[OVERVIEW]
Cloyster has a solid niche in ADV OU because it is a Spiker with unique traits. Being a Water-type means that it naturally matches up well against opposing Water-types by freely setting Spikes against the likes of Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic, and not being a Steel-type means that it isn't trapped by Magneton unlike Skarmory and Forretress. However, it misses out on the immunities to sand and Toxic that the Steel typing provides and the many useful resistances to common attacking types.
Compared to the other Spikers in the tier, Cloyster is not only a better choice against Magneton but also a much more threatening attacker with its good Speed combined with the coverage of its STAB Water- and Ice-type attacks that can threaten most foes. Notably, it threatens a very common spinner in Claydol but fails to threaten another common one in Starmie. Additionally, its Explosion can be used to create a hole in the enemy team by severely damaging a wall, preventing the opponent from setting up with their sweeper, or ending the turn and giving your own sweeper a free opportunity to set up.
Despite all this, Cloyster has many shortcomings that hold it back from seeing more usage as a Spiker in OU. First, it struggles to make progress against Rapid Spin Starmie; second, its Water / Ice typing sports many weaknesses to common attacking types such as Rock, Electric, and Grass and, paired with its low Special Defense, means it is threatened by the majority of the tier; third, it's easily worn down by residual damage because it lacks access to a recovery move and is weak to sand, Spikes, and Toxic, which is why it isn't seen much on teams that want to simply outlast the opposition.
[SET]
name: Spiker
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rapid Spin / Ice Beam
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid
evs: 72 HP / 8 SpA / 244 SpD / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=============
Cloyster can switch safely into bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic or physical threats like Snorlax and Flygon and proceed to set up Spikes for its teammates; then, it can explode for big damage and simultaneously let a sweeper come in at full health.
Surf allows Cloyster to 2HKO bulkless Tyranitar and dent Steel-types. Rapid Spin can be very useful in situations when a Skarmory or Forretress is trying to set Spikes alongside you, giving you the option to deny theirs and keep yours up; due to its decent Speed, Cloyster can also switch in against slow threats to sacrifice itself in order to spin away three layers of Spikes in a situation where its team really needs it. However, keep in mind that Cloyster is not the world's best spinner, as it has poor longevity and is weak to Gengar, the only spinblocker in OU. Alternatively, Ice Beam can be used to 2HKO Zapdos and OHKO Flygon while hitting Celebi for meaningful damage.
Coming off a nice base 95 Attack, Explosion does a lot of damage to every threat that doesn't resist it, even with no Attack investment and a hindering nature; this means that if Cloyster blows up on a predicted switch, it can trade with all its offensive checks except Gengar and Jirachi. Additionally, blowing up on a wall like Blissey, Snorlax, Celebi, or a bulky Water-type enables a follow-up threat to come in safely and set up for a sweep.
Cloyster's high Speed investment allows it to set Spikes against the likes of Tyranitar and Metagross and outspeed slow Water-types like Swampert, Milotic, and most Suicune; notably, this benchmark guarantees Cloyster to outspeed all variants of Tyranitar and Swampert. 72 HP and 244 Special Defense EVs allow Cloyster to always survive Timid Starmie's Thunderbolt outside of sand; this is crucial, as Starmie is Cloyster's best check. The Special Defense investment also means that Cloyster will survive two Hydro Pumps from maximum Special Attack Suicune and Swampert, while 8 Special Attack EVs are to always 2HKO bulkless Tyranitar with Surf.
Keep in mind that Cloyster has poor longevity because of the lack of a recovery move combined with its weak defensive typing and weakness to Spikes, sand, and status. In fact, most of the time Cloyster won't have the opportunity to set all three layers of Spikes because it is so easily threatened by a large majority of the metagame; as such, Cloyster commonly sets up one layer of Spikes and explodes immediately after. However, Cloyster can be punished if it's too eager to blow up early-game when it is facing a team with a spinner; if Cloyster has exploded too early and the spinner manages to get a Rapid Spin off, Cloyster's partners will very much struggle to sweep without the necessary chip damage provided by Spikes.
Team Options
===========
Cloyster is featured on offensive teams that make use of the presence of Spikes and its fast Explosion enabling offensive setup; the games tend to be quick, as Cloyster has poor longevity and doesn't transition well in the long game.
Since Cloyster's partners rely on Spikes chip damage to boost their offensive prowess, it is natural to team up with a spinblocker to prevent opposing spinners from ruining your day; therefore, Gengar, the only spinblocker in OU, is an excellent addition to every Cloyster team. The most common set that Gengar runs on Cloyster teams is Explosion + three attacks; this set has three coverage moves to hurt most of the metagame with Spikes up, as well as having the option to lure in and blow up a special wall like Blissey to clear the way for special sweepers like Jolteon and Starmie. Alternatively, Hypnosis or Will-O-Wisp + Taunt can force a Natural Cure Pokemon to keep switching out, taking even more Spikes damage as a result.
Fast sweepers like Jolteon, offensive Starmie, and Aerodactyl fit well on Cloyster's Spikes teams because they can clean up late-game once their grounded checks have been weakened from Spikes; additionally, the momentum generated by Cloyster getting a quick layer and then exploding is very well exploited by Speed-boosting sweepers like Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Agility Metagross, and even Agility mixed Zapdos. Jolteon, Zapdos, and Moltres can wear down opposing special walls with Roar and rack up Spikes damage on the entire enemy team; alternatively, Jolteon and Zapdos can use Baton Pass to generate momentum by letting a powerful wallbreaker like Metagross or Tyranitar get in safely, and Jolteon can also act as a pseudo special check thanks to Volt Absorb. Offensive Starmie cannot phaze or generate momentum with Baton Pass, but if the opposing special wall has been weakened or removed it is one of the most threatening sweepers in the game with Spikes up due to the combination of its flawless coverage, speed, and power.
Aerodactyl and Dragon Dance Tyranitar are popular late-game cleaners on this archetype; they love the chip damage on Swampert and Metagross and the dissuading of easy switches that Cloyster's Spikes provide. Additionally, Explosion on the right target can give Tyranitar the crucial setup turn. Due to its amazing Speed, Aerodactyl can also act as a revenge killer and defensive insurance against opposing sweepers like Super Celebi, Super Jirachi, and offensive Starmie.
Cloyster pairs well with mixed attackers and wallbreakers like mixed Salamence, mixed Metagross, mixed Tyranitar, and mixed Swampert; all these threats benefit greatly from Spikes making it even harder for the opponent to pivot around their coverage. Mixed Tyranitar deserves a special mention, as it is a great lead that can set sand, which is crucial to chip opposing walls like Celebi, Suicune, Milotic, Blissey, and Snorlax. Additionally, Explosion users such as Metagross, Snorlax, Gengar, Claydol, Weezing, and Regice fit nicely with Cloyster alongside a last Pokemon sweeper like Calm Mind Suicune.
Cloyster is sometimes featured on more conventional TSS (Toxic, Sandstorm, Spikes) builds because it's a Spiker that is not trapped by Magneton; to make up for its frailty and lack of a recovery move it is often paired with a Wish user such as Blissey or Jirachi, but remember that poison still ruins it. Pursuit Tyranitar is sometimes used to trap Gengar, allowing Cloyster to be a more reliable spinner.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===========
Cloyster doesn't have a lot of other options, as its movepool is limited, and its niche in the metagame is very defined. Sometimes it can run a surprising Hidden Power in the third moveslot to catch certain threats off guard; for example, Hidden Power Fire can 2HKO Forretress, Hidden Power Grass can 2HKO Swampert, and Hidden Power Electric can 2HKO Gyarados. Toxic can also replace Rapid Spin or Ice Beam to cripple common switch-ins like Zapdos and Jolteon; however, it does nothing against Steel-types, Gengar is immune to it, and Starmie shrugs it off with its ability Natural Cure.
Checks and Counters
=================
**Special Attackers**: Cloyster's weakness to Thunderbolt combined with its awful Special Defense stat means that it is threatened by most special attackers in the tier. Zapdos and Jolteon outspeed it and threaten to OHKO it, and although Magneton can outspeed Cloyster only with a beneficial nature, it can switch in safely because it resists both Ice Beam and Explosion; however, it is worth noting that Surf can 2HKO non-bulky variants. Gengar is a very annoying offensive check because it can spinblock in addition to threatening Cloyster with its powerful special attacks. Offensive variants of Jirachi can also threaten Cloyster with Thunderbolt, Thunder, and Hidden Power Grass while resisting Ice Beam and Explosion.
**Residual Damage**: Unfortunately, Cloyster is weak to every type of residual damage: sand, Spikes, and status. As Cloyster can't afford to run Rest, it can't shrug off Toxic, and, combined with Spikes and sand, this means its longevity is very poor.
**Spinners**: Despite Cloyster's very good matchup against Claydol, the other spinners are quite annoying to deal with. Forretress resists both Ice Beam and Explosion and is only 5HKOed by Surf, meaning it has plenty of time to use Rapid Spin but must be really careful of letting Gengar switch in for free. Starmie is the most difficult spinner for Cloyster to deal with; the defensive variants take little damage from both of Cloyster's STAB attacks and can regain health with Recover, as well as threatening a 2HKO in sand with Psychic, while the offensive variants can threaten Cloyster with a vicious Thunderbolt that can OHKO in sand. One can perform a risky pivot into an Electric-type or Gengar on a Rapid Spin; however, blowing up on Starmie with Explosion is occasionally reasonable, but keep in mind that Cloyster's teammates frequently lack the offensive prowess to punch through the opposing walls without the presence of Spikes on the field.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[mikmer, 511989]]
- Earlier version by: [[kd24, 16144]]
- Quality checked by: [[vapicuno, 5454], [Triangles, 118250]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [deetah, 297659]]
Cloyster has a solid niche in ADV OU because it is a Spiker with unique traits. Being a Water-type means that it naturally matches up well against opposing Water-types by freely setting Spikes against the likes of Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic, and not being a Steel-type means that it isn't trapped by Magneton unlike Skarmory and Forretress. However, it misses out on the immunities to sand and Toxic that the Steel typing provides and the many useful resistances to common attacking types.
Compared to the other Spikers in the tier, Cloyster is not only a better choice against Magneton but also a much more threatening attacker with its good Speed combined with the coverage of its STAB Water- and Ice-type attacks that can threaten most foes. Notably, it threatens a very common spinner in Claydol but fails to threaten another common one in Starmie. Additionally, its Explosion can be used to create a hole in the enemy team by severely damaging a wall, preventing the opponent from setting up with their sweeper, or ending the turn and giving your own sweeper a free opportunity to set up.
Despite all this, Cloyster has many shortcomings that hold it back from seeing more usage as a Spiker in OU. First, it struggles to make progress against Rapid Spin Starmie; second, its Water / Ice typing sports many weaknesses to common attacking types such as Rock, Electric, and Grass and, paired with its low Special Defense, means it is threatened by the majority of the tier; third, it's easily worn down by residual damage because it lacks access to a recovery move and is weak to sand, Spikes, and Toxic, which is why it isn't seen much on teams that want to simply outlast the opposition.
[SET]
name: Spiker
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Surf
move 3: Rapid Spin / Ice Beam
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid
evs: 72 HP / 8 SpA / 244 SpD / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=============
Cloyster can switch safely into bulky Water-types like Swampert, Suicune, and Milotic or physical threats like Snorlax and Flygon and proceed to set up Spikes for its teammates; then, it can explode for big damage and simultaneously let a sweeper come in at full health.
Surf allows Cloyster to 2HKO bulkless Tyranitar and dent Steel-types. Rapid Spin can be very useful in situations when a Skarmory or Forretress is trying to set Spikes alongside you, giving you the option to deny theirs and keep yours up; due to its decent Speed, Cloyster can also switch in against slow threats to sacrifice itself in order to spin away three layers of Spikes in a situation where its team really needs it. However, keep in mind that Cloyster is not the world's best spinner, as it has poor longevity and is weak to Gengar, the only spinblocker in OU. Alternatively, Ice Beam can be used to 2HKO Zapdos and OHKO Flygon while hitting Celebi for meaningful damage.
Coming off a nice base 95 Attack, Explosion does a lot of damage to every threat that doesn't resist it, even with no Attack investment and a hindering nature; this means that if Cloyster blows up on a predicted switch, it can trade with all its offensive checks except Gengar and Jirachi. Additionally, blowing up on a wall like Blissey, Snorlax, Celebi, or a bulky Water-type enables a follow-up threat to come in safely and set up for a sweep.
Cloyster's high Speed investment allows it to set Spikes against the likes of Tyranitar and Metagross and outspeed slow Water-types like Swampert, Milotic, and most Suicune; notably, this benchmark guarantees Cloyster to outspeed all variants of Tyranitar and Swampert. 72 HP and 244 Special Defense EVs allow Cloyster to always survive Timid Starmie's Thunderbolt outside of sand; this is crucial, as Starmie is Cloyster's best check. The Special Defense investment also means that Cloyster will survive two Hydro Pumps from maximum Special Attack Suicune and Swampert, while 8 Special Attack EVs are to always 2HKO bulkless Tyranitar with Surf.
Keep in mind that Cloyster has poor longevity because of the lack of a recovery move combined with its weak defensive typing and weakness to Spikes, sand, and status. In fact, most of the time Cloyster won't have the opportunity to set all three layers of Spikes because it is so easily threatened by a large majority of the metagame; as such, Cloyster commonly sets up one layer of Spikes and explodes immediately after. However, Cloyster can be punished if it's too eager to blow up early-game when it is facing a team with a spinner; if Cloyster has exploded too early and the spinner manages to get a Rapid Spin off, Cloyster's partners will very much struggle to sweep without the necessary chip damage provided by Spikes.
Team Options
===========
Cloyster is featured on offensive teams that make use of the presence of Spikes and its fast Explosion enabling offensive setup; the games tend to be quick, as Cloyster has poor longevity and doesn't transition well in the long game.
Since Cloyster's partners rely on Spikes chip damage to boost their offensive prowess, it is natural to team up with a spinblocker to prevent opposing spinners from ruining your day; therefore, Gengar, the only spinblocker in OU, is an excellent addition to every Cloyster team. The most common set that Gengar runs on Cloyster teams is Explosion + three attacks; this set has three coverage moves to hurt most of the metagame with Spikes up, as well as having the option to lure in and blow up a special wall like Blissey to clear the way for special sweepers like Jolteon and Starmie. Alternatively, Hypnosis or Will-O-Wisp + Taunt can force a Natural Cure Pokemon to keep switching out, taking even more Spikes damage as a result.
Fast sweepers like Jolteon, offensive Starmie, and Aerodactyl fit well on Cloyster's Spikes teams because they can clean up late-game once their grounded checks have been weakened from Spikes; additionally, the momentum generated by Cloyster getting a quick layer and then exploding is very well exploited by Speed-boosting sweepers like Dragon Dance Tyranitar, Agility Metagross, and even Agility mixed Zapdos. Jolteon, Zapdos, and Moltres can wear down opposing special walls with Roar and rack up Spikes damage on the entire enemy team; alternatively, Jolteon and Zapdos can use Baton Pass to generate momentum by letting a powerful wallbreaker like Metagross or Tyranitar get in safely, and Jolteon can also act as a pseudo special check thanks to Volt Absorb. Offensive Starmie cannot phaze or generate momentum with Baton Pass, but if the opposing special wall has been weakened or removed it is one of the most threatening sweepers in the game with Spikes up due to the combination of its flawless coverage, speed, and power.
Aerodactyl and Dragon Dance Tyranitar are popular late-game cleaners on this archetype; they love the chip damage on Swampert and Metagross and the dissuading of easy switches that Cloyster's Spikes provide. Additionally, Explosion on the right target can give Tyranitar the crucial setup turn. Due to its amazing Speed, Aerodactyl can also act as a revenge killer and defensive insurance against opposing sweepers like Super Celebi, Super Jirachi, and offensive Starmie.
Cloyster pairs well with mixed attackers and wallbreakers like mixed Salamence, mixed Metagross, mixed Tyranitar, and mixed Swampert; all these threats benefit greatly from Spikes making it even harder for the opponent to pivot around their coverage. Mixed Tyranitar deserves a special mention, as it is a great lead that can set sand, which is crucial to chip opposing walls like Celebi, Suicune, Milotic, Blissey, and Snorlax. Additionally, Explosion users such as Metagross, Snorlax, Gengar, Claydol, Weezing, and Regice fit nicely with Cloyster alongside a last Pokemon sweeper like Calm Mind Suicune.
Cloyster is sometimes featured on more conventional TSS (Toxic, Sandstorm, Spikes) builds because it's a Spiker that is not trapped by Magneton; to make up for its frailty and lack of a recovery move it is often paired with a Wish user such as Blissey or Jirachi, but remember that poison still ruins it. Pursuit Tyranitar is sometimes used to trap Gengar, allowing Cloyster to be a more reliable spinner.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
===========
Cloyster doesn't have a lot of other options, as its movepool is limited, and its niche in the metagame is very defined. Sometimes it can run a surprising Hidden Power in the third moveslot to catch certain threats off guard; for example, Hidden Power Fire can 2HKO Forretress, Hidden Power Grass can 2HKO Swampert, and Hidden Power Electric can 2HKO Gyarados. Toxic can also replace Rapid Spin or Ice Beam to cripple common switch-ins like Zapdos and Jolteon; however, it does nothing against Steel-types, Gengar is immune to it, and Starmie shrugs it off with its ability Natural Cure.
Checks and Counters
=================
**Special Attackers**: Cloyster's weakness to Thunderbolt combined with its awful Special Defense stat means that it is threatened by most special attackers in the tier. Zapdos and Jolteon outspeed it and threaten to OHKO it, and although Magneton can outspeed Cloyster only with a beneficial nature, it can switch in safely because it resists both Ice Beam and Explosion; however, it is worth noting that Surf can 2HKO non-bulky variants. Gengar is a very annoying offensive check because it can spinblock in addition to threatening Cloyster with its powerful special attacks. Offensive variants of Jirachi can also threaten Cloyster with Thunderbolt, Thunder, and Hidden Power Grass while resisting Ice Beam and Explosion.
**Residual Damage**: Unfortunately, Cloyster is weak to every type of residual damage: sand, Spikes, and status. As Cloyster can't afford to run Rest, it can't shrug off Toxic, and, combined with Spikes and sand, this means its longevity is very poor.
**Spinners**: Despite Cloyster's very good matchup against Claydol, the other spinners are quite annoying to deal with. Forretress resists both Ice Beam and Explosion and is only 5HKOed by Surf, meaning it has plenty of time to use Rapid Spin but must be really careful of letting Gengar switch in for free. Starmie is the most difficult spinner for Cloyster to deal with; the defensive variants take little damage from both of Cloyster's STAB attacks and can regain health with Recover, as well as threatening a 2HKO in sand with Psychic, while the offensive variants can threaten Cloyster with a vicious Thunderbolt that can OHKO in sand. One can perform a risky pivot into an Electric-type or Gengar on a Rapid Spin; however, blowing up on Starmie with Explosion is occasionally reasonable, but keep in mind that Cloyster's teammates frequently lack the offensive prowess to punch through the opposing walls without the presence of Spikes on the field.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[mikmer, 511989]]
- Earlier version by: [[kd24, 16144]]
- Quality checked by: [[vapicuno, 5454], [Triangles, 118250]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [deetah, 297659]]
Last edited by a moderator:
