clef, the boy chin wonder!!!
[Overview]
<p>At first glance at its stats, you might dismiss Clefable as just another cute pink blob that isn't particularly useful. This is mostly true, but Clefable stands out as the slowest, non-Grass-type Follow Me user. Its expansive movepool ensures it isn't without a trick up its sleeve, and its stats are salvageable with proper investment and helpful teammates. However, Generation 5 brought new competition for Clefable as a Follow Me supporter in Amoonguss, as well as a few other slow Rage Powder users such as Tangrowth and Parasect. Nevertheless, Clefable's versatility,
typing and potential immunity to sleep will still be useful for just about any team.</p>
[SET]
name: Follow Me
move 1: Follow Me
move 2: Icy Wind / Seismic Toss
move 3: Helping Hand
move 4: Protect / Softboiled / Encore
item: Sitrus Berry / Chople Berry / Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As the name implies, this set capitalizes on Clefable's role as a Follow Me supporter. Icy Wind is another good supporting move, as it deals chip damage and supports your other slow Pokemon if you're not using a Trick Room team. Obviously, lowering your opponent's Speed is not in your best interest when using a Trick Room team, and so Seismic Toss is a good replacement, and is capable of doing regular, decent damage while allowing Clefable to avoid being completely shut down by Taunt. Helping Hand support is welcomed by any attacking Pokemon, especially those with priority, such as Mamoswine, Scizor and Dragonite, though you'll have to be extremely careful about powering up an Earthquake or Surf. Protect is a fairly standard move that any VGC player is familiar with, but it can easily be swapped for just about any move in Clefable's movepool, depending on what you need. Generally though, Softboiled and Encore are the most useful filler moves. Softboiled is a reliable way to heal Clefable in order to take on more Follow Me induced damage, especially if it's not holding a Sitrus Berry or Leftovers. Encore is more useful on Trick Room teams, where opponents are more likely to Protect to stall out Trick Room and Clefable can outspeed opponents without using Icy Wind first.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Sitrus Berry is generally preferred as it allows Clefable to take more hits. However, if you're worried about the common Fighting-types roaming around VGC, a Chople Berry allows you to take their Close Combats, if only for one turn. For Trick Room Clefable, preventing Breloom or Amoonguss from putting any of your Pokemon to sleep is a high priority. A Toxic Orb remedies this, statusing itself before it can be put to sleep, which is usually achieved through a double Protect (which is risky if there's an Encore user on the field). The difference between Toxic and Flame Orbs is relatively small. If Tricked, a Toxic Orb cannot cripple your physical attackers as badly as Flame Orb would. On the other hand, a Flame Orb reduces Clefable's Attack so it would do less damage to itself should it get confused.</p>
<p>Being a Normal-type with a relatively low physical Defense, Clefable naturally fears Fighting-types like a monster in its closet. Latios greatly appreciates Sucker Punch and Shadow Ball being redirected, along with Draco Meteor being powered up to an awe-inspiring 315 base power along with a Dragon Gem. Latios can also elect to use Psychic or Psyshock to hammer out Fighting-types, preserving its Special Attack. Tornadus and Crobat are two leading Acrobatics users, and are capable of OHKOing any Fighting-type not named Cobalion or Terrakion, though Terrakion can be OHKOed with Helping Hand support. Clefable is the only Follow Me (or Rage Powder) user to be immune to both hail and sandstorm, making it a good fit for either of those teams. Although Clefable is weak to Fighting alongside Tyranitar and Abomasnow, Pokemon such as Suicune and Gliscor appreciate Follow Me redirecting dangerous Water-, Ice-, Electric- or Grass-type moves.</p>
<p>Clefable is more than welcome on a Trick Room team, especially since Tyranitar, Abomasnow, and even Hippowdon are compatible with Trick Room. Ghost-types in particular are welcome to a Normal-type using Follow Me for them, as Clefable is immune to Shadow Ball and other dangerous Ghost-type moves. Psychic-types are in a similar boat, though they are more likely to attract physical attacks such as Megahorn. Being a supporter itself, Clefable won't be doing major damage to the opponent, so usual standbys such as Cresselia and Dusclops aren't particularly good choices. Good Trick Room users include Jellicent, Chandelure, Reuniclus, Gallade, Slowking and Dusknoir. Each of the listed Pokemon have great Attack stats, a high-powered STAB move in their possession or both that are boosted to greater heights with Helping Hand. Beyond Trick Room users, usual Trick Room attackers such as Druddigon, Rhyperior, Metagross and Snorlax make great teammates.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Clefable is like a bottomless pit of good moves, with only a few being Magic Coat, Gravity, Reflect, Light Screen, Thunder Wave and so on and so forth. Magic Coat can help Clefable doge Taunt and Spore, for both it and its teammates, though it takes the right situation and prediction to be useful. Gravity is an oft-overlooked field condition, and Clefable has a multitude of moves it can use under its effects such as Dynamicpunch and Thunder. Light Screen and Reflect can be used to great effect in conjunction or individually, especially in Trick Room teams where your teammates are most likely bulky anyway. Thunder Wave is great for spreading paralysis and its Speed-reducing effects cannot be erased by switching out. It's not advised to try to use Clefable as an attacker by using boosting moves such as Belly Drum and Calm Mind, and although it could certainly abuse moves such as Facade and Flamethrower, Clefable is best used as a supporter. That being said, coverage moves such as Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Psychic and Grass Knot that run off Clefable's higher Special attacks can be good substitutes for Seismic Toss or Icy Wind if you need extra coverage. Unaware, while useful in Singles, is useless in Doubles, where boosting moves are as scarce as hen's teeth. Magic Guard is better in every situation.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Being a Normal-type with a lower physical Defense than special, physical Fighting-types are Clefable's worst nightmare. Hitmontop, Terrakion and Conkeldurr are but a few of the common Fighting-types, and each are capable of OHKOing any Clefable without a Chople Berry with STAB Close Combats or Hammer Arm. Gallade has Close Combat, a high Attack stat and the ability to reverse Trick Room, which can be a menace to Trick Room Clefable and its teammates. If Clefable is exclusively using Seismic Toss as its only attacking move, Ghost-types wall it completely. Ghost-types that can use Taunt such as Sableye, Dusknoir and Gengar are the next worst thing that can happen to Clefable, and most don't care about Icy Wind's Speed drop. Taunt in general can shut down Clefable, but if you make it too obvious Clefable will just Protect or switch in an attacker for free. The element of surprise can check Clefable if you can gang up on it or use a Pokemon that doesn't always carry a Fighting-type move such as Superpower Darmanitan, Tyranitar, Scizor and Mamoswine.</p>
