[Overview]
<p>In a throwback to its RSE ADV this was something I missed out with sirndpt... xD glory days, Claydol has become an important figure in the RU metagame. No longer is the floating idol a stick in the mud; as the best defensive Rapid Spinner in the tier, Claydol is a viable choice for nearly any team. Its notorious Ground / Psychic typing in combination with its Levitate ability grant Claydol crucial resistances to Rock- and Fighting-type attacks, and an immunity to Ground-type moves.<period> Furthermore, it provides Claydol with as well as an immunity to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, as well as a 2x resistance to Stealth Rock, standing out as the only Rapid Spinner to possess this traits I think this is worth mentioning, so there you go. Despite this, one must be mindful of the few holes in Claydol's defenses. Its low HP stat and lack of substantial recovery hamper its walling potential significantly, and you will quickly find that it is unable to sponge the myriad powerful attacks in RU that it does not resist can imply that the powerful attacks are all unresisted, like you said, Medicham 2HKOes it, so it's not worth mentioning. In terms of offense, Ground-type STAB is a useful tool to have, but Claydol's offenses are so meagre that it cannot muster much meaningful damage without a super effective hit. Don't let these drawbacks put you off Claydol though. Support it well With adequate support, and it will excel.</p>
[SET]
name: Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Toxic / Ice Beam
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The quintessential Rapid Spinner is Claydol's flagship set. Even if a full set of hazards—Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes—plague its team, Claydol never takes anything more than 6
.25% upon entry
that's the correct number iirc, and what about Gravity? :P, and promptly blows said hazards away. Proficient as it is at
defending against spinning away it can't defend against them/prevent them from being laid entry hazards, the same cannot be said of Claydol's ability to take hits. Due to a low HP stat and few resistances, Claydol is unable to weather the
more no comparison to other tiers made... so no need for 'more' powerful attacks that characterize the RU tier.
Standard Life Orb Honchkrow's Brave Bird, for example, blows Claydol's HP bar to bits,
with the standard Life orb set dealing an average
damage of 64%
HP. Claydol counters some of the premier hazard deployers with mixed results; Sandslash, Steelix, and Gligar are unable to do anything to it, while Accelgor, Ferroseed, and Scolipede all score a super effective hit and can easily force it out. Ferroseed in particular
,<comma> is as nasty to Claydol as its frightening appearance suggests. Leech Seed drains Claydol's HP, and though Claydol can spin away the spiky seed's
seed of a seed sounds funny, might want to paraphrase this? Leech Seed and Spikes, Ferroseed will usually come out on top due to Iron Barbs; a pseudo
-<hyphen>spinblock, if you may.</p>
<p>Claydol's offensive power is, frankly, quite poor. A Special Attack stat of 70 is abysmal, and Earth Power
is too easily walled deals pathetic/paltry amount of damage to most Pokemon you wall a Pokemon, not an attack. The last slot serves to fix these shortcomings; Toxic is the primary option, as it shortens the
victim's lifespan considerably, and makes would-be counters think twice
about before optional switching in. Ice Beam is the second, scoring super effective hits on Pokemon such as Honchkrow and Gligar, although its damage output may be lacking.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The given EV spread optimizes Claydol's physical bulk, as its respectable Special Defense buffers it against weaker hits, even without investment
in EVs. Leftovers is usually the only source of recovery Claydol has, and is non-negotiable in almost all cases. If you already have a Stealth Rock user on your team, Claydol has a few other options to fill the free slot. Psychic is Claydol's best coverage
move against Pokemon immune to
Ground-type moves Earth Power since that's the only one used on Claydol, such as Golbat, Haunter
,<comma> and Moltres, but is outclassed by the listed moves in most other cases. Refresh is a neat fail
-<hyphen>safe
because Dictionary.com says so :P against status, and can foil Pokemon who rely on Toxic to deal with Claydol, such as Gligar.</p>
<p>Ferroseed is an excellent partner for Claydol. The
thorn seed
optional resists the Ghost-, Dark-, Water-, and Grass-type moves that Claydol is susceptible to, while Claydol resists the Fighting-type moves that Ferroseed hates. Between the two, you have access to Spikes, Stealth Rock, and Rapid Spin, which provides a consolidated
entry hazard platform and a formidable defensive support core. If Claydol has a free slot, Protect can be a surprising boost to its longevity; by catching unfavorable switch
-<hyphens>ins
I think you meant the noun? with Leech Seed, Ferroseed can pass Leech Seed recovery to Claydol, which can be abused with Protect. Moltres complements this
ensemble pair don't think 2 is enough to use 'ensemble' surprisingly well, patching up the Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type weaknesses that they
may might 'may' suggests permission struggle with, and providing some much needed firepower.
Furthermore, the
firebird's phoenix's weaknesses are covered
by the duo optional, and Stealth Rock can be spun away easily.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick
<---- 'Choice' is the usual one? your say
move 1: Trick
move 2: Rapid Spin
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Ice Beam / Shadow Ball
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is a radically different take on Claydol, and is a surprisingly effective one. Trick is the crux of the set, providing Claydol with an excellent response to its counters. Tricking an Eviolite away from Ferroseed or Roselia, for example, will compromise their defenses considerably, making it much harder for them to lay entry hazards. Your choice of item is based on what you want Claydol to do; with a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf, Claydol reaches a
top Speed of 409
since the set has max Spe EVs, no need 'top', which easily outpaces all non-Choice Scarf Pokemon in RU bar Accelgor. The given EV spread allows Claydol to check a large number of fast threats, such as Archeops, Dugtrio, and Sceptile, while potentially forcing out others. This gives Claydol plenty of opportunities to use Rapid Spin, and even
serve function as a revenge killer if needed. Be wary
,<comma> however, that this set does not possess enough power to sweep or OHKO most Pokemon without prior damage.</p>
<p>
With a Choice Specs
equipped, Claydol's prowess can be a nasty shock for your unsuspecting opponent
how can an item be a nasty shock? :P. 393 Special Attack accords
weird choice of word :x Claydo
l's unprecedented firepower, and the associated surprise factor may score Claydol a few KOs before your opponent can formulate a response. As a comparison, Earth Power hits slightly harder than Life Orb Galvantula's Bug Buzz, and Ice Beam now 2HKOes most
Ice-weak targets
weak to Ice-type attacks is Type-weak allowed? with entry hazard support. Shadow Ball is an alternative to Ice Beam, and finds use in dealing with any Ghost-types that may attempt to spinblock Claydol. For example, Rotom, which would otherwise trouble the mud idol, is cleanly OHKOed
by Shadow Ball. This powerful variant of Claydol pairs well with offensive
entry hazard
layers users 'layers' can refer to the number of layers of Spikes too such as Accelgor and Scolipede. Magneton can get rid of Ferroseed, which pesters Claydol relentlessly with Leech Seed,
Iron Barbs, and Seed Bomb
, and the Iron Barbs ability.
to avoid the possibilty of Iron Barbs being an attack</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature for Choice
o.O so is it Trick or Choice? Claydol are not set in stone;
with a Choice Scarf
, Claydol sets they're part of the same set.. may run
EV spreads of either 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe or 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe. Claydol hits much harder with 252 Special Attack EVs, but sacrifices its bulk somewhat. On the other hand,
running investing 252 HP EVs lessens Claydol's offensive capabilities
, making this spread less viable don't contradict the main EV spread which is given.
Claydol with Choice Specs
sets should opt for
an EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA to maximize bulk and power, as Speed is not as important. If you do desire more Speed, an alternate
EV spread of 172 HP / 252 SpA / 84 Spe allows Claydol to outrun standard Gligar and OHKO
es the latter with Ice Beam,
a measure that prevent
ing that doesn't feel like a 'measure' the flying scorpion from poisoning Claydol with Toxic. Other
EV spreads are viable as well, and Choice
<-- This too Claydol can be customized to fit onto your team however you want.
As On a final note, one must be wary of the repercussions of Tricking away Claydol's Choice item. Claydol can easily become dead weight in these scenarios, and Trick must therefore be used wisely
or 'with caution'.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Earth Power
move 4: Rapid Spin / Explosion
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Not surprisingly, Claydol can successfully pull off a dual screens set. Although it has to relinquish Stealth Rock and
perhaps it has no choice, does it? its a there's still Earth Power coverage move, this variant is possibly a better dedicated support platform tha
n the classic set. Behind dual screens, almost any Pokemon can be
bulky harder to take down by definition, dual screens does not improve bulk, but halves the damage/power of the attack, feel free to change the phrase, and with Rapid Spin support thrown into the deal, nothing
else could better aid your sweepers
or 'it is unrivalled in its ability to aid your sweepers'. Earth Power as the sole attacking move isn't as big a problem as it would be on other sets, as Claydol's job is to set up screens
and get out and pave way for a sweeper 'getting out' isn't a job. While Rapid Spin is an excellent move, and this set can run Stealth Rock like any other, Explosion is an interesting option that has potential applications
for after fulfilling its dual screening duties. As a particularly rattling alternative to switching, Explosion can get your next Pokemon onto the field
fast, safe, in a fast and safe manner while being and armed with four turns of screen time
one of them will be left with 3 turns :x. It must be said, however, that Explosion should never be used on
dual
screens Claydol for the damage output. Explosion and Selfdestruct no longer halve the target's Defense, and when used by a weaker Pokemon
like such as Claydol, Explosion will deal depressingly low amount
s amounts is the verb of damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>You might be wondering why Light Clay has not been mentioned. Dual
screens Claydol can utilize the item, but the longevity Leftovers provides is even more useful, as Claydol can still use Rapid Spin effectively. If you choose to run Explosion, Light Clay is
should be your item
of choice, but Leftovers makes Claydol's life much easier if it needs to stick around. As far as dual screen
s recipients go, Lilligant and Gorebyss are two of the best. Lilligant can abuse
its newfound bulk the dual screens to attain several Quiver Dance
s boots or 'set up several Quiver Dances', and any damage it takes while boosting is handily restored by Giga Drain. Similarly, Gorebyss loves
baton passing Shell Smash while behind screens; the main problem it faces, taking hits while it sets up and passes, is easily alleviated. to set up with Shell Smash, appreciating the support from dual screens which mitigates the problem caused by the defense drops, thus allowing it to have an easier time sweeping. banned :(</p>
[Other Options]
<p>One of Claydol's main obstacles is its lack of
a reliable recovery
move. RestTalk is a usable solution that is often eschewed due to its erratic nature and selfish moveslot hogging
habit/syndrome optional. While Rest does boost Claydol's longevity to newfound levels, a sleeping Claydol is prone to falling victim to Taunt, being used as setup fodder, or just
using selecting the wrong move
with Sleep Talk at crucial times. Earthquake is a possible alternative to Earth Power, and can be run alongside Ice Beam while using a Speed-reducing nature. A physical STAB
move can be useful
against for the Pokemon that can tank Earth Power, such as Calm Mind Entei. Finally, Claydol's crowded moveslots can accommodate a weather inducing move—Rain Dance or Sunny Day—to support Chlorophyll and Swift Swim Pokemon, but Claydol
is usually
occupied with other things to do/ better off without those moves. has better things to do.
seen this phrase quite a few times, too cliche :x</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Claydol has difficulty walling Pokemon that can land a super effective hit on it, such as Crawdaunt, Honchkrow, and Durant. Exceptionally powerful attackers
—Medicham for example
—can
changed em dash to black break through it with little trouble
, 2HKOing Claydol with Hi Jump Kick just in case people don't know. Ferroseed is an excellent check to Claydol, as it takes negligible damage from Claydol's attacks, punishes
Claydol as it uses Rapid Spin with
its Iron Barbs, and can scare the floating doll away with Seed Bomb and Leech Seed. Outside of Toxic, Claydol struggles to deal with spinblockers as they usually run Shadow Ball and Will-O-Wisp, which are both good ways to endanger Claydol. Mandibuzz is an extremely sound response to almost every Claydol variant. Taunt restricts Claydol to using its pitiful attacking moves; Mandibuzz is immune to both of Claydol's STAB
s moves and shrugs off Ice Beam without a second thought.</p>
