Statistics
|
Stat |
| HP |
50
|
303 |
| Atk |
95
|
288 |
| Def |
180
|
458 |
| SpA |
85
|
268 |
| SpD |
45
|
188 |
| Spe |
70
|
238 |
Cloyster is an easy enough Pokémon to use. Lay down Spikes, then attack with Ice Beam or Surf, whichever will do more damage. When you see the need to, use Explosion and take something down with you.
This Cloyster set is more defensive than the other. Rest keeps you alive, and Rapid Spin prevents the enemy from keeping up their own Spikes against you for long. The choice between Ice Beam and Surf on Cloyster is a tough one. Ice Beam has a cool 10% chance to Freeze, but Surf hits Forretress (and even enemy Cloyster) harder than Ice Beam, the two most common Spikers. You could also drop Rest for Ice Beam, so that you can use both attacks. Note that Rapid Spin and Explosion are illegal together on Cloyster.
Other Options
Clamp works moderately well, as it traps whatever switches in to make sure you Explode on what you want to. If you're using Cloyster on a stall team, you can stick Rapid Spin and Rest on him to prevent Spikes from entering your area of the field. Finally, while Icy Wind might be considered a novelty move, it can slow down some common switch-ins on Cloyster (such as Tentacruel, Starmie, Zapdos, and Raikou), giving you an opportunity to hit them if they're weak or Explode before they can hit you.
Opinion
Cloyster is a great Pokémon. Spikes, Explosion, and his great Defense make him a candidate for being a decent Snorlax counter. Plus, the STAB that he gets on Ice Beam works well against Grass-types and Zapdos, but being part Ice arguably hurts him more than it helps—that Rock weakness is also a pain in the butt. However, Cloyster can take an Earthquake like a man. Cloyster really can't take any special hit unless it is an Ice Beam, so be careful with that.
Counters
If you have a special attack not named Ice Beam, you're a decent enough Cloyster counter. Rock Sliders and Cross Choppers are also a pain for Cloyster, but of course, the Pokémon with STAB Rock Slide can't really switch in on him easily, thanks to STAB Ice Beam and Surf.
