable will only be hurt by attacking moves, which makes her a dream come true for anyone who hates stall, and a nightmare for stall users, who find that their status effects and entry hazards are rendered useless. Her stats may seem to leave much to be desired, but her movepool stretches out to the stars, giving her unparalleled versatility. Clefable can also fill many roles, including supporting the team with Wish, sweeping with Calm Mind, wallbreaking with a mixed set, and more.</p>
<p>However, despite all of Clefable's perks, she does have some major flaws that drag her down. Even Magic Guard cannot mask Clefable's rather meager stats, which ensure that Clefable will always have trouble either walling things or garnering the power to 2HKO and OHKO targets. Her Normal typing is also much more of a curse then a blessing, leaving her with nothing in the way of resistances and a weakness to Fighting, which is popular in UU. Regardless, Clefable makes for the ultimate "glue" Pokemon and can fit on nearly any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Ice Beam / Encore
move 2: Softboiled / Wish
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Thunder Wave / Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable may be looked at as a poor man's Chansey, but Clefable has two big notable advantages over the pink pudgy egg blob: a usable Special Attack stat and access to Encore. Unfortunately, due to the way Clefable is played, she can only take advantage of one of these perks at a time. Ice Beam is the recommended choice because it allows Clefable to break Rotom's Substitutes, as well as provide a nice hit on Torterra and Venusaur. Encore was extremely useful in the past when Ghost-types were running sets with both Substitute + Taunt, but they have now fallen out of favor and been replaced by straight-up Taunt + 3 attacks sets, making Encore somewhat useless against them. Still, Encore is an amazing tool in Clefable's arsenal that allows her to beat multiple Pokemon in UU who rely on Substitute, such as SubPerior and Substitute + Charge Beam Lanturn.</p>
<p>Depending on how team-oriented you'd like Clefable to be, Softboiled and Wish are both great recovery options. However, a downside to using Wish without Protect is that Clefable is unable to survive attacks that would otherwise only 3HKO it. Seismic Toss provides consistent damage to everything (excluding Ghost-types) and is the best attack Clefable has against walls like Registeel. Thunder Wave spreads paralysis and helps Clefable's Encore cripple Pokemon later in the match much more easily. Heal Bell makes Clefable more of a team supporter by ridding your sweepers of all status effects.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread given maximizes Clefable's special walling prowess. While this may seem like a futile attempt at making Clefable as bulky as Chansey, it actually allows Clefable to handily wall various special threats, such as Life Orb Venusaur and Milotic, and eventually defeat them. A more physically oriented EV spread of 252 HP / 152 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe allows Clefable to more easily defeat Donphan and Rhyperior, but Clefable is much more adept at walling specially oriented threats.</p>
<p>Since Clefable's main goal with this set is to wall various special threats, teammates who can capitalize on this are the best choices. Slowbro is a phenomenal Pokemon to pair with Clefable, as Slowbro patches up Clefable's sole weakness, and in return, Clefable can switch into just about any special Electric-, Ghost-, Dark-, or Grass-type attack. Many sweepers also enjoy having Clefable as a backup when the going gets rough. Feraligatr and Rhyperior both love Clefable's ability to switch into special attacks and essentially give them a second life (through Heal Bell and Wish) should their first attempt at a sweep fail.</p>
<p>Since Clefable (especially with Encore) causes a lot of switches, entry hazards are a great way of racking up some free damage. Helpful Stealth Rock users include Donphan, Registeel, and Steelix. Donphan may be the best choice overall, since both of the Steel choices share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable, and with Rapid Spin Hitmontop on the loose, Close Combat isn't something you want to have a weakness to. Good Spikes users include Cloyster and Omastar; again, be wary of stacking Fighting-type weaknesses. Toxic Spikes, though helpful in most other situations, isn't really welcome when Thunder Wave is part of Clefable's moveset, so it's best to omit it from your team when using this set.</p>
<p>Rapid Spinners, especially Foresight Hitmontop, pretty much wreck this set. Ghost-types like Mismagius and Spiritomb are great candidates to block Rapid Spin, though Foresight can cause problems. For this reason, it may be in your best interest to carry a speedy Pokemon with access to a Flying- or Psychic-type attack to remove Hitmontop from the equation altogether. Since Foresight will be the move you switch in on, sweepers like Espeon and bulky walls like Weezing are both good choices; just be sure your counters can take a Mach Punch and stay standing, as it's a featured move on nearly every Hitmontop.</p>
[SET]
name: Stall
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Toxic / Heal Bell
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable is unarguably one of the best stallers in the UU metagame. This stems from her immunity to all kinds of passive damage, including entry hazards and damaging statuses such as burn and Toxic, which usually cripple other walls. In addition to this, Clefable packs great overall defenses, pseudo-instant recovery in the form of Wish and Protect, and Seismic Toss to deal consistent damage against foes that can shut Clefable down with Taunt. Aside from stalling, Clefable can also provide some valuable team support via Wish and Toxic or Heal Bell. Toxic is always useful to cripple opposing walls that are difficult to beat otherwise, such as Milotic, whereas Heal Bell's ability to cure your team of status can easily prove useful against opponents who possess Pokemon that like to abuse status-inducing moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable's EVs are geared towards her Special Defense, as specially offensive threats are easier for Clefable to deal with than physically based ones. This is partially due to the fact that all the Fighting-types in UU use physical attacks, and Clefable has little hope of sponging physical hits from the likes of Hitmonlee or Hariyama, whereas she is perfectly capable of taking on special attacks from the likes of Venusaur. However, a more physically defensive spread is still usable, since Clefable still has enough Defense to take on foes such as Rhyperior and Donphan, though Clefable does a worse job at this role than a Pokemon like Leafeon, who boasts considerably more Defense and a super effective STAB move to take on these Pokemon with.</p>
<p>There are numerous changes that can be made to this set. Cosmic Power can give Clefable more stall power, and thanks to her immunity to dangerous statuses such as Toxic, Clefable is one of the best user of the move in the game. However, it leaves Clefable susceptible to being pseudo-hazed, and using Cosmic Power will force Clefable to drop either Seismic Toss or Toxic. Losing either is not particularly desirable, as it leaves Clefable a veritable sitting duck against many foes. Without Toxic, Clefable can't stall without major support, and without Seismic Toss, she is walled by every Pokemon who is immune to Toxic, most of whom can simply take the opportunity to set up. Ice Beam with a Calm nature is an option over Seismic Toss to hit Ghost-types, who would otherwise be able to switch into Clefable with ease and shut her down with either Substitute or Taunt, but aside from that, Seismic Toss is superior. Softboiled is an option if you find that Clefable needs a less time-consuming form of recovery, or if you want both Heal Bell and Toxic on the same set, though Wish and Protect are easily superior for stalling purposes.</p>
<p>Residual damage is the greatest addition to this set, bar none. Toxic Spikes in particular are a great asset, since they are the easiest way of causing poison status without wasting a moveslot. Drapion and Cloyster are both great Toxic Spikes users, though Drapion may be the better choice because he does not share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable. Toxic Spikes can be absorbed by Poison-type Pokemon, so having a counter to the most common Poison-types in Venusaur, Drapion, and Toxicroak is a good idea. Donphan is able to handle the latter two reliably with his STAB Earthquake and great bulk, while Arcanine or Moltres are able to defeat the ubiquitous Venusaur. Due to how much Clefable appreciates entry hazards, Ghost-types are useful to block Rapid Spin. Mismagius, Rotom, and Spiritomb are ideal Pokemon for this job; they can even use Will-O-Wisp to burn Pokemon who are immune to Toxic. Ironically, Clefable herself is walled by the former two Pokemon if they possess Taunt or Substitute, but Spiritomb makes a magnificent counter to them due to his ability to trap and KO them with Pursuit.</p>
<p>Stat-boosting Pokemon tend to give Clefable trouble as well; due to her poor offensive prowess (Seismic Toss just doesn't cut it against many foes), many Pokemon can set up with ease. RestTalk Calm Mind Uxie, for example, will take little damage from Seismic Toss and will be able to set up several Calm Minds before Resting away Toxic and any accumulated damage. To deal with such foes, pseudo-hazers and Haze Milotic are the best options; the latter especially possessing monstrous defenses and a great typing to take on most stat-boosting threats. Defensive Venusaur is a fantastic phazer, as he can check a multitude of different threats depending on whether he is physically defensive or specially defensive. Specially defensive Venusaur can take on Mismagius and Rotom, not really minding burns thanks to Heal Bell support from Clefable, while physically defensive Venusaur can check Rhyperior and Feraligatr. In addition to this, phazers can also take advantage of the entry hazards that Clefable enjoys, since they can shuffle the opposing team around to rack up residual damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb + Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Softboiled
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Modest
evs: 160 HP / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Calm Mind Clefable is one of the most dangerous—and overlooked—threats for defensive teams in UU. Unlike most Calm Mind sweepers, Clefable has solid physical bulk and lacks easily exploitable weaknesses. In addition, Magic Guard grants Clefable an immunity to entry hazard and poison damage, rendering the majority of a stall team's strategy ineffective. To top it all off, an instant recovery move in Softboiled means that even whittling down Clefable's health through repeated weak attacks is not an option.</p>
<p>Calm Mind and Softboiled form the core of the set, allowing Clefable to set up on weaker attackers while recovering lost health. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam are the preferred attacking moves, since together they hit every Pokemon in UU with the exception of Lanturn, Magneton, and Shedinja for at least neutral damage. Lanturn and Magneton are setup bait for Clefable, while Shedinja is rarely seen and easily disposed of with Stealth Rock. In addition, Thunderbolt and Ice Beam provide vital super effective coverage against key threats. Thunderbolt zaps Milotic and its fellow Water-types, while Ice Beam nails Ground- and Grass-types, such as Donphan, Rhyperior, and Venusaur.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Modest nature and 252 Special Attack EVs maximize Clefable's offensive potential. 96 Speed EVs put it at 180 Speed, allowing it to outpace Adamant Rhyperior. The remaining EVs are dumped into HP to capitalize on Clefable's natural bulk. If you're concerned about outpacing Milotic, using 172 Speed EVs beats minimum Speed variants, but adding a few additional EVs may be a good idea since Milotic tend to invest slightly in Speed. Unfortunately, Clefable does not have a STAB special attack that it can use. However, there are a few alternatives to the moves suggested. Using Psychic instead of Ice Beam allows Clefable to hit Hitmontop super effectively while retaining power against Venusaur. Alternatively, Toxic can replace Thunderbolt to defeat Haze Milotic; in this case, Ice Beam is preferred because no Pokemon is immune to it.</p>
<p>There aren't many Pokemon who can reliably stop Calm Mind Clefable, especially on defensive teams, which means luring and weakening the few checks that exist can result in an easy sweep. Haze Milotic will erase Clefable's boosts before Clefable can hit it with Thunderbolt. However, Milotic usually loses in the long run, as the eventuality of paralysis or critical hit will put the odds heavily in Clefable's favor. Stall teams can pair Milotic with Aromatherapy Chansey to PP stall Clefable. To avoid this, weakening Milotic to 50% HP prevents it from countering Clefable; if it tries to Haze at that health, Thunderbolt will KO, while if it tries to Recover, +1 Thunderbolt will deal far more damage than it can heal. Many Pokemon, including physical Blaziken, Passho Berry Houndoom, and Choice Band Azumarill, can adequately weaken Milotic. However, a cleaner way to get rid of it is with a lure packing Explosion, such as Steelix or Curse Registeel. Keep in mind that using these recklessly may not be successful since they also lure in Omastar and Cloyster seeking to set up Spikes. Explosion lures are also a good way to eliminate Rapid Spin Hitmontop; Regirock is the best such lure due to its high Attack stat, Clear Body, and its ability to outpace defensive Hitmontop. Pokemon with Choice items and Trick can cripple Clefable, but simply switching Clefable out for another Pokemon will neutralize the threat. Additionally, since most Trick users are Ghost- or Psychic-type, a Pursuit user such as Houndoom or Drapion can eliminate them.</p>
<p>Beyond using Pokemon with super effective Fighting-type attacks, the easiest way for offensive teams to deal with Clefable is to have one Pokemon batter Clefable so that it cannot set up and have a second finish it off. Since these attackers rely on their high Speed to hit Clefable first, paralysis support helps Clefable a lot, particularly against special attackers. When Clefable can use Calm Mind before it is hit with a special attack, it can set up against a much larger range of Pokemon.</p>
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Softboiled
item: Life Orb / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Quiet
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>It seems ridiculous to think that Clefable could pull off a wallbreaker set when there are offensive behemoths available like Blaziken, who sports 120/110 attacking stats to Clefable's rather meager 70/85. However, with Magic Guard negating the recoil from Life Orb and Double-Edge and Softboiled to heal off any damage Clefable sustains, Clefable is an almost prefect wallbreaker. Double-Edge plows through special walls like Chansey, managing a guaranteed 2HKO even without entry hazards. Fire Blast roasts Grass- and Steel-types like Venusaur and Registeel, while Grass Knot trips up Rhyperior and Slowbro. Softboiled keeps Clefable in tip-top shape so she can continue to break down the opposing team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs offer maximum Attack and Special Attack, while the Quiet nature preserves Clefable's good bulk. A Toxic Orb can be used in place of Life Orb, and Facade in place of Double-Edge, to obtain immunity to status, but this means that there will be a significant drop in power. Psychic is usable if you need the ability to lure in and pummel Fighting-types, but the loss of coverage means Clefable will be walled by far more Pokemon than Psychic will cover.</p>
<p>Like with every other set, Clefable enjoys entry hazard support to help her garner 2HKOs on the majority of UU's walls. The two best choices for teammates to set up Stealth Rock are Claydol and Donphan, both of whom can also remove any entry hazards with Rapid Spin. Donphan can strike opponents back with a powerful STAB Earthquake, revenge threats with Ice Shard, and Roar to abuse entry hazards. Claydol, on the other hand, offers Levitate, ensuring that he won't be worn down as easily, a valuable resistance to Fighting, and much better Special Defense. Spikes can be set up by either Omastar or Cloyster. Both are weak to Fighting, however, so having something to take these assaults will help. Either Uxie or Spiritomb will work excellently here; Uxie can set up Stealth Rock if you don't want the extra Grass weakness that Claydol and Donphan bring, while Spiritomb can easily switch in on Fighting-types and burn them.</p>
<p>Although Clefable has the reputation of slicing through stall like a hot knife through butter, there's still some Pokemon commonly used on stall teams that give it trouble. Hitmontop is the greatest threat to Clefable, with Intimidate to help weather Double-Edge and the ability to outspeed and obliterate Clefable with Close Combat. Hariyama is another check, but he runs the risk of being 2HKOed by Double-Edge with Spikes support. Spiritomb is also a huge problem for Clefable, as Fire Blast is only a 3HKO, and Pressure will stall out Fire Blast's PP with ease. Spiritomb can even Will-O-Wisp to ruin Clefable's Attack if she isn't using Toxic Orb. Specially defensive Milotic can stall Grass Knot with Recover, although a timely critical hit will destroy it. An easy way of handling these counters is to run Toxic Spikes. This will allow Clefable to defeat Milotic without a critical hit, force Spiritomb to eventually Rest, and limit the amount of times Hitmontop and Hariyama can switch in. Drapion works quite well in this regard, as he can abosrb Toxic Spikes and lay down his own. Drapion can also take on Mismagius, another Ghost-type who can give Clefable some trouble.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Softboiled
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is infamous for dismantling stall teams because of its powerful boosting move, Calm Mind, coupled with immunities to entry hazards and Toxic. Since stall teams rely primarily on residual damage to defeat opposing Pokemon, their attacking moves are almost always backed by zero EV investment and are consequently most efficient at chipping down frail Pokemon without recovery. However, Clefable is neither frail, nor does she lack a reliable recovery move. By alternating Calm Mind with Softboiled, Clefable is able to insolently set up right in the face of common defensive Pokemon like Milotic, Chansey, Weezing, and Donphan. Once she reaches +6/+6, she can use the almost-perfect coverage granted by Ice Beam and Thunderbolt to calmly pick apart the opposing team.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although the offensive and defensive Calm Mind sets appear very similar, their play styles are distinct. Most notably, the defensive EV spread and presence of Leftovers (instead of a Life Orb) make this set much more resilient, allowing it to shrug off weak attacks more easily. This makes Clefable more suited for taking on heavy stall teams, since she won't have to use Softboiled as often, making it much harder to PP stall. It also means the set fits better on a defensively-minded team itself, because the additional bulk means Clefable can provide some defensive support without losing too much HP (which would compromise her ability to successfully set up later). For example, the HP investment and Leftovers allows defensive Calm Mind Clefable to take on Charge Beam users, such as Lanturn and Rotom, with greater ease.</p>
<p>Of course, there is a tradeoff to going defensive. The lack of Speed EVs means Clefable cannot hope to beat slow heavy-hitters like Azumarill or Rhyperior, who can finish off a slightly weakened Clefable with powerful Choice Band-boosted attacks. Without Special Attack EVs or a Life Orb, Clefable's non-STAB attacks feel like tickles until she is able to boost up with Calm Mind. As a result, she doesn't perform as well against bulky defensive teams, which usually carry a few checks who must be worn down with repeated Thunderbolt or Ice Beam on the switch. It takes much longer to wear down these checks without any Special Attack investment or a Life Orb.</p>
<p>The EV spread on this set is self-explanatory. HP and Defense are maximized with a Bold nature so Clefable can take as many hits as possible, and the last 4 EVs are put in Special Defense. Since Clefable has Calm Mind to boost her Special Defense, Defense is prioritized. However, investing in Special Defense makes Clefable a much better answer to threats like Charge Beam Rotom and special-attacking Venusaur. A few EVs can be put into Speed to allow Clefable to outspeed Donphan and Azumarill who invest just enough to outpace 0 Speed Clefable, but this isn't reliable, and it's not a guarantee that Clefable will actually be faster.</p>
<p>Clefable can't set up against Roar/Whirlwind users like Steelix and Hariyama, especially if they have Wish support from Chansey or opposing Clefable. In a last Pokemon situation, Clefable doesn't fear being phazed out, but Perish Song from Mismagius or Altaria will spell doom. Stall Hitmontop gives Clefable a hard time due to his high Special Defense and STAB Close Combat or Revenge. Milotic can use Haze to erase Clefable's Calm Minds, but it's worth noting that the chance of a Thunderbolt paralyze followed by Milotic being fully paralyzed makes this specific matchup particularly favorable for either player. The best way to weaken specific stall Pokemon is heavily battle- and team-dependent, but a generally good idea is to use lures and trappers. Swords Dance Brick Break Scyther significantly dents Steelix; Pursuit Houndoom takes out Stall Mismagius; Nasty Plot Passho Berry Houndoom weakens or KOes Milotic. Although these lures are nifty tricks, thinking about the team matchup in a battle and forcing the opponent to use specific Pokemon to defend against your other threats is the best way to weaken a defensive pillar.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Wish / Softboiled / Encore
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Light Clay
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable, due to her immense special bulk and amazing ability, has many chances to come in and set up dual screens. What separates Clefable from other dual screen users is her access to Wish and a wide variety of support moves, which most dual screeners lack. While Softboiled is the more reliable healing move, Wish can help your other teammates immensely by restoring 50% of their health on the switch in. If keeping Clefable fully functioning isn't a concern to you, then Encore can be used to ruin opposing Pokemon trying to set up on you. Seismic Toss is there so that Clefable isn't complete Taunt bait, and it's your best option to deal a respectable amount of damage to a wide variety of foes. Ice Beam is also an option to get a good hit on Ghost-types, but since Clefable's main focus with this set is to support a sweeper on your team, this isn't a large concern.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread is designed to give Clefable as much special bulk as possible. Light Clay is the recommended item as it gives the dual screens eight turns in play, instead of five, thus giving Clefable's teammates more time to wreak havoc. Because Clefable is more specially defensive, setting up Reflect first is generally the best move to make. However, it ultimately comes down to whichever Pokemon the opponent has in play at the time Clefable is ready to start setting up the dual screens.</p>
<p>The best teammates to pair with Clefable are those who can capitalize the most from having dual screens in play. Normally frail sweepers, such as Charizard and Belly Drum Linoone, suddenly become difficult to take down when behind the appropriate screen, and can easily turn the tide of battle. Another strategy to use is to pair Clefable with already bulky Pokemon who take a couple of turns to get completely set up in order to sweep. An example of this is Tangrowth, who, if not on a team based around Sunny Day, needs to set up both Sunny Day and Swords Dance in order to sweep. The added bulk from dual screens can give Tangrowth the extra time he needs to fully set up and rip the opposing team to shreds.</p>
<p>Clefable will generally have trouble against Pokemon that have access to powerful Fighting-type moves. Hitmonlee and Hariyama can threaten Clefable with Close Combat and Force Palm, respectively, making Mismagius and Spiritomb excellent partners. They are both immune to Fighting-type attacks and have access to Calm Mind, making it much easier to boost their stats when dual screens are in play. When it comes to dealing damage, Ghost-types can walk right into Seismic Toss and start boosting their stats, but Clefable is able to Encore them if they do so, which gives you a good chance of setting up screens.</p>
[SET]
name: Lv. 2 Endeavor (F.E.A.R)
move 1: Endeavor
move 2: Protect
move 3: Encore
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic
item: Focus Sash
ability: Magic Guard
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Generally, FEAR sets are shunned as being nothing but gimmicks due to the wide use of Stealth Rock. Clefable, however, manages to break the mold with Magic Guard. The idea behind this set is simple: switch Clefable in on a non-damaging move or after something on your team has died, survive a hit with Focus Sash, and then Endeavor. This set is meant to be used with sandstorm, hail, or Toxic Spikes, which will finish off the opponent at the end of the turn. Even if the opposing Pokemon happens to be immune to your weather of choice, entry hazards will ensure that that Pokemon won't be able to do much of anything for the rest of the match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Every move other then Endeavor is really filler at best, but can prove marginally useful. Protect can scout Fake Out and sleep inducing moves, while Encore can be useful if the opponent spamming a recovery move. Thunder Wave can hit any Mismagius who think they can get a free switch in, while Toxic will heavily cripple any Spiritomb who tries to switch in. If you want to achieve maximum rage from your opponent, using Trick Room with weather will ensure two KOs, and it's also possible to run Cleffa and Clefairy alongside Clefable to get 3 KOs at worst.</p>
<p>Clefable's biggest problem is Ghost-types who are immune to Endeavor, so having partners to handle them is the most improtant thing to consider. Pursuit users are valuable to help get rid of Mismagius and Rotom. Spiritomb is the best option due to his solid defenses and the ability to play mind games with Sucker Punch and Pursuit. Absol and Houndoom are also viable if you want more power, but their lower defenses make them less reliable. Spiritomb is a bit harder to eliminate, but powerful attackers such as Blaziken can handily deal with it.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Clefable's gargantuan movepool gives her nearly endless options to play around with, allowing her to fill almost role you may need. Clefable has access to Stealth Rock, but she usually gets more mileage out of a different support move. Clefable can also pull off a Trick set with a Flame Orb to cripple many of her checks, but as with Stealth Rock, she usually has better things to do. A Belly Drum set is an interesting option considering Clefable's access to Softboiled to heal off Belly Drum recoil, but Clefable will rarely find an opportunity to set it up against a good team that hasn't either already been weakened enough to be taken care of by another set. Clefable also has access to Healing Wish, Gravity, Cosmic Power, and Knock Off, but these options tend to be done better by other Pokemon or are just gimmicks.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Clefable is very hard to counter due to the numerous different sets and moves she can run. However, there are plenty of individual counters for each set. The support and stall sets can easily be handled by almost any Fighting-type. Hariyama gets special mention due to actually wanting to get paralyzed, which protects him from the more debilitating burn and poison. The Calm Mind sets are a bit tougher to handle, but bulky Fighting-types such as Hariyama and Hitmontop will work well. The wallbreaker is much harder to switch into, but laying on offensive pressure will prevent it from accomplishing much. Finally, if all else fails, Perish Song can ensure that any Clefable will not accomplish anything if it's the last Pokemon.</p>
