Overview
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While Blissey was formerly the most formidable special wall in the game, it is largely outclassed by its own sister Chansey, which effectively has much higher defensive stats and is therefore better at its job. It is still a great special wall, with the highest base HP in the game. This coupled with its large Special Defense makes it near unbreakable on the special side. It also has access to a vast arsenal of support moves, including Wish, Heal Bell, Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and Toxic, which allow it to function as an excellent cleric. However, it still possesses an abysmal Defense stat, which despite Blissey's high HP, doesn't do it any favors. It also competes with a variety of new Pokemon for a spot on a team as a special wall; with the introduction of the Assault Vest item, Pokemon such as Goodra and Tyranitar are effective special sponges that can also function well offensively, while Pokemon such as Sylveon have a more advantageous typing. However, as mentioned before, the Pokemon it faces the most competition of all with is its own sister Chansey, which possesses far superior bulk when equipped with an Eviolite, making it a much better special wall that can potentially wall on the physical side as well. Nevertheless, Blissey can use Leftovers, which allows it to cope better with passive damage such as sand, entry hazards, and Leech Seed; it also has a usable Special Attack to catch many Pokemon off-guard with Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, or Ice Beam.
Cleric
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name: Cleric
move 1: Soft-Boiled
move 2: Heal Bell / Flamethrower
move 3: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Seismic Toss
ability: Natural Cure
item: Leftovers
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
========
This set allows Blissey to function as a formidable special wall while simultaneously supporting the team with its clerical abilities. Soft-Boiled is the primary move as it is Blissey's most reliable means of recovery, and it is essential for it to wall opponents effectively. Heal Bell is used to cure its teammates of status, potentially allowing offensive Pokemon another chance to sweep, or enlarging a defensive Pokemon's lifespan by removing Toxic or burn, while Flamethrower is one of the factors which differentiates Blissey from Chansey; it allows Blissey to damage Steel-types outside of Seismic Toss, such as Ferrothorn and Aegislash. The third slot is dependent on what status effect you want Blissey to inflict; Toxic allows Blissey to gradually wear down special attackers, stalling them out, while Thunder Wave cripples Pokemon on the switch that Blissey can't deal with itself, especially fast physical sweepers such as Dragonite, Lucario, and Terrakion. Finally, Seismic Toss allows Blissey to break through opponents slowly but reliably, chipping away 100 HP with each use. Stealth Rock can be used as another supporting option if your team does not have a Stealth Rock user, and Blissey has ample opportunities to set it up.
Set Details
========
This cleric set is most effective on stall teams and primarily defensive balanced teams, though it can be used on any team in need of a cleric. The EVs are invested in both of its defenses rather than its HP, which makes it more effective as a special wall with a marginal difference in Defense. It also limits the amount of health gained by opponents using Leech Seed. Leftovers allows for passive recovery, something that Chansey cannot even hope to have.
Usage Tips
========
Being a special wall, Blissey can switch in to most special attackers quite easily and either inflict a status effect on them or wear them down with Seismic Toss. Bear in mind that Latios, Latias, and Keldeo, while special attackers, have either Psyshock or Secret Sword, which are special moves that use the opponent's Defense stat in damage calculation, meaning that Blissey can not wall those Pokemon. Sometimes, it is critical to use Toxic immediately to wear down setup sweepers, as if Blissey spends its time supporting, the foe could start setting up boosts which could potentially allow it to break through Blissey. Because special attackers are unlikely to stay in on Blissey, it is an excellent idea to use either Thunder Wave or Toxic to cripple the predicted physical switch-in. If there are no special attackers left for Blissey to wall, it is generally not needed any more on the team. It might be beneficial to the team's momentum to sacrifice Blissey in a necessary situation.
Team Options
========
Being weak to physical attacks, Blissey needs teammates to cover physically attacking threats, most often physical walls; this is especially relevant on stall teams, which need Pokemon that can deal with almost all offensive threats. Skarmory forms the well-known "SkarmBliss" core with Blissey, with Skarmory being the physical wall of the duo. While not as effective as it used to be due to a larger amount of mixed attackers, it can still function very well with the right support. Hippowdon is a very solid physical wall; it can take on many physical attackers, phaze opponents with Whirlwind, and support the team with the sandstorm it provides. Of course, there are many other physical walls that fit well on stall teams while also covering up Blissey's weakness to Fighting-type moves: Landorus-T, Gliscor, Slowbro, and RestTalk Gyarados are a few good examples. Other stall staples that can support Blissey in some way include Grass-types such as Gourgeist-XL, Trevenant, Mega Venusaur, and Amoonguss, as they can all check physical Fighting-types. Sableye can also check Fighting-types like Lucario, as well as other problematic Pokemon such as Reuniclus and Alakazam. Ghost-types are also solid partners, as they are completely immune to Fighting-type attacks. Some common examples include the aforementioned Sableye, Trevenant, and Gourgeist-XL, as well as Aegislash and Gengar. For more balanced teams, Gengar, Talonflame, and Dragonite are good options for their ability to offensively check some threats to Blissey while also appreciating cleric support.
Wish Passer
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name: Wish Passer
move 1: Wish
move 2: Soft-Boiled / Protect
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Toxic
ability: Natural Cure
item: Leftovers
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
========
This set allows Blissey to support its teammates in a different way: by healing them with its gigantic Wishes. Indeed, through the rare event in Generation 3, Blissey can learn the move Wish, which allows it to fully heal almost any Pokemon thanks to Blissey's massive HP stat. The Wish itself is 326 HP, which is almost always enough to restore a teammate to its peak. The next slot can be somewhat varied depending on how you want to play. Soft-Boiled gives Blissey a reliable form of recovery immediately, and it also helps against boosting physical sweepers such as Lucario. However, Protect allows Blissey to guarantee itself to be the receiver of the Wish (except against Roar and Whirlwind) while also scouting the opponent's moves and providing itself with an extra turn of Leftovers recovery. Either of these moves are mandatory when using Wish, or Blissey can not reliably heal itself. Toxic and Seismic Toss are used to wear down the opponent; Toxic works better against defensive Pokemon while Seismic Toss is used for offensive Pokemon, as well as the Steel- and Poison-types that are immune to Toxic. Similar to the first set, Blissey can also run any number of its plentiful wealth of support options. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple fast sweepers and Stealth Rock can be used if your team is in need of it. Flamethrower is another option to deal heavy damage to Ferrothorn and Forretress.
Set Details
========
The EVs maximize both Defense and Special Defense, which allows Blissey to take on special setup sweepers such as Manaphy and Volcarona, while a Bold nature helps mitigate its terrible Defense stat. However, a spread of 252 HP / 252 Def with a Bold nature allows Blissey to survive two Psyshocks from Mega Gardevoir. Like the first set, Leftovers is mandatory for the passive healing.
Usage Tips
========
This set plays very similarly to the first set in terms of walling special attacks; it is important to remember that Blissey can't wall Keldeo, Latios, or Latias. Toxic is very detrimental to nearly all Pokemon, so if you predict a switch-in from a foe, using Toxic is a great choice. If the opponent is a Steel- or Poison-type, then Seismic Toss would be the preferred option. Wish support can often be very predictable if an important teammate is at a low level of health, so the opponent can easily switch in a check to that Pokemon. Try to predict this and switch in your own check, which could appreciate the Wish just as much as your other teammate would. Finally, bear in mind that Roar and Whirlwind now hit through Protect, so Blissey is not always guaranteed to receive its own Wish against Pokemon that can learn these moves.
Team Options
========
Again, physical walls make an effective defensive core with Blissey. Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Gliscor are common examples that can all support Blissey in some way. A teammate that can cover Blissey's Fighting-type weakness is recommended; Landorus-T, Slowbro, Trevenant, Mega Venusaur, and Sableye can all switch into these attacks with impunity, and other Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Gengar can do the same while also threatening these opponents offensively. A Rapid Spinner is helpful for this set as it switches in to battle frequently in order to heal teammates with Wish. However, because Blissey is often used on stall or balanced teams, a Defog user is not recommended, as it will remove any entry hazards set by Blissey's own teammates. Viable Rapid Spinners that can fit well on bulkier teams include Forretress and Excadrill. Ferrothorn also makes a good partner due to its ability to check physical Dragon-types and set up its own entry hazards. Finally, a check for Keldeo, Latias, and Latios is appreciated, as they can all break through Blissey with either of Psyshock or Secret Sword, or set up in its face with Substitute and Calm Mind. Latias and Latios can even Defog away the entry hazards that stall teams need. Pursuit trappers can easily deal with Latias and Latios; Tyranitar, Aegislash, and Mega Scizor can all use Pursuit, and all fit reasonably well on balanced teams. Celebi can deal with Keldeo fairly easily.
Other Options
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Blissey actually has quite a wide special movepool to work with. Fire Blast is an alternative to Flamethrower for much higher power, but the low accuracy makes it problematic for a defensive Pokemon to use. Ice Beam can surprise Gliscor and Landorus-T, but it offers little else outside of these two threats, so it is generally better to have a teammate that can deal with these Pokemon. Thunderbolt is similar to Ice Beam in the fact that it can surprise Gyarados and Talonflame, but it really doesn't do much else. Skill Swap is a niche option which allows Blissey to combat Gliscor and Reuniclus by swapping their abilities, but it really doesn't have much other use. Blissey can also set up Gravity on teams built to utilize it, as well as use Calm Mind to give it a more offensive touch. However, it is outclassed by almost every other Calm Mind sweeper due to the fact that it lacks a lot of power and is very easily walled.
Checks & Counters
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**Gliscor**: Gliscor completely counters Blissey bar the incredibly rare Ice Beam or Skill Swap. It is immune to Toxic and Thunder Wave and takes very little damage from Seismic Toss or Flamethrower. Gliscor can stall Blissey out or just outright attack it with Earthquake.
**Magic Guard Attackers**: Calm Mind Clefable and Reuniclus with Magic Guard are immune to Toxic, have Recover to reliably heal, and can boost their Special Attack with Calm Mind until they can KO Blissey.
**Offensive Steel-types**: Aegislash and Mawile work similarly to defeat Blissey, as they are both immune to Toxic, don't mind paralysis due to their already low Speed and access to priority, and can set up on Blissey and hit it with their physical attacks. Excadrill is immune to Toxic and Thunder Wave and can set up on Blissey while threatening it with a powerful Iron Head or Earthquake.
**Bulky Steel-types**: For sets without Flamethrower, Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory can easily switch in and set up Spikes on Blissey. Scizor can switch in on sets that lack Flamethrower, and is able to set up and hit with a powerful Superpower. For sets that do run Flamethrower instead of Seismic Toss, Heatran is a big issue. All of these Pokemon are also unaffected by Toxic.
**Physical Attackers**: Physical attackers that can switch in safely can easily beat Blissey. Strong Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr, Terrakion, Infernape, and Breloom can swiftly finish Blissey with their strong STAB attacks. Most strong Choice Band users such as Haxorus and Tyranitar can also fulfill a similar role, as well as simply strong physical attackers without a Fighting-type STAB, such as Azumarill, Crawdaunt, Diggersby, and Kyurem-B. Finally, setup sweepers such as Garchomp and Dragonite can force it out.
**Psyshock and Secret Sword** Despite being special attackers, users of Psyshock and Secret Sword can break through Blissey with relative ease. Alakazam and Latios and cut through it with Psyshock, while Keldeo can 2HKO with Secret Sword.
**Taunt and Trick** Taunt users such as Jellicent and Sableye can stall Blissey out, while Pokemon that can Trick a Choice item onto it such as Rotom-W, Gothitelle, and Noivern effectively render it useless as well.
**Trapping** Pursuit users such as Tyranitar, Bisharp, and Scizor, as well as trappers such as Dugtrio and Gothitelle, can trap and dispose of a weakened Blissey before it even has a chance to move.
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While Blissey was formerly the most formidable special wall in the game, it is largely outclassed by its own sister Chansey, which effectively has much higher defensive stats and is therefore better at its job. It is still a great special wall, with the highest base HP in the game. This coupled with its large Special Defense makes it near unbreakable on the special side. It also has access to a vast arsenal of support moves, including Wish, Heal Bell, Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and Toxic, which allow it to function as an excellent cleric. However, it still possesses an abysmal Defense stat, which despite Blissey's high HP, doesn't do it any favors. It also competes with a variety of new Pokemon for a spot on a team as a special wall; with the introduction of the Assault Vest item, Pokemon such as Goodra and Tyranitar are effective special sponges that can also function well offensively, while Pokemon such as Sylveon have a more advantageous typing. However, as mentioned before, the Pokemon it faces the most competition of all with is its own sister Chansey, which possesses far superior bulk when equipped with an Eviolite, making it a much better special wall that can potentially wall on the physical side as well. Nevertheless, Blissey can use Leftovers, which allows it to cope better with passive damage such as sand, entry hazards, and Leech Seed; it also has a usable Special Attack to catch many Pokemon off-guard with Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, or Ice Beam.
Cleric
########
name: Cleric
move 1: Soft-Boiled
move 2: Heal Bell / Flamethrower
move 3: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Seismic Toss
ability: Natural Cure
item: Leftovers
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
========
This set allows Blissey to function as a formidable special wall while simultaneously supporting the team with its clerical abilities. Soft-Boiled is the primary move as it is Blissey's most reliable means of recovery, and it is essential for it to wall opponents effectively. Heal Bell is used to cure its teammates of status, potentially allowing offensive Pokemon another chance to sweep, or enlarging a defensive Pokemon's lifespan by removing Toxic or burn, while Flamethrower is one of the factors which differentiates Blissey from Chansey; it allows Blissey to damage Steel-types outside of Seismic Toss, such as Ferrothorn and Aegislash. The third slot is dependent on what status effect you want Blissey to inflict; Toxic allows Blissey to gradually wear down special attackers, stalling them out, while Thunder Wave cripples Pokemon on the switch that Blissey can't deal with itself, especially fast physical sweepers such as Dragonite, Lucario, and Terrakion. Finally, Seismic Toss allows Blissey to break through opponents slowly but reliably, chipping away 100 HP with each use. Stealth Rock can be used as another supporting option if your team does not have a Stealth Rock user, and Blissey has ample opportunities to set it up.
Set Details
========
This cleric set is most effective on stall teams and primarily defensive balanced teams, though it can be used on any team in need of a cleric. The EVs are invested in both of its defenses rather than its HP, which makes it more effective as a special wall with a marginal difference in Defense. It also limits the amount of health gained by opponents using Leech Seed. Leftovers allows for passive recovery, something that Chansey cannot even hope to have.
Usage Tips
========
Being a special wall, Blissey can switch in to most special attackers quite easily and either inflict a status effect on them or wear them down with Seismic Toss. Bear in mind that Latios, Latias, and Keldeo, while special attackers, have either Psyshock or Secret Sword, which are special moves that use the opponent's Defense stat in damage calculation, meaning that Blissey can not wall those Pokemon. Sometimes, it is critical to use Toxic immediately to wear down setup sweepers, as if Blissey spends its time supporting, the foe could start setting up boosts which could potentially allow it to break through Blissey. Because special attackers are unlikely to stay in on Blissey, it is an excellent idea to use either Thunder Wave or Toxic to cripple the predicted physical switch-in. If there are no special attackers left for Blissey to wall, it is generally not needed any more on the team. It might be beneficial to the team's momentum to sacrifice Blissey in a necessary situation.
Team Options
========
Being weak to physical attacks, Blissey needs teammates to cover physically attacking threats, most often physical walls; this is especially relevant on stall teams, which need Pokemon that can deal with almost all offensive threats. Skarmory forms the well-known "SkarmBliss" core with Blissey, with Skarmory being the physical wall of the duo. While not as effective as it used to be due to a larger amount of mixed attackers, it can still function very well with the right support. Hippowdon is a very solid physical wall; it can take on many physical attackers, phaze opponents with Whirlwind, and support the team with the sandstorm it provides. Of course, there are many other physical walls that fit well on stall teams while also covering up Blissey's weakness to Fighting-type moves: Landorus-T, Gliscor, Slowbro, and RestTalk Gyarados are a few good examples. Other stall staples that can support Blissey in some way include Grass-types such as Gourgeist-XL, Trevenant, Mega Venusaur, and Amoonguss, as they can all check physical Fighting-types. Sableye can also check Fighting-types like Lucario, as well as other problematic Pokemon such as Reuniclus and Alakazam. Ghost-types are also solid partners, as they are completely immune to Fighting-type attacks. Some common examples include the aforementioned Sableye, Trevenant, and Gourgeist-XL, as well as Aegislash and Gengar. For more balanced teams, Gengar, Talonflame, and Dragonite are good options for their ability to offensively check some threats to Blissey while also appreciating cleric support.
Wish Passer
########
name: Wish Passer
move 1: Wish
move 2: Soft-Boiled / Protect
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Toxic
ability: Natural Cure
item: Leftovers
evs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
========
This set allows Blissey to support its teammates in a different way: by healing them with its gigantic Wishes. Indeed, through the rare event in Generation 3, Blissey can learn the move Wish, which allows it to fully heal almost any Pokemon thanks to Blissey's massive HP stat. The Wish itself is 326 HP, which is almost always enough to restore a teammate to its peak. The next slot can be somewhat varied depending on how you want to play. Soft-Boiled gives Blissey a reliable form of recovery immediately, and it also helps against boosting physical sweepers such as Lucario. However, Protect allows Blissey to guarantee itself to be the receiver of the Wish (except against Roar and Whirlwind) while also scouting the opponent's moves and providing itself with an extra turn of Leftovers recovery. Either of these moves are mandatory when using Wish, or Blissey can not reliably heal itself. Toxic and Seismic Toss are used to wear down the opponent; Toxic works better against defensive Pokemon while Seismic Toss is used for offensive Pokemon, as well as the Steel- and Poison-types that are immune to Toxic. Similar to the first set, Blissey can also run any number of its plentiful wealth of support options. Thunder Wave can be used to cripple fast sweepers and Stealth Rock can be used if your team is in need of it. Flamethrower is another option to deal heavy damage to Ferrothorn and Forretress.
Set Details
========
The EVs maximize both Defense and Special Defense, which allows Blissey to take on special setup sweepers such as Manaphy and Volcarona, while a Bold nature helps mitigate its terrible Defense stat. However, a spread of 252 HP / 252 Def with a Bold nature allows Blissey to survive two Psyshocks from Mega Gardevoir. Like the first set, Leftovers is mandatory for the passive healing.
Usage Tips
========
This set plays very similarly to the first set in terms of walling special attacks; it is important to remember that Blissey can't wall Keldeo, Latios, or Latias. Toxic is very detrimental to nearly all Pokemon, so if you predict a switch-in from a foe, using Toxic is a great choice. If the opponent is a Steel- or Poison-type, then Seismic Toss would be the preferred option. Wish support can often be very predictable if an important teammate is at a low level of health, so the opponent can easily switch in a check to that Pokemon. Try to predict this and switch in your own check, which could appreciate the Wish just as much as your other teammate would. Finally, bear in mind that Roar and Whirlwind now hit through Protect, so Blissey is not always guaranteed to receive its own Wish against Pokemon that can learn these moves.
Team Options
========
Again, physical walls make an effective defensive core with Blissey. Skarmory, Hippowdon, and Gliscor are common examples that can all support Blissey in some way. A teammate that can cover Blissey's Fighting-type weakness is recommended; Landorus-T, Slowbro, Trevenant, Mega Venusaur, and Sableye can all switch into these attacks with impunity, and other Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Gengar can do the same while also threatening these opponents offensively. A Rapid Spinner is helpful for this set as it switches in to battle frequently in order to heal teammates with Wish. However, because Blissey is often used on stall or balanced teams, a Defog user is not recommended, as it will remove any entry hazards set by Blissey's own teammates. Viable Rapid Spinners that can fit well on bulkier teams include Forretress and Excadrill. Ferrothorn also makes a good partner due to its ability to check physical Dragon-types and set up its own entry hazards. Finally, a check for Keldeo, Latias, and Latios is appreciated, as they can all break through Blissey with either of Psyshock or Secret Sword, or set up in its face with Substitute and Calm Mind. Latias and Latios can even Defog away the entry hazards that stall teams need. Pursuit trappers can easily deal with Latias and Latios; Tyranitar, Aegislash, and Mega Scizor can all use Pursuit, and all fit reasonably well on balanced teams. Celebi can deal with Keldeo fairly easily.
Other Options
########
Blissey actually has quite a wide special movepool to work with. Fire Blast is an alternative to Flamethrower for much higher power, but the low accuracy makes it problematic for a defensive Pokemon to use. Ice Beam can surprise Gliscor and Landorus-T, but it offers little else outside of these two threats, so it is generally better to have a teammate that can deal with these Pokemon. Thunderbolt is similar to Ice Beam in the fact that it can surprise Gyarados and Talonflame, but it really doesn't do much else. Skill Swap is a niche option which allows Blissey to combat Gliscor and Reuniclus by swapping their abilities, but it really doesn't have much other use. Blissey can also set up Gravity on teams built to utilize it, as well as use Calm Mind to give it a more offensive touch. However, it is outclassed by almost every other Calm Mind sweeper due to the fact that it lacks a lot of power and is very easily walled.
Checks & Counters
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**Gliscor**: Gliscor completely counters Blissey bar the incredibly rare Ice Beam or Skill Swap. It is immune to Toxic and Thunder Wave and takes very little damage from Seismic Toss or Flamethrower. Gliscor can stall Blissey out or just outright attack it with Earthquake.
**Magic Guard Attackers**: Calm Mind Clefable and Reuniclus with Magic Guard are immune to Toxic, have Recover to reliably heal, and can boost their Special Attack with Calm Mind until they can KO Blissey.
**Offensive Steel-types**: Aegislash and Mawile work similarly to defeat Blissey, as they are both immune to Toxic, don't mind paralysis due to their already low Speed and access to priority, and can set up on Blissey and hit it with their physical attacks. Excadrill is immune to Toxic and Thunder Wave and can set up on Blissey while threatening it with a powerful Iron Head or Earthquake.
**Bulky Steel-types**: For sets without Flamethrower, Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Skarmory can easily switch in and set up Spikes on Blissey. Scizor can switch in on sets that lack Flamethrower, and is able to set up and hit with a powerful Superpower. For sets that do run Flamethrower instead of Seismic Toss, Heatran is a big issue. All of these Pokemon are also unaffected by Toxic.
**Physical Attackers**: Physical attackers that can switch in safely can easily beat Blissey. Strong Fighting-types such as Conkeldurr, Terrakion, Infernape, and Breloom can swiftly finish Blissey with their strong STAB attacks. Most strong Choice Band users such as Haxorus and Tyranitar can also fulfill a similar role, as well as simply strong physical attackers without a Fighting-type STAB, such as Azumarill, Crawdaunt, Diggersby, and Kyurem-B. Finally, setup sweepers such as Garchomp and Dragonite can force it out.
**Psyshock and Secret Sword** Despite being special attackers, users of Psyshock and Secret Sword can break through Blissey with relative ease. Alakazam and Latios and cut through it with Psyshock, while Keldeo can 2HKO with Secret Sword.
**Taunt and Trick** Taunt users such as Jellicent and Sableye can stall Blissey out, while Pokemon that can Trick a Choice item onto it such as Rotom-W, Gothitelle, and Noivern effectively render it useless as well.
**Trapping** Pursuit users such as Tyranitar, Bisharp, and Scizor, as well as trappers such as Dugtrio and Gothitelle, can trap and dispose of a weakened Blissey before it even has a chance to move.
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