bamboo warship
[OVERVIEW]
Celesteela is ridiculously bulky and possesses a fantastic defensive typing that provides it with a solid matchup against a large portion of the metagame. With Beast Boost, Celesteela has the makings to become even bulkier and thus incredibly annoying to take out, forcing the opponent to focus their attention on its removal. Although Steel is generally seen as a poor offensive typing, the influx of Fairy-types in the metagame and Celesteela's 999kg weight make Heavy Slam surprisingly reliable as its sole attack. Sadly, Celesteela struggles tremendously with opposing Electric-types and the incredibly popular Fire-types and falls flat against most opposing Substitute users due to its reliance on Leech Seed. This sometimes leaves Celesteela as a detriment to its team's ability to maintain momentum, though other times it serves as a fantastic late-game wincon by wearing down various threats while passively recovering health.
[SET]
name: Utility Attacker
move 1: Heavy Slam
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Substitute / Wide Guard
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Careful
evs: 232 HP / 40 Atk / 200 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heavy Slam is Celesteela's sole attack, granting it super effective damage on Fairy- and Rock-types and activating Beast Boost with each KO. Despite the low Attack investment, Heavy Slam is fairly strong due to Celesteela's high weight making it 120 Base Power against almost all foes. Leech Seed provides pseudo-recovery and chip damage on Celesteela's foes at the end of each turn, which helps recover health lost from using Substitute and to whittle down threats until they can be KOed by Heavy Slam. Substitute turns Celesteela into a late-game wincon, making it very difficult to break after Special Defense boosts and shielding it from both status effects and secondary effects accompanying weaker attacks like Serene Grace Iron Head or Air Slash, Fake Out, and Knock Off. Alternatively, Wide Guard may be used to turn Celesteela into a more supportive beast, which is often quite appreciated by its teammates due to the move's poor distribution. Lastly, Protect allows Celesteela to stall for recovery from Leftovers and Leech Seed, scout movesets, and wait out threatening field effects.
Set Details
========
232 HP and 200 Special Defense EVs along with a Careful nature guarantee that Celesteela's Substitute will survive Timid Choice Scarf Tapu Lele's Psychic in Psychic Terrain. 36 Speed EVs ensure Celesteela can outspeed uninvested Pelipper. The remaining EVs are placed in Attack to ensure that Celesteela can hit slightly harder, most notably guaranteeing an OHKO on bulky Tapu Lele sets. Leftovers are crucial to keep Celesteela healthy and restore any HP lost from using Substitute. Beast Boost raises Celesteela's Special Defense one stage each time it gets a KO with Heavy Slam, making its Substitutes bulkier and more difficult to break. If Celesteela does not have Substitute, the remaining 40 Attack EVs can be moved to Special Defense for general bulk, or a spread with 252 HP / 52 Def / 172 SpD / 36 Spe and an Impish nature is usable, with the latter providing the most possible Defense while still making sure Beast Boost raises Special Defense after each KO.
Usage Tips
========
With its solid bulk and solid defensive typing, Celesteela makes a fantastic pivot into resisted attacks from foes such as Tapu Lele and Mega Salamence; it can recover any health lost while switching in from Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery and keep various hard-hitters in check. Substitute is safe to use against anything that can't break it or on a predicted switch, but avoid using it too often, as Celesteela appreciates being at high HP to check the threats it's needed to. Use Leech Seed against any foes that do not pose an immediate threat, as the additional recovery is instrumental to Celesteela's success. Although Heavy Slam typically has high Base Power and Celesteela's Attack stat is decent, it should really only be used against foes weak to Steel or foes that Celesteela can KO to get a Special Defense boost. Otherwise, dealing passive damage with Leech Seed and applying pressure by setting up Substitute is usually far more effective. If Celesteela has Leech Seed, using Protect will allow it to recover a lot of health between the Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery. Try to avoid being hit by Knock Off unless protected by a Substitute, as Leftovers hugely helps Celesteela's longevity. If carrying Wide Guard, use the move whenever Celesteela or its partner is threatened by a spread move and the extra protection can help its ally take out a threat or set up.
Team Options
========
If Celesteela is using Wide Guard, pair it with teammates that are weak to spread moves such as Mega Charizard Y and Landorus-T. Any teammates that struggle with Psychic spam from the likes of Deoxys-A and Tapu Lele, such as Mega Gengar, appreciate Celesteela on their side. Celesteela struggles with both Electric- and Fire-types, so teammates to take on those, such as Alolan Marowak or Thundurus-T and Milotic or Zygarde, respectively, help it out a lot. Ground-types in general are extremely solid teammates for Celesteela, as its secondary Flying typing leaves it immune to Earthquake and Celesteela can hit Ice-types with Heavy Slam. Landorus-T in particular appreciates having an Earthquake-immune teammate and provides Intimidate support, which makes Celesteela's Substitute even more difficult to break, especially if it has accrued a Special Defense boost or two. Zygarde also deserves a special mention, as its checks are almost universally beaten by Celesteela, with Heavy Slam taking on Fairy- and Ice-type foes, while Zygarde sets up on and defeats most of Celesteela's checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flamethrower is useful for Ferrothorn and opposing Celesteela, both of which are difficult to break otherwise, especially as the former is immune to Leech Seed. Hidden Power Ice deals super effective damage to Zygarde, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence, but all of them are typically checked by Celesteela anyway. A set utilizing Occa Berry and Stone Edge can take out Mega Charizard Y that are lured in by the assumption that Celesteela is running its standard set. This is can also be useful against other Rock-weak foes, but without a STAB boost or a boosting item the move is rather weak. An Autotomize set with Weakness Policy and two attacks takes a far more offensive approach to taking advantage of Beast Boost, using Celesteela's high bulk to survive the super effective hit and begin sweeping. However, this set is inconsistent at best and aside from the surprise factor is generally not worth it. Celesteela's EV spread is highly customizable, with more Speed EVs for specific Tailwind benchmarks, enough Attack EVs to gain an Attack boost after each KO, and higher mixed bulk all being somewhat viable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Fire-type Pokemon resist Heavy Slam and hit Celesteela super effectively with their STAB moves. Heatran and Volcanion can also use Substitute to block Leech Seed, and Alolan Marowak doesn't mind potential Special Defense boosts because it hits for physical damage. Inferno Overdrive users such as Rotom-H and Heatran not only avoid a potential Wide Guard, but also rack up tons of damage against even a boosted Celesteela.
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Rotom-H, and Thundurus-T all severely damage Celesteela with their STAB attacks and are at worst neutrally affected by Heavy Slam.
**Taunt**: With only one attack on its standard set, Taunt is a major obstacle to Celesteela's success, with the most common culprits being Thundurus, Tapu Koko, and Mega Gengar. Even a Substitute can't save Celesteela, as the move bypasses it.
**Substitute**: Any Steel-resistant foe that uses Substitute, including Heatran, Aegislash, and opposing Celesteela block its Leech Seed and prevent Celesteela from dealing residual damage and gaining health every turn.
[OVERVIEW]
Celesteela is ridiculously bulky and possesses a fantastic defensive typing that provides it with a solid matchup against a large portion of the metagame. With Beast Boost, Celesteela has the makings to become even bulkier and thus incredibly annoying to take out, forcing the opponent to focus their attention on its removal. Although Steel is generally seen as a poor offensive typing, the influx of Fairy-types in the metagame and Celesteela's 999kg weight make Heavy Slam surprisingly reliable as its sole attack. Sadly, Celesteela struggles tremendously with opposing Electric-types and the incredibly popular Fire-types and falls flat against most opposing Substitute users due to its reliance on Leech Seed. This sometimes leaves Celesteela as a detriment to its team's ability to maintain momentum, though other times it serves as a fantastic late-game wincon by wearing down various threats while passively recovering health.
[SET]
name: Utility Attacker
move 1: Heavy Slam
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Substitute / Wide Guard
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Careful
evs: 232 HP / 40 Atk / 200 SpD / 36 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heavy Slam is Celesteela's sole attack, granting it super effective damage on Fairy- and Rock-types and activating Beast Boost with each KO. Despite the low Attack investment, Heavy Slam is fairly strong due to Celesteela's high weight making it 120 Base Power against almost all foes. Leech Seed provides pseudo-recovery and chip damage on Celesteela's foes at the end of each turn, which helps recover health lost from using Substitute and to whittle down threats until they can be KOed by Heavy Slam. Substitute turns Celesteela into a late-game wincon, making it very difficult to break after Special Defense boosts and shielding it from both status effects and secondary effects accompanying weaker attacks like Serene Grace Iron Head or Air Slash, Fake Out, and Knock Off. Alternatively, Wide Guard may be used to turn Celesteela into a more supportive beast, which is often quite appreciated by its teammates due to the move's poor distribution. Lastly, Protect allows Celesteela to stall for recovery from Leftovers and Leech Seed, scout movesets, and wait out threatening field effects.
Set Details
========
232 HP and 200 Special Defense EVs along with a Careful nature guarantee that Celesteela's Substitute will survive Timid Choice Scarf Tapu Lele's Psychic in Psychic Terrain. 36 Speed EVs ensure Celesteela can outspeed uninvested Pelipper. The remaining EVs are placed in Attack to ensure that Celesteela can hit slightly harder, most notably guaranteeing an OHKO on bulky Tapu Lele sets. Leftovers are crucial to keep Celesteela healthy and restore any HP lost from using Substitute. Beast Boost raises Celesteela's Special Defense one stage each time it gets a KO with Heavy Slam, making its Substitutes bulkier and more difficult to break. If Celesteela does not have Substitute, the remaining 40 Attack EVs can be moved to Special Defense for general bulk, or a spread with 252 HP / 52 Def / 172 SpD / 36 Spe and an Impish nature is usable, with the latter providing the most possible Defense while still making sure Beast Boost raises Special Defense after each KO.
Usage Tips
========
With its solid bulk and solid defensive typing, Celesteela makes a fantastic pivot into resisted attacks from foes such as Tapu Lele and Mega Salamence; it can recover any health lost while switching in from Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery and keep various hard-hitters in check. Substitute is safe to use against anything that can't break it or on a predicted switch, but avoid using it too often, as Celesteela appreciates being at high HP to check the threats it's needed to. Use Leech Seed against any foes that do not pose an immediate threat, as the additional recovery is instrumental to Celesteela's success. Although Heavy Slam typically has high Base Power and Celesteela's Attack stat is decent, it should really only be used against foes weak to Steel or foes that Celesteela can KO to get a Special Defense boost. Otherwise, dealing passive damage with Leech Seed and applying pressure by setting up Substitute is usually far more effective. If Celesteela has Leech Seed, using Protect will allow it to recover a lot of health between the Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery. Try to avoid being hit by Knock Off unless protected by a Substitute, as Leftovers hugely helps Celesteela's longevity. If carrying Wide Guard, use the move whenever Celesteela or its partner is threatened by a spread move and the extra protection can help its ally take out a threat or set up.
Team Options
========
If Celesteela is using Wide Guard, pair it with teammates that are weak to spread moves such as Mega Charizard Y and Landorus-T. Any teammates that struggle with Psychic spam from the likes of Deoxys-A and Tapu Lele, such as Mega Gengar, appreciate Celesteela on their side. Celesteela struggles with both Electric- and Fire-types, so teammates to take on those, such as Alolan Marowak or Thundurus-T and Milotic or Zygarde, respectively, help it out a lot. Ground-types in general are extremely solid teammates for Celesteela, as its secondary Flying typing leaves it immune to Earthquake and Celesteela can hit Ice-types with Heavy Slam. Landorus-T in particular appreciates having an Earthquake-immune teammate and provides Intimidate support, which makes Celesteela's Substitute even more difficult to break, especially if it has accrued a Special Defense boost or two. Zygarde also deserves a special mention, as its checks are almost universally beaten by Celesteela, with Heavy Slam taking on Fairy- and Ice-type foes, while Zygarde sets up on and defeats most of Celesteela's checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flamethrower is useful for Ferrothorn and opposing Celesteela, both of which are difficult to break otherwise, especially as the former is immune to Leech Seed. Hidden Power Ice deals super effective damage to Zygarde, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence, but all of them are typically checked by Celesteela anyway. A set utilizing Occa Berry and Stone Edge can take out Mega Charizard Y that are lured in by the assumption that Celesteela is running its standard set. This is can also be useful against other Rock-weak foes, but without a STAB boost or a boosting item the move is rather weak. An Autotomize set with Weakness Policy and two attacks takes a far more offensive approach to taking advantage of Beast Boost, using Celesteela's high bulk to survive the super effective hit and begin sweeping. However, this set is inconsistent at best and aside from the surprise factor is generally not worth it. Celesteela's EV spread is highly customizable, with more Speed EVs for specific Tailwind benchmarks, enough Attack EVs to gain an Attack boost after each KO, and higher mixed bulk all being somewhat viable.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fire-types**: Fire-type Pokemon resist Heavy Slam and hit Celesteela super effectively with their STAB moves. Heatran and Volcanion can also use Substitute to block Leech Seed, and Alolan Marowak doesn't mind potential Special Defense boosts because it hits for physical damage. Inferno Overdrive users such as Rotom-H and Heatran not only avoid a potential Wide Guard, but also rack up tons of damage against even a boosted Celesteela.
**Electric-types**: Tapu Koko, Rotom-H, and Thundurus-T all severely damage Celesteela with their STAB attacks and are at worst neutrally affected by Heavy Slam.
**Taunt**: With only one attack on its standard set, Taunt is a major obstacle to Celesteela's success, with the most common culprits being Thundurus, Tapu Koko, and Mega Gengar. Even a Substitute can't save Celesteela, as the move bypasses it.
**Substitute**: Any Steel-resistant foe that uses Substitute, including Heatran, Aegislash, and opposing Celesteela block its Leech Seed and prevent Celesteela from dealing residual damage and gaining health every turn.
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