Status: Complete!
A lot of Clefable's sets needed changed or removed althogether, so the entire analysis has been changed to better reflect Cefable's usage statistics, unique abilities, and overall usefulness.
A special thanks goes to j. franky for writing the team options section.
Posted Sets:
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/clefable/
[SET]
name: Encore
move 1: Encore
move 2: Softboiled / Wish
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Thunder Wave / Aromatherapy
item: Flame Orb / Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable may be looked at as a poor man's Chansey, but this set works completely differently from the pink blob thanks to one move: Encore. Encore completely cripples stat boosters like Nasty Plot Mismagius, status inducers like Will-O-Wisp Spiritomb, and layers of entry hazards, like Steelix and Registeel.</p>
<p>Depending on how team-oriented you'd like Clefable to be, Softboiled and Wish are both great recovery options available to it. Seismic Toss provides consistent damage to everything (excluding Ghost-types) and is the best attack against walls, like Registeel. Thunder Wave spreads around status and lets Clefable's Encore cripple Pokemon later in the match much more easily. Aromatherapy lets Clefable be more of a team supporter, ridding your sweepers of all status effects. Flame Orb allows Clefable to evade status itself (most notably paralysis), while Leftovers provides extra recovery on top of your choice of recovery move.</p>
<p>An alternate spread of 252 HP / 252 Special Defense with a Calm nature will allow Clefable to tank some of the heaviest special attacks in the game.</p>
<p>Since Encore causes a lot of switches, entry hazards are great ways of racking up some free damage. Helpful Stealth Rock users include Donphan, Registeel, and Steelix (Clefable, too, if you can find a spot in its moveset). Donphan may be the best choice overall, since both of the Steel choices share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable, and with Rapid Spinning Hitmontop on the loose, Close Combat isn't something you want to have a weakness to. Spikers include Frolass, Cloyster, and Omastar; again, be wary of stacking Fighting-type weaknesses. Toxic Spikes, though helpful in most other situations, isn't really welcome when Thunder Wave is part of the moveset, so it's best to omit it from your team strategy if this is the Clefable for your team.</p>
<p>Rapid Spinners, especially Foresight hitmontop pretty much wreck this set. Ghost-types like Mismagius and Spiritomb are great candidates to block Spins, though Foresight can cause problems. For this reason, it may be in your best interest to carry a speedy Pokemon with access to an attack that is super effective against Fighting-types (Flying or Psychic) to remove Hitmontop from the equation altogether. Since Foresight will be the move you switch in on, sweepers like Honchkrow and Espeon are fairly good decisions, although your counters should be able to take a Mach Punch and stay standing, as it's a featured move on nearly every Hitmontop.</p>
[SET]
name: Wishful Stalling
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Cosmic Power
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Toxic / Aeromatherapy
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 44 Def / 212 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Stalling is one of the big reasons to use Clefable over Chansey and Blissey. Immunity to entry hazards, immunity to status effects like poison and burn, and a reliable recovery move make Clefable one of the sturdiest walls in the game. Wish + Protect wastes two turns instead of the one Softboiled does, while Toxic slowly chips away at your opponent's HP. Cosmic Power increases both of Clefable's defenses, though puts you at risk for pseudo-Hazers. Seismic Toss provides a reliable attack on all Pokemon, excluding Ghost-types, of course. Aromatherapy is very useful, especially when your team is up against the likes of double status Rotom or a Toxic abuser.</p>
<p>Residual damage is the greatest addition to this set, bar none. Toxic Spikes, in particular, are a great asset, since they are the easiest way of causing Toxic-esque poison without wasting a moveslot. Drapion and the previously mentioned Cloyster both are great Toxic Spikers, though Drapion may be the better choice because it lacks a Fighting-type weakness. Toxic Spikes can also be absorbed by Poison-type Pokemon, so having a counter to the most common Poison-types (Drapion, and Toxicroak) is a good idea. Donphan is able to handle these Pokemon reliably, bashing Toxicroak and Drapion with STAB Earthquake.</p>
<p>This set really shines in OU, where fully evolved weather inducers like Abomasnow, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar reside. Hail is by far the best weather to start up in this tier, due in part to the vast number of Ground-, Steel-, and Rock-types that would otherwise receive stat boosts. Be wary of Fighting-types, though, if you decide to use a hail team, because Clefable will be sharing this weakness with every Ice-type Pokemon you include on your team.</p>
[SET]
name: Toxic Orb Abuse
move 1: Protect
move 2: Facade
move 3: Meteor Mash / Fire Blast
move 4: Softboiled / Wish
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is one of the best options if you plan on leading with Clefable. On the first turn always Protect; it allows Toxic Orb to activate, keeps you from taking damage, and can help scout your opponent’s lead. Facade then becomes a 140 Base Power attack, capable of OHKOing a vast majority of the most common leads in UU. The choice between Meteor Mash and Fire Blast is really a pick-your-poison decision. Meteor Mash takes care of Regirock, in addition to possibly adding an Attack boost, but opens yourself up to Steel-types like Registeel and Steelix. Fire Blast resolves this problem, but has less PP and lower accuracy, which really becomes a problem against Pressure users like Moltres and Spiritomb. If you do choose Fire Blast, adopt a new EV spread of 196 HP / 216 Atk / 96 SpA / 4 Spe with a Mild nature to guarentee a 2HKO on 252/252 Sassy Steelix with Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>For a fairly good list of Pokemon this Clefable will be facing, take a look at the statistics; being prepared for certain leads will help you in the long run. Common leads in today’s UU metagame include Froslass, Ambipom, and Uxie.</p>
<p>Froslass leads are intent on doing two things: setting up Spikes and Taunting their foe so they cannot set up themselves. Thankfully, either of Clefable's secondary attacks hits for super effective damage, taking down Froslass before it has time to set up more than two layer of Spikes.</p>
<p>Ambipom carries Fake Out for the first turn, though it’s really a wasted moveslot against Clefable if Ambipom decides to stay in, thanks to Protect's immunity. Payback does little damage since you’re not switching out or moving first, and Low Kick can be absorbed if you predict well and use Softboiled on the turn or Wish the turn before. Again, without Focus Sash Ambipom will be OHKOed by Facade.</p>
<p>Uxie will most likely start the battle by setting up Stealth Rock, followed by U-turn or Psychic (the last move Uxie normally has is a useless status-inducer). Since few Uxie actually run Focus Sash, Clefable does get a chance to score some big hits on the defensive pixie. The problem, though, is that Uxie tends to be a very bulky lead and has no problem settin up on Clefable while it tries to overcome Uxie.</p>
<p>Ghost-types are typical switch-ins to Facading Clefable, so having something to counter Spiritomb, Rotom, and Froslass is a very good idea. Absol and Drapion are good choices, as both have access to Pursuit. Absol also has Sucker Punch which can really screw with anything your opponent may switch in, though Drapion doesn’t share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable like Absol does. Other Pokemon that pair well with this set are Ghost-types, Flying-types, and dedicated walls like Chansey and Registeel.</p>
[SET]
name: Wall Breaker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Softboiled
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Quiet
evs: 216 Atk / 216 SpA / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb wall breaker may not seem like a role Clefable is designed for, but when you factor in the fact that Magic Guard nullifies Life Orb's damage and Double-Edge's recoil, you have a monster on your hands! Double-Edge will decimate foes like Chansey, 2HKOing the standard 0/252 Calm variants 92% of the time with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Fire Blast takes care of Registeel, while Grass Knot trips up Regirock and Slowbro. Softboiled is your main form of recovery; use it when your HP is low or on a predicted switch.</p>
<p>Although there isn't one wall that can counter this set, adding entry hazards to your team's list of support options will greatly help Clefable in taking down some of the biggest walls of UU. Stealth Rock is by far the most commonly seen entry hazard, with the two greatest Stealth Rock users to pair with Clefable being Donphan and Claydol. Donphan has the ability to counter some of the most elite sweepers in the tier, including Drapion, in addition to support options like Roar, Rapid Spin, and Stealth Rock. Claydol, on the other hand, acts as a great switch-in to the Fighting-types, like Hitmontop, sponging their attacks with his part-Psychic-typing and STAB Psychic. He also adds a Ground-type immunity to your team (thanks to Levitate), and can provide the same Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock support provided by Donphan. Toxic Spikes provides the opponent with residual damage in the form of regular poison or worsening poison, depending on how many layers of Toxic Spikes there are on the field. Cloyster and Drapion deserve mention as two of the best Toxic Spikers in UU, thanks to superb tanking capabilities. Drapion also provides support options in the form of Whirlwind. Spikes can also be added to your arsenal by Omastar, Cloyster, or Froslass.</p>
<p>Clefable also opens itself up to status effects, the most crippling being paralysis and burn. A paralyzed Clefable not only has a 30% chance of not being able to attack (only on ShoddyBattle 1 due to a programming glitch), but also runs the risk of being 2HKOed due to bad prediction. Burn causes problems for Clefable as well, because of the 50% Attack reduction. Therefore, adding a status absorber like RestTalking Spiritomb or Milotic is encouraged, since they have nothing to fear from the effects of burn or paralysis.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Wish / Softboiled / Encore
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Light Clay
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable has many chances to come in and set up because of its decent overall bulk and amazing ability. It is an excellent supporter and team player because it almost always successfully sets up the screens. What separates Clefable from other dual screeners is its access to Wish and wide variety of support moves, which most dual screeners lack.</p>
<p>Softboiled is the more realible healing move, although Wish can help your other teammates immensely by restoring 50% of their health on the switch in. You can run Encore to ruin Pokémon trying to set up on you. On the offensive side, Seismic Toss is your best option to deal a respectable amount of damage since Clefable doesn't have any other viable moves to utilize with this set. Clefable can also make use of Gravity instead of the three moves mentioned so that teammates such as Nidoking, Rhydon, and Torterra can hit Flying-type or Levitating foes with STAB Earthquake. Nidoking's Fire Blast also receives an accuracy boost, allowing it to deal considerable damage to Tangrowth and Torterra without fear of missing.</p>
<p>Clefable will generally have trouble against Pokémon that have access to Fighting-type moves. Hitmonlee and Hariyama can threaten Clefable with Close Combat and Force Palm respectively, making Mismagius and Spiritomb excellent partners. They are both immune to Fighting-type attacks and have access to Calm Mind, making it much easier to boost their stats when the screens set up by Clefable are in play. When it comes to dealing damage, Ghost-types can walk right into Seismic Toss and start something nasty, such as boosting their stats, but Clefable is able to Encore them if they do so, which gives you a good chance at setting up screens.</p>
[SET]
name: Trickster
move 1: Trick
move 2: Seismic Toss
move 3: Reflect / Light Screen
move 4: Softboiled
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set really messes with the many physical sweepers found in the UU metagame. Thanks to Magic Guard, Clefable has no problem Tricking Flame Orb into incoming switch-ins like Drapion or Kanghaskan, while healing off any damage done to it with Softboiled. Seismic Toss, as always, is Clefable's best attacking option, dealing quite a bit of damage to dedicated walls, as well as the sweepers you'll be crippling. The third moveslot comes down to personal preference; either Reflect or Light Screen can be used to reinforce one of Clefable's defenses, though a secondary attack will give Clefable an option against Ghost-types.</p>
<p>This set can also utilize Choice Specs as the Tricked item, although this tends to change the moveset. Should you choose to keep the Specs, carrying two or three attacking moves in place of Seismic Toss, Reflect / Light Screen, or Softboiled is ideal, as well as transferring the EVs invested in Special Defense to Special Attack to provide Clefable with some firepower. The problem with this is opponents may be able to outpredict your Trick and send out a Pokemon who wouldn't mind aquiring Choice Specs, like Rotom or Milotic, and abuse their new held item. Flame Orb hurts all Pokemon, while gaining an additional side-effect against physical attackers, meaning it's a win-win situation, unlike Specs. The only counters to Flame Orb's success are Fire-types and other Clefable.</p>
<p>Clefable only gets to Trick its item onto one of your opponent's Pokemon, so try to lure out your opponent's most lethal physical attacker before passing off your Flame Orb or Choice Specs. To accomplish this, pair Clefable up with a Pokemon who is capable of scouting or shuffling through your opponent's team. U-turn Ambipom, Whirlwind users like Hariyama or Drapion, and Pokemon packing Roar are all great choices.</p>
[SET]
name: Belly-Edge
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Double Edge
move 3: Softboiled
move 4: Meteor Mash / Fire Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Using Clefable as a physical attacker may not seem very appealing at first--after all, it's Attack stat isn't gigantic--but what really sets it apart from other Belly Drummers is two things: Softboiled and Double-Edge. Having access to a base 120 attack with no side-effects isn't something to clown around with, as any old bozo could tell you.</p>
<p>Clefable's Belly Drum strategy is a bit different from others of its kind. Instead of enduring the 50% HP loss from Belly Drum, Clefable is able to recover the lost damage, effectively putting it at +6 Attack and 100% HP after two turns. From there, it can start tearing apart teams with recoil-less Double Edge and your choice for the second attack.</p>
<p>For brute strength, look no further than Meteor Mash. If, however, you find yourself wishing for more accuracy and type coverage, Clefable has access to the elemental coverage. Fire Punch tears through even the most solid defenses, 2HKOing +2 Defense Registeel like nothing. ThunderPunch and Ice Punch see more use in the upper tiers, where extremely defensive threats lurk.</p>
<p>Life Orb is the preferred item, giving Double-Edge as much bite as possible. Leftovers is another good choice if you fear having Clefable's HP chipped away by faster threats. To combat status (especiall burn), Clefable can also carry Toxic Orb. Be sure you do not use Flame Orb, though, as the 50% Attack reduction still applies.</p>
<p>The choice of nature is dependent on your team. Jolly is the best choice for a stand-alone sweeper, allowing Clefable to outspeed everything up to base 70s with a neutral nature. If you choose to run Clefable with an Adamant nature (paralysis support is almost mandatory), a spread of 176 HP / 252 Atk / 76 SpD / 6 Spe is much more appropriate. Brave natured Clefable is mostly seen on Trick Room teams running a spread of 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 SpD and a 0 Speed IV to stay slow and bulky.</p>
<p>Belly-Edge Clefable's teammates vary, depending on whether you're utilizing a Brave-natured variant or Jolly / Adamant variant. Since it's meant to be on a Trick Room team, Brave Clefable will enjoy having Trick Room support. Slowbro is able to consistantly provide this environment in UU, thanks to its considerable bulk and Slack Off. Slow Ghost-types, like Spiritomb, are also great partners, coming in on a Fighting-type immunity and outspeeding threats with ease. If Clefable has either of the other two natures, speedier Ghosts are great partners, as well as somthing to scout your opponent's team; one Pokemon unaccounted for can lead to Clefable's demise, especially if it switches in before Clefable can Softboiled.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Clefable is a very versatile Pokemon with plenty of support for each set. On the Toxic Orb Abuse set, Clefable enjoys having Ghost-types removed because they attempt to block your STAB move. Spiritomb in particular, is well versed enough to take Meteor Mash or Fire Blast from Clefable, and can take advantage of its ability, Pressure, to reduce both attacks' meager PP. From an offensive standpoint, Rotom can come in on Meteor Mash and start to set up with Charge Beam. As such, Pursuit users such as Absol, Drapion, and Spiritomb can help remove these Pokemon. At certain times, Absol, and to a lesser extent, Drapion, will find itself helpless once they switch in on a predicted Thunderbolt from Rotom. As such, packing something like Rotom or Mismagius can help lure in Shadow Ball from Rotom, helping both Absol and Drapion trap much easier.</p>
<p>On the Encore set, entry hazards are required to take advantage of this rather exclusive move. Donphan and Uxie are great candidates for utilizing Stealth Rock. Donphan, in particular, is capable of scaring a lot of common Pokemon away with STAB Earthquake, while Uxie is unusually fast, so it can often set up on a majority of the Pokemon in UU who underestimate its above-average Speed. Keeping entry hazards on the field is not a walk in the park because Rapid Spin users are quite popular in the UU metagame. Hitmontop and Donphan are some of the best users for Rapid Spin; therefore packing a defensive Mismagius or Rotom can help deal with these spinners. Mismagius and Rotom both have Will-O-Wisp in their arsenal to foil physical attackers attempting to take Clefable down in addition to allowing these Ghost-types to take physical hits much easier. Despite crippling Hitmontop, the fighting top has Rest and Foresight in its pocket to give Mismagius and Rotom a hard time. Tricking a Choice item onto Hitmontop will keep it from being as effective, however.</p>
<p>On most of the sets, particularly offensive sets, Clefable's counters falls under the same category: faster Fighting-types. Milotic can handle a portion of the Fighting-types in the UU tier, and it can alternate between Recover and Surf to eventually take them down. To combat Chansey who attempt to outstall Clefable, try pairing Clefable with Swords Dance Blaziken, which can lure in and OHKO Milotic with A +2 Superpower.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Clefable's huge movepool means the possible move combinations are nearly endless. Clefable has access to Stealth Rock, which is plausible if your team tends to shuffle your opponent's active Pokemon quite a bit. Other support options available to Clefable include Psych Up, Snatch, and Gravity. Beware of the fact that your opponent also gets the advantages Gravity grants, though, because attacks like Hydro Pump, Fire Blast, and Thunder all become much more accurate.</p>
<p>Clefable also has a lot of other attacks that are more useful in the higher tiers. If you decide to use Clefable in OU, adding Focus Blast to your moveset will help take down the powerful Tyranitar and Weavile. Likewise, adding Grass Knot will trip up the likes of Swampert and other heavy walls. Ice Beam is the best choice to take down the Dragon-types in OU. Thunderbolt scares off Gyarados, but other than that it isn't very useful. Counter, too, is a viable choice, since Clefable will be dealing with many stronger Pokemon in OU than UU, such as Salamence and Machamp.</p>
<p>For all sets that only have one attack, switching natures to Careful will allow Clefable's Struggle to deal more damage.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Thankfully, Clefable's EV spreads aren't quite as numerous as its moveset options. For offensively-oriented sets, maximizing your attacking stat is mandatory, since Clefable isn't naturally gifted with high Attack or Special Attack. Stalling sets like Wishful Stalling should focus primarily on balancing the defensive stats since Clefable will be dealing with attacks from both sides of the spectrum; however, running more Special Defense isn't a horrible idea if you want Clefable to dedicate itself to walling special attacks only.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Clefable hands-down wins the entertainment award in Pokémon Diamond/Pearl competitive play. With a movepool out of the wazoo, offensive and defensive stats barely enough to exploit it, and Magic Guard to prevent enemies from getting rid of Clefable in uncool ways (read: Toxic), Clefable is a one-fairy show. It'll keep you guessing again and again what to do and you'll likely be wrong. If you're in for something different in your standard team that is good enough to get away with, but cool enough not to get yelled at for using, Clefable is a top recommendation.</p>
<p>It should be noted that combining Aromatherapy and Softboiled is actually illegal; if you're attempting to use both on one set, substitute Heal Bell for Aromatherapy. Lastly, it should be noted that Softboiled and Magic Guard are legal together on one set. You can teach Clefairy Softboiled in the 3rd Generation; its ability may change upon evolving in a 4th Generation game.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Clefable's unpredictability makes it impossible to counter every set with just one Pokemon. The best way to get rid of it quickly is to scout which set it's running and send out the appropriate wall to dispose of it. Ambipom takes the cake as the most capable scout, packing Fake Out, Taunt, and U-turn for scouting purposes.</p>
<p>Physically-minded Clefable, like the Toxic Orb Abuse set, have hard times overcoming the defensive capabilities of Registeel and Slowbro. Although neither Slowbro nor Registeel have the offensive power to outright OHKO Clefable and stay standing, both have the ability to take it down by other means (Registeel can Explode and Slowbro can utilize Calm Mind to boost its Special Attack). Registeel also carries Thunder Wave to cripple speedy sweepers, though Toxic Orb completely ruins this strategy. Although not a direct problem for Clefable, Stealth Rock can provide severe difficulties for the rest of your team.</p>
<p>Since Seismic Toss and STAB Normal-type attacks are included in many of Clefable's sets, Ghost-types like Spiritomb, Mismagius, and Rotom can cause major problems. If Clefable is forced to switch out, Mismagius and Rotom both can set up Substitutes and proceed to boost their own stats in the form of Calm Mind and Charge Beam, respectively. Both Spiritomb and Mismagius also tend to carry Hidden Power Fighting, which can 2HKO Clefable that choose to run Wish over Softboiled.</p>
<p>Mismagius itself takes the cake as the best counter to Wall Breaker Clefable, since it's immune to Double-Edge and can water down Fire Blast and Grass Knot's power via Calm Mind. In fact, as long as Clefable doesn't carry Encore Mismagius can set up on Clefable with no problems.</p>
<p>Special attacking sets are best blocked by, you guessed it, Chansey. Although Encore can lead to an immediate switch out, there's really no way for Clefable to counter her, besides 2HKOing with boosted Focus Blasts (though there's a 30% chance of it missing each time). This matchup will typically end in a stalemate, since Chansey isn't able to damage Clefable, either. To a lesser extent, Regice also has enough Special Defense to cause a hiccup in Clefable's strategy, although this golem has big problems with super effective Fire Blasts.</p>
<p>Fighting-types in general can handle Clefable with ease, thanks to powerful attacks like Close Combat and Superpower. Clefable lacks a super effective move to combat them, so expect a Ghost-type or other defensive switch in to better handle Fighting-type Pokemon and moves.</p>
<p>The Life Orb set is completely walled by bulkier Hitmontop, who fit the bill perfectly. As stated earlier, Close Combat will demolish Clefable, while the not-so-rare Intimidate will cripple Double-Edge's power. Defensively minded Altaria can also do a fairly good job as well, thanks to Roost, Dragon Dance boosted attacks, and multiple resistances. Overall, though, prediction will more often than not allow you to switch in counters fairly easily, like bringing in Blaziken on Grass Knot or Fire Blast.</p>
A lot of Clefable's sets needed changed or removed althogether, so the entire analysis has been changed to better reflect Cefable's usage statistics, unique abilities, and overall usefulness.
A special thanks goes to j. franky for writing the team options section.
Posted Sets:
- Toxic Orb Abuse (completed)
- Encore (completed)
- Wishful Stalling (completed)
- Trickster (completed)
- Life Orb (renamed Wall Breaker) (completed)
- Dual Screen (completed)
- Belly-Edge (in process)
- Choice Bander: Unpopular and gimmicky (tossed)
- Wish: Outclassed by Chansey (new defensive set created)
- Blissey With Weight Loss: Outclassed by Chansey (new defensive set created)
- Choice Specs: Unpopular and gimmicky (tossed)
- Calm Minder: Unpopular and outclassed (tossed)
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/clefable/
[SET]
name: Encore
move 1: Encore
move 2: Softboiled / Wish
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Thunder Wave / Aromatherapy
item: Flame Orb / Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable may be looked at as a poor man's Chansey, but this set works completely differently from the pink blob thanks to one move: Encore. Encore completely cripples stat boosters like Nasty Plot Mismagius, status inducers like Will-O-Wisp Spiritomb, and layers of entry hazards, like Steelix and Registeel.</p>
<p>Depending on how team-oriented you'd like Clefable to be, Softboiled and Wish are both great recovery options available to it. Seismic Toss provides consistent damage to everything (excluding Ghost-types) and is the best attack against walls, like Registeel. Thunder Wave spreads around status and lets Clefable's Encore cripple Pokemon later in the match much more easily. Aromatherapy lets Clefable be more of a team supporter, ridding your sweepers of all status effects. Flame Orb allows Clefable to evade status itself (most notably paralysis), while Leftovers provides extra recovery on top of your choice of recovery move.</p>
<p>An alternate spread of 252 HP / 252 Special Defense with a Calm nature will allow Clefable to tank some of the heaviest special attacks in the game.</p>
<p>Since Encore causes a lot of switches, entry hazards are great ways of racking up some free damage. Helpful Stealth Rock users include Donphan, Registeel, and Steelix (Clefable, too, if you can find a spot in its moveset). Donphan may be the best choice overall, since both of the Steel choices share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable, and with Rapid Spinning Hitmontop on the loose, Close Combat isn't something you want to have a weakness to. Spikers include Frolass, Cloyster, and Omastar; again, be wary of stacking Fighting-type weaknesses. Toxic Spikes, though helpful in most other situations, isn't really welcome when Thunder Wave is part of the moveset, so it's best to omit it from your team strategy if this is the Clefable for your team.</p>
<p>Rapid Spinners, especially Foresight hitmontop pretty much wreck this set. Ghost-types like Mismagius and Spiritomb are great candidates to block Spins, though Foresight can cause problems. For this reason, it may be in your best interest to carry a speedy Pokemon with access to an attack that is super effective against Fighting-types (Flying or Psychic) to remove Hitmontop from the equation altogether. Since Foresight will be the move you switch in on, sweepers like Honchkrow and Espeon are fairly good decisions, although your counters should be able to take a Mach Punch and stay standing, as it's a featured move on nearly every Hitmontop.</p>
[SET]
name: Wishful Stalling
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect / Cosmic Power
move 3: Seismic Toss
move 4: Toxic / Aeromatherapy
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 44 Def / 212 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Stalling is one of the big reasons to use Clefable over Chansey and Blissey. Immunity to entry hazards, immunity to status effects like poison and burn, and a reliable recovery move make Clefable one of the sturdiest walls in the game. Wish + Protect wastes two turns instead of the one Softboiled does, while Toxic slowly chips away at your opponent's HP. Cosmic Power increases both of Clefable's defenses, though puts you at risk for pseudo-Hazers. Seismic Toss provides a reliable attack on all Pokemon, excluding Ghost-types, of course. Aromatherapy is very useful, especially when your team is up against the likes of double status Rotom or a Toxic abuser.</p>
<p>Residual damage is the greatest addition to this set, bar none. Toxic Spikes, in particular, are a great asset, since they are the easiest way of causing Toxic-esque poison without wasting a moveslot. Drapion and the previously mentioned Cloyster both are great Toxic Spikers, though Drapion may be the better choice because it lacks a Fighting-type weakness. Toxic Spikes can also be absorbed by Poison-type Pokemon, so having a counter to the most common Poison-types (Drapion, and Toxicroak) is a good idea. Donphan is able to handle these Pokemon reliably, bashing Toxicroak and Drapion with STAB Earthquake.</p>
<p>This set really shines in OU, where fully evolved weather inducers like Abomasnow, Hippowdon, and Tyranitar reside. Hail is by far the best weather to start up in this tier, due in part to the vast number of Ground-, Steel-, and Rock-types that would otherwise receive stat boosts. Be wary of Fighting-types, though, if you decide to use a hail team, because Clefable will be sharing this weakness with every Ice-type Pokemon you include on your team.</p>
[SET]
name: Toxic Orb Abuse
move 1: Protect
move 2: Facade
move 3: Meteor Mash / Fire Blast
move 4: Softboiled / Wish
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is one of the best options if you plan on leading with Clefable. On the first turn always Protect; it allows Toxic Orb to activate, keeps you from taking damage, and can help scout your opponent’s lead. Facade then becomes a 140 Base Power attack, capable of OHKOing a vast majority of the most common leads in UU. The choice between Meteor Mash and Fire Blast is really a pick-your-poison decision. Meteor Mash takes care of Regirock, in addition to possibly adding an Attack boost, but opens yourself up to Steel-types like Registeel and Steelix. Fire Blast resolves this problem, but has less PP and lower accuracy, which really becomes a problem against Pressure users like Moltres and Spiritomb. If you do choose Fire Blast, adopt a new EV spread of 196 HP / 216 Atk / 96 SpA / 4 Spe with a Mild nature to guarentee a 2HKO on 252/252 Sassy Steelix with Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>For a fairly good list of Pokemon this Clefable will be facing, take a look at the statistics; being prepared for certain leads will help you in the long run. Common leads in today’s UU metagame include Froslass, Ambipom, and Uxie.</p>
<p>Froslass leads are intent on doing two things: setting up Spikes and Taunting their foe so they cannot set up themselves. Thankfully, either of Clefable's secondary attacks hits for super effective damage, taking down Froslass before it has time to set up more than two layer of Spikes.</p>
<p>Ambipom carries Fake Out for the first turn, though it’s really a wasted moveslot against Clefable if Ambipom decides to stay in, thanks to Protect's immunity. Payback does little damage since you’re not switching out or moving first, and Low Kick can be absorbed if you predict well and use Softboiled on the turn or Wish the turn before. Again, without Focus Sash Ambipom will be OHKOed by Facade.</p>
<p>Uxie will most likely start the battle by setting up Stealth Rock, followed by U-turn or Psychic (the last move Uxie normally has is a useless status-inducer). Since few Uxie actually run Focus Sash, Clefable does get a chance to score some big hits on the defensive pixie. The problem, though, is that Uxie tends to be a very bulky lead and has no problem settin up on Clefable while it tries to overcome Uxie.</p>
<p>Ghost-types are typical switch-ins to Facading Clefable, so having something to counter Spiritomb, Rotom, and Froslass is a very good idea. Absol and Drapion are good choices, as both have access to Pursuit. Absol also has Sucker Punch which can really screw with anything your opponent may switch in, though Drapion doesn’t share a Fighting-type weakness with Clefable like Absol does. Other Pokemon that pair well with this set are Ghost-types, Flying-types, and dedicated walls like Chansey and Registeel.</p>
[SET]
name: Wall Breaker
move 1: Double-Edge
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Grass Knot
move 4: Softboiled
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Quiet
evs: 216 Atk / 216 SpA / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Life Orb wall breaker may not seem like a role Clefable is designed for, but when you factor in the fact that Magic Guard nullifies Life Orb's damage and Double-Edge's recoil, you have a monster on your hands! Double-Edge will decimate foes like Chansey, 2HKOing the standard 0/252 Calm variants 92% of the time with Stealth Rock damage factored in. Fire Blast takes care of Registeel, while Grass Knot trips up Regirock and Slowbro. Softboiled is your main form of recovery; use it when your HP is low or on a predicted switch.</p>
<p>Although there isn't one wall that can counter this set, adding entry hazards to your team's list of support options will greatly help Clefable in taking down some of the biggest walls of UU. Stealth Rock is by far the most commonly seen entry hazard, with the two greatest Stealth Rock users to pair with Clefable being Donphan and Claydol. Donphan has the ability to counter some of the most elite sweepers in the tier, including Drapion, in addition to support options like Roar, Rapid Spin, and Stealth Rock. Claydol, on the other hand, acts as a great switch-in to the Fighting-types, like Hitmontop, sponging their attacks with his part-Psychic-typing and STAB Psychic. He also adds a Ground-type immunity to your team (thanks to Levitate), and can provide the same Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock support provided by Donphan. Toxic Spikes provides the opponent with residual damage in the form of regular poison or worsening poison, depending on how many layers of Toxic Spikes there are on the field. Cloyster and Drapion deserve mention as two of the best Toxic Spikers in UU, thanks to superb tanking capabilities. Drapion also provides support options in the form of Whirlwind. Spikes can also be added to your arsenal by Omastar, Cloyster, or Froslass.</p>
<p>Clefable also opens itself up to status effects, the most crippling being paralysis and burn. A paralyzed Clefable not only has a 30% chance of not being able to attack (only on ShoddyBattle 1 due to a programming glitch), but also runs the risk of being 2HKOed due to bad prediction. Burn causes problems for Clefable as well, because of the 50% Attack reduction. Therefore, adding a status absorber like RestTalking Spiritomb or Milotic is encouraged, since they have nothing to fear from the effects of burn or paralysis.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screen
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Wish / Softboiled / Encore
move 4: Seismic Toss
item: Light Clay
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Clefable has many chances to come in and set up because of its decent overall bulk and amazing ability. It is an excellent supporter and team player because it almost always successfully sets up the screens. What separates Clefable from other dual screeners is its access to Wish and wide variety of support moves, which most dual screeners lack.</p>
<p>Softboiled is the more realible healing move, although Wish can help your other teammates immensely by restoring 50% of their health on the switch in. You can run Encore to ruin Pokémon trying to set up on you. On the offensive side, Seismic Toss is your best option to deal a respectable amount of damage since Clefable doesn't have any other viable moves to utilize with this set. Clefable can also make use of Gravity instead of the three moves mentioned so that teammates such as Nidoking, Rhydon, and Torterra can hit Flying-type or Levitating foes with STAB Earthquake. Nidoking's Fire Blast also receives an accuracy boost, allowing it to deal considerable damage to Tangrowth and Torterra without fear of missing.</p>
<p>Clefable will generally have trouble against Pokémon that have access to Fighting-type moves. Hitmonlee and Hariyama can threaten Clefable with Close Combat and Force Palm respectively, making Mismagius and Spiritomb excellent partners. They are both immune to Fighting-type attacks and have access to Calm Mind, making it much easier to boost their stats when the screens set up by Clefable are in play. When it comes to dealing damage, Ghost-types can walk right into Seismic Toss and start something nasty, such as boosting their stats, but Clefable is able to Encore them if they do so, which gives you a good chance at setting up screens.</p>
[SET]
name: Trickster
move 1: Trick
move 2: Seismic Toss
move 3: Reflect / Light Screen
move 4: Softboiled
item: Flame Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set really messes with the many physical sweepers found in the UU metagame. Thanks to Magic Guard, Clefable has no problem Tricking Flame Orb into incoming switch-ins like Drapion or Kanghaskan, while healing off any damage done to it with Softboiled. Seismic Toss, as always, is Clefable's best attacking option, dealing quite a bit of damage to dedicated walls, as well as the sweepers you'll be crippling. The third moveslot comes down to personal preference; either Reflect or Light Screen can be used to reinforce one of Clefable's defenses, though a secondary attack will give Clefable an option against Ghost-types.</p>
<p>This set can also utilize Choice Specs as the Tricked item, although this tends to change the moveset. Should you choose to keep the Specs, carrying two or three attacking moves in place of Seismic Toss, Reflect / Light Screen, or Softboiled is ideal, as well as transferring the EVs invested in Special Defense to Special Attack to provide Clefable with some firepower. The problem with this is opponents may be able to outpredict your Trick and send out a Pokemon who wouldn't mind aquiring Choice Specs, like Rotom or Milotic, and abuse their new held item. Flame Orb hurts all Pokemon, while gaining an additional side-effect against physical attackers, meaning it's a win-win situation, unlike Specs. The only counters to Flame Orb's success are Fire-types and other Clefable.</p>
<p>Clefable only gets to Trick its item onto one of your opponent's Pokemon, so try to lure out your opponent's most lethal physical attacker before passing off your Flame Orb or Choice Specs. To accomplish this, pair Clefable up with a Pokemon who is capable of scouting or shuffling through your opponent's team. U-turn Ambipom, Whirlwind users like Hariyama or Drapion, and Pokemon packing Roar are all great choices.</p>
[SET]
name: Belly-Edge
move 1: Belly Drum
move 2: Double Edge
move 3: Softboiled
move 4: Meteor Mash / Fire Punch
item: Life Orb / Leftovers
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Using Clefable as a physical attacker may not seem very appealing at first--after all, it's Attack stat isn't gigantic--but what really sets it apart from other Belly Drummers is two things: Softboiled and Double-Edge. Having access to a base 120 attack with no side-effects isn't something to clown around with, as any old bozo could tell you.</p>
<p>Clefable's Belly Drum strategy is a bit different from others of its kind. Instead of enduring the 50% HP loss from Belly Drum, Clefable is able to recover the lost damage, effectively putting it at +6 Attack and 100% HP after two turns. From there, it can start tearing apart teams with recoil-less Double Edge and your choice for the second attack.</p>
<p>For brute strength, look no further than Meteor Mash. If, however, you find yourself wishing for more accuracy and type coverage, Clefable has access to the elemental coverage. Fire Punch tears through even the most solid defenses, 2HKOing +2 Defense Registeel like nothing. ThunderPunch and Ice Punch see more use in the upper tiers, where extremely defensive threats lurk.</p>
<p>Life Orb is the preferred item, giving Double-Edge as much bite as possible. Leftovers is another good choice if you fear having Clefable's HP chipped away by faster threats. To combat status (especiall burn), Clefable can also carry Toxic Orb. Be sure you do not use Flame Orb, though, as the 50% Attack reduction still applies.</p>
<p>The choice of nature is dependent on your team. Jolly is the best choice for a stand-alone sweeper, allowing Clefable to outspeed everything up to base 70s with a neutral nature. If you choose to run Clefable with an Adamant nature (paralysis support is almost mandatory), a spread of 176 HP / 252 Atk / 76 SpD / 6 Spe is much more appropriate. Brave natured Clefable is mostly seen on Trick Room teams running a spread of 200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 SpD and a 0 Speed IV to stay slow and bulky.</p>
<p>Belly-Edge Clefable's teammates vary, depending on whether you're utilizing a Brave-natured variant or Jolly / Adamant variant. Since it's meant to be on a Trick Room team, Brave Clefable will enjoy having Trick Room support. Slowbro is able to consistantly provide this environment in UU, thanks to its considerable bulk and Slack Off. Slow Ghost-types, like Spiritomb, are also great partners, coming in on a Fighting-type immunity and outspeeding threats with ease. If Clefable has either of the other two natures, speedier Ghosts are great partners, as well as somthing to scout your opponent's team; one Pokemon unaccounted for can lead to Clefable's demise, especially if it switches in before Clefable can Softboiled.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Clefable is a very versatile Pokemon with plenty of support for each set. On the Toxic Orb Abuse set, Clefable enjoys having Ghost-types removed because they attempt to block your STAB move. Spiritomb in particular, is well versed enough to take Meteor Mash or Fire Blast from Clefable, and can take advantage of its ability, Pressure, to reduce both attacks' meager PP. From an offensive standpoint, Rotom can come in on Meteor Mash and start to set up with Charge Beam. As such, Pursuit users such as Absol, Drapion, and Spiritomb can help remove these Pokemon. At certain times, Absol, and to a lesser extent, Drapion, will find itself helpless once they switch in on a predicted Thunderbolt from Rotom. As such, packing something like Rotom or Mismagius can help lure in Shadow Ball from Rotom, helping both Absol and Drapion trap much easier.</p>
<p>On the Encore set, entry hazards are required to take advantage of this rather exclusive move. Donphan and Uxie are great candidates for utilizing Stealth Rock. Donphan, in particular, is capable of scaring a lot of common Pokemon away with STAB Earthquake, while Uxie is unusually fast, so it can often set up on a majority of the Pokemon in UU who underestimate its above-average Speed. Keeping entry hazards on the field is not a walk in the park because Rapid Spin users are quite popular in the UU metagame. Hitmontop and Donphan are some of the best users for Rapid Spin; therefore packing a defensive Mismagius or Rotom can help deal with these spinners. Mismagius and Rotom both have Will-O-Wisp in their arsenal to foil physical attackers attempting to take Clefable down in addition to allowing these Ghost-types to take physical hits much easier. Despite crippling Hitmontop, the fighting top has Rest and Foresight in its pocket to give Mismagius and Rotom a hard time. Tricking a Choice item onto Hitmontop will keep it from being as effective, however.</p>
<p>On most of the sets, particularly offensive sets, Clefable's counters falls under the same category: faster Fighting-types. Milotic can handle a portion of the Fighting-types in the UU tier, and it can alternate between Recover and Surf to eventually take them down. To combat Chansey who attempt to outstall Clefable, try pairing Clefable with Swords Dance Blaziken, which can lure in and OHKO Milotic with A +2 Superpower.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Clefable's huge movepool means the possible move combinations are nearly endless. Clefable has access to Stealth Rock, which is plausible if your team tends to shuffle your opponent's active Pokemon quite a bit. Other support options available to Clefable include Psych Up, Snatch, and Gravity. Beware of the fact that your opponent also gets the advantages Gravity grants, though, because attacks like Hydro Pump, Fire Blast, and Thunder all become much more accurate.</p>
<p>Clefable also has a lot of other attacks that are more useful in the higher tiers. If you decide to use Clefable in OU, adding Focus Blast to your moveset will help take down the powerful Tyranitar and Weavile. Likewise, adding Grass Knot will trip up the likes of Swampert and other heavy walls. Ice Beam is the best choice to take down the Dragon-types in OU. Thunderbolt scares off Gyarados, but other than that it isn't very useful. Counter, too, is a viable choice, since Clefable will be dealing with many stronger Pokemon in OU than UU, such as Salamence and Machamp.</p>
<p>For all sets that only have one attack, switching natures to Careful will allow Clefable's Struggle to deal more damage.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Thankfully, Clefable's EV spreads aren't quite as numerous as its moveset options. For offensively-oriented sets, maximizing your attacking stat is mandatory, since Clefable isn't naturally gifted with high Attack or Special Attack. Stalling sets like Wishful Stalling should focus primarily on balancing the defensive stats since Clefable will be dealing with attacks from both sides of the spectrum; however, running more Special Defense isn't a horrible idea if you want Clefable to dedicate itself to walling special attacks only.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Clefable hands-down wins the entertainment award in Pokémon Diamond/Pearl competitive play. With a movepool out of the wazoo, offensive and defensive stats barely enough to exploit it, and Magic Guard to prevent enemies from getting rid of Clefable in uncool ways (read: Toxic), Clefable is a one-fairy show. It'll keep you guessing again and again what to do and you'll likely be wrong. If you're in for something different in your standard team that is good enough to get away with, but cool enough not to get yelled at for using, Clefable is a top recommendation.</p>
<p>It should be noted that combining Aromatherapy and Softboiled is actually illegal; if you're attempting to use both on one set, substitute Heal Bell for Aromatherapy. Lastly, it should be noted that Softboiled and Magic Guard are legal together on one set. You can teach Clefairy Softboiled in the 3rd Generation; its ability may change upon evolving in a 4th Generation game.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Clefable's unpredictability makes it impossible to counter every set with just one Pokemon. The best way to get rid of it quickly is to scout which set it's running and send out the appropriate wall to dispose of it. Ambipom takes the cake as the most capable scout, packing Fake Out, Taunt, and U-turn for scouting purposes.</p>
<p>Physically-minded Clefable, like the Toxic Orb Abuse set, have hard times overcoming the defensive capabilities of Registeel and Slowbro. Although neither Slowbro nor Registeel have the offensive power to outright OHKO Clefable and stay standing, both have the ability to take it down by other means (Registeel can Explode and Slowbro can utilize Calm Mind to boost its Special Attack). Registeel also carries Thunder Wave to cripple speedy sweepers, though Toxic Orb completely ruins this strategy. Although not a direct problem for Clefable, Stealth Rock can provide severe difficulties for the rest of your team.</p>
<p>Since Seismic Toss and STAB Normal-type attacks are included in many of Clefable's sets, Ghost-types like Spiritomb, Mismagius, and Rotom can cause major problems. If Clefable is forced to switch out, Mismagius and Rotom both can set up Substitutes and proceed to boost their own stats in the form of Calm Mind and Charge Beam, respectively. Both Spiritomb and Mismagius also tend to carry Hidden Power Fighting, which can 2HKO Clefable that choose to run Wish over Softboiled.</p>
<p>Mismagius itself takes the cake as the best counter to Wall Breaker Clefable, since it's immune to Double-Edge and can water down Fire Blast and Grass Knot's power via Calm Mind. In fact, as long as Clefable doesn't carry Encore Mismagius can set up on Clefable with no problems.</p>
<p>Special attacking sets are best blocked by, you guessed it, Chansey. Although Encore can lead to an immediate switch out, there's really no way for Clefable to counter her, besides 2HKOing with boosted Focus Blasts (though there's a 30% chance of it missing each time). This matchup will typically end in a stalemate, since Chansey isn't able to damage Clefable, either. To a lesser extent, Regice also has enough Special Defense to cause a hiccup in Clefable's strategy, although this golem has big problems with super effective Fire Blasts.</p>
<p>Fighting-types in general can handle Clefable with ease, thanks to powerful attacks like Close Combat and Superpower. Clefable lacks a super effective move to combat them, so expect a Ghost-type or other defensive switch in to better handle Fighting-type Pokemon and moves.</p>
<p>The Life Orb set is completely walled by bulkier Hitmontop, who fit the bill perfectly. As stated earlier, Close Combat will demolish Clefable, while the not-so-rare Intimidate will cripple Double-Edge's power. Defensively minded Altaria can also do a fairly good job as well, thanks to Roost, Dragon Dance boosted attacks, and multiple resistances. Overall, though, prediction will more often than not allow you to switch in counters fairly easily, like bringing in Blaziken on Grass Knot or Fire Blast.</p>
