skeleton viciously ripped off from aurora
egg
[OVERVIEW]
Chansey is viable in the ORAS Ubers metagame due to the absence of Gothitelle and Taunt Mega Gengar, which otherwise serve as hard counters to it courtesy of Shadow Tag. While Mega Gengar can PP stall Chansey either way, it not running Taunt means that Chansey is not completely helpless against most sets, as it can paralyze them with Thunder Wave before going down, hindering Mega Gengar's use throughout the rest of the match. Chansey fits well on balance builds, as it can sponge a wide variety of special attacks and help spread status ailments. It also has enough physical bulk to take weaker physical blows if need be, unlike Blissey.
Unfortunately, Chansey is extremely passive, providing no offensive presence of its own outside of Seismic Toss. Although its physical bulk is not terrible, it still cannot stand up to the physical powerhouses of the tier, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. What's more, they can come in fairly easily on Chansey and start threatening its team with powerful attacks. Despite Chansey's reputation of being a wall, Blissey actually fits better on stall-oriented teams because it can make better use of Wish and Snatch, fit Heal Bell more easily in its set, and, as a result, support its team more easily. Finally, Chansey is vulnerable to all entry hazards. Chansey can succeed on the right team, but it needs a fair amount of support to make up for its flaws.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Toxic / Heal Bell
move 3: Soft-Boiled
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Eviolite
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunder Wave is a must on Chansey to prevent Mega Gengar from coming in for free and removing Chansey. It also slows down special attackers such as Calm Mind Latios, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre. Toxic punishes Pokemon that would otherwise beat Chansey, such as offensive Primal Groudon and Choice Band Ho-Oh, and helps Chansey stall out special attackers that cannot break through it, such as Darkrai and Calm Mind Arceus formes without Refresh. However, if you feel your team requires cleric support, Heal Bell can be used over Toxic. Soft-Boiled is used to keep Chansey healthy, especially since this set cannot fit both Protect and Wish. Finally, Seismic Toss is used to give Chansey some offensive presence to prevent it from being complete setup bait. It can quickly wear down Pokemon such as Klefki and Shaymin-S but struggles to stop any Substitute user capable of setting up a 101 HP Substitute, such as Ho-Oh or Arceus.
Set Details
========
Chansey invests in its defenses rather than its HP to maximize both its physical and special bulk. A Bold nature is used to further bolster its much weaker Defense so that it can reliably take on weaker physical attacks when need be. The only item that should be used on Chansey is Eviolite; without the extra bulk it provides, Blissey would outclass Chansey completely. Nature Cure is the ability Chansey should use to cure status ailments as it switches out.
Usage Tips
========
Because Chansey does such a good job of absorbing special attacks, it can switch in liberally on special attackers such as Xerneas, Calm Mind Arceus formes lacking Refresh, and Yveltal lacking Taunt. Watch out for stallbreaking sets such as Rest Geomancy Xerneas and the aforementioned Refresh Arceus formes; they can use Chansey as setup bait, so it is a good idea to go into another check to these Pokemon for scouting before sending in Chansey. Once Chansey switches in on a special attacker it can check easily, it should aim to spread status ailments to support its team. If you expect a Primal Groudon switching in, use Toxic; if you expect Mega Gengar or a fast sweeper capable of damaging Chansey such as Calm Mind Latios, use Thunder Wave. It is advised to use Soft-Boiled liberally to keep Chansey healthy, as it can get worn out rather quickly by a combination of weak attacks, status, and entry hazards.
There are times when it is a good idea to be more aggressive with Thunder Wave than usual. For example, if your opponent has a Mega Lucario and Chansey is relatively low on health, your opponent will probably use that turn to get Mega Lucario in for free on the predicted Soft-Boiled. Mega Gengar is another Pokemon that will often attempt to come in, especially the uncommon Taunt variant. Chansey can punish aggressive play very easily with a well-timed Thunder Wave. Also, do note that while Chansey can pivot in on Primal Kyogre's Origin Pulse and Deoxys-A's Psycho Boost, it must beware of Primal Kyogre's physical set and Deoxys-A's Superpower.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can reflect or remove entry hazards, such as Mega Diancie, Giratina-O, and Latios, can assuage Chansey's weakness to them. The latter two Pokemon can also check dangerous Fighting-types such as Mega Lucario and Mega Mewtwo X. Chansey has a terrible matchup with Primal Groudon, so reliable checks to that Pokemon, such as Lugia and support Ground Arceus, are mandatory. Rock Arceus and Lugia can also deal with other physical threats, such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence. Because Chansey is used on balance, you will often have at least one setup sweeper that can take advantage of the status that Chansey spreads. Swords Dance Ground Arceus and Calm Mind Rock Arceus enjoy paralysis support while checking Pokemon Chansey is weak to, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, respectively. Finally, if you are worried about Taunt Mega Gengar, you can use a Pursuit trapper such as Tyranitar or Aegislash to remove it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sweet Kiss is an interesting move that can allow Chansey to take further advantage of the paralysis it spreads and defeat Mega Gengar lacking Taunt in a one-on-one situation. The lack of accuracy and general mediocrity of confusion as a status condition are a detriment, however. Stealth Rock can free up a slot for Primal Groudon to run a different set, and Chansey can cripple Defog users with status ailments. Counter can be used to surprise Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and support Primal Groudon attempting to inflict severe damage with their physical STAB moves. Bear in mind that none of these moves can be fit onto Chansey's set without making it worse at its primary job as a status-spreading sponge. Chansey should avoid running Wish, as it cannot fit both Wish and Protect onto this set, and Blissey is a superior option for passing large Wishes regardless. Finally, do not ever consider running a special attack on Chansey; with its pathetic base 35 Special Attack stat, even super effective attacks (such as Psychic against Mega Gengar) will not do much damage at all.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Power Physical Attackers**: The best way of destroying Chansey is with brute force from extremely powerful physical attacks. Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, Mega Mewtwo X, and especially Mega Lucario can all deal severe damage to Chansey.
**Shadow Tag**: Taunt Mega Gengar and Gothitelle completely shut Chansey down, while Will-O-Wisp Mega Gengar PP stalls Chansey. The Taunt variant of Mega Gengar needs to be careful about switching directly into a Thunder Wave, although this does not matter for the Will-O-Wisp variant, as it will be paralyzed anyway due to not having Taunt.
**Mega Sableye**: Although it can do little back, Mega Sableye stops Chansey from spreading Toxic or Thunder Wave and is immune to Seismic Toss.
**Spikes users**: Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and to a lesser extent Klefki can use Chansey as an opportunity to set up Spikes. The latter will be worn down quickly from Seismic Toss, however.
**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal and Mewtwo stop Chansey from spreading status ailments or using Recover and force it to either switch out or deal unimpressive damage with Seismic Toss.
**Substitute**: Pokemon such as maximum HP Ho-Oh and Substitute + Calm Mind Ghost Arceus can use Chansey as setup bait, because it cannot break Ho-Oh's Substitute with Seismic Toss and cannot touch Ghost Arceus at all. Some uncommon users of Substitute, such as Xerneas, also avoid having their Substitutes broken by Seismic Toss but have a harder time breaking through Chansey.
**Stallbreakers**: Pokemon such as RestTalk Geomancy Xerneas and Refresh variants of Calm Mind Arceus avoid getting 3HKOed by Seismic Toss and can heal off status, so they can set up on Chansey very easily.
**Swords Dance Arceus formes**: Swords Dance Ground Arceus is immune to Thunder Wave and deals hefty damage to Chansey after a boost, whereas Extreme Killer Arceus can deal with status fairly well and break through Chansey after accruing a couple of boosts. Both will be worn down by the time they defeat Chansey, however. Swords Dance Ghost Arceus is immune to Seismic Toss but deals with Thunder Wave and Toxic significantly worse than the other two viable Swords Dance Arceus formes.
[OVERVIEW]
Chansey is viable in the ORAS Ubers metagame due to the absence of Gothitelle and Taunt Mega Gengar, which otherwise serve as hard counters to it courtesy of Shadow Tag. While Mega Gengar can PP stall Chansey either way, it not running Taunt means that Chansey is not completely helpless against most sets, as it can paralyze them with Thunder Wave before going down, hindering Mega Gengar's use throughout the rest of the match. Chansey fits well on balance builds, as it can sponge a wide variety of special attacks and help spread status ailments. It also has enough physical bulk to take weaker physical blows if need be, unlike Blissey.
Unfortunately, Chansey is extremely passive, providing no offensive presence of its own outside of Seismic Toss. Although its physical bulk is not terrible, it still cannot stand up to the physical powerhouses of the tier, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. What's more, they can come in fairly easily on Chansey and start threatening its team with powerful attacks. Despite Chansey's reputation of being a wall, Blissey actually fits better on stall-oriented teams because it can make better use of Wish and Snatch, fit Heal Bell more easily in its set, and, as a result, support its team more easily. Finally, Chansey is vulnerable to all entry hazards. Chansey can succeed on the right team, but it needs a fair amount of support to make up for its flaws.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Thunder Wave
move 2: Toxic / Heal Bell
move 3: Soft-Boiled
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Eviolite
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunder Wave is a must on Chansey to prevent Mega Gengar from coming in for free and removing Chansey. It also slows down special attackers such as Calm Mind Latios, Xerneas, and Primal Kyogre. Toxic punishes Pokemon that would otherwise beat Chansey, such as offensive Primal Groudon and Choice Band Ho-Oh, and helps Chansey stall out special attackers that cannot break through it, such as Darkrai and Calm Mind Arceus formes without Refresh. However, if you feel your team requires cleric support, Heal Bell can be used over Toxic. Soft-Boiled is used to keep Chansey healthy, especially since this set cannot fit both Protect and Wish. Finally, Seismic Toss is used to give Chansey some offensive presence to prevent it from being complete setup bait. It can quickly wear down Pokemon such as Klefki and Shaymin-S but struggles to stop any Substitute user capable of setting up a 101 HP Substitute, such as Ho-Oh or Arceus.
Set Details
========
Chansey invests in its defenses rather than its HP to maximize both its physical and special bulk. A Bold nature is used to further bolster its much weaker Defense so that it can reliably take on weaker physical attacks when need be. The only item that should be used on Chansey is Eviolite; without the extra bulk it provides, Blissey would outclass Chansey completely. Nature Cure is the ability Chansey should use to cure status ailments as it switches out.
Usage Tips
========
Because Chansey does such a good job of absorbing special attacks, it can switch in liberally on special attackers such as Xerneas, Calm Mind Arceus formes lacking Refresh, and Yveltal lacking Taunt. Watch out for stallbreaking sets such as Rest Geomancy Xerneas and the aforementioned Refresh Arceus formes; they can use Chansey as setup bait, so it is a good idea to go into another check to these Pokemon for scouting before sending in Chansey. Once Chansey switches in on a special attacker it can check easily, it should aim to spread status ailments to support its team. If you expect a Primal Groudon switching in, use Toxic; if you expect Mega Gengar or a fast sweeper capable of damaging Chansey such as Calm Mind Latios, use Thunder Wave. It is advised to use Soft-Boiled liberally to keep Chansey healthy, as it can get worn out rather quickly by a combination of weak attacks, status, and entry hazards.
There are times when it is a good idea to be more aggressive with Thunder Wave than usual. For example, if your opponent has a Mega Lucario and Chansey is relatively low on health, your opponent will probably use that turn to get Mega Lucario in for free on the predicted Soft-Boiled. Mega Gengar is another Pokemon that will often attempt to come in, especially the uncommon Taunt variant. Chansey can punish aggressive play very easily with a well-timed Thunder Wave. Also, do note that while Chansey can pivot in on Primal Kyogre's Origin Pulse and Deoxys-A's Psycho Boost, it must beware of Primal Kyogre's physical set and Deoxys-A's Superpower.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can reflect or remove entry hazards, such as Mega Diancie, Giratina-O, and Latios, can assuage Chansey's weakness to them. The latter two Pokemon can also check dangerous Fighting-types such as Mega Lucario and Mega Mewtwo X. Chansey has a terrible matchup with Primal Groudon, so reliable checks to that Pokemon, such as Lugia and support Ground Arceus, are mandatory. Rock Arceus and Lugia can also deal with other physical threats, such as Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence. Because Chansey is used on balance, you will often have at least one setup sweeper that can take advantage of the status that Chansey spreads. Swords Dance Ground Arceus and Calm Mind Rock Arceus enjoy paralysis support while checking Pokemon Chansey is weak to, such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, respectively. Finally, if you are worried about Taunt Mega Gengar, you can use a Pursuit trapper such as Tyranitar or Aegislash to remove it.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sweet Kiss is an interesting move that can allow Chansey to take further advantage of the paralysis it spreads and defeat Mega Gengar lacking Taunt in a one-on-one situation. The lack of accuracy and general mediocrity of confusion as a status condition are a detriment, however. Stealth Rock can free up a slot for Primal Groudon to run a different set, and Chansey can cripple Defog users with status ailments. Counter can be used to surprise Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and support Primal Groudon attempting to inflict severe damage with their physical STAB moves. Bear in mind that none of these moves can be fit onto Chansey's set without making it worse at its primary job as a status-spreading sponge. Chansey should avoid running Wish, as it cannot fit both Wish and Protect onto this set, and Blissey is a superior option for passing large Wishes regardless. Finally, do not ever consider running a special attack on Chansey; with its pathetic base 35 Special Attack stat, even super effective attacks (such as Psychic against Mega Gengar) will not do much damage at all.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Power Physical Attackers**: The best way of destroying Chansey is with brute force from extremely powerful physical attacks. Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, Mega Mewtwo X, and especially Mega Lucario can all deal severe damage to Chansey.
**Shadow Tag**: Taunt Mega Gengar and Gothitelle completely shut Chansey down, while Will-O-Wisp Mega Gengar PP stalls Chansey. The Taunt variant of Mega Gengar needs to be careful about switching directly into a Thunder Wave, although this does not matter for the Will-O-Wisp variant, as it will be paralyzed anyway due to not having Taunt.
**Mega Sableye**: Although it can do little back, Mega Sableye stops Chansey from spreading Toxic or Thunder Wave and is immune to Seismic Toss.
**Spikes users**: Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and to a lesser extent Klefki can use Chansey as an opportunity to set up Spikes. The latter will be worn down quickly from Seismic Toss, however.
**Taunt**: Taunt users such as Yveltal and Mewtwo stop Chansey from spreading status ailments or using Recover and force it to either switch out or deal unimpressive damage with Seismic Toss.
**Substitute**: Pokemon such as maximum HP Ho-Oh and Substitute + Calm Mind Ghost Arceus can use Chansey as setup bait, because it cannot break Ho-Oh's Substitute with Seismic Toss and cannot touch Ghost Arceus at all. Some uncommon users of Substitute, such as Xerneas, also avoid having their Substitutes broken by Seismic Toss but have a harder time breaking through Chansey.
**Stallbreakers**: Pokemon such as RestTalk Geomancy Xerneas and Refresh variants of Calm Mind Arceus avoid getting 3HKOed by Seismic Toss and can heal off status, so they can set up on Chansey very easily.
**Swords Dance Arceus formes**: Swords Dance Ground Arceus is immune to Thunder Wave and deals hefty damage to Chansey after a boost, whereas Extreme Killer Arceus can deal with status fairly well and break through Chansey after accruing a couple of boosts. Both will be worn down by the time they defeat Chansey, however. Swords Dance Ghost Arceus is immune to Seismic Toss but deals with Thunder Wave and Toxic significantly worse than the other two viable Swords Dance Arceus formes.
[OVERVIEW]
name: Support
move 1: Toxic / Heal Bell
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Soft-Boiled
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Eviolite
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Checks and Counters
===================
- viable again due to metagame changes surrounding the use of Shadow Tag: gothitelle's usage has declined, mega gengar running taunt have declined
- this decline in taunt usage means chansey is no longer completely vulnerable to mega gengar, as it can at least paralyse gengar before going down
- good option for balance builds as it is far bulkier than blissey and can provide similar status support
- less susceptible to physical attackers than blissey but still easily pressured and broken by powerhouses of the tier, such as substitute + roost ho-oh, primal groudon
- extremely passive with zero offensive presence besides seismic toss
- outclassed by blissey as a cleric as it cannot use wish and snatch as effectively; this relegates chansey to as a defensive pokemon on balance teams rather than a staple on stall
- worn down by hazards
- vulnerable to knock off users like Yveltal
name: Support
move 1: Toxic / Heal Bell
move 2: Thunder Wave
move 3: Soft-Boiled
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Eviolite
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Bold
evs: 252 Def / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Toxic punishes Pokemon that would otherwise beat Chansey, such as offensive Primal Groudon and Choice Band Ho-Oh, and stalls out special attackers that cannot break through Chansey, such as Calm Mind Arceus formes without Refresh and Darkrai
- Thunder Wave cripples Mega Gengar switch-ins, ensuring Chansey is not complete bait, and also possesses the utility of crippling fast Pokemon or boosting sweepers such as Latios, Xerneas, and Dragon Dance Rayquaza
- Heal Bell can be run over either status move to remove status from both Chansey and its teammates, but running it over Toxic leaves it a sitting duck for Primal Groudon and running it over Thunder Wave renders it complete Mega Gengar bait. It is strongly recommended to keep Thunder Wave.
- Soft-Boiled heals Chansey, allowing it to stall out the Pokemon it walls
- Seismic Toss gives Chansey some offensive presence and renders it less susceptible to Taunt
========
- fully investing in defenses rather than HP maximises chansey's bulk; bold nature is chosen to salvage its awful defense
- eviolite absolutely necessary to give chansey its niche over blissey on balance teams: greater bulk
- natural cure ensures chansey is not crippled by passive damage from toxic, burn etc.
Usage Tips
========
- chansey can be switched in liberally on the special attackers that it walls, such as xerneas, yveltal, calm mind arceus formes
- from there, use the appropriate status move to cripple whatever switches in: toxic for primal groudon, thunder wave for mega gengar / mega salamence that lack refresh / boosting sweepers reliant on speed
- use soft-boiled when possible to keep chansey healthy, as it is worn down by entry hazards and lacks the passive recovery afforded by leftovers
- be more aggressive using Thunder Wave if your opponent has a Mega Gengar or Mega Lucario; prevent the from switching in for free and Chansey usually has the bulk to survive a mispredict
- can pivot into Kyogre's Origin Pulse and Deo-A's Psycho Boost, but beware of Deo-A's physical attacks and Kyogre's physical set
Team Options
========
- chansey is worn down by entry hazards so defoggers such as giratina-o or magic bouncers such as mega diancie greatly appreciated
- checks to offensive primal groudon required as chansey is destroyed by a boosted precipice blades - lugia a good choice as it can phaze primal groudon; also sponges random fighting-type coverage moves for chansey
- mence checks needed - lugia, rock arceus, primal groudon, klefki
- fighting-types can be checked by latios, latias, ho-oh
- still not a big fan of mega gengar or psychic types with access to taunt, such as mewtwo, so pursuit users appreciated; aegislash, tyranitar
- boosting sweepers such as extreme killer arceus nice partners for chansey to clean up after checks and counters have been worn down or crippled by chansey's status moves
- pokemon that can burn physical attackers, such as support arceus, are nice
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- sweet kiss
- stealth rock
- counter
- wish can be used but chansey is hard-pressed for moveslots and blissey does this better anyway
- chansey's special attack is too low to run any offensive moves like ice beam - this is something else better left to blissey
Checks and Counters
===================
- Strong physical attackers, particularly Primal Groudon, Mega Lucario, and Ho-Oh
- STAG (Taunt / Perish Trap Gengar, Gothitelle, Wisp Gar can PP stall although it will be paralyzed)
- Mega Sableye
- Taunt users in general
- Spikers, particularly Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and to a lesser extent Klefki
- Substitute users such as SubCM Ghost Arceus
- Stallbreakers: Refresh users like CM Rockceus, Rest Talk Geomany Xerneas
- SD Arceus, has a harder time breaking through Chansey than stronger physical attackers but will eventually
