[OVERVIEW]
Blissey is the defining special wall of ADV OU. It has no special weaknesses and shrugs off special attacks with impunity, countering a wide range of special threats and minimally acting as a safe pivot into those that run utility moves to get past it. Because it takes so little damage, it can choose not to recover after taking a hit even under sand or after taking Spikes damage, generating free turns that can be used to gain momentum via its punishing moves or double switches. Its moveset can be customized to suit both defensive and offensive needs; it can apply three different kinds of status, support teammates with Wish or Heal Bell, fire off punishing elemental coverage moves, and even pull off a surprise Counter in the face of a physical threat. Due to its enormous HP stat, Blissey can also deal with a number of physical moves from mixed attackers like Salamence, Zapdos, and even mixed Tyranitar or defensive Swampert to some extent.
Blissey's main weaknesses are its lack of resilience against powerful physical moves and relative passivity. This makes it easy for Metagross, physical Tyranitar, and Snorlax to exert pressure on Blissey and for Calm Mind users, especially those with a healing move, to overwhelm Blissey with boosted special attacks. Blissey can also be forced out by status and is easy to set Spikes against. Still, many of these weaknesses can be patched by the appropriate filler moves. Blissey on non-Spikes teams usually carries Wish and is ideal for supporting bulky wallbreakers like Choice Band Salamence, Metagross, and Suicune.
Blissey is mostly used with Spikes, and it is especially resilient in the face of Spikes and sand compared to other special tanks like Celebi, Snorlax, and Regice. It is by far the most commonly used special wall in the Toxic + Spikes + Sandstorm (TSS) archetype. However, it can also be used without Spikes to shield and support a late-game setup sweeper like Curse Snorlax or Calm Mind Jirachi. Blissey can also be used on non-Spikes offensive teams as a robust special wall and one of the few Gengar checks.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Soft-Boiled
move 2: Ice Beam / Counter
move 3: Seismic Toss / Fire Blast / Thunderbolt
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic / Wish / Heal Bell / Sing / Counter
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Bold
evs: 44 HP / 252 Def / 212 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Soft-Boiled is mandatory because Blissey tends to participate in mid- and slow-paced games and will likely get worn out over the course of a game. Blissey can usually wait to take two or three hits before using Soft-Boiled because of its amazing bulk.
The second move ensures that Dugtrio does not simply remove Blissey with zero effort. Ice Beam hits Gengar and allows Blissey to check mixed and Dragon Dance Salamence somewhat reliably. Counter is good for teams with a Pursuit trapper to get rid of Gengar or for teams that are just a little soft against physical attacks like Metagross's Meteor Mash, Swampert's Earthquake, mixed Tyranitar's Brick Break, and any of Aerodactyl's attacks. Counter should not be the primary means by which these attacks are dealt with because Blissey is usually vital to preserve for mid-game, but late-game, Blissey can lure in and take out physical or mixed attackers just as the opponent thinks a sweep is assured. Pursuit trapper + Forretress teams benefit from Counter, as well as teams that form soft-checking cores between Pokemon like Flygon, Metagross, and offensive Suicune with Zapdos or Moltres to handle physical attackers like Tyranitar and Metagross, with Superman teams—teams that use hovering Pokemon to avoid Spikes—being a prominent example of them. Ice Beam and Counter are not mutually exclusive. Traditionally, Counter, unlike Ice Beam, ensures that Dugtrio gets OHKOed regardless of its bulk. However, the emergence of Beat Up on Dugtrio, which cannot be Countered, puts forth a strong case for Ice Beam to be used alongside Counter.
By doing a fixed amount of damage regardless of the foe's defensive boosts, Seismic Toss is the most consistent attacking move because it allows Blissey to force Suicune to use Rest and beats chipped or statused Calm Mind users that have no ability to recover like offensive Celebi, Jirachi, Suicune, and Raikou. However, it still is not entirely reliable against these offensive Calm Mind users, as Blissey needs to recover quite a bit against them and can get affected by Special Defense drops or paralysis. Seismic Toss also allows Blissey to reliably chip most other Pokemon bar Gengar without concern of the incoming target's elemental resistances. Fire Blast and Thunderbolt relieve the Spikes pressure a bit by hitting Skarmory hard. Thunderbolt also clobbers Cloyster. Fire Blast 2HKOes Metagross and Heracross and OHKOes Breloom, while Thunderbolt puts immense pressure on Milotic, Suicune, Recover Starmie, and Gyarados. It also prevents Suicune from PP stalling with Rest if it is has not yet used Calm Mind, but Blissey should not be used solely to deal with Suicune in any case.
Blissey can run a variety of status moves in its filler slot. Thunder Wave paralyzes most switch-ins such as Tyranitar, Metagross, and Skarmory and helps slow Pokemon like Tyranitar, Swampert, and Metagross outrun them. Thunder Wave is also useful for stopping physical attackers in a pinch. It threatens to thwart Dragon Dance Tyranitar's and Agility Metagross's sweeps and gives Blissey an out against Aerodactyl by relying on full paralysis, all of which, while unreliable, is still notable. Thunder Wave also helps Blissey beat offensive Jirachi. Toxic is a much better status move against Tyranitar not only because it is the only way Blissey can consistently do damage to it, but also because paralysis allows Tyranitar to switch freely into Will-O-Wisp from Gengar. Toxic also forces out Swampert and Blissey and can be useful on Pursuit Tyranitar teams that do not have the physical pressure to otherwise punish opposing Blissey. Ice Beam + Fire Blast + Toxic is a good combination of moves that nails all of Blissey's common switch-ins—Metagross, Skarmory, and Tyranitar—at the expense of being beaten by Calm Mind users. Sing can completely shut down a huge threat like Tyranitar, Metagross, or Skarmory, which can help Pokemon like Jirachi and Aerodactyl. However, if it misses, it can also lure in sleep fodder like Magneton, Claydol, and Pursuit Tyranitar, all of which can be trapped by Dugtrio or one's own Pursuit Tyranitar. Sing, while unreliable, may help to take down tanks like Milotic, Rest Zapdos, and even other Blissey, denying them recovery opportunities as they get chipped down by Seismic Toss and perhaps Spikes damage.
For supportive options, Wish is good for sustaining the team, especially on more offensive Skarmory + Blissey teams. For example, it heals Choice Band Salamence by using Wish as a Fighting-type or Celebi comes in, and it also supports soft Tyranitar checks like Metagross, Flygon, and Suicune as well as soft Metagross checks like Zapdos and Moltres. Wish also supports Skarmory, especially against mixed attackers that hit it hard but can't quite get rid of it and also supports defensive Suicune, which is a worse physical wall than Swampert in sand. Wish + Counter is a common pairing on teams with a Pursuit trapper that helps to minimize the reliance on dedicated physical walls.
Heal Bell supports stall teams that use Wish or Rest on other Pokemon for longevity like Jirachi and Suicune, as well as Snorlax and Vaporeon occasionally, and also allows Claydol to use Explosion over Refresh on teams that have enough support to take down Skarmory. As an auxiliary benefit, Heal Bell also helps Blissey deal with foes that use Toxic like Swampert and Zapdos without having to switch out, possibly take Spikes damage, and perhaps let a teammate take a nasty hit or Toxic again. Note, however, that this can only be done occasionally due to Heal Bell's low PP.
The listed EVs allow Blissey to OHKO bulkless Dugtrio with Ice Beam after one layer of Spikes while giving Blissey maximum physical bulk. If special attacks are not used on Blissey, the Special Attack EVs can go into HP or Speed. Blissey can also use a Modest nature with EVs of 252 Def / 252 SpA / 4 Spe to OHKO bulkless Dugtrio without Spikes and for more damage in general. Note that a non-negligible fraction of Dugtrio carry some special bulk, so considering that Blissey doesn't benefit much more from additional HP or Speed, it's not a bad decision to invest in more Special Attack.
Switch Blissey into special threats or status moves. One of Blissey's biggest advantages early-game is its unrevealed moveset; one can play off the fear of firing off a status move to make a double switch to Skarmory or some other threat. Use Wish as a mid-ground move mid-game when it is unclear whether the opponent will pivot out. The key to winning games with Blissey is to exploit the free turns it gets from soaking special hits, either by forcing chip damage by itself on more defensive teams or by supporting offensive teammates with Wish, aggressive double switching, or exploiting its coverage on offensive teams such that the sequence loops in a way that is unfavorable to the opponent.
Team Options
========
Blissey teams tend to play a mid- to slow-paced game and want a way to punish its switch-ins continuously. Spikes is really helpful for that, and the usual suspects are Skarmory, Forretress, and Cloyster. Skarmory is perhaps the most common partner, as it lures in all the special threats, which Blissey can fend itself off against, while Calm Mind users usually don't have enough power to really hurt Skarmory before they get phazed out. Skarmory's high Defense and immunity to Spikes also allow it to switch in against any Snorlax, Metagross, and, sometimes, Fighting-types that pivot in on Blissey. Forretress also acts similarly, giving up the ability to hit Fighting-types and phaze for spinning and the ability to OHKO Magneton on the switch. Blissey can also be used with Cloyster on offensive Spikes teams, where, despite the seeming mismatch of pace, it helps to pivot against Gengar and Zapdos.
Spikes frequently comes with support aimed at getting more layers up than the opponent. Gengar spinblocks Claydol and Starmie and is great for mid- and fast-paced TSS teams, while Magneton traps opposing Skarmory and helps to enable physical attackers. Claydol and Starmie can spin away Spikes, and they can be used on TSS teams or slow-paced stall teams in conjunction with Magneton or Dugtrio. Finally, one's own Dugtrio and Magneton can trap opposing Magneton. Generally, spinning and trapping Skarmory are efforts geared towards mitigating Blissey's propensity to be Spikes fodder, while spinblocking and trapping Magneton are attempts at closing out the game by pressuring the opponent with one's own Spikes before one gets overwhelmed by the opponent's Spikes
Tyranitar is a great partner because sand really makes Blissey's bulk shine; as a comparison, while Celebi can function as a solid special wall in a vacuum, its lower special bulk becomes notable in the presence of sand and Spikes. Tyranitar suited to the pace of Blissey teams are usually the bulky physical attacking set and Pursuit Tyranitar, but there is nothing strictly restricting the use of any Tyranitar set. Tyranitar + Skarmory + Blissey is the core that is synonymous with the TSS archetype. Tyranitar also helps to make progress against Snorlax and Suicune by retaining chip damage with sand, which otherwise come in almost freely on Blissey to dish out powerful attacks or set up.
Using Blissey requires answers to physical threats like Tyranitar, Metagross, and Salamence. Bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic help Blissey deal with them, and their passivity tends to invite Electric-types in, which Blissey can deal with. Suicune isn't too robust given it lacks the Rock-type resistance of Swampert and the immediate recovery of Milotic, so Wish or Aromatherapy support is a great option to go with Suicune. Another answer not to be missed is Dugtrio, which cannot switch into Tyranitar and Metagross but can trap them with some chip damage. Dugtrio also threatens to stop pesky Celebi from harassing Blissey with Leech Seed and Jirachi from setting up on Blissey.
Offensive Pokemon with good pivoting abilities are great partners for Wish Blissey. Choice Band Salamence can come in on Fighting-types and Celebi. Metagross, Flygon, and Suicune can pivot in against Tyranitar. Moltres, Zapdos, and different Suicune variants can pivot in against Metagross. Most of these Pokemon are frail physical checks in a vacuum, but they become a lot more reliable when supported by Wish.
Finally, bulky setup sweepers like Curse Snorlax and Wish Jirachi also appreciate Blissey's ability to support them with Wish or Aromatherapy, respectively, and they also appreciate Blissey's special walling presence mid-game so that their HP can be preserved for late-game.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Soft-Boiled
move 3: Ice Beam / Flamethrower
move 4: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Grass
Item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Modest
evs: 252 Def / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Calm Mind Blissey was once a metagame staple that is rarely used nowadays. Despite its fall in relevance, it still offers some niche advantages over utility Blissey. Calm Mind allows Blissey to take on other Calm Mind users that don't have a phazing move. These include offensive Celebi and different variants of Jirachi and Suicune depending on the coverage moves chosen. Note that scouting for their movesets is necessary first, though, as Blissey can recklessly lose the Calm Mind war upon being phazed. It can also muscle past opposing Blissey without Toxic; although opposing Blissey can heal off the damage with Soft-Boiled, it is likely to get afflicted by status, fall to a critical hit, or run out of Soft-Boiled PP before it can stall Blissey out. Finally, Calm Mind Blissey also puts pressure on Milotic and Celebi teams, which otherwise have an easy time stalling Blissey out with Toxic and Leech Seed.
Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are the more common coverage moves. Ice Beam confers Calm Mind Blissey all the advantages of standard Blissey when facing Dugtrio and Salamence and, with Calm Mind, allows Blissey to push its way past Celebi. Thunderbolt notably allows Blissey to 3HKO maximum HP Suicune with good odds and with certainty in sand. This is particularly relevant for beating RestTalk Suicune. Thunderbolt also exerts more pressure on Milotic and Cloyster than Hidden Power Grass and eases the matchup against Moltres and Charizard. Note that while Blissey theoretically wins the Calm Mind war with offensive Jirachi without Wish, Jirachi is favored to land a critical hit; this is especially true in sand. As alternative coverage, Flamethrower allows Blissey to 3HKO maximum HP Jirachi and reliably defeat Calm Mind + Wish Jirachi. It also heavily pressures Metagross and OHKOes Forretress. Hidden Power Grass helps to round out the coverage against Water-types, especially Swampert, but cannot be used to reliably beat Suicune.
Calm Mind is rarely used early-game, as all of Blissey's checks are still around and need to be removed. Furthermore, revealing Calm Mind throws away the surprise value of this set. Calm Mind should only be used mid-game to force out Pokemon that try to stall out Blissey like Milotic and draw in specific targets like Metagross and Tyranitar that can be chipped or trapped. Once all of Blissey's checks are removed, it can set up at will and push its way past passive PP stallers and certain Calm Mind users.
This set has very specific purposes, and its lack of a status or supporting move makes Calm Mind Blissey more of something to support rather than something that supports. It should therefore only be used with a very good reason.
Team Options
========
Calm Mind Blissey has two huge weaknesses. First, it has no options for pressuring Tyranitar and Metagross; they can switch in endlessly and not fear getting hit by a status move or super effective coverage. Second, it is also helpless against Calm Mind users with a utility move that is useful against Blissey, like Roar Suicune, Wish Jirachi, and Leech Seed Celebi. Dugtrio is an excellent partner that covers both the physical weaknesses to Tyranitar and Metagross as well as the special weakness to Wish Jirachi and Celebi. It is also good at removing other Blissey, especially those carrying Toxic. Zapdos is a great Suicune check that can be used with Blissey; its Roar also helps as an emergency check against other Calm Mind users. Snorlax can also be used as a Suicune check, and Self-Destruct lets it lure in and severely dent or remove Tyranitar and Metagross.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Snatch can be used with Toxic alongside mixed sweepers to sustain the chip on Milotic, Suicune, and Celebi, never letting them exploit Blissey's passivity to recover. It also helps Blissey deal with Calm Mind users a little better. For example, as Suicune is worn down by Toxic and is about to use Rest, a surprise Snatch can cause Suicune to get KOed by Toxic and sand damage. Light Screen can be used to support Skarmory or Forretress against Magneton.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Physical Threats**: Tyranitar, Metagross, Snorlax, and offensive Swampert all force Blissey out. Snorlax can exploit Blissey's passivity to set up with Curse, especially out of sand, and Tyranitar with Lum Berry can set up with Dragon Dance on Blissey. These physical threats, however, need to be careful of Blissey's mitigating strategies: Toxic for Tyranitar and Swampert, Fire Blast for Metagross, and Counter for all of them. These physical threats can also have their progress stalled out by Wish. In addition, these Pokemon have to be wary of double switches into Dugtrio.
**Fighting-types**: Heracross and Breloom exert immense pressure should they get a switch-in on Blissey. Heracross's Guts allows it to absorb status from Blissey rather well. Hariyama also comes in easily on Blissey with its high HP and makes progress with Knock Off.
**Dugtrio**: Standard Dugtrio can pick off a weakened Blissey, and bulky Dugtrio, especially on special offense teams, can even threaten to 2HKO Blissey and live to tell the tale.
**Toxic**: Toxic forces Blissey lacking Heal Bell out and threatens to cripple the incoming Pokemon. It also frequently weakens Blissey enough to make it susceptible to a Dugtrio trap.
**Taunt**: Taunt Skarmory and Gengar prevent Blissey from recovering after coming in. Skarmory can proceed to set Spikes, apply Toxic poison, or attack Blissey, while Gengar's Will-O-Wisp puts immense pressure on Blissey.
**Leech Seed**: Blissey's huge HP stat can feed Celebi and, to some extent, Venusaur indefinitely thanks to Leech Seed.
**Spikes**: Many teams use Blissey to compensate for huge special weaknesses on the rest of the team. It's very easy to draw Blissey in with a special threat and double switch or phaze to get Spikes damage.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454]]
- Quality checked by: [[pasy_g, 61664], [Triangles, 118250]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
Blissey is the defining special wall of ADV OU. It has no special weaknesses and shrugs off special attacks with impunity, countering a wide range of special threats and minimally acting as a safe pivot into those that run utility moves to get past it. Because it takes so little damage, it can choose not to recover after taking a hit even under sand or after taking Spikes damage, generating free turns that can be used to gain momentum via its punishing moves or double switches. Its moveset can be customized to suit both defensive and offensive needs; it can apply three different kinds of status, support teammates with Wish or Heal Bell, fire off punishing elemental coverage moves, and even pull off a surprise Counter in the face of a physical threat. Due to its enormous HP stat, Blissey can also deal with a number of physical moves from mixed attackers like Salamence, Zapdos, and even mixed Tyranitar or defensive Swampert to some extent.
Blissey's main weaknesses are its lack of resilience against powerful physical moves and relative passivity. This makes it easy for Metagross, physical Tyranitar, and Snorlax to exert pressure on Blissey and for Calm Mind users, especially those with a healing move, to overwhelm Blissey with boosted special attacks. Blissey can also be forced out by status and is easy to set Spikes against. Still, many of these weaknesses can be patched by the appropriate filler moves. Blissey on non-Spikes teams usually carries Wish and is ideal for supporting bulky wallbreakers like Choice Band Salamence, Metagross, and Suicune.
Blissey is mostly used with Spikes, and it is especially resilient in the face of Spikes and sand compared to other special tanks like Celebi, Snorlax, and Regice. It is by far the most commonly used special wall in the Toxic + Spikes + Sandstorm (TSS) archetype. However, it can also be used without Spikes to shield and support a late-game setup sweeper like Curse Snorlax or Calm Mind Jirachi. Blissey can also be used on non-Spikes offensive teams as a robust special wall and one of the few Gengar checks.
[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Soft-Boiled
move 2: Ice Beam / Counter
move 3: Seismic Toss / Fire Blast / Thunderbolt
move 4: Thunder Wave / Toxic / Wish / Heal Bell / Sing / Counter
item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Bold
evs: 44 HP / 252 Def / 212 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Soft-Boiled is mandatory because Blissey tends to participate in mid- and slow-paced games and will likely get worn out over the course of a game. Blissey can usually wait to take two or three hits before using Soft-Boiled because of its amazing bulk.
The second move ensures that Dugtrio does not simply remove Blissey with zero effort. Ice Beam hits Gengar and allows Blissey to check mixed and Dragon Dance Salamence somewhat reliably. Counter is good for teams with a Pursuit trapper to get rid of Gengar or for teams that are just a little soft against physical attacks like Metagross's Meteor Mash, Swampert's Earthquake, mixed Tyranitar's Brick Break, and any of Aerodactyl's attacks. Counter should not be the primary means by which these attacks are dealt with because Blissey is usually vital to preserve for mid-game, but late-game, Blissey can lure in and take out physical or mixed attackers just as the opponent thinks a sweep is assured. Pursuit trapper + Forretress teams benefit from Counter, as well as teams that form soft-checking cores between Pokemon like Flygon, Metagross, and offensive Suicune with Zapdos or Moltres to handle physical attackers like Tyranitar and Metagross, with Superman teams—teams that use hovering Pokemon to avoid Spikes—being a prominent example of them. Ice Beam and Counter are not mutually exclusive. Traditionally, Counter, unlike Ice Beam, ensures that Dugtrio gets OHKOed regardless of its bulk. However, the emergence of Beat Up on Dugtrio, which cannot be Countered, puts forth a strong case for Ice Beam to be used alongside Counter.
By doing a fixed amount of damage regardless of the foe's defensive boosts, Seismic Toss is the most consistent attacking move because it allows Blissey to force Suicune to use Rest and beats chipped or statused Calm Mind users that have no ability to recover like offensive Celebi, Jirachi, Suicune, and Raikou. However, it still is not entirely reliable against these offensive Calm Mind users, as Blissey needs to recover quite a bit against them and can get affected by Special Defense drops or paralysis. Seismic Toss also allows Blissey to reliably chip most other Pokemon bar Gengar without concern of the incoming target's elemental resistances. Fire Blast and Thunderbolt relieve the Spikes pressure a bit by hitting Skarmory hard. Thunderbolt also clobbers Cloyster. Fire Blast 2HKOes Metagross and Heracross and OHKOes Breloom, while Thunderbolt puts immense pressure on Milotic, Suicune, Recover Starmie, and Gyarados. It also prevents Suicune from PP stalling with Rest if it is has not yet used Calm Mind, but Blissey should not be used solely to deal with Suicune in any case.
Blissey can run a variety of status moves in its filler slot. Thunder Wave paralyzes most switch-ins such as Tyranitar, Metagross, and Skarmory and helps slow Pokemon like Tyranitar, Swampert, and Metagross outrun them. Thunder Wave is also useful for stopping physical attackers in a pinch. It threatens to thwart Dragon Dance Tyranitar's and Agility Metagross's sweeps and gives Blissey an out against Aerodactyl by relying on full paralysis, all of which, while unreliable, is still notable. Thunder Wave also helps Blissey beat offensive Jirachi. Toxic is a much better status move against Tyranitar not only because it is the only way Blissey can consistently do damage to it, but also because paralysis allows Tyranitar to switch freely into Will-O-Wisp from Gengar. Toxic also forces out Swampert and Blissey and can be useful on Pursuit Tyranitar teams that do not have the physical pressure to otherwise punish opposing Blissey. Ice Beam + Fire Blast + Toxic is a good combination of moves that nails all of Blissey's common switch-ins—Metagross, Skarmory, and Tyranitar—at the expense of being beaten by Calm Mind users. Sing can completely shut down a huge threat like Tyranitar, Metagross, or Skarmory, which can help Pokemon like Jirachi and Aerodactyl. However, if it misses, it can also lure in sleep fodder like Magneton, Claydol, and Pursuit Tyranitar, all of which can be trapped by Dugtrio or one's own Pursuit Tyranitar. Sing, while unreliable, may help to take down tanks like Milotic, Rest Zapdos, and even other Blissey, denying them recovery opportunities as they get chipped down by Seismic Toss and perhaps Spikes damage.
For supportive options, Wish is good for sustaining the team, especially on more offensive Skarmory + Blissey teams. For example, it heals Choice Band Salamence by using Wish as a Fighting-type or Celebi comes in, and it also supports soft Tyranitar checks like Metagross, Flygon, and Suicune as well as soft Metagross checks like Zapdos and Moltres. Wish also supports Skarmory, especially against mixed attackers that hit it hard but can't quite get rid of it and also supports defensive Suicune, which is a worse physical wall than Swampert in sand. Wish + Counter is a common pairing on teams with a Pursuit trapper that helps to minimize the reliance on dedicated physical walls.
Heal Bell supports stall teams that use Wish or Rest on other Pokemon for longevity like Jirachi and Suicune, as well as Snorlax and Vaporeon occasionally, and also allows Claydol to use Explosion over Refresh on teams that have enough support to take down Skarmory. As an auxiliary benefit, Heal Bell also helps Blissey deal with foes that use Toxic like Swampert and Zapdos without having to switch out, possibly take Spikes damage, and perhaps let a teammate take a nasty hit or Toxic again. Note, however, that this can only be done occasionally due to Heal Bell's low PP.
The listed EVs allow Blissey to OHKO bulkless Dugtrio with Ice Beam after one layer of Spikes while giving Blissey maximum physical bulk. If special attacks are not used on Blissey, the Special Attack EVs can go into HP or Speed. Blissey can also use a Modest nature with EVs of 252 Def / 252 SpA / 4 Spe to OHKO bulkless Dugtrio without Spikes and for more damage in general. Note that a non-negligible fraction of Dugtrio carry some special bulk, so considering that Blissey doesn't benefit much more from additional HP or Speed, it's not a bad decision to invest in more Special Attack.
Switch Blissey into special threats or status moves. One of Blissey's biggest advantages early-game is its unrevealed moveset; one can play off the fear of firing off a status move to make a double switch to Skarmory or some other threat. Use Wish as a mid-ground move mid-game when it is unclear whether the opponent will pivot out. The key to winning games with Blissey is to exploit the free turns it gets from soaking special hits, either by forcing chip damage by itself on more defensive teams or by supporting offensive teammates with Wish, aggressive double switching, or exploiting its coverage on offensive teams such that the sequence loops in a way that is unfavorable to the opponent.
Team Options
========
Blissey teams tend to play a mid- to slow-paced game and want a way to punish its switch-ins continuously. Spikes is really helpful for that, and the usual suspects are Skarmory, Forretress, and Cloyster. Skarmory is perhaps the most common partner, as it lures in all the special threats, which Blissey can fend itself off against, while Calm Mind users usually don't have enough power to really hurt Skarmory before they get phazed out. Skarmory's high Defense and immunity to Spikes also allow it to switch in against any Snorlax, Metagross, and, sometimes, Fighting-types that pivot in on Blissey. Forretress also acts similarly, giving up the ability to hit Fighting-types and phaze for spinning and the ability to OHKO Magneton on the switch. Blissey can also be used with Cloyster on offensive Spikes teams, where, despite the seeming mismatch of pace, it helps to pivot against Gengar and Zapdos.
Spikes frequently comes with support aimed at getting more layers up than the opponent. Gengar spinblocks Claydol and Starmie and is great for mid- and fast-paced TSS teams, while Magneton traps opposing Skarmory and helps to enable physical attackers. Claydol and Starmie can spin away Spikes, and they can be used on TSS teams or slow-paced stall teams in conjunction with Magneton or Dugtrio. Finally, one's own Dugtrio and Magneton can trap opposing Magneton. Generally, spinning and trapping Skarmory are efforts geared towards mitigating Blissey's propensity to be Spikes fodder, while spinblocking and trapping Magneton are attempts at closing out the game by pressuring the opponent with one's own Spikes before one gets overwhelmed by the opponent's Spikes
Tyranitar is a great partner because sand really makes Blissey's bulk shine; as a comparison, while Celebi can function as a solid special wall in a vacuum, its lower special bulk becomes notable in the presence of sand and Spikes. Tyranitar suited to the pace of Blissey teams are usually the bulky physical attacking set and Pursuit Tyranitar, but there is nothing strictly restricting the use of any Tyranitar set. Tyranitar + Skarmory + Blissey is the core that is synonymous with the TSS archetype. Tyranitar also helps to make progress against Snorlax and Suicune by retaining chip damage with sand, which otherwise come in almost freely on Blissey to dish out powerful attacks or set up.
Using Blissey requires answers to physical threats like Tyranitar, Metagross, and Salamence. Bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic help Blissey deal with them, and their passivity tends to invite Electric-types in, which Blissey can deal with. Suicune isn't too robust given it lacks the Rock-type resistance of Swampert and the immediate recovery of Milotic, so Wish or Aromatherapy support is a great option to go with Suicune. Another answer not to be missed is Dugtrio, which cannot switch into Tyranitar and Metagross but can trap them with some chip damage. Dugtrio also threatens to stop pesky Celebi from harassing Blissey with Leech Seed and Jirachi from setting up on Blissey.
Offensive Pokemon with good pivoting abilities are great partners for Wish Blissey. Choice Band Salamence can come in on Fighting-types and Celebi. Metagross, Flygon, and Suicune can pivot in against Tyranitar. Moltres, Zapdos, and different Suicune variants can pivot in against Metagross. Most of these Pokemon are frail physical checks in a vacuum, but they become a lot more reliable when supported by Wish.
Finally, bulky setup sweepers like Curse Snorlax and Wish Jirachi also appreciate Blissey's ability to support them with Wish or Aromatherapy, respectively, and they also appreciate Blissey's special walling presence mid-game so that their HP can be preserved for late-game.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Soft-Boiled
move 3: Ice Beam / Flamethrower
move 4: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power Grass
Item: Leftovers
ability: Natural Cure
nature: Modest
evs: 252 Def / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Calm Mind Blissey was once a metagame staple that is rarely used nowadays. Despite its fall in relevance, it still offers some niche advantages over utility Blissey. Calm Mind allows Blissey to take on other Calm Mind users that don't have a phazing move. These include offensive Celebi and different variants of Jirachi and Suicune depending on the coverage moves chosen. Note that scouting for their movesets is necessary first, though, as Blissey can recklessly lose the Calm Mind war upon being phazed. It can also muscle past opposing Blissey without Toxic; although opposing Blissey can heal off the damage with Soft-Boiled, it is likely to get afflicted by status, fall to a critical hit, or run out of Soft-Boiled PP before it can stall Blissey out. Finally, Calm Mind Blissey also puts pressure on Milotic and Celebi teams, which otherwise have an easy time stalling Blissey out with Toxic and Leech Seed.
Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are the more common coverage moves. Ice Beam confers Calm Mind Blissey all the advantages of standard Blissey when facing Dugtrio and Salamence and, with Calm Mind, allows Blissey to push its way past Celebi. Thunderbolt notably allows Blissey to 3HKO maximum HP Suicune with good odds and with certainty in sand. This is particularly relevant for beating RestTalk Suicune. Thunderbolt also exerts more pressure on Milotic and Cloyster than Hidden Power Grass and eases the matchup against Moltres and Charizard. Note that while Blissey theoretically wins the Calm Mind war with offensive Jirachi without Wish, Jirachi is favored to land a critical hit; this is especially true in sand. As alternative coverage, Flamethrower allows Blissey to 3HKO maximum HP Jirachi and reliably defeat Calm Mind + Wish Jirachi. It also heavily pressures Metagross and OHKOes Forretress. Hidden Power Grass helps to round out the coverage against Water-types, especially Swampert, but cannot be used to reliably beat Suicune.
Calm Mind is rarely used early-game, as all of Blissey's checks are still around and need to be removed. Furthermore, revealing Calm Mind throws away the surprise value of this set. Calm Mind should only be used mid-game to force out Pokemon that try to stall out Blissey like Milotic and draw in specific targets like Metagross and Tyranitar that can be chipped or trapped. Once all of Blissey's checks are removed, it can set up at will and push its way past passive PP stallers and certain Calm Mind users.
This set has very specific purposes, and its lack of a status or supporting move makes Calm Mind Blissey more of something to support rather than something that supports. It should therefore only be used with a very good reason.
Team Options
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Calm Mind Blissey has two huge weaknesses. First, it has no options for pressuring Tyranitar and Metagross; they can switch in endlessly and not fear getting hit by a status move or super effective coverage. Second, it is also helpless against Calm Mind users with a utility move that is useful against Blissey, like Roar Suicune, Wish Jirachi, and Leech Seed Celebi. Dugtrio is an excellent partner that covers both the physical weaknesses to Tyranitar and Metagross as well as the special weakness to Wish Jirachi and Celebi. It is also good at removing other Blissey, especially those carrying Toxic. Zapdos is a great Suicune check that can be used with Blissey; its Roar also helps as an emergency check against other Calm Mind users. Snorlax can also be used as a Suicune check, and Self-Destruct lets it lure in and severely dent or remove Tyranitar and Metagross.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Snatch can be used with Toxic alongside mixed sweepers to sustain the chip on Milotic, Suicune, and Celebi, never letting them exploit Blissey's passivity to recover. It also helps Blissey deal with Calm Mind users a little better. For example, as Suicune is worn down by Toxic and is about to use Rest, a surprise Snatch can cause Suicune to get KOed by Toxic and sand damage. Light Screen can be used to support Skarmory or Forretress against Magneton.
Checks and Counters
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**Bulky Physical Threats**: Tyranitar, Metagross, Snorlax, and offensive Swampert all force Blissey out. Snorlax can exploit Blissey's passivity to set up with Curse, especially out of sand, and Tyranitar with Lum Berry can set up with Dragon Dance on Blissey. These physical threats, however, need to be careful of Blissey's mitigating strategies: Toxic for Tyranitar and Swampert, Fire Blast for Metagross, and Counter for all of them. These physical threats can also have their progress stalled out by Wish. In addition, these Pokemon have to be wary of double switches into Dugtrio.
**Fighting-types**: Heracross and Breloom exert immense pressure should they get a switch-in on Blissey. Heracross's Guts allows it to absorb status from Blissey rather well. Hariyama also comes in easily on Blissey with its high HP and makes progress with Knock Off.
**Dugtrio**: Standard Dugtrio can pick off a weakened Blissey, and bulky Dugtrio, especially on special offense teams, can even threaten to 2HKO Blissey and live to tell the tale.
**Toxic**: Toxic forces Blissey lacking Heal Bell out and threatens to cripple the incoming Pokemon. It also frequently weakens Blissey enough to make it susceptible to a Dugtrio trap.
**Taunt**: Taunt Skarmory and Gengar prevent Blissey from recovering after coming in. Skarmory can proceed to set Spikes, apply Toxic poison, or attack Blissey, while Gengar's Will-O-Wisp puts immense pressure on Blissey.
**Leech Seed**: Blissey's huge HP stat can feed Celebi and, to some extent, Venusaur indefinitely thanks to Leech Seed.
**Spikes**: Many teams use Blissey to compensate for huge special weaknesses on the rest of the team. It's very easy to draw Blissey in with a special threat and double switch or phaze to get Spikes damage.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[vapicuno, 5454]]
- Quality checked by: [[pasy_g, 61664], [Triangles, 118250]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [Estronic, 240732]]
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