[OVERVIEW]
Flying
========
Celesteela is a great special wall on Flying teams by virtue of its incredible typing, good all-around bulk, and access to Leech Seed recovery. Its Steel typing grants key neutralities to types like Rock and Ice that allow it to reliably check dangerous threats such as Greninja and Nihilego. It also offers resistances to common types such as Dragon and Psychic, allowing it to check Pokemon such as Latios. Celesteela's typing additionally offers utility in the form of an immunity to Poison as well as a neutrality to Stealth Rock damage, preventing it from getting worn down rapidly throughout the match. Celesteela has a respectable offensive presence, with decent mixed attacking stats, a strong STAB move in Heavy Slam, and great coverage options such as Flamethrower and Earthquake. While it still lacks the power to muscle past defensive Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, its offensive traits allow it to take on many of the metagame's offensive Pokemon. Celesteela's ability Beast Boost makes it even tougher to revenge kill once it KOes a foe, increasing its Special Defense with the appropiate EV investment and giving Pokemon like Porygon-Z a harder time checking it. Access to Leech Seed somewhat compensates for Celesteela's lack of reliable recovery and allows it to pull its weight against more defensive threats by chipping away their HP. This goes hand in hand with Protect, allowing Celesteela to stall out defensive Pokemon and recover additional HP. However, Celesteela often finds itself overly reliant on Leech Seed as its method of recovery, and it lacks access to a reliable recovery move. Celesteela generally has well-rounded stats, though its Speed leaves a lot to be desired and allows almost any offensive Pokemon to outspeed Celesteela. This is further amplified by its tendency to run a Sassy nature, further hampering its Speed. Celesteela's typing is great overall and leaves it with only two weaknesses to Electric and Fire. However, these are common offensive types that are used by common metagame threats such as Tapu Koko and Heatran.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive (Flying)
move 1: Heavy Slam
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heavy Slam is Celesteela's strongest and most spammable attack, and it hits most of the metagame for a consistently high Base Power thanks to Celesteela's heavy weight. Leech Seed allows Celesteela to wear down a multitude of defensive Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Toxapex while granting it a method of recovery. Flamethrower is a great coverage move that primarily gives Celesteela a way to hit Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory that would otherwise wall it. Protect gives Celesteela a way to scout for threatening Choice-locked Pokemon such as Victini while being able to passively stall out Pokemon by granting it an additional turn of recovery.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread maximizes Celesteela's special bulk in order to help fulfill its role as a specially defensive pivot, and allows it to take on Greninja and other special attackers very well. A Sassy nature also maximizes its Special Defense without sacrificing the power of its mixed offenses at the expense of Speed. Leftovers is the preferred item, as it gives Celesteela another much-needed method of recovery. Beast Boost is Celesteela's only ability and allows Celesteela to gather Special Defense boosts upon KOing the foe, limiting certain revenge killers from breaking past it with special attacks. For example, it avoids getting OHKOed by Choice Specs Tapu Koko after a boost.
Usage Tips
========
Celesteela's main role is that of a special pivot, so it is ideal to bring it out throughout the game on various special attackers such as Mew. With this in mind, do not allow Celesteela to get worn down in matchups where it is needed to check a specific threat like Greninja, as it does not have a reliable form of recovery. Possessing an immunity to Toxic and access to Leech Seed, Celesteela can also serve as an answer to various defensive Pokemon such as Chansey, so it is safe to bring it out against these Pokemon. It is important to avoid getting burned when faced against Pokemon like Toxapex and Mega Sableye, as it will severely decrease Celesteela's damage output and negate recovery from Leftovers. While it has decent physical bulk, Celesteela should not switch in on strong physical wallbreakers like Mega Gallade. It's acceptable to use Leech Seed on predicted double switches to catch Celesteela's checks off guard, since Celesteela forces many switches due to the number of Pokemon it can check. Additionally, Protect can be used on seeded Pokemon in order to effectively double Celesteela's passive recovery, though it should be wary of the foe making a predicted double switch on the Protect. Lastly, use Protect to scout for Choice-locked Pokemon, as revealing their move can often give a certain teammate an opportunity to safely switch in.
Team Options
========
Landorus-T pairs extremely well as a defensive partner for Celesteela, as they both cover each other's weaknesses. Landorus-T provides an Electric immunity and serves as an offensive check to Fire-types, while Celesteela can switch in on many Ice-type moves like Greninja's Ice Beam. Additionally, Landorus-T offers important Stealth Rock support for Celesteela and the rest of the team. Mantine is a good defensive teammate that notably offers a useful Water immunity and additional utility against Ice-type moves, giving Celesteela a switch-in against Scald users and providing another special wall for the team. It can additionally clear entry hazards off the field with Defog. Zapdos is another defensive team option that can take on Electric-types like Alolan Raichu reliably while serving as an effective pivot and hazard remover. Additionally, Zapdos can beat many walls with Toxic and beat Pokemon like Toxapex with Substitute. Gliscor is another stallbreaker that can can help Celesteela with its access to Taunt, Electric immunity, and ability to take on Pokemon like Toxapex safely. Dragonite's typing, great wallbreaking power, and exceptional coverage allow it to check many of the Pokemon that trouble Celesteela, such as Mega Venusaur. Celesteela can take on Ice-type moves in exchange as well. Mega Charizard Y is another good offensive wallbreaker that can threaten Pokemon such as Mega Sableye for Celesteela, while Celesteela can, in turn, beat most Rock-types that threaten it such as Cradily and Nihilego. Although it shares the same typing, Skarmory beats most physically offensive Pokemon like Terrakion and can fulfill the roles of a hazard setter and a hazard remover. Celesteela complements Skarmory with its superior special bulk. Landorus is another wallbreaker that possesses an Electric immunity and useful Ground STAB moves in order to deal with Pokemon such as Heatran for Celesteela. Mega Aerodactyl's general utility against offense and ability to trap Pokemon like Victini with Pursuit make it a suitable teammate for Celesteela.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flying
--------
If the team is too weak to Heatran and Electric-types like Tapu Koko, Earthquake could be run over Flamethrower at the expense of getting walled by various other Steel-types like Skarmory and Mega Scizor. Celesteela can also opt to run a more mixed EV spread of 252 HP, 104 Defense, and 156 Special Defense with a Relaxed nature to give it an easier time checking physical attackers such as Terrakion and Mega Diancie. An Assault Vest set with Heavy Slam, Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Hidden Power Ice is viable on more offensive variants of Flying, and it allows Celesteela to check a wider range of offensive Pokemon without sacrificing offensive momentum. This set makes Celesteela even easier to wear down with no form of recovery, however. Toxic is an option over Protect in order to lure walls such as Mantine, but Protect's utility in scouting for attacks and prolonging recovery is usually more valuable.
Checks and Counters
===================
Flying
--------
**Electric-types**: Almost any Electric-type can reliably take on Celesteela with their STAB attacks and resistance to Heavy Slam.
**Fire-types**: In a similar vein, Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y resist both of Celesteela's usual attacks and can reliably KO it with their STAB moves.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Celesteela's physical bulk is only decent when uninvested, and it can easily be taken advantage of by strong physical attackers like Mega Sharpedo.
**Mega Venusaur**: Mega Venusaur has an amazing matchup against Celesteela, taking little damage from its attacks thanks to its great physical bulk and immunity to Leech Seed. Mega Venusaur can threaten Celesteela with its own Leech Seed as well as Hidden Power Fire.
**Mega Sableye**: Similarly, Mega Sableye is bulky enough to not be threatened by Celesteela's attacks and has access to Magic Bounce. It can also burn Celesteela with Will-O-Wisp.
Flying
========
Celesteela is a great special wall on Flying teams by virtue of its incredible typing, good all-around bulk, and access to Leech Seed recovery. Its Steel typing grants key neutralities to types like Rock and Ice that allow it to reliably check dangerous threats such as Greninja and Nihilego. It also offers resistances to common types such as Dragon and Psychic, allowing it to check Pokemon such as Latios. Celesteela's typing additionally offers utility in the form of an immunity to Poison as well as a neutrality to Stealth Rock damage, preventing it from getting worn down rapidly throughout the match. Celesteela has a respectable offensive presence, with decent mixed attacking stats, a strong STAB move in Heavy Slam, and great coverage options such as Flamethrower and Earthquake. While it still lacks the power to muscle past defensive Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, its offensive traits allow it to take on many of the metagame's offensive Pokemon. Celesteela's ability Beast Boost makes it even tougher to revenge kill once it KOes a foe, increasing its Special Defense with the appropiate EV investment and giving Pokemon like Porygon-Z a harder time checking it. Access to Leech Seed somewhat compensates for Celesteela's lack of reliable recovery and allows it to pull its weight against more defensive threats by chipping away their HP. This goes hand in hand with Protect, allowing Celesteela to stall out defensive Pokemon and recover additional HP. However, Celesteela often finds itself overly reliant on Leech Seed as its method of recovery, and it lacks access to a reliable recovery move. Celesteela generally has well-rounded stats, though its Speed leaves a lot to be desired and allows almost any offensive Pokemon to outspeed Celesteela. This is further amplified by its tendency to run a Sassy nature, further hampering its Speed. Celesteela's typing is great overall and leaves it with only two weaknesses to Electric and Fire. However, these are common offensive types that are used by common metagame threats such as Tapu Koko and Heatran.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive (Flying)
move 1: Heavy Slam
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Flamethrower
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Heavy Slam is Celesteela's strongest and most spammable attack, and it hits most of the metagame for a consistently high Base Power thanks to Celesteela's heavy weight. Leech Seed allows Celesteela to wear down a multitude of defensive Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Toxapex while granting it a method of recovery. Flamethrower is a great coverage move that primarily gives Celesteela a way to hit Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory that would otherwise wall it. Protect gives Celesteela a way to scout for threatening Choice-locked Pokemon such as Victini while being able to passively stall out Pokemon by granting it an additional turn of recovery.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread maximizes Celesteela's special bulk in order to help fulfill its role as a specially defensive pivot, and allows it to take on Greninja and other special attackers very well. A Sassy nature also maximizes its Special Defense without sacrificing the power of its mixed offenses at the expense of Speed. Leftovers is the preferred item, as it gives Celesteela another much-needed method of recovery. Beast Boost is Celesteela's only ability and allows Celesteela to gather Special Defense boosts upon KOing the foe, limiting certain revenge killers from breaking past it with special attacks. For example, it avoids getting OHKOed by Choice Specs Tapu Koko after a boost.
Usage Tips
========
Celesteela's main role is that of a special pivot, so it is ideal to bring it out throughout the game on various special attackers such as Mew. With this in mind, do not allow Celesteela to get worn down in matchups where it is needed to check a specific threat like Greninja, as it does not have a reliable form of recovery. Possessing an immunity to Toxic and access to Leech Seed, Celesteela can also serve as an answer to various defensive Pokemon such as Chansey, so it is safe to bring it out against these Pokemon. It is important to avoid getting burned when faced against Pokemon like Toxapex and Mega Sableye, as it will severely decrease Celesteela's damage output and negate recovery from Leftovers. While it has decent physical bulk, Celesteela should not switch in on strong physical wallbreakers like Mega Gallade. It's acceptable to use Leech Seed on predicted double switches to catch Celesteela's checks off guard, since Celesteela forces many switches due to the number of Pokemon it can check. Additionally, Protect can be used on seeded Pokemon in order to effectively double Celesteela's passive recovery, though it should be wary of the foe making a predicted double switch on the Protect. Lastly, use Protect to scout for Choice-locked Pokemon, as revealing their move can often give a certain teammate an opportunity to safely switch in.
Team Options
========
Landorus-T pairs extremely well as a defensive partner for Celesteela, as they both cover each other's weaknesses. Landorus-T provides an Electric immunity and serves as an offensive check to Fire-types, while Celesteela can switch in on many Ice-type moves like Greninja's Ice Beam. Additionally, Landorus-T offers important Stealth Rock support for Celesteela and the rest of the team. Mantine is a good defensive teammate that notably offers a useful Water immunity and additional utility against Ice-type moves, giving Celesteela a switch-in against Scald users and providing another special wall for the team. It can additionally clear entry hazards off the field with Defog. Zapdos is another defensive team option that can take on Electric-types like Alolan Raichu reliably while serving as an effective pivot and hazard remover. Additionally, Zapdos can beat many walls with Toxic and beat Pokemon like Toxapex with Substitute. Gliscor is another stallbreaker that can can help Celesteela with its access to Taunt, Electric immunity, and ability to take on Pokemon like Toxapex safely. Dragonite's typing, great wallbreaking power, and exceptional coverage allow it to check many of the Pokemon that trouble Celesteela, such as Mega Venusaur. Celesteela can take on Ice-type moves in exchange as well. Mega Charizard Y is another good offensive wallbreaker that can threaten Pokemon such as Mega Sableye for Celesteela, while Celesteela can, in turn, beat most Rock-types that threaten it such as Cradily and Nihilego. Although it shares the same typing, Skarmory beats most physically offensive Pokemon like Terrakion and can fulfill the roles of a hazard setter and a hazard remover. Celesteela complements Skarmory with its superior special bulk. Landorus is another wallbreaker that possesses an Electric immunity and useful Ground STAB moves in order to deal with Pokemon such as Heatran for Celesteela. Mega Aerodactyl's general utility against offense and ability to trap Pokemon like Victini with Pursuit make it a suitable teammate for Celesteela.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flying
--------
If the team is too weak to Heatran and Electric-types like Tapu Koko, Earthquake could be run over Flamethrower at the expense of getting walled by various other Steel-types like Skarmory and Mega Scizor. Celesteela can also opt to run a more mixed EV spread of 252 HP, 104 Defense, and 156 Special Defense with a Relaxed nature to give it an easier time checking physical attackers such as Terrakion and Mega Diancie. An Assault Vest set with Heavy Slam, Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Hidden Power Ice is viable on more offensive variants of Flying, and it allows Celesteela to check a wider range of offensive Pokemon without sacrificing offensive momentum. This set makes Celesteela even easier to wear down with no form of recovery, however. Toxic is an option over Protect in order to lure walls such as Mantine, but Protect's utility in scouting for attacks and prolonging recovery is usually more valuable.
Checks and Counters
===================
Flying
--------
**Electric-types**: Almost any Electric-type can reliably take on Celesteela with their STAB attacks and resistance to Heavy Slam.
**Fire-types**: In a similar vein, Fire-types like Mega Charizard Y resist both of Celesteela's usual attacks and can reliably KO it with their STAB moves.
**Physical Wallbreakers**: Celesteela's physical bulk is only decent when uninvested, and it can easily be taken advantage of by strong physical attackers like Mega Sharpedo.
**Mega Venusaur**: Mega Venusaur has an amazing matchup against Celesteela, taking little damage from its attacks thanks to its great physical bulk and immunity to Leech Seed. Mega Venusaur can threaten Celesteela with its own Leech Seed as well as Hidden Power Fire.
**Mega Sableye**: Similarly, Mega Sableye is bulky enough to not be threatened by Celesteela's attacks and has access to Magic Bounce. It can also burn Celesteela with Will-O-Wisp.
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