[OVERVIEW]
* Klefki's Prankster ability alongside its numerous utility options including Spikes, Light Screen, Reflect, Toxic, and Thunder Wave allow it to function as an extremely effective support Pokemon.
* Its Fairy / Steel typing is excellent for Fairy-type teams, granting it a neutrality to Steel as well as an immunity to Poison.
* Priority Thunder Wave allows Klefki to act as a decent check to some of the tier's most threatening setup sweepers.
* Reflect and Light Screen give Klefki the ability to create opportunities for setup sweepers, of which there are many options for on Fairy-type teams.
* Klefki has next to no presence offensively, with its only real way of doing damage being Foul Play.
* Klefki's mixed 57/91/87 bulk, while not terrible, isn't amazing either.
* Thunder Wave is completely blocked by Electric-, Ground-, and Dark-types, heavily reducing how spammable it is.
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Light Screen
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Foul Play / Spikes
item: Light Clay
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Reflect and Light Screen in tandem allow Klefki to halve the damage taken from opposing attacks for the entire team for 8 turns, granting setup opportunities to setup sweepers such as Azumarill and Mimikyu.
* Thunder Wave receives priority from Prankster, allowing Klefki to act as an emergency check to a number of setup sweepers, such as Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, and Mega Pinsir, as well as cripple faster threats in general.
* Spikes allow Klefki to stack hazards and increase the residual damage taken by the opposing team, and Klefki has many opportunities to set them up thanks to Prankster.
* Foul Play is an alternative option that gives Klefki the ability to take on certain physical setup sweepers, namely Mega Scizor, which otherwise is a huge problem for Fairy-type teams. It also gives Klefki a way of hitting Ground-, Electric-, and Dark-types.
Set Details
========
* Light Clay increases the number of turns for which Light Screen and Reflect are active by three, giving teammates more time to take advantage of the dual screens.
* The EVs are placed into HP and Defense in order to maximize Klefki's physical bulk, allowing it to take on physical attackers such as Mega Scizor and Mega Pinsir better.
* A Bold nature further increases Klefki's physically defensive prowess while dropping its unused Attack stat.
* Prankster is the only reason to use Klefki, giving it priority on its numerous utility moves.
Usage Tips
========
* Klefki makes for an excellent lead for its ability to set up dual screens and stack Spikes in the early-game, improving the survivability of teammates and dealing chip damage to opposing grounded Pokemon whenever they enter the field.
* Klefki can also set up Light Screen and Reflect in the late-game to potentially grant setup opportunities for a teammate that is particularly frail or on low health.
* Thunder Wave should be used when Klefki is needed to act as an emergency check to an opposing setup sweeper, as well as to cripple faster threats in general.
* Foul Play allows Klefki to punish physical setup sweepers, particularly those that don't mind a Thunder Wave, such as Mega Scizor and Diggersby.
* Klefki can be utilized as a switch-in to Poison-type attacks that tend to trouble Fairy-type teams, as its Steel typing grants it an immunity to poison.
Team Options
========
* Belly Drum sweepers, namely Azumarill and Slurpuff make excellent partners for Klefki, as Light Screen and Reflect allow them to set up a Belly Drum more safely.
* Frail sweepers in general, such as Mimikyu, also enjoy Klefki's dual screens halving the damage taken from every opposing attack, giving them more setup opportunities.
* Togekiss is a great teammate for Klefki, as it boasts an immunity to the common Ground-type attacks, which Klefki is weak to. It can also act as a Mega Scizor check with Fire Blast if Klefki isn't running Foul Play.
* Tapu Bulu and Azumarill are capable of offensively checking most of the Ground-types that trouble Klefki.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Play Rough and Dazzling Gleam are options to give Klefki a reliable Fairy-type STAB move and break through Dark-types, which are immune to its Thunder Wave. However, Klefki's offenses are extremely poor when uninvested and it can't afford to lose any bulk.
* Switcheroo gives Klefki a way of crippling a foe by stealing its item once its job has been done.
* Toxic can hit most Pokemon immune to Thunder Wave, however it still misses out on Dark-types and Klefki struggles to find room for it.
* Leftovers or Sitrus Berry can be used to give Klefki an unreliable way of recovering HP, but the ability to set up dual screens for an additional three turns is generally more useful.
* Z-Psych Up is a niche option that restores Klefki's HP to full, but it is single-use only and uses up both a moveslot and an item slot.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-type Pokemon can deal with Klefki easily, being immune to its Thunder Wave and capable of easily taking it out with their Ground-type STAB moves.
**Fire-type Pokemon**: Fire-type Pokemon such as Heatran and Mega Charizard X/Y have no trouble KOing Klefki with their super effective STAB Fire-type moves.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Electric-type Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Zapdos are immune to Thunder Wave, meaning that if there's one on the opposing team, the Klefki user has to think carefully before using Thunder Wave.
**Magic Bounce users**: Magic Bounce users, most notably Mega Sableye, can bounce back all of Klefki's utility moves, meaning that they usually have to be eliminated before Klefki can do its job.
**Taunt users**: Taunt users such as Gyarados, Mew, and Tornadus can easily shut down Klefki, as it's heavily reliant on status moves and is near useless without them, with its only real way of doing damage on most sets being Foul Play.
* Klefki's Prankster ability alongside its numerous utility options including Spikes, Light Screen, Reflect, Toxic, and Thunder Wave allow it to function as an extremely effective support Pokemon.
* Its Fairy / Steel typing is excellent for Fairy-type teams, granting it a neutrality to Steel as well as an immunity to Poison.
* Priority Thunder Wave allows Klefki to act as a decent check to some of the tier's most threatening setup sweepers.
* Reflect and Light Screen give Klefki the ability to create opportunities for setup sweepers, of which there are many options for on Fairy-type teams.
* Klefki has next to no presence offensively, with its only real way of doing damage being Foul Play.
* Klefki's mixed 57/91/87 bulk, while not terrible, isn't amazing either.
* Thunder Wave is completely blocked by Electric-, Ground-, and Dark-types, heavily reducing how spammable it is.
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Light Screen
move 2: Reflect
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Foul Play / Spikes
item: Light Clay
ability: Prankster
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Reflect and Light Screen in tandem allow Klefki to halve the damage taken from opposing attacks for the entire team for 8 turns, granting setup opportunities to setup sweepers such as Azumarill and Mimikyu.
* Thunder Wave receives priority from Prankster, allowing Klefki to act as an emergency check to a number of setup sweepers, such as Mega Charizard X, Dragonite, and Mega Pinsir, as well as cripple faster threats in general.
* Spikes allow Klefki to stack hazards and increase the residual damage taken by the opposing team, and Klefki has many opportunities to set them up thanks to Prankster.
* Foul Play is an alternative option that gives Klefki the ability to take on certain physical setup sweepers, namely Mega Scizor, which otherwise is a huge problem for Fairy-type teams. It also gives Klefki a way of hitting Ground-, Electric-, and Dark-types.
Set Details
========
* Light Clay increases the number of turns for which Light Screen and Reflect are active by three, giving teammates more time to take advantage of the dual screens.
* The EVs are placed into HP and Defense in order to maximize Klefki's physical bulk, allowing it to take on physical attackers such as Mega Scizor and Mega Pinsir better.
* A Bold nature further increases Klefki's physically defensive prowess while dropping its unused Attack stat.
* Prankster is the only reason to use Klefki, giving it priority on its numerous utility moves.
Usage Tips
========
* Klefki makes for an excellent lead for its ability to set up dual screens and stack Spikes in the early-game, improving the survivability of teammates and dealing chip damage to opposing grounded Pokemon whenever they enter the field.
* Klefki can also set up Light Screen and Reflect in the late-game to potentially grant setup opportunities for a teammate that is particularly frail or on low health.
* Thunder Wave should be used when Klefki is needed to act as an emergency check to an opposing setup sweeper, as well as to cripple faster threats in general.
* Foul Play allows Klefki to punish physical setup sweepers, particularly those that don't mind a Thunder Wave, such as Mega Scizor and Diggersby.
* Klefki can be utilized as a switch-in to Poison-type attacks that tend to trouble Fairy-type teams, as its Steel typing grants it an immunity to poison.
Team Options
========
* Belly Drum sweepers, namely Azumarill and Slurpuff make excellent partners for Klefki, as Light Screen and Reflect allow them to set up a Belly Drum more safely.
* Frail sweepers in general, such as Mimikyu, also enjoy Klefki's dual screens halving the damage taken from every opposing attack, giving them more setup opportunities.
* Togekiss is a great teammate for Klefki, as it boasts an immunity to the common Ground-type attacks, which Klefki is weak to. It can also act as a Mega Scizor check with Fire Blast if Klefki isn't running Foul Play.
* Tapu Bulu and Azumarill are capable of offensively checking most of the Ground-types that trouble Klefki.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Play Rough and Dazzling Gleam are options to give Klefki a reliable Fairy-type STAB move and break through Dark-types, which are immune to its Thunder Wave. However, Klefki's offenses are extremely poor when uninvested and it can't afford to lose any bulk.
* Switcheroo gives Klefki a way of crippling a foe by stealing its item once its job has been done.
* Toxic can hit most Pokemon immune to Thunder Wave, however it still misses out on Dark-types and Klefki struggles to find room for it.
* Leftovers or Sitrus Berry can be used to give Klefki an unreliable way of recovering HP, but the ability to set up dual screens for an additional three turns is generally more useful.
* Z-Psych Up is a niche option that restores Klefki's HP to full, but it is single-use only and uses up both a moveslot and an item slot.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Ground-type Pokemon can deal with Klefki easily, being immune to its Thunder Wave and capable of easily taking it out with their Ground-type STAB moves.
**Fire-type Pokemon**: Fire-type Pokemon such as Heatran and Mega Charizard X/Y have no trouble KOing Klefki with their super effective STAB Fire-type moves.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Electric-type Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Zapdos are immune to Thunder Wave, meaning that if there's one on the opposing team, the Klefki user has to think carefully before using Thunder Wave.
**Magic Bounce users**: Magic Bounce users, most notably Mega Sableye, can bounce back all of Klefki's utility moves, meaning that they usually have to be eliminated before Klefki can do its job.
**Taunt users**: Taunt users such as Gyarados, Mew, and Tornadus can easily shut down Klefki, as it's heavily reliant on status moves and is near useless without them, with its only real way of doing damage on most sets being Foul Play.
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