[Overview]
<p>Cloyster is one of the most unique Water-types in the UU metagame because he is part Ice-type and has a large movepool. Cloyster is also the only Pokemon in the UU metagame to carry all of Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Rapid Spin, and Explosion. These great support moves are backed up by an excellent Defense stat, although his HP and Special Defense are quite pathetic in comparison. While it sets him apart from other Water-types in the metagame, Cloyster's Ice typing is often more hurtful than helpful defensively. It gives him two more weaknesses, including one to Stealth Rock, and causes him to lose many resistances that a pure Water-type would boast.</p>
<p>Offensively, Cloyster's STAB Ice Shard is quite useful for taking out faster, frailer Pokemon. Cloyster's decent offensive stats ensure that many Pokemon will have trouble trying to switch into his Surfs and Rock Blasts, especially frail Ghost-types trying to block Rapid Spin.</p
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker / Anti-Lead
move 1: Ice Shard
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Explosion / Rapid Spin
move 4: Spikes
item: Life Orb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Adamant
evs: 160 HP / 252 Atk / 96 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to stop the opponent from setting up while also setting up Spikes of its own. Rock Blast is Cloyster's most powerful attack (bar Explosion) and will do a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Ice Shard is there to finish off Pokemon who use a Focus Sash while also enabling Cloyster to function as an excellent check to various sweepers like Swords Dance Venusaur and Dragon Dance Altaria. Rapid Spin can be used over Explosion to get rid of the various entry hazards that have been set up on your side of the field. This means that Cloyster can set up his own Spikes and Rapid Spin the opponent's entry hazards away.</p>
<p>The EVs are specialized for the lead position because they are tailored to beat most of the common leads. The 160 HP and 96 Special Defense EVs allow Cloyster to survive Alakazam’s Psychic, and max Attack allows Cloyster to do major damage with Ice Shard, Rock Blast, and Explosion.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Cloyster has a lot of trouble against Moltres leads because of his weaker Special Defense stat. Milotic, Azumarill, and Slowking provide nice switch-ins to Moltres and other Fire-types who threaten Cloyster; Slowking can also take Fighting-type attacks aimed at Cloyster. Hitmontop also works amazingly well with Cloyster, resisting the Rock-type attacks aimed at him , while also being able to Rapid Spin Stealth Rock off of the field, giving Cloyster more switch-in opportunities. Venusaur, Altaria, Moltres, and other Pokemon who resist Grass all make great partners as they can switch into the Grass-type attacks aimed at Cloyster.</p>
<p>Moltres is one of the most powerful Pokemon when backed up with Spikes, making him a great teammate for Cloyster. Pokemon such as Swellow will appreciate the Explosion support that Cloyster gives because he can greatly damage the physical walls with whom Swellow has a hard time.</p>
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Surf / Rock Blast
move 4: Toxic Spikes / Explosion
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold / Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Cloyster is a great support Pokemon in UU and is a decent candidate for any team in need of Spikes or Rapid Spin support. Cloyster's main job is to set up Spikes, but he fulfills many other roles as well, unlike Omastar, who is slightly bulkier but nowhere near as versatile. In addition, Cloyster functions as a great Rapid Spinner because he can nail Ghosts with a reliable attack, unlike Donphan or Hitmontop, who rely on Assurance and Foresight, respectively, to hit Ghosts. Cloyster also has the ability to take a lot of physical punishment, but Slowbro's better typing means that Cloyster is generally outclassed in this role because Slowbro takes physical hits like Choice Band Waterfall from Azumarill better than Cloyster. If your team has trouble with Pokemon such as Slowbro and Azumarill, Toxic Spikes works well over Explosion.</p>
<p>The advantages of Surf include hitting physically defensive Rotom and Spiritomb for decent damage, but Rock Blast will allow you to deal with Substitute Pokemon such as Alakazam and Mismagius more effectively, due to their lower Defense stat.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although Cloyster has an already amazing Defense stat, giving him an Impish nature is still recommended because it allows Cloyster to take physical attacks better. However, with a Careful nature, Cloyster can set up Spikes more easily against Pokemon such as Milotic (without Hidden Power Electric/Grass) and Slowbro.</p>
<p>Pokemon who can set up a sweep for themselves, such as Swellow, Mismagius, and Moltres, will definitely appreciate the Spikes support provided by Closyter. This is because a loss of 25% in health per switch-in means that Registeel can no longer effectively wall Mismagius and Pokemon like Blastoise can no longer effectively wall Swellow. The best partner for Cloyster is Spiritomb because he can take Fighting-type attacks aimed at Cloyster, and, more importantly, block Rapid Spin. Mismagius and Rotom work fine as well, but they lack Spiritomb's bulk. Hitmontop is quite helpful for Cloyster as well, taking the Rock-type attacks aimed at Cloyster and helps Cloyster get rid of Stealth Rock (which is very detrimental to Cloyster because of its Rock weakness). Hitmontop can also revenge kill Belly Drum Poliwrath, who can set up on Cloyster quite easily.</p>
<p>Since Cloyster has a Stealth Rock weakness, he will appreciate any Pokemon who can Taunt early game to prevent the opponent from setting up, or a Pokemon who can take out Ghost-types so that Cloyster can Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock. Cloyster also appreciates Wish support, as he has no reliable recovery move, and Stealth Rock damage can build up quickly. Hypno and Espeon are great candidates for Wish passing, because they lure out physical attackers for Cloyster to switch into. Gardevoir is also a good bet, because her resistance to Fighting decreases the chance of Cloyster taking a Fighting-type attack as he switches in.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>It is essential for Cloyster to have Rapid Spin support because he takes doubled damage from Stealth Rock. Adding a Ghost-type to block Rapid Spin is also a good idea to keep Cloyster's Spikes on the field. Stealth Rock works well with Spikes as well, because it can hit the Flying-types that are immune to Spikes.</p>
<p>Cloyster works well with Pokemon who have trouble with bulky Water-types because he can take out almost any bulky Water-type with Explosion, meaning Pokemon such as Azumarill can sweep easier. Spikes also helps certain Pokemon bypass their counters. For example, Moltres can reduce the number of counters he has by over half with Spikes support, while Swellow can rack up residual damage on potential counters by abusing his fast U-turn.</p>
<p>Defensively, Cloyster needs quite a bit of support due to being part Ice-type. Cloyster is weak to Rock-, Fighting-, Electric-, and Grass-type attacks and also takes quite a beating from neutral special attacks. Luckily, Venusaur can be used quite well with Cloyster due to his resistance to three of the four types that hit Cloyster for super effective damage. Donphan and Hitmontop also make great choices due to their resistances to Rock-type attacks and the ability to Rapid Spin reliably.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Cloyster can run a decent Choice Band set due to his usable Attack stat, but he is much better off being able to switch between attacks. Without the ability to switch attacks, Cloyster loses a lot of his versatility.</p>
<p>Cloyster also makes a decent wall breaker with Surf, Rock Blast, Hidden Power Grass, and Ice Beam or Explosion. This will hit Pokemon like Steelix and Donphan hard, while also nailing Chansey and Clefable. However, wall breaking is better left to Pokemon such as Blaziken and Magmortar because they have much higher offensive stats and type coverage.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Cloyster is easily countered by defensively-oriented Pokemon such as Milotic and Slowbro. However, any Pokemon switching into Cloyster should be wary of Explosion. Otherwise, it depends on Cloyster's attacking moves. Without Rock Blast, Pokemon such as Chansey and Clefable have an easy time switching in. If Cloyster lacks Surf, Rhyperior and Donphan can switch in. Hitmontop works as a counter to Cloyster as well because of his decent bulk and STAB Fighting-type attacks.</p>
<p>Cloyster is one of the most unique Water-types in the UU metagame because he is part Ice-type and has a large movepool. Cloyster is also the only Pokemon in the UU metagame to carry all of Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Rapid Spin, and Explosion. These great support moves are backed up by an excellent Defense stat, although his HP and Special Defense are quite pathetic in comparison. While it sets him apart from other Water-types in the metagame, Cloyster's Ice typing is often more hurtful than helpful defensively. It gives him two more weaknesses, including one to Stealth Rock, and causes him to lose many resistances that a pure Water-type would boast.</p>
<p>Offensively, Cloyster's STAB Ice Shard is quite useful for taking out faster, frailer Pokemon. Cloyster's decent offensive stats ensure that many Pokemon will have trouble trying to switch into his Surfs and Rock Blasts, especially frail Ghost-types trying to block Rapid Spin.</p
[SET]
name: Life Orb Attacker / Anti-Lead
move 1: Ice Shard
move 2: Rock Blast
move 3: Explosion / Rapid Spin
move 4: Spikes
item: Life Orb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Adamant
evs: 160 HP / 252 Atk / 96 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to stop the opponent from setting up while also setting up Spikes of its own. Rock Blast is Cloyster's most powerful attack (bar Explosion) and will do a lot of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. Ice Shard is there to finish off Pokemon who use a Focus Sash while also enabling Cloyster to function as an excellent check to various sweepers like Swords Dance Venusaur and Dragon Dance Altaria. Rapid Spin can be used over Explosion to get rid of the various entry hazards that have been set up on your side of the field. This means that Cloyster can set up his own Spikes and Rapid Spin the opponent's entry hazards away.</p>
<p>The EVs are specialized for the lead position because they are tailored to beat most of the common leads. The 160 HP and 96 Special Defense EVs allow Cloyster to survive Alakazam’s Psychic, and max Attack allows Cloyster to do major damage with Ice Shard, Rock Blast, and Explosion.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Cloyster has a lot of trouble against Moltres leads because of his weaker Special Defense stat. Milotic, Azumarill, and Slowking provide nice switch-ins to Moltres and other Fire-types who threaten Cloyster; Slowking can also take Fighting-type attacks aimed at Cloyster. Hitmontop also works amazingly well with Cloyster, resisting the Rock-type attacks aimed at him , while also being able to Rapid Spin Stealth Rock off of the field, giving Cloyster more switch-in opportunities. Venusaur, Altaria, Moltres, and other Pokemon who resist Grass all make great partners as they can switch into the Grass-type attacks aimed at Cloyster.</p>
<p>Moltres is one of the most powerful Pokemon when backed up with Spikes, making him a great teammate for Cloyster. Pokemon such as Swellow will appreciate the Explosion support that Cloyster gives because he can greatly damage the physical walls with whom Swellow has a hard time.</p>
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Surf / Rock Blast
move 4: Toxic Spikes / Explosion
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold / Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Cloyster is a great support Pokemon in UU and is a decent candidate for any team in need of Spikes or Rapid Spin support. Cloyster's main job is to set up Spikes, but he fulfills many other roles as well, unlike Omastar, who is slightly bulkier but nowhere near as versatile. In addition, Cloyster functions as a great Rapid Spinner because he can nail Ghosts with a reliable attack, unlike Donphan or Hitmontop, who rely on Assurance and Foresight, respectively, to hit Ghosts. Cloyster also has the ability to take a lot of physical punishment, but Slowbro's better typing means that Cloyster is generally outclassed in this role because Slowbro takes physical hits like Choice Band Waterfall from Azumarill better than Cloyster. If your team has trouble with Pokemon such as Slowbro and Azumarill, Toxic Spikes works well over Explosion.</p>
<p>The advantages of Surf include hitting physically defensive Rotom and Spiritomb for decent damage, but Rock Blast will allow you to deal with Substitute Pokemon such as Alakazam and Mismagius more effectively, due to their lower Defense stat.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Although Cloyster has an already amazing Defense stat, giving him an Impish nature is still recommended because it allows Cloyster to take physical attacks better. However, with a Careful nature, Cloyster can set up Spikes more easily against Pokemon such as Milotic (without Hidden Power Electric/Grass) and Slowbro.</p>
<p>Pokemon who can set up a sweep for themselves, such as Swellow, Mismagius, and Moltres, will definitely appreciate the Spikes support provided by Closyter. This is because a loss of 25% in health per switch-in means that Registeel can no longer effectively wall Mismagius and Pokemon like Blastoise can no longer effectively wall Swellow. The best partner for Cloyster is Spiritomb because he can take Fighting-type attacks aimed at Cloyster, and, more importantly, block Rapid Spin. Mismagius and Rotom work fine as well, but they lack Spiritomb's bulk. Hitmontop is quite helpful for Cloyster as well, taking the Rock-type attacks aimed at Cloyster and helps Cloyster get rid of Stealth Rock (which is very detrimental to Cloyster because of its Rock weakness). Hitmontop can also revenge kill Belly Drum Poliwrath, who can set up on Cloyster quite easily.</p>
<p>Since Cloyster has a Stealth Rock weakness, he will appreciate any Pokemon who can Taunt early game to prevent the opponent from setting up, or a Pokemon who can take out Ghost-types so that Cloyster can Rapid Spin away Stealth Rock. Cloyster also appreciates Wish support, as he has no reliable recovery move, and Stealth Rock damage can build up quickly. Hypno and Espeon are great candidates for Wish passing, because they lure out physical attackers for Cloyster to switch into. Gardevoir is also a good bet, because her resistance to Fighting decreases the chance of Cloyster taking a Fighting-type attack as he switches in.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>It is essential for Cloyster to have Rapid Spin support because he takes doubled damage from Stealth Rock. Adding a Ghost-type to block Rapid Spin is also a good idea to keep Cloyster's Spikes on the field. Stealth Rock works well with Spikes as well, because it can hit the Flying-types that are immune to Spikes.</p>
<p>Cloyster works well with Pokemon who have trouble with bulky Water-types because he can take out almost any bulky Water-type with Explosion, meaning Pokemon such as Azumarill can sweep easier. Spikes also helps certain Pokemon bypass their counters. For example, Moltres can reduce the number of counters he has by over half with Spikes support, while Swellow can rack up residual damage on potential counters by abusing his fast U-turn.</p>
<p>Defensively, Cloyster needs quite a bit of support due to being part Ice-type. Cloyster is weak to Rock-, Fighting-, Electric-, and Grass-type attacks and also takes quite a beating from neutral special attacks. Luckily, Venusaur can be used quite well with Cloyster due to his resistance to three of the four types that hit Cloyster for super effective damage. Donphan and Hitmontop also make great choices due to their resistances to Rock-type attacks and the ability to Rapid Spin reliably.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Cloyster can run a decent Choice Band set due to his usable Attack stat, but he is much better off being able to switch between attacks. Without the ability to switch attacks, Cloyster loses a lot of his versatility.</p>
<p>Cloyster also makes a decent wall breaker with Surf, Rock Blast, Hidden Power Grass, and Ice Beam or Explosion. This will hit Pokemon like Steelix and Donphan hard, while also nailing Chansey and Clefable. However, wall breaking is better left to Pokemon such as Blaziken and Magmortar because they have much higher offensive stats and type coverage.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Cloyster is easily countered by defensively-oriented Pokemon such as Milotic and Slowbro. However, any Pokemon switching into Cloyster should be wary of Explosion. Otherwise, it depends on Cloyster's attacking moves. Without Rock Blast, Pokemon such as Chansey and Clefable have an easy time switching in. If Cloyster lacks Surf, Rhyperior and Donphan can switch in. Hitmontop works as a counter to Cloyster as well because of his decent bulk and STAB Fighting-type attacks.</p>
