PISTOLERO
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
taken over from HypnoEmpire, kudos to him too
Overview
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Clefable has changed a huge amount in XY, now having a fantastic defensive typing in Fairy. Its hidden ability Unaware means that it is a fantastic stop to setup sweepers, its access to reliable recovery means that it can continually do so, and its great support movepool with moves such as Heal Bell and Wish mean that it can help out its teammembers. An interesting perk of Unaware is that Clefable could care less about Gothitelle. However, Clefable still has uninspiring 95 / 73 / 90 defenses, meaning that it can fall to many attackers that don't need to boost. It is also Taunt bait to an extent, as its Moonblast is weak and it relies on its support moves hugely. Its base Speed is very low as well, meaning that it is outsped by other defensive Pokemon quite easily.
1. Physically Defensive Unaware
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name: Physically Defensive Unaware
move 1: Moonblast / Toxic
move 2: Aromatherapy
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect
ability: Unaware
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Moves
========
Moonblast is used to deal damage and not be complete Taunt or Substitute bait, and hits the Dragon and Dark-types of the tier for fair damage. Toxic can be used to punish switchins like Ho-Oh and poison the things that Clefable is walling. Aromatherapy (fuck Heal Bell) is very useful for the teams Clefable fits nicely on, healing away poison, burn and other status. Wish keeps Clefable healthy and also allows it to heal its teammates. Protect works very nicely in tandem with Wish, and can also be used to gain free Leftovers recovery.
Set Details
========
Max Defense and HP means that Clefable is bulky on the physical side, allowing it to take physical hits from the things it is walling. Clefable's Special Defense isn't fantastic but it isn't awful either, and with no Special Defense investment it is still possible for Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from uninvested Arceus's Judgment, meaning it is possible to wall Calm Mind Arceus such as Water that run no Special Attack investment. Pistolero sucks ass.
Usage Tips
========
Unaware puts a stop to physical setup sweepers such as Arceus-Normal. Moonblast is used to deal damage and not be complete Taunt or Substitute bait. Toxic spreads poison and lets Clefable definitely win against the things it walls. Aromatherapy is very useful for the teams Clefable fits nicely on, healing away poison, burn and other status, and preventing Toxic spam from the opponent, a common strategy employed to wear down defensive teams.
Clefable is mostly used to wall Extremekiller, but it is also able to wall Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Ghost competently as well. Clefable can also wall Swords Dance Groudon and Landorus-Therian without a boosting item. Physically defensive Clefable should be used on more defensive teams that need a cleric, a bulky Fairy and a check to the aforementioned physical sweepers. If extra insurance against certain threats and a potential win condition is desired, Calm Mind can be used. although bear in mind that giving up a moveslot for it causes Clefable huge issues.
Mega Blaziken Blaziken gets special mention as although Clefable cannot outright wall it (Flare Blitz does 55-60%), it is possible for Clefable to win as long as it does not come in on Flare Blitz or Knock Off, thanks to Wish and Protect keeping Clefable alive whilst Blaziken slowly dies to Flare Blitz recoil.
It is very important to watch Clefable's health very carefully, as although it can wall many different Pokemon, it is often pushed very close to 2HKO range, meaning that if it takes a fair amount of prior damage, it can no longer do its job. Using Protect is not as risky as it is for other Pokemon, as Unaware means that Clefable does not fear Swords Dances or Calm Minds on its Protects, but it does fear things like Ho-Oh coming in. Protect can also be used to lock Ho-Oh's Choice Band, and other Choiced moves such as Zekrom's Bolt Strike or Volt Switch, Genesect's U-Turn or Iron Head, and allows Clefable to prevent the opponent from gaining momentum, in Genesect and Zekrom's case.
Team Options
========
Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Aegislash are mandatory for Mega Gengar, which can easily dispose of Clefable with Sludge Wave. Thanks to Unaware, Clefable doesn't care about Gothitelle at all. Solid special walls that fit well on stall like Blissey work nicely too, and it allows Clefable to run either Toxic or Calm Mind over Heal Bell. Specially Defensive Kyogre and Heatran can work well to absorb status, especially if Clefable lacks Heal Bell, with Kyogre doing nicely against Palkia and Yveltal (if Clefable lacks Moonblast), and Heatran doing nicely against Rayquaza and Darkrai. Both can also potentially deal with Geomancy Xerneas, something physically defensive Clefable cannot handle. Heatran walls Rayquaza and Darkrai decently while Giratina-O can wall Blaziken and Groudon, some of the only setup sweepers that Clefable can't wall. Aegislash can also work nicely to spread the love Toxic and deal with Xerneas nicely too. Ground-Types work nicely due to their bulk, their ability to deal with Ho-Oh (which Clefable cannot) and the ability to repeatedly force Zekrom to choose between Dragon and Electric moves.
2. Specially Defensive Unaware
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name: Specially Defensive Unaware
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Aromatherapy / Toxic
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect
ability: Unaware
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpDef
Moves
========
Moonblast is used to deal damage and not be complete Taunt or Substitute bait, and hits the Dragon and Dark-types of the tier for fair damage. Toxic can be used to punish switchins like Ho-Oh and poison the things that Clefable is walling. Aromatherapy is very useful for the teams Clefable fits nicely on, healing away poison, burn and other status. Wish keeps Clefable healthy and also allows it to heal its teammates. Calm Mind is an interesting option that allows Clefable to set up alongside and beat opposing Calm Mind Arceus, as well as potentially even setting up on Geomancy Xerneas, meaning that it can deal with those too. Protect works very nicely in tandem with Wish, and can also be used to gain free Leftovers recovery. Toxic can be used to handle Calm Mind Arceus and Xerneas without Substitute.
Set Details
========
Max Special Defense and HP means that Clefable is bulky on the special side, allowing it to take various special hits from the things it is walling. Unaware and full special Defense investment means that Clefable can wall and set up on almost any special boosters. It takes a maximum of 37-43% from neutral 252 SpAtk Judgment and 27-35% from 0 SpAtk Judgment, meaning it can easily wall most Calm Mind Arceus. Geomancy Xerneas also only has a 0.4% chance to 2HKO Clefable, and this can be avoided by using Protect to gain free Leftovers recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Clefable should be used to wall special attackers that use Calm Mind, such as Arceus-Water and Arceus-Ghost, as well as walling Geomancy Xerneas. It is also possible for Clefable to wall Yveltal and non-Lustrous Orb Palkia outside of rain, with Life Orb Oblivion Wing doing 37-44% and unboosted Hydro Pump doing 39-46%, meaning that Clefable can come in and beat both with a combination of Wish, Protect and Moonblast.
Watch Clefable's health, as although it can wall many different Pokemon, it is pushed very close to 2HKO range by Xerneas if it has any prior damage, and will fall to the things it is supposed to wall. Using Protect is not as risky as it is for other Pokemon, as Unaware means that Clefable does not fear Swords Dances or Calm Minds on its Protects, but it does fear things like Ho-Oh coming in. Protect can also be used to lock Ho-Oh's Choice Band, and other Choiced moves such as Zekrom's Bolt Strike or Volt Switch, Genesect's U-Turn or Iron Head, and allows Clefable to prevent the opponent from gaining momentum, in Genesect and Zekrom's case.
Clefable is pushed very close to a 2HKO by Xerneas, and can therefore struggle to find turns to Moonblast Xerneas back, meaning that Calm Mind is the best move should you wish Clefable to handle Xerneas reliably. Calm Mind also works nicely against opposing Calm Mind Arceus, and prevents them from PP stallling Clefable. Clefable can also somewhat deal with Darkrai post-Dark Void, as it is able to deal upwards of 80% with Moonblast while only taking 50-60% from Life Orb Sludge Bomb, thanks to ignoring any Nasty Plot boosts. Toxic can be used on switches to things like Ho-Oh, but means that Steel-Types get completely free switchins as well as forfeiting cleric support.
Team Options
========
Again, Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Aegislash are mandatory for Mega Gengar, which can easily wipe out Clefable with Sludge Bomb or Sludge Wave. However, thanks to Unaware, Clefable doesn't care about Gothitelle at all. Solid special walls that fit well on stall like Blissey work nicely too, and it allows Clefable to run either Toxic or Calm Mind over Heal Bell. Specially Defensive Kyogre and Heatran can work well to absorb status, especially if Clefable lacks Heal Bell, with Kyogre doing nicely against Palkia, and Heatran doing nicely against Rayquaza and Darkrai. Both can also potentially deal with Geomancy Xerneas, something physically defensive Clefable cannot handle. Heatran walls Rayquaza and Darkrai decently while Giratina-O can wall Blaziken and Groudon, some of the only setup sweepers that Clefable can't wall. Aegislash can also work nicely to spread the love Toxic and deal with Xerneas nicely too. Ground-Types work nicely due to their bulk, their ability to deal with Ho-Oh (which Clefable cannot) and the ability to repeatedly force Zekrom to choose between Dragon and Electric moves.
Other Options
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Magic Guard may seem good but in reality it's awful, as Unaware is the only reason Clefable is remotely viable in Ubers. Dual Screens or just one screen is usable if you want to have extra protection. Moonlight can be used if you do not want to dedicate two slots to recovery, but Protect has several other uses too, making Moonlight inferior, although a set of Moonblast / Calm Mind / Aromatherapy / Moonlight is usable, but it must be remembered that Moonlight has only 8PP.
Clefable can set up Stealth Rock if you need it to. It can also use moves such as Thunder Wave, Healing Wish and Encore to some degree of success, although it is almost impossible to fit them on a set. Fire Blast or Flamethrower can be used to deal heavy damage to Ferrothorn and Scizor. Lastly, Psyshock can be used to hit Gengar for fair damage.
Checks & Counters
########
**Wallbreakers**: Wallbreakers like Choice Banded Ho-Oh and Choice Specs Kyogre can easily break through Clefable, although Clefable can at least lock them with Protect.
**RestTalk**: RestTalk users like Kyogre can ignore status and take pitiful amounts from Moonblast.
**Mega Gengar**: Can trap Clefable and wipe it out easily with Sludge Wave.
**Steel-types**: Heatran and Arceus-Steel can wall Clefable and threaten it out, and Arceus-Steel can set up all over it too.
**Arceus-Poison**: Arceus-Poison can set up Calm Mind or Defog on Clefable without any problems whatsoever.
**Taunt**: Taunt users like Yveltal and Mewtwo can force Clefable out. The former must be wary of switchin in on Moonblast, but can still win against physically defensive Clefable due to Oblivion Wiing's insane HP regeneration.
Overview
########
Clefable has changed a huge amount in XY, now having a fantastic defensive typing in Fairy. Its hidden ability Unaware means that it is a fantastic stop to setup sweepers, its access to reliable recovery means that it can continually do so, and its great support movepool with moves such as Heal Bell and Wish mean that it can help out its teammembers. An interesting perk of Unaware is that Clefable could care less about Gothitelle. However, Clefable still has uninspiring 95 / 73 / 90 defenses, meaning that it can fall to many attackers that don't need to boost. It is also Taunt bait to an extent, as its Moonblast is weak and it relies on its support moves hugely. Its base Speed is very low as well, meaning that it is outsped by other defensive Pokemon quite easily.
1. Physically Defensive Unaware
########
name: Physically Defensive Unaware
move 1: Moonblast / Toxic
move 2: Aromatherapy
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect
ability: Unaware
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA
Moves
========
Moonblast is used to deal damage and not be complete Taunt or Substitute bait, and hits the Dragon and Dark-types of the tier for fair damage. Toxic can be used to punish switchins like Ho-Oh and poison the things that Clefable is walling. Aromatherapy (fuck Heal Bell) is very useful for the teams Clefable fits nicely on, healing away poison, burn and other status. Wish keeps Clefable healthy and also allows it to heal its teammates. Protect works very nicely in tandem with Wish, and can also be used to gain free Leftovers recovery.
Set Details
========
Max Defense and HP means that Clefable is bulky on the physical side, allowing it to take physical hits from the things it is walling. Clefable's Special Defense isn't fantastic but it isn't awful either, and with no Special Defense investment it is still possible for Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from uninvested Arceus's Judgment, meaning it is possible to wall Calm Mind Arceus such as Water that run no Special Attack investment. Pistolero sucks ass.
Usage Tips
========
Unaware puts a stop to physical setup sweepers such as Arceus-Normal. Moonblast is used to deal damage and not be complete Taunt or Substitute bait. Toxic spreads poison and lets Clefable definitely win against the things it walls. Aromatherapy is very useful for the teams Clefable fits nicely on, healing away poison, burn and other status, and preventing Toxic spam from the opponent, a common strategy employed to wear down defensive teams.
Clefable is mostly used to wall Extremekiller, but it is also able to wall Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Ghost competently as well. Clefable can also wall Swords Dance Groudon and Landorus-Therian without a boosting item. Physically defensive Clefable should be used on more defensive teams that need a cleric, a bulky Fairy and a check to the aforementioned physical sweepers. If extra insurance against certain threats and a potential win condition is desired, Calm Mind can be used. although bear in mind that giving up a moveslot for it causes Clefable huge issues.
Mega Blaziken Blaziken gets special mention as although Clefable cannot outright wall it (Flare Blitz does 55-60%), it is possible for Clefable to win as long as it does not come in on Flare Blitz or Knock Off, thanks to Wish and Protect keeping Clefable alive whilst Blaziken slowly dies to Flare Blitz recoil.
It is very important to watch Clefable's health very carefully, as although it can wall many different Pokemon, it is often pushed very close to 2HKO range, meaning that if it takes a fair amount of prior damage, it can no longer do its job. Using Protect is not as risky as it is for other Pokemon, as Unaware means that Clefable does not fear Swords Dances or Calm Minds on its Protects, but it does fear things like Ho-Oh coming in. Protect can also be used to lock Ho-Oh's Choice Band, and other Choiced moves such as Zekrom's Bolt Strike or Volt Switch, Genesect's U-Turn or Iron Head, and allows Clefable to prevent the opponent from gaining momentum, in Genesect and Zekrom's case.
Team Options
========
Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Aegislash are mandatory for Mega Gengar, which can easily dispose of Clefable with Sludge Wave. Thanks to Unaware, Clefable doesn't care about Gothitelle at all. Solid special walls that fit well on stall like Blissey work nicely too, and it allows Clefable to run either Toxic or Calm Mind over Heal Bell. Specially Defensive Kyogre and Heatran can work well to absorb status, especially if Clefable lacks Heal Bell, with Kyogre doing nicely against Palkia and Yveltal (if Clefable lacks Moonblast), and Heatran doing nicely against Rayquaza and Darkrai. Both can also potentially deal with Geomancy Xerneas, something physically defensive Clefable cannot handle. Heatran walls Rayquaza and Darkrai decently while Giratina-O can wall Blaziken and Groudon, some of the only setup sweepers that Clefable can't wall. Aegislash can also work nicely to spread the love Toxic and deal with Xerneas nicely too. Ground-Types work nicely due to their bulk, their ability to deal with Ho-Oh (which Clefable cannot) and the ability to repeatedly force Zekrom to choose between Dragon and Electric moves.
2. Specially Defensive Unaware
########
name: Specially Defensive Unaware
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Aromatherapy / Toxic
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect
ability: Unaware
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpDef
Moves
========
Moonblast is used to deal damage and not be complete Taunt or Substitute bait, and hits the Dragon and Dark-types of the tier for fair damage. Toxic can be used to punish switchins like Ho-Oh and poison the things that Clefable is walling. Aromatherapy is very useful for the teams Clefable fits nicely on, healing away poison, burn and other status. Wish keeps Clefable healthy and also allows it to heal its teammates. Calm Mind is an interesting option that allows Clefable to set up alongside and beat opposing Calm Mind Arceus, as well as potentially even setting up on Geomancy Xerneas, meaning that it can deal with those too. Protect works very nicely in tandem with Wish, and can also be used to gain free Leftovers recovery. Toxic can be used to handle Calm Mind Arceus and Xerneas without Substitute.
Set Details
========
Max Special Defense and HP means that Clefable is bulky on the special side, allowing it to take various special hits from the things it is walling. Unaware and full special Defense investment means that Clefable can wall and set up on almost any special boosters. It takes a maximum of 37-43% from neutral 252 SpAtk Judgment and 27-35% from 0 SpAtk Judgment, meaning it can easily wall most Calm Mind Arceus. Geomancy Xerneas also only has a 0.4% chance to 2HKO Clefable, and this can be avoided by using Protect to gain free Leftovers recovery.
Usage Tips
========
Clefable should be used to wall special attackers that use Calm Mind, such as Arceus-Water and Arceus-Ghost, as well as walling Geomancy Xerneas. It is also possible for Clefable to wall Yveltal and non-Lustrous Orb Palkia outside of rain, with Life Orb Oblivion Wing doing 37-44% and unboosted Hydro Pump doing 39-46%, meaning that Clefable can come in and beat both with a combination of Wish, Protect and Moonblast.
Watch Clefable's health, as although it can wall many different Pokemon, it is pushed very close to 2HKO range by Xerneas if it has any prior damage, and will fall to the things it is supposed to wall. Using Protect is not as risky as it is for other Pokemon, as Unaware means that Clefable does not fear Swords Dances or Calm Minds on its Protects, but it does fear things like Ho-Oh coming in. Protect can also be used to lock Ho-Oh's Choice Band, and other Choiced moves such as Zekrom's Bolt Strike or Volt Switch, Genesect's U-Turn or Iron Head, and allows Clefable to prevent the opponent from gaining momentum, in Genesect and Zekrom's case.
Clefable is pushed very close to a 2HKO by Xerneas, and can therefore struggle to find turns to Moonblast Xerneas back, meaning that Calm Mind is the best move should you wish Clefable to handle Xerneas reliably. Calm Mind also works nicely against opposing Calm Mind Arceus, and prevents them from PP stallling Clefable. Clefable can also somewhat deal with Darkrai post-Dark Void, as it is able to deal upwards of 80% with Moonblast while only taking 50-60% from Life Orb Sludge Bomb, thanks to ignoring any Nasty Plot boosts. Toxic can be used on switches to things like Ho-Oh, but means that Steel-Types get completely free switchins as well as forfeiting cleric support.
Team Options
========
Again, Pursuit users like Tyranitar and Aegislash are mandatory for Mega Gengar, which can easily wipe out Clefable with Sludge Bomb or Sludge Wave. However, thanks to Unaware, Clefable doesn't care about Gothitelle at all. Solid special walls that fit well on stall like Blissey work nicely too, and it allows Clefable to run either Toxic or Calm Mind over Heal Bell. Specially Defensive Kyogre and Heatran can work well to absorb status, especially if Clefable lacks Heal Bell, with Kyogre doing nicely against Palkia, and Heatran doing nicely against Rayquaza and Darkrai. Both can also potentially deal with Geomancy Xerneas, something physically defensive Clefable cannot handle. Heatran walls Rayquaza and Darkrai decently while Giratina-O can wall Blaziken and Groudon, some of the only setup sweepers that Clefable can't wall. Aegislash can also work nicely to spread the love Toxic and deal with Xerneas nicely too. Ground-Types work nicely due to their bulk, their ability to deal with Ho-Oh (which Clefable cannot) and the ability to repeatedly force Zekrom to choose between Dragon and Electric moves.
Other Options
########
Magic Guard may seem good but in reality it's awful, as Unaware is the only reason Clefable is remotely viable in Ubers. Dual Screens or just one screen is usable if you want to have extra protection. Moonlight can be used if you do not want to dedicate two slots to recovery, but Protect has several other uses too, making Moonlight inferior, although a set of Moonblast / Calm Mind / Aromatherapy / Moonlight is usable, but it must be remembered that Moonlight has only 8PP.
Clefable can set up Stealth Rock if you need it to. It can also use moves such as Thunder Wave, Healing Wish and Encore to some degree of success, although it is almost impossible to fit them on a set. Fire Blast or Flamethrower can be used to deal heavy damage to Ferrothorn and Scizor. Lastly, Psyshock can be used to hit Gengar for fair damage.
Checks & Counters
########
**Wallbreakers**: Wallbreakers like Choice Banded Ho-Oh and Choice Specs Kyogre can easily break through Clefable, although Clefable can at least lock them with Protect.
**RestTalk**: RestTalk users like Kyogre can ignore status and take pitiful amounts from Moonblast.
**Mega Gengar**: Can trap Clefable and wipe it out easily with Sludge Wave.
**Steel-types**: Heatran and Arceus-Steel can wall Clefable and threaten it out, and Arceus-Steel can set up all over it too.
**Arceus-Poison**: Arceus-Poison can set up Calm Mind or Defog on Clefable without any problems whatsoever.
**Taunt**: Taunt users like Yveltal and Mewtwo can force Clefable out. The former must be wary of switchin in on Moonblast, but can still win against physically defensive Clefable due to Oblivion Wiing's insane HP regeneration.
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