[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Cobalion is the epitome of a jack-of-all-trades in that it's extremely versatile with plenty of utility options but doesn't excel in any role in particular. It often gravitates towards being a defensive pivot above all else, with its naturally high Defense and access to Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and Volt Switch. It can also run both physical and special sets effectively, with setup options on both sides. On the other hand, Cobalion lacks immediate offensive power, meaning that to do significant damage, it often requires these setup moves. Also, it can sometimes struggle to fill the role of a defensive Steel-type Pokemon, lacking important resistances to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic, making it an awkward fit on certain teams.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Pivot**: Cobalion often wants to be a defensive piece, frequently pivoting to enable more powerful offensive teammates. It can use Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and Volt Switch to preserve momentum and force progress while maintaining a strong Body Press without having to invest in its offenses.
**Setup Sweeper**: Cobalion is a fantastic user of the coveted IronPress combination. It gets STAB on Body Press and boasts a decent Speed stat to outpace opposing defensive Taunt and Encore users. It can even run Taunt itself to shut these strategies down. Cobalion also has access to other strong setup moves, such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, and gets good STAB moves to complement these setup options.
**Choice Attacker**: In some matchups, Cobalion can leverage its serviceable offensive stats to run a Choice item, which can catch opponents off guard and secure crucial chip damage for a teammate.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Aura Sphere, Body Press, Close Combat, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, Heavy Slam, Iron Head, Sacred Sword, Vacuum Wave
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Calm Mind, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Taunt, Reflect, Volt Switch, Substitute, Roar
**Coverage**: Aerial Ace, Air Slash, Poison Jab, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure can be useful with items such as Red Card, to force out a foe that is set up and primed to sweep, or Custap Berry, to guarantee a Thunder Wave or other decisive move in a similar situation.
**Quick Attack**: Quick Attack is only a consideration on either Choice Band or Swords Dance sets, assuming no other coverage is needed.
**Upper Hand**: Upper Hand is quite niche, being most viable when paired with Swords Dance to catch a foe with priority off guard.
**Steel Beam**: Steel Beam can be useful on Choice Scarf and Choice Specs sets to deal significant damage compared to other options, assuming Cobalion isn't needed much defensively in the matchup.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Given Cobalion's defensive profile and access to defensive setup, it benefits greatly from Leftovers recovery Cobalion wants its HP to be as high as possible and lacks reliable recovery, making the healing essential on many sets.
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries often give Cobalion the one turn it needs to serve as a lure and KO a huge threat, set up Stealth Rock, or use Thunder Wave to keep a threat in check.
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry serves as an alternative to Leftovers in faster-paced games. Sitrus Berry can be used to avoid certain KO ranges and gain more HP in faster-paced matches.
**Choice Items**: Choice items are the easiest way to apply immediate offensive pressure with Cobalion. It can run any of the three effectively, depending on the matchup.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can be a good choice to force chip damage and punish weak physical attacks such as U-turn. Cobalion can also switch into Knock Off, resisting the hit and getting a Justified boost, making Rocky Helmet the best item choice if it's just going to get removed anyway.
Niche Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allow Cobalion to pivot more easily in a matchup against Spikes, but this is generally worse than Leftovers in cases where Spikes are not an issue.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Non-Choice damage-boosting items can be useful to avoid locking into a move, but they often do not let Cobalion deal enough damage to warrant use over damage-boosting Choice items.
**Air Balloon**: Air Balloon can be a decent option in certain matchups to catch Ground-types off guard, but it usually only pulls its weight short-term.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can potentially stop Taunt or Encore on a setup set, but Cobalion needs to be able to KO the foe on that turn to make it truly worth it. Cobalion can also run Taunt and use it on that turn, but this counterplay is often shaky at best.
**Assault Vest**: Assault Vest can help Cobalion pivot and punish special attackers that want to deal with it. However, Cobalion gains a lot of its value from status moves, so running this item often comes at the cost of useful utility options.
**Eject Button / Eject Pack**: Cobalion can utilize either Eject Button or Eject Pack to gain additional momentum if needed in a fast-paced matchup.
Tera
========
Cobalion doesn't need Tera to function, so it should not be chosen as a Tera Captain. It is often not a premier offensive sweeper or impenetrable wall, and its typing is already fairly strong, making many other Pokemon stronger choices. If it were to use Tera, it could use defensive Tera types such as Tera Water, Fairy, and Dragon to set up or check key threats. Tera Fighting is a particularly good choice, removing all of its old weaknesses and boosting its most powerful STAB moves.
Draft Strategy
========
Cobalion is not a Pokemon that should be drafted around. It's usually there to support a team, offer several key roles such as its typing, its Speed tier, and entry hazards, and serve as a pivot to enable key offensive threats. It can work on a variety of teams, synergizing with a vast majority of top-tier Pokemon. However, it must be noted that it lacks some of the resistances a Steel-type usually provides, which must be accounted for elsewhere.
**Glass Cannon Sweepers**: Cobalion's ability to reliably use Thunder Wave on opposing threats and pivot out with Volt Switch on an opposing switch is made more valuable when a teammate in the back needs the support but can threaten large amounts of damage if it gets it. Pokemon such as Deoxys-S, Darkrai, Greninja, Tornadus-T, and Ogerpon are all great picks that want a Pokemon like Cobalion for support.
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: In a similar vein, Cobalion can enable strong wallbreakers, such as Baxcalibur, Ursaluna-B, and Raging Bolt, to force KOs and work around their middling Speed stats.
**Specially Defensive Pivots**: Cobalion is an excellent physically defensive pivot, but it can sometimes struggle on the special side. Having a specially defensive teammate, particularly Galarian Slowking, can synergize with Cobalion quite well. Other options besides Galarian Slowking include Fezandipiti, Slowking, and Sylveon.
**Defensive Gap-fillers**: Since Cobalion lacks key resistances to Fairy, Psychic, and Flying typical of a Steel-type, these need to be covered elsewhere on the team. Pokemon such as Pecharunt, Uxie, and Rotom-H can help in that regard. It could also help to draft a second Steel-type if it's truly difficult to find teammates with these resistances, though this may be redundant.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Cobalion often struggles against faster wallbreakers that can hit it for super effective damage, such as Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Cinderace. This often forces preparation and deters some of Cobalion's setup sets.
**Special Attackers**: Cobalion's higher Defense stat often invites special attackers in to threaten good damage, limiting its role as a defensive piece. Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Walking Wake, and Zapdos can easily deal significant damage to Cobalion.
**Disruption**: Cobalion's setup sets can be easily disrupted by Taunt and Encore from a faster foe or one with Prankster. Pokemon such as Scream Tail, Sableye, and Thundurus can disrupt Cobalion in this way. This often deters Cobalion from running setup sets.
**Bulky Psychic-types**: Several bulky Psychic-type Pokemon, such as Mew, Galarian Slowking, and Uxie, are quite common and can check Cobalion effectively. Cobalion is fairly weak without setting up, giving these Pokemon opportunities to switch in safely and respond.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/streetcredcookie.304744/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 9-10 points
**Overview**: Cobalion is the epitome of a jack-of-all-trades in that it's extremely versatile with plenty of utility options but doesn't excel in any role in particular. It often gravitates towards being a defensive pivot above all else, with its naturally high Defense and access to Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and Volt Switch. It can also run both physical and special sets effectively, with setup options on both sides. On the other hand, Cobalion lacks immediate offensive power, meaning that to do significant damage, it often requires these setup moves. Also, it can sometimes struggle to fill the role of a defensive Steel-type Pokemon, lacking important resistances to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic, making it an awkward fit on certain teams.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Defensive Pivot**: Cobalion often wants to be a defensive piece, frequently pivoting to enable more powerful offensive teammates. It can use Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and Volt Switch to preserve momentum and force progress while maintaining a strong Body Press without having to invest in its offenses.
**Setup Sweeper**: Cobalion is a fantastic user of the coveted IronPress combination. It gets STAB on Body Press and boasts a decent Speed stat to outpace opposing defensive Taunt and Encore users. It can even run Taunt itself to shut these strategies down. Cobalion also has access to other strong setup moves, such as Calm Mind and Swords Dance, and gets good STAB moves to complement these setup options.
**Choice Attacker**: In some matchups, Cobalion can leverage its serviceable offensive stats to run a Choice item, which can catch opponents off guard and secure crucial chip damage for a teammate.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Aura Sphere, Body Press, Close Combat, Flash Cannon, Focus Blast, Heavy Slam, Iron Head, Sacred Sword, Vacuum Wave
**Setup Moves**: Iron Defense, Calm Mind, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, Taunt, Reflect, Volt Switch, Substitute, Roar
**Coverage**: Aerial Ace, Air Slash, Poison Jab, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure can be useful with items such as Red Card, to force out a foe that is set up and primed to sweep, or Custap Berry, to guarantee a Thunder Wave or other decisive move in a similar situation.
**Quick Attack**: Quick Attack is only a consideration on either Choice Band or Swords Dance sets, assuming no other coverage is needed.
**Upper Hand**: Upper Hand is quite niche, being most viable when paired with Swords Dance to catch a foe with priority off guard.
**Steel Beam**: Steel Beam can be useful on Choice Scarf and Choice Specs sets to deal significant damage compared to other options, assuming Cobalion isn't needed much defensively in the matchup.
Common Items
========
**Leftovers**: Given Cobalion's defensive profile and access to defensive setup, it benefits greatly from Leftovers recovery Cobalion wants its HP to be as high as possible and lacks reliable recovery, making the healing essential on many sets.
**Resistance Berries**: Resistance Berries often give Cobalion the one turn it needs to serve as a lure and KO a huge threat, set up Stealth Rock, or use Thunder Wave to keep a threat in check.
**Sitrus Berry**: Sitrus Berry serves as an alternative to Leftovers in faster-paced games. Sitrus Berry can be used to avoid certain KO ranges and gain more HP in faster-paced matches.
**Choice Items**: Choice items are the easiest way to apply immediate offensive pressure with Cobalion. It can run any of the three effectively, depending on the matchup.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet can be a good choice to force chip damage and punish weak physical attacks such as U-turn. Cobalion can also switch into Knock Off, resisting the hit and getting a Justified boost, making Rocky Helmet the best item choice if it's just going to get removed anyway.
Niche Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots allow Cobalion to pivot more easily in a matchup against Spikes, but this is generally worse than Leftovers in cases where Spikes are not an issue.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Non-Choice damage-boosting items can be useful to avoid locking into a move, but they often do not let Cobalion deal enough damage to warrant use over damage-boosting Choice items.
**Air Balloon**: Air Balloon can be a decent option in certain matchups to catch Ground-types off guard, but it usually only pulls its weight short-term.
**Mental Herb**: Mental Herb can potentially stop Taunt or Encore on a setup set, but Cobalion needs to be able to KO the foe on that turn to make it truly worth it. Cobalion can also run Taunt and use it on that turn, but this counterplay is often shaky at best.
**Assault Vest**: Assault Vest can help Cobalion pivot and punish special attackers that want to deal with it. However, Cobalion gains a lot of its value from status moves, so running this item often comes at the cost of useful utility options.
**Eject Button / Eject Pack**: Cobalion can utilize either Eject Button or Eject Pack to gain additional momentum if needed in a fast-paced matchup.
Tera
========
Cobalion doesn't need Tera to function, so it should not be chosen as a Tera Captain. It is often not a premier offensive sweeper or impenetrable wall, and its typing is already fairly strong, making many other Pokemon stronger choices. If it were to use Tera, it could use defensive Tera types such as Tera Water, Fairy, and Dragon to set up or check key threats. Tera Fighting is a particularly good choice, removing all of its old weaknesses and boosting its most powerful STAB moves.
Draft Strategy
========
Cobalion is not a Pokemon that should be drafted around. It's usually there to support a team, offer several key roles such as its typing, its Speed tier, and entry hazards, and serve as a pivot to enable key offensive threats. It can work on a variety of teams, synergizing with a vast majority of top-tier Pokemon. However, it must be noted that it lacks some of the resistances a Steel-type usually provides, which must be accounted for elsewhere.
**Glass Cannon Sweepers**: Cobalion's ability to reliably use Thunder Wave on opposing threats and pivot out with Volt Switch on an opposing switch is made more valuable when a teammate in the back needs the support but can threaten large amounts of damage if it gets it. Pokemon such as Deoxys-S, Darkrai, Greninja, Tornadus-T, and Ogerpon are all great picks that want a Pokemon like Cobalion for support.
**Powerful Wallbreakers**: In a similar vein, Cobalion can enable strong wallbreakers, such as Baxcalibur, Ursaluna-B, and Raging Bolt, to force KOs and work around their middling Speed stats.
**Specially Defensive Pivots**: Cobalion is an excellent physically defensive pivot, but it can sometimes struggle on the special side. Having a specially defensive teammate, particularly Galarian Slowking, can synergize with Cobalion quite well. Other options besides Galarian Slowking include Fezandipiti, Slowking, and Sylveon.
**Defensive Gap-fillers**: Since Cobalion lacks key resistances to Fairy, Psychic, and Flying typical of a Steel-type, these need to be covered elsewhere on the team. Pokemon such as Pecharunt, Uxie, and Rotom-H can help in that regard. It could also help to draft a second Steel-type if it's truly difficult to find teammates with these resistances, though this may be redundant.
Checks and Counters
========
**Faster Wallbreakers**: Cobalion often struggles against faster wallbreakers that can hit it for super effective damage, such as Iron Valiant, Sneasler, and Cinderace. This often forces preparation and deters some of Cobalion's setup sets.
**Special Attackers**: Cobalion's higher Defense stat often invites special attackers in to threaten good damage, limiting its role as a defensive piece. Pokemon such as Tornadus-T, Walking Wake, and Zapdos can easily deal significant damage to Cobalion.
**Disruption**: Cobalion's setup sets can be easily disrupted by Taunt and Encore from a faster foe or one with Prankster. Pokemon such as Scream Tail, Sableye, and Thundurus can disrupt Cobalion in this way. This often deters Cobalion from running setup sets.
**Bulky Psychic-types**: Several bulky Psychic-type Pokemon, such as Mew, Galarian Slowking, and Uxie, are quite common and can check Cobalion effectively. Cobalion is fairly weak without setting up, giving these Pokemon opportunities to switch in safely and respond.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/streetcredcookie.304744/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jscurf2.608304/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
