[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Fighting / Ice Beam / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rest / Moonlight
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpA / 80 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With Cresselia's astronomical bulk but mediocre Special Attack, a Calm Mind set suits Cresselia to a T. Psychic is Cresselia's best STAB move and is used versus most non-Steel-types. In addition to Psychic, Hidden Power Fire is Cresselia's recommended coverage move to turn the tide versus Scizor and 2HKO even the bulkiest variants almost all the time; it's also useful to hit other Steel-types like Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong as hard as possible. As an alternative, Hidden Power Fighting is Cresselia's best option versus Tyranitar, Heatran, and Empoleon, and it also hits all Steel-types for neutral damage at minimum. Ice Beam is very useful for taking on Dragon-types like Dragonite, Latias, and Flygon; it's also useful for Gliscor, which can use Taunt to prevent Cresselia from boosting with Calm Mind and remove its item with Knock Off.
Sleep Talk is a non-attacking option that combines with Rest to make Cresselia less passive, but it replaces Cresselia's coverage move, so it will require significantly more support. Rest is Cresselia's most consistent form of recovery because its bulk allows it to burn off its sleep turns consistently. Moonlight is an alternative to Rest that doesn't force Cresselia to sleep, but it has reduced effectiveness in all forms of weather except sun, and Rest's higher PP increases Cresselia's capabilities in a PP war. Overall, Moonlight can leave Cresselia more effective offensively, but it mandates more support, and its low PP limits it tremendously.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment gives Cresselia as much general bulk as possible, while 40 Special Attack EVs allow it to always OHKO standard Choice Band Scizor with Hidden Power Fire after one Calm Mind boost and Stealth Rock damage, as well as 2HKO bulky Swords Dance Scizor over 90% of the time without any boost at all. As an added bonus, Cresselia can 2HKO offensive Dragon Dance Gyarados and Dragon Dance Dragonite with a +1 Psychic after Stealth Rock damage. 80 EVs in Special Defense ease entry into Latias, specifically maximizing Cresselia's chance to take two Draco Meteors from Modest Choice Specs variants from full. 16 Speed EVs enable Cresselia to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Machamp and potentially get the jump on bulky Suicune and RestTalk Rotom-A. If it's using Hidden Power Fighting, an EV spread of 252 HP / 108 Def / 80 SpD / 68 Spe enables Cresselia to outpace all Tyranitar with a neutral nature. With Ice Beam, an EV spread of 252 HP / 140 Def / 20 SpA / 80 SpD / 16 Spe fits best; with the Special Attack investment, Cresselia can OHKO Flygon after two rounds of Stealth Rock damage. Leftovers keeps Cresselia as healthy as possible through passive recovery at the end of each turn, which plays a vital role in allowing Cresselia to clean late-game.
Usage Tips
========
Cresselia is most effective when revealed late-game after all its checks have been weakened or removed; if it's revealed haphazardly, your opponent can much more easily prevent it from cleaning later on. Use your other Pokemon to try to damage Steel-types and Tyranitar as much as possible. Scout the opposing team and determine what's stopping Cresselia to come up with a solid gameplan. If Cresselia is revealed early—whether a phazing move forces it in or it's needed for its defensive value—use its massive bulk to your advantage by pivoting in and double switching to another Pokemon to potentially gain a positional advantage. Furthermore, try to stay as healthy as possible, and avoid using Rest unless absolutely necessary because a myriad of setup Pokemon like Dragonite, Gyarados, and Metagross can easily take advantage of a sleeping Cresselia with no boosts. Try to avoid staying in versus Pokemon with Knock Off like Clefable and Gliscor, as without Leftovers, Cresselia has a much harder time setting up.
Team Options
========
Cresselia has a difficult time versus some of the more prominent Pokemon like Tyranitar, Jirachi, Heatran, and Metagross, so it requires quite a bit of support compared to most Pokemon. Unless you opt for Hidden Power Fighting, Dugtrio is almost completely mandatory to trap and remove Tyranitar; it can also remove most variants of Jirachi, Heatran, Metagross, and, with Pursuit, even Gengar, which can threaten Cresselia with its powerful Shadow Ball. Weather setters like Rain Dance Kingdra and Rain Dance Latias work well with Cresselia to clear sand, which is useful for both Moonlight and Rest, making Cresselia much more difficult to take down; without sand, Moonlight will heal a greater amount of HP, and it will be easier for Cresselia to take hits while asleep with passive recovery at the end of each turn. Will-O-Wisp Rotom-A can bait in Tyranitar and also take advantage of Dugtrio's support; it walls Metagross, and by spreading burns, it enables Cresselia to set up more easily on physical attackers. Bulky Pokemon with Toxic like Heatran, Bronzong, and Magnezone support Cresselia well by spreading poison to foes like Zapdos, Rotom-A, Tyranitar, Swampert, and Latias. Heatran with Special Defense investment can ward off Rotom-A and Jirachi, and it can even gain a Flash Fire boost from a potential Will-O-Wisp. Bronzong does quite well versus Metagross and Jirachi and can hold its ground often versus Tyranitar. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Jirachi and Bronzong that Cresselia dislikes facing, especially if it uses Sleep Talk over a coverage move. Toxic Spikes are effective at supporting Cresselia, so Nidoqueen and Roserade are also good pairings; Nidoqueen checks Tyranitar quite well, and Roserade can threaten Swampert, which can often be a nuisance if it packs Roar. If you're using Dugtrio alongside Cresselia, Pokemon with U-turn like Choice Scarf Jirachi and Choice Scarf Flygon are good teammates to bring Dugtrio in safely, and they also fulfill the role of a revenge killer. Blissey has great defensive synergy with Cresselia, and it can play the role of a cleric, which can assist Rest Cresselia quite well.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Excal, 456373]]
- Quality checked by: [[DeepBlueC, 307789], [Emeral, 72767]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Fighting / Ice Beam / Sleep Talk
move 4: Rest / Moonlight
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 48 SpA / 80 SpD / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
With Cresselia's astronomical bulk but mediocre Special Attack, a Calm Mind set suits Cresselia to a T. Psychic is Cresselia's best STAB move and is used versus most non-Steel-types. In addition to Psychic, Hidden Power Fire is Cresselia's recommended coverage move to turn the tide versus Scizor and 2HKO even the bulkiest variants almost all the time; it's also useful to hit other Steel-types like Jirachi, Metagross, and Bronzong as hard as possible. As an alternative, Hidden Power Fighting is Cresselia's best option versus Tyranitar, Heatran, and Empoleon, and it also hits all Steel-types for neutral damage at minimum. Ice Beam is very useful for taking on Dragon-types like Dragonite, Latias, and Flygon; it's also useful for Gliscor, which can use Taunt to prevent Cresselia from boosting with Calm Mind and remove its item with Knock Off.
Sleep Talk is a non-attacking option that combines with Rest to make Cresselia less passive, but it replaces Cresselia's coverage move, so it will require significantly more support. Rest is Cresselia's most consistent form of recovery because its bulk allows it to burn off its sleep turns consistently. Moonlight is an alternative to Rest that doesn't force Cresselia to sleep, but it has reduced effectiveness in all forms of weather except sun, and Rest's higher PP increases Cresselia's capabilities in a PP war. Overall, Moonlight can leave Cresselia more effective offensively, but it mandates more support, and its low PP limits it tremendously.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP investment gives Cresselia as much general bulk as possible, while 40 Special Attack EVs allow it to always OHKO standard Choice Band Scizor with Hidden Power Fire after one Calm Mind boost and Stealth Rock damage, as well as 2HKO bulky Swords Dance Scizor over 90% of the time without any boost at all. As an added bonus, Cresselia can 2HKO offensive Dragon Dance Gyarados and Dragon Dance Dragonite with a +1 Psychic after Stealth Rock damage. 80 EVs in Special Defense ease entry into Latias, specifically maximizing Cresselia's chance to take two Draco Meteors from Modest Choice Specs variants from full. 16 Speed EVs enable Cresselia to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Machamp and potentially get the jump on bulky Suicune and RestTalk Rotom-A. If it's using Hidden Power Fighting, an EV spread of 252 HP / 108 Def / 80 SpD / 68 Spe enables Cresselia to outpace all Tyranitar with a neutral nature. With Ice Beam, an EV spread of 252 HP / 140 Def / 20 SpA / 80 SpD / 16 Spe fits best; with the Special Attack investment, Cresselia can OHKO Flygon after two rounds of Stealth Rock damage. Leftovers keeps Cresselia as healthy as possible through passive recovery at the end of each turn, which plays a vital role in allowing Cresselia to clean late-game.
Usage Tips
========
Cresselia is most effective when revealed late-game after all its checks have been weakened or removed; if it's revealed haphazardly, your opponent can much more easily prevent it from cleaning later on. Use your other Pokemon to try to damage Steel-types and Tyranitar as much as possible. Scout the opposing team and determine what's stopping Cresselia to come up with a solid gameplan. If Cresselia is revealed early—whether a phazing move forces it in or it's needed for its defensive value—use its massive bulk to your advantage by pivoting in and double switching to another Pokemon to potentially gain a positional advantage. Furthermore, try to stay as healthy as possible, and avoid using Rest unless absolutely necessary because a myriad of setup Pokemon like Dragonite, Gyarados, and Metagross can easily take advantage of a sleeping Cresselia with no boosts. Try to avoid staying in versus Pokemon with Knock Off like Clefable and Gliscor, as without Leftovers, Cresselia has a much harder time setting up.
Team Options
========
Cresselia has a difficult time versus some of the more prominent Pokemon like Tyranitar, Jirachi, Heatran, and Metagross, so it requires quite a bit of support compared to most Pokemon. Unless you opt for Hidden Power Fighting, Dugtrio is almost completely mandatory to trap and remove Tyranitar; it can also remove most variants of Jirachi, Heatran, Metagross, and, with Pursuit, even Gengar, which can threaten Cresselia with its powerful Shadow Ball. Weather setters like Rain Dance Kingdra and Rain Dance Latias work well with Cresselia to clear sand, which is useful for both Moonlight and Rest, making Cresselia much more difficult to take down; without sand, Moonlight will heal a greater amount of HP, and it will be easier for Cresselia to take hits while asleep with passive recovery at the end of each turn. Will-O-Wisp Rotom-A can bait in Tyranitar and also take advantage of Dugtrio's support; it walls Metagross, and by spreading burns, it enables Cresselia to set up more easily on physical attackers. Bulky Pokemon with Toxic like Heatran, Bronzong, and Magnezone support Cresselia well by spreading poison to foes like Zapdos, Rotom-A, Tyranitar, Swampert, and Latias. Heatran with Special Defense investment can ward off Rotom-A and Jirachi, and it can even gain a Flash Fire boost from a potential Will-O-Wisp. Bronzong does quite well versus Metagross and Jirachi and can hold its ground often versus Tyranitar. Magnezone can trap Steel-types like Jirachi and Bronzong that Cresselia dislikes facing, especially if it uses Sleep Talk over a coverage move. Toxic Spikes are effective at supporting Cresselia, so Nidoqueen and Roserade are also good pairings; Nidoqueen checks Tyranitar quite well, and Roserade can threaten Swampert, which can often be a nuisance if it packs Roar. If you're using Dugtrio alongside Cresselia, Pokemon with U-turn like Choice Scarf Jirachi and Choice Scarf Flygon are good teammates to bring Dugtrio in safely, and they also fulfill the role of a revenge killer. Blissey has great defensive synergy with Cresselia, and it can play the role of a cleric, which can assist Rest Cresselia quite well.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Excal, 456373]]
- Quality checked by: [[DeepBlueC, 307789], [Emeral, 72767]]
- Grammar checked by: [[The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216], [Rabia, 336073]]
Last edited:
