QC: Bluwing | Steve Angello | AM
GP: P Squared | The Dutch Plumberjack
Overview
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Clefable rose to stardom in XY, and it has since been a dominant force in the balanced playstyle. Boasting a good defensive typing in Fairy, which leaves it weak only to Steel- and Poison-types, coupled with two stellar abilities in Magic Guard and Unaware, Clefable is extremely versatile and capable of fulfilling many different roles on a team. In addition, Clefable's decent bulk lets it take on many threatening Pokemon such as Mega Sableye, Mega Altaria, Mega Manectric, Kyurem-B, Breloom, and Mega Lopunny. Its diverse movepool, consisting of plenty of utility and support moves, includes Calm Mind, Knock Off, Heal Bell, Encore, Thunder Wave, and Stealth Rock. Last but not least, Clefable is one of the best Stealth Rock users in the tier, as it can get past nearly all Rapid Spin users and Defoggers such as Starmie, Skarmory, and Mandibuzz.
However, ORAS brought Mega Metagross and Mega Beedrill, as well as surges in usage for Mega Scizor, Talonflame, Reuniclus, and stallbreaker Gliscor, making Clefable's life harder. Moreover, Clefable is shut down easily by Taunt, and without any Calm Mind boosts, it is relatively weak. Clefable's bulk is also quite underwhelming in practice, making it unable to check Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Gallade repeatedly.
Calm Mind + Magic Guard
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name: Calm Mind + Magic Guard
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Soft-Boiled
move 4: Flamethrower / Thunder Wave
ability: Magic Guard
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
nature: Calm
Moves
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Calm Mind boosts Clefable’s Special Attack and Special Defense stat, making it both powerful and bulky. Moonblast is Clefable's obligatory STAB move and hits extremely hard after just a few Calm Mind boosts. Soft-Boiled gives Clefable much-needed longevity on the field, enabling it to check threats with much more ease. Lastly, Flamethrower deals with the Steel-types that resist Moonblast, such as Scizor and Excadrill. However, Thunder Wave is a great utility move in general that can cripple many of Clefable's checks, including Talonflame, Scizor, and Mega Metagross.
Focus Blast can also be considered for its ability to hit Heatran and Chansey, two of the biggest checks to Clefable. Ice Beam is an alternate option to OHKO specially defensive Gliscor after a boost, which would otherwise check Clefable; however, Clefable misses out on Steel-types such as Scizor as a result.
Set Details
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Leftovers increases Clefable's longevity and allows it to check many Pokemon much better. The given Special Defense and HP investment along with a Calm nature allow Clefable to, most of the time, avoid the 2HKO from Mild Life Orb Kyurem-B's Ice Beam, Thundurus's Thunderbolt, Mega Diancie's Moonblast, and Mega Manectric's Thunderbolt. The given Defense and HP investment allow Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Jolly Mega Lopunny's Return, Latios's Psyshock, and Jolly Mega Gyarados's Waterfall, as well as the OHKO from Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch.
Magic Guard prevents Clefable from being worn down by statuses and continual switches with entry hazards on the field. As a result, Clefable is incredibly hard to wear down. Running Speed investment is perfectly fine, allowing Clefable to outspeed opposing Clefable, Azumarill, Skarmory, Tyranitar, and Sylveon, but it will lose out on the defensive benchmarks above.
If using a Life Orb, it is also impossible for Clefable to reach similar defensive benchmarks to those of this set, so an EV spread of 252 HP / 176 Def / 80 SpA with a Bold nature can be used to 2HKO Chansey with Moonblast most of the time at +6, allowing Clefable to stallbreak much more effectively.
Usage Tips
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Clefable can be pivoted into relatively weak attacks, such as Mega Manectric's Thunderbolt and Rotom-W's Hydro Pump, but keep in mind that it cannot switch into incredibly powerful moves such as Choice Band Azumarill's Play Rough. Due to Magic Guard, Clefable can also be pivoted into status moves from passive Pokemon, such as Alomomola and Rotom-W, which Clefable can easily pivot into and set up on. Clefable fits best on balanced teams that need a good sweeper, as it glues the team together with its ability to check a wide range of foes. Use Calm Mind on foes that aren't particularly threatening to Clefable, such as Thundurus, Rotom-W, and Slowbro, or on predicted switches against the likes of Mega Lopunny and Mega Altaria. However, keep this in mind, don't get too greedy with Calm Mind boosts, or else Clefable might get struck by a critical hit and it is game over. If a switch into a Fire-weak Steel-types such as Scizor or Mega Metagross is obvious, it is better to use Flamethrower as opposed to Calm Mind to weaken the check. Use Soft-Boiled to keep Clefable healthy and in a good position, which lets it set up more easily.
Team Options
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Because Fire-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Mega Charizard Y are amongst the greatest checks to Clefable, Pokemon that can easily deal with them are great partners for Clefable. Relatively bulky Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types such as Keldeo, Suicune, Excadrill, and Tyranitar are great teammates to weaken or eliminate Fire-types for Clefable. In addition, Magnezone helps eliminate Steel-types that trouble Clefable, such as Scizor, with ease. A Choice Scarf set is preferred so that Magnezone can soften up faster Steel-types such as Excadrill, Heatran, and Mega Metagross. Heatran, similarly, is a great teammate for Clefable; it resists the Poison-, Fire-, and Steel-type attacks that Clefable has trouble with while also providing much-valued Stealth Rock support. Heatran also checks Talonflame and Mega Charizard X lacking Earthquake. Lures for various Clefable checks such as specially defensive Gliscor and Heatran are valued. Pokemon such as Icy Wind Gengar and Apicot Berry Jirachi are good choices for these roles, but remember not to reveal them too early.
Stealth Rock Setter
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name: Stealth Rock Setter
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Thunder Wave / Fire Blast
move 4: Soft-Boiled
ability: Magic Guard
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
nature: Calm
Moves
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Clefable is one of the best Stealth Rock users, as it can get past most Rapid Spin and Defog users bar Tentacruel and Excadrill. Stealth Rock is a great support move, punishing switches and deterring Fire-type Pokemon such as Talonflame from switching in and checking Clefable. Moonblast is the main STAB move and deals with the plethora of Dark-, Dragon-, and Fighting-types in the tier. Thunder Wave is an excellent utility move, crippling switch-ins such as Gengar, Mega Metagross, and Mega Charizard X and Y by slowing them down. Fire Blast is an option over Thunder Wave; it allows Clefable to muscle past Steel-types and a few Defoggers and spinners such as Skarmory and Excadrill. It is chosen over Flamethrower for the increased damage output as well as its ability to OHKO non-Mega Scizor 100% of the time. Lastly, Soft-Boiled is compulsory, keeping Clefable healthy to be able to set up Stealth Rock when needed throughout the match.
Knock Off is a viable option as well, removing items from switch-ins such as Tentacruel and Heatran, leaving them crippled for the rest of the game. Healing Wish is another viable move, that basically gives one of Clefable's teammates a second life at the cost of Clefable sacrificing itself.
Set Details
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Leftovers increases Clefable's longevity and allows it to check many Pokemon much better by reaching defensive benchmarks that, without Leftovers, are unachievable. Maximum HP investment gives Clefable as much as bulk as possible, and the given Special Defense investment in tandem with a Calm nature allows Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Mild Life Orb Kyurem-B's Ice Beam, Thundurus's Thunderbolt, Mega Diancie's Moonblast, and Mega Manectric's Thunderbolt. 172 Defense EVs allow Clefable to avoid the 2HKO from Jolly Mega Lopunny's Return, Latios's Psyshock, and Jolly Mega Gyarados's Waterfall as well as the OHKO from Choice Band Scizor's Bullet Punch. Magic Guard prevents Clefable from being worn down by status and continual switches with entry hazards on the field.
Usage Tips
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Due to Clefable's decent bulk, it can pivot into non-threatening Pokemon such as Mega Lopunny and Rotom-W and proceed to set up Stealth Rock, but be careful not to overestimate Clefable's bulk. Try to set up Stealth Rock as early as possible because any chip damage on the foe is appreciated; however, keep in mind that Clefable does not need to be a lead, as it can set up Stealth Rock during the middle of the game as well. Nevertheless, it does have a decent matchup against select leads and anti-leads such as Garchomp and Mega Sableye. Clefable can also force switches against Pokemon such as Conkeldurr and Keldeo and proceed to set up Stealth Rock by virtue of its typing and bulk. Use various coverage moves to ward away Rapid Spinners and Defoggers such as Excadrill and Mandibuzz from getting rid of the Stealth Rock on the field. Use Soft-Boiled to ensure Clefable stays healthy throughout the match and also to make sure that Clefable continually set Stealth Rocks if needed be.
Team Options
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Heatran has great defensive synergy with Clefable, dealing with the Poison-types, such as Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss, that Clefable struggles with as well as select Steel-types such as Scizor and Ferrothorn. It also provides Taunt support to stop the opponent from getting rid of Clefable's Stealth Rock. Pokemon that enjoy having Stealth Rock on the opponent's side of the field are good partners for Clefable; an example is Mega Alakazam, which needs Stealth Rock up to secure certain KOs such as with Shadow Ball on Latios. In addition, Rotom-W and Tyranitar are good partners that can deal with most Fire-types such as Talonflame and Heatran, which all check Clefable. Latios beats Tentacruel, one of the the only spinners that Clefable fails to beat, as well as luring in and KOing Steel-types such as Heatran and Excadrill with Earthquake. Latios also appreciates Clefable's ability to deal with most Dragon-, Dark-, and Ice-types such as Dragonite, Tyranitar, and Weavile, which it would otherwise struggle against.
Unaware Wall
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name: Unaware Wall
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Heal Bell / Flamethrower
move 3: Wish
move 4: Protect
ability: Unaware
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
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Moonblast is the main STAB move that Clefable uses to deal damage and to not be completely shut down by Taunt. Heal Bell lets Clefable utilize its good defenses to become a supportive cleric, as well as clearing itself of any status because without Magic Guard, it is quite susceptible to poison and burn. Wish provides reliable recovery for Clefable and its team and is used over Soft-Boiled, as Soft-Boiled is illegal with Unaware. Protect is great for safely receiving Wish healing and for scouting. Flamethrower is an alternate option for the second moveslot that deals with various Steel-types such as Scizor and Excadrill on the switch.
However, if the team already has a dedicated cleric, alternate options can be run in the Heal Bell moveslot. Thunder Wave is a great utility move, crippling switch-ins such as Scizor, Talonflame and Heatran. Moonlight is an alternate way of healing, and it takes up only one moveslot as compared to Wish + Protect's two. However, Moonlight has fewer PP and is less reliable, due to healing a less amount in weather conditions such as sand and rain, and it also does not heal Clefable's teammates. Stealth Rock is a good support move candidate for the last moveslot to punish switches. Knock Off can also be used to cripple switch-ins such as Gengar and Heatran by removing their item.
Set Details
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The 248 HP investment minimizes entry hazard damage as well as any residual damage from status or sand. Maximum Defense investment allows Clefable to check a variety of physical attackers such as Mega Pinsir, Landorus-T, and Breloom; alternatively, Special Defense investment can be used instead to check special attackers or setup sweepers such as Mega Manectric and Manaphy. Leftovers gives Clefable passive healing. Unaware is Clefable's chosen ability to ignore any boosts the opponent's Pokemon has accumulated, making Clefable a good defensive wall. It is to be noted that even if Knock Off is run, Clefable should still use a Bold nature, because Knock Off is not meant to do damage but instead is used to remove the foes' items.
Usage Tips
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Unaware Clefable is a great fit on balanced and stall teams that need a check to powerful setup sweepers or a cleric with Wish support. Do not overestimate Clefable's bulk; it cannot repeatedly check sweepers such as Mega Charizard X or take powerful hits such as Crawdaunt's Crabhammer. Remember to keep Clefable healthy so that it can check many threats later on, as losing Clefable can be detrimental. Pivot Clefable in on weaker hits such as Heatran's Lava Plume, and take advantage of the switches Clefable forces to use support moves such as Heal Bell or Wish.
Team Options
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Getting rid of Steel-types such as Scizor and Excadrill is extremely beneficial to Clefable; Magnezone can trap and KO Steel-types effectively with Hidden Power Fire, as can various lures such as Hidden Power Fire or Earthquake Latios and Apicot Berry Jirachi. Heatran is a great partner, having great offensive and defensive synergy with Clefable, and deals with Steel-, Fire-, and Poison-types that check Clefable. Heatran also benefits from Wish support, as it does not have any reliable recovery of its own. Pokemon such as Hippowdon and Quagsire that can check the Pokemon that Clefable struggle with such as Mega Charizard X, Talonflame, and Bisharp are great partners. Teammates that appreciate Clefable's ability to easily check foes such as Mega Pinsir, Mega Gallade, Mega Lopunny, and a multitude of Dragon-types are great partners; examples are Heatran and Latios.
Unaware + Calm Mind
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name: Unaware + Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Moonblast
move 3: Moonlight / Wish
move 4: Heal Bell / Protect / Flamethrower
ability: Unaware
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
nature: Bold
Moves
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Due to Unaware, Clefable can set up Calm Mind on setup sweepers such as Garchomp , which it cannot do with Magic Guard. Moonblast is the obligatory STAB move, providing great coverage against a multitude of Fighting-, Dark-, and Dragon-types. Moonlight is used over Wish, as it frees up a moveslot and Soft-Boiled is incompatible with Unaware; however, Moonlight has fewer PP and is less effective under most weather conditions, which is a major drawback. Wish and Protect can be opted for in place of Moonlight, providing more reliable recovery than Moonlight, the ability to heal teammates, and the ability to scout. However, Wish + Protect takes up two moveslots, which is quite detrimental given that Clefable really enjoys having Heal Bell or another coverage move. Heal Bell clears Clefable and its team of status, as without Magic Guard, Clefable is easily worn down by status such as burn or Toxic. Finally, Flamethrower deals with Steel-types such as Scizor, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn, which take Moonblast easily.
Set Details
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The 248 HP investment minimizes residual damage, including from status and entry hazards. Maximum Defense investment is used so that Clefable can use physical setup sweepers, such as Garchomp, as setup fodder; however, Special Defense investment can be used instead to set up on special sweepers such as Quiver Dance Volcarona, Nasty Plot Thundurus, and Tail Glow Manaphy more easily. Leftovers gives Clefable gradual recovery to set up Calm Mind more easily. Unaware allows Clefable to boost in the face of setup sweepers, a perk it has over Magic Guard.
Alternatively, an EV spread of 248 HP / 248 Def / 12 Spe can be used to allow Clefable to outspeed minimum Speed Tyranitar. More Speed can also be run to outrun Pokemon such as Azumarill, Sylveon, and Skarmory.
Usage Tips
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Clefable fits in on more defensively oriented teams in need of Wish or cleric support or on balanced teams needing a solid check for setup sweepers. Clefable can easily pivot into a multitude of threats such as Mega Lopunny and Mega Gallade, and it can utilize the switches caused to set up Calm Mind. However, though solid, Clefable's bulk should not be overestimated; do not repeatedly throw Clefable into powerful attacks. Be careful with Moonlight's PP, as Clefable is often dead weight and useless without recovery. With Unaware, Clefable can win Calm Mind wars easily against opposing Gothitelle, Magic Guard Clefable, Slowbro, and Manaphy.
Team Options
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Getting rid of Steel-, Poison-, and Fire-types is beneficial to Clefable; specially defensive Gliscor and Heatran are good teammates in this respect, as they can take on a variety of Poison-types, including Mega Venusaur, Dragalge, Gengar, and Tentacruel. Tyranitar and Thunder Wave Rotom-W check Talonflame and Mega Charizard X at the same time with ease, both Pokemon Clefable struggles with tremendously. Conkeldurr, Mega Gallade, and Mega Lopunny check Steel-types for Clefable; Conkeldurr easily deals with Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Empoleon, taking advantage of burns because of Guts, as well as a few Poison-types such as Gengar because of its high defenses combined with an Assault Vest. Similarly, Mega Gallade deals with Steel-types such as Heatran and Ferrothorn, as well as Poison-types such as Mega Venusaur and Tentacruel, while Mega Lopunny smashes Steel-types, Gengar, and Mega Charizard Y.
Tank-Fable
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name: Tank-Fable
move 1: Moonblast
move 2: Fire Blast
move 3: Soft-Boiled
move 4: Focus Blast / Thunderbolt / Ice Beam
ability: Magic Guard
item: Life Orb
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
nature: Modest
Moves
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Moonblast is Clefable's main STAB move and hits quite hard with a Life Orb, dealing with the plethora of Fighting-, Dark-, and Dragon-types in the tier, such as Mega Lopunny, Tyranitar, and Garchomp. Fire Blast allows Clefable to get past Steel-types such as Scizor and Ferrothorn, which can shrug off Moonblast easily; however, Flamethrower is an option for more reliability in terms of accuracy. Soft-Boiled lets Clefable stay healthy so that it can consistently tank hits and dish out powerful hits of its own. Focus Blast allows Clefable to 2HKO Heatran and Empoleon, which otherwise wall Clefable utterly. Thunderbolt , similarly, 2HKOes stallbreaker Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y. Lastly, Ice Beam OHKOes specially defensive Gliscor as well as both Landorus formes. Psyshock can also be considered, as it deals with Poison-types such as Amoonguss, Mega Venusaur, and Tentacruel, as well as dealing more damage to Chansey.
Set Details
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Maximum HP investment lets Clefable comfortably tank hits, and maximum Special Attack investment allows Clefable to hit as hard as possible. Magic Guard prevents Clefable from being worn down by status and entry hazards so it can switch in numerous times without requiring Rapid Spin or Defog support. A Life Orb capitalizes on Magic Guard, increasing Clefable's damage output significantly without inflicting recoil.
Lastly, Speed investment can be run to outspeed threats such as Tyranitar and Sylveon. An additional 12 EVs in Speed allow Clefable to outspeed uninvested Tyranitar, while 16 EVs will creep Sylveon.
Usage Tips
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Clefable can easily pivot into Pokemon such as Mega Sceptile and Mega Lopunny and dish out powerful hits immediately. Due to Magic Guard, Clefable can also pivot easily into walls that typically rely on status, such as Chansey, Seismitoad, and Alomomola. However, because this set does not run any Defense or Special Defense investment, keep in mind that Clefable is not particularly bulky and thus cannot be thrown into numerous attacks. Use Soft-Boiled on predicted switches, so as to not lose momentum. If using moves such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Psyshock to deal with the Pokemon Clefable lures in, one must pretend to not have these moves early-game and strike only when the opponent's guard is down.
Team Options
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Because Clefable has various coverage moves in its arsenal, Pokemon that appreciate various threats Pokemon lured in and KOed are ideal partners. Mega Pidgeot and Volcarona appreciate Clefable's ability to lure in Empoleon and Heatran and 2HKO them with Focus Blast, while Fighting-, Grass-, and Bug-types such as Mega Lopunny, Serperior, and Scizor value Clefable's ability to lure in and 2HKO stallbreaker Talonflame with Thunderbolt. In addition, Clefable can lure in opposing Gliscor and Landorus and OHKO them with Ice Beam, making Gengar and Landorus not running Hidden Power Ice great partners. Lastly, Mega Lopunny and Mega Manectric appreciate Clefable's ability to weaken Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss with Psyshock. Pivots such as Tornadus-Therian and Rotom-W can bring in Clefable easily with VoltTurn support so that it can come in without taking unnecessary damage.
Other Options
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On the Calm Mind + Magic Guard set, various other coverage moves such as Ice Beam and Thunderbolt can be used to deal with Clefable's checks, such as Gliscor and Talonflame. Dual screens is an option to provide invaluable support to various sweepers on offensive builds, but dedicated screeners such as Azelf and Klefki outperform Clefable in this role. Knock Off is a great utility move to cripple switch-ins such as Gengar and Talonflame. Rain Dance is a good support option to replenish rain on weather teams, as well as checking Fire-type switch-ins such as Talonflame, Victini, and Mega Charizard Y. Encore locks setup sweepers and status inducers into only one move, allowing easy setup or switch opportunities for Clefable. Stored Power is a good option as well to stallbreak much more effectively and efficiently; at +6, Clefable 2HKOes Chansey and slaughters various Steel-, Fire-, and Poison-types such as Heatran, Talonflame, and Mega Venusaur, all of which it fails to do with Moonblast. Heal Bell on the Stealth Rock set is also an option, clearing teammates of the crippling effects of status. Lastly, it is to be highlighted that Cosmic Power is a really bad move for Clefable; it takes many turns to set up and to do damage, and even if Clefable does manage to get to +6, a non-STAB Stored Power still hits like a wet bag, not to mention Clefable is prone to being struck by a critical hit and knocked out.
Checks & Counters
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**Fire-types**: Fire-types such as Talonflame, Victini, and Heatran can take Moonblast and Flamethrower easily, and they can threaten Clefable with strong Fire-type STAB attacks in return. Talonflame can shut down Clefable with Taunt, set up on it with Swords Dance, and retaliate with Brave Bird. Similarly, Victini can hit back with an extremely powerful V-create. Heatran deserves a special mention as well, as it 4x resists Moonblast and is immune to Flamethrower; in return, it can deal lots of damage to Clefable with Flash Cannon, wear down its Unaware set with Toxic, or phaze it with Roar. However, Heatran is susceptible to Focus Blast and Thunder Wave.
**Steel-types**: Fast and powerful Steel-types such as Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Magnezone can all come in on a predicted Moonblast and threaten Clefable with their respective STAB moves; Scizor and Mega Scizor deal a hefty chunk to Clefable with Bullet Punch, but they get OHKOed by a +1 Flamethrower; Mega Metagross easily comes in on a Moonblast or a Calm Mind and straight up OHKOes Clefable with Meteor Mash; and Choice Scarf Magnezone can switch into Moonblast or Thunder Wave and 2HKO Clefable with Flash Cannon. Bulky Steel-types such as Empoleon are big problems for Clefable as well; Empoleon can phaze Clefable out with Roar and wear it down with Scald.
**Poison-types**: Poison-types such as Gengar, Mega Venusaur, and Tentacruel check Clefable relatively well. Gengar OHKOes Clefable with Sludge Wave and can switch into any move bar Thunder Wave and Stored Power; Mega Venusaur can heal off any damage sustained, has Thick Fat to ward off Flamethrower and Ice Beam, and can 2HKO Clefable with Sludge Bomb; and Tentacruel can wear Clefable down with Acid Spray and Scald and is not crippled much by Thunder Wave.
**Trappers**: Trappers such as Gothitelle and Wobbuffet can really cripple Clefable. Gothitelle can Trick its Choice Scarf or Choice Specs onto Clefable, thus locking it into one move, use Clefable as setup fodder with its own Calm Mind, heal off any damage sustained with Rest, and take out Clefable with Psychic or Psyshock. Wobbuffet can Encore Clefable into one move, allowing easy predictions or switches, and use Mirror Coat to reflect Moonblast.
**Stallbreakers**: Stallbreakers such as Gengar, Gliscor, Mew, and Heatran can stop Clefable from setting up Calm Mind. They also prevent Clefable from using a recovery move with Taunt or have the bulk to use Clefable as setup bait. Specially defensive Gliscor can take any hit from Clefable bar Ice Beam, use Swords Dance to set up, heal off any damage with Roost, and cripple Clefable with Knock Off and Earthquake. Gengar, Heatran, and Mew can use Taunt to deny Clefable's recovery and use of Calm Mind; however, the former two despise Thunder Wave.
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