Gen 7 OU Support Cresselia [QC 1/2] [GP 0/1]

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[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Lunar Dance / Future Sight
move 2: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Moonlight
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet / Eject Button
ability: Levitate
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 136 SpD / 56 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========

The set makes the most out of Cresselia's support capabilities to enable a wide range of teammates. Lunar Dance allows Cresselia to sacrifice itself to restore a teammate back to full health, granting it another chance to sweep. Future Sight is incredible support that helps offensive teammates that struggle against Toxapex and discourages aggressive switches into the likes of Mega Medicham. Thunder Wave paralyzes faster targets like Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, and Tapu Lele. Toxic punishes Dark- and Ground-types like Mega Tyranitar, Mega Swampert, and Gastrodon and puts them on a timer. Ice Beam punishes Gliscor and Landorus-T and threatens Dragonite with major damage. Finally, Moonlight allows Cresselia to regain HP to continue threatening the opposing team with status and Ice Beam, and preserve it for later in the match.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Cresselia to survive Choice Band Kartana’s Knock Off after Stealth Rock and outspeeds paralyzed Mega Alakazam, while the rest of its EVs are dumped into HP and Special Defense. Cresselia also has some flexibility with its item of choice. Leftovers is an option to grant Cresselia extra longevity. Rocky Helmet punishes contact moves such as Frustration from Mega Lopunny, Knock Off from Kartana, and U-turn from Landorus-T. Finally, Eject Button allows Cresselia to gain momentum after surviving a strong hit like Tapu Lele’s Moonblast to bring in a teammate such as Magearna.

Usage Tips
========

This set compresses the role of a pivot, support with Lunar Dance or Future Sight and Thunder Wave, and a defensive stopgap against monstrous wallbreakers like Mega Medicham and Tapu Lele. Early- to mid-game, it can utilize its solid bulk to switch in against the aforementioned wallbreakers, punish them with Thunder Wave, and consistently keep itself healthy with Moonlight; if Cresselia has Future Sight, it can support its offensive teammates to punish the likes of Toxapex and Fighting-types like Hawlucha and Kommo-o. If Cresselia is holding an Eject Button, it can prevent U-turn and Volt Switch from Landorus-T and Magearna, and use the opportunity to bring in a teammate to threaten these Pokemon. However, it should be mindful of its Moonlight usage as it can be exploited by Dark-types like Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and Tyranitar. The latter two can also punish Cresselia with Pursuit, making it more difficult to consistently support its team, while Tyranitar's sand reduces the amount of HP that Cresselia can gain back. It is also important to be mindful of Cresselia's passivity, as it can invite threats like Mega Mawile, Heatran, and Substitute + Swarm variants of Volcarona, and is exploited by Taunt users like Tapu Lele and Tapu Fini; although Mega Mawile has to watch out for variants that carry Rocky Helmet. If Cresselia has Lunar Dance, it can sacrifice itself later in the game to grant a weakened teammate a second chance to clean up once Mega Medicham and Tapu Lele are weakened or removed, and Cresselia's bulk is no longer needed.

Team Options
========

This Cresselia set is best suited for teams ranging from offense, bulky offense, balance, and hyper offense teams, which appreciate the support it provides with Future Sight, Lunar Dance to heal a battered teammate, and paralysis to cripple annoying foes like Mega Alakazam. Strong wallbreakers like Keldeo, Kyurem-B, and Mega Charizard Y benefit from Cresselia paralyzing faster Pokemon like Mega Lopunny and breaking past bulkier Pokemon like Toxapex with the aid of Future Sight. Additionally, sun from Mega Charizard Y allows Cresselia to heal more HP to continue checking the aforementioned Pokemon. Mega Aggron is another solid partner that benefits from Cresselia handling Fighting-types like Mega Medicham and Hawlucha, and in return, it solidly answers Mega Mawile and Weavile. Heatran provides Stealth Rock and sends Steel-types like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela packing with Magma Storm. Tapu Fini covers Cresselia's weakness to Dark-type moves and pressures bulkier teams with Taunt + Nature's Madness. Toxapex forms a solid partnership with Cresselia, as it lays down Toxic Spikes to pressure Pursuit users like Weavile and Mega Tyranitar and puts them on a timer, and in return, Cresselia covers Toxapex's poor matchup against opposing Psychic-types like Mega Medicham and Tapu Lele. A multitude of setup sweepers like Magearna, Volcarona, Mega Charizard X, Gyarados, and Dragonite benefit from Cresselia granting Lunar Dance support to bring them back in top condition and curing any status ailments afflicted and paralysis from Thunder Wave to cripple faster Pokemon like Mega Lopunny and Mega Alakazam. Substitute variants of Dragonite and Volcarona synergize well with the paralysis support that Cresselia provides, as the chance of full paralysis grants them extra opportunities to set up. Additionally, Magearna provides a solid answer to Weavile and Ash-Greninja, while Cresselia safely switches into Ground-type moves aimed at Magearna.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diyusi.519886/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.102/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
 
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[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Lunar Dance / Future Sight
move 2: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Moonlight
You can mention more niche moves such as Psychic/Psyshock and Skill Swap, it's up to you.
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet / Eject Button (I'm putting Ebutton last since you only see that on HO) / Mental Herb
ability: Levitate
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 136 SpD / 56 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========

The main highlight of this set is Lunar Dance, which allows Cresselia to sacrifice itself to restore a teammate back to full health, granting it another chance to sweep. You need to rewrite this part since Support Cresselia still fonction even without Lunar Dance (esp when FS + Twave makes more sense on Balance and Sun) Thunder Wave paralyzes faster targets like Mega Alakazam, Mega Lopunny, and Tapu Lele. Ice Beam punishes Gliscor and Landorus-T and threatens Dragonite with major damage. Finally, Moonlight allows Cresselia to regain HP to continue threatening the opposing team with paralysis and Ice Beam, as well as preserve it for later in the match.
No need to overexplain what Toxic achieve on this set (but you can highlight some difference over Twave such as putting on timer offensive Dark-types such as Mega Tyranitar or punishing harder specific ground-types such as Mega Swampert and Gastrodon). For Future Sight, it's a pretty good offensive tool to helps a breaker that struggle into the likes of Toxapex for example.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Cresselia to survive Choice Band Kartana’s Knock Off after Stealth Rock and outspeeds paralyzed Mega Alakazam, while the rest of its EVs are dumped into HP and Special Defense. Cresselia also has some flexibility with its item of choice. Most notably, Eject Button allows Cresselia to gain momentum after surviving a strong hit like Tapu Lele’s Moonblast to bring in a teammate such as Magearna. Leftovers is an option to grant Cresselia extra longevity. Rocky Helmet punishes contact moves such as Frustration from Mega Lopunny and U-turn from Landorus-T. I prefer smt like punishing Kartana Scarf as an example instead since you dont really want to use Cress to eat u-turn (unless it's Eject Button) and give the momentum to the opponent Finally, Mental Herb lets Cresselia shrug off Encore from Mega Alakazam and Taunt from Pokemon like Tornadus-T to paralyze them in a pinch.
Dont forget to re-order this part since I changed item's order.

Usage Tips
========

This set compresses the role of a pivot, support with Lunar Dance or Future Sight and Thunder Wave, and a defensive stopgap against monstrous wallbreakers like Mega Medicham and Tapu Lele. These traits make it a valuable member of hyper offense structures. Support Cress is used on Balance, BO and Offense too. Early- to mid-game, it can utilize its solid bulk to switch in against the aforementioned wallbreakers, punish them with Thunder Wave, and consistently keep itself healthy with Moonlight. If Cresselia is holding an Eject Button, it can prevent U-turn and Volt Switch from Landorus-T and Magearna, and use the opportunity to bring in a teammate to threaten these Pokemon. However, it should be mindful of its Moonlight usage due to its low PP, which can be exploited by Dark-types like Ash-Greninja, Weavile, and Tyranitar. I dont understand at all the link between the low PP of Moonlight and Dark-types. The latter two can also punish Cresselia with Pursuit, making it more difficult to consistently support its team, while Tyranitar's sand reduces the amount of HP that Cresselia can gain back. It is also important to be mindful of Cresselia's passivity, as it can invite threats like Mega Mawile Since certain variant of Mega Mawile lose to RH cresselia, I think Heatran (with Toxic/Taunt) is a better example and Substitute + Swarm variants of Volcarona and is exploited by Taunt users like Mega Alakazam Tapu Lele and Mew Tapu Fini, especially if Cresselia is not carrying a Mental Herb to shrug it off. Once Mega Medicham and Tapu Lele are weakened or removed and Cresselia's bulk is no longer needed, it can sacrifice itself later in the game to grant a weakened teammate a second chance to clean up.
Add a line about using Future Sight during early- to mid-game to support an offensive partner

Team Options
========

This Cresselia set is best suited for hyper offense teams, which appreciate the support from Lunar Dance to heal a battered teammate, as well as paralysis support to cripple annoying foes like Mega Alakazam. You need to rewrite this part since this set has been used everywhere outside of stall/semi-stall. A dedicated lead, such as Mega Diancie, Excadrill, and Imprison Landorus-T, is greatly appreciated for being able to deny entry hazards while setting up its own. Serperior provides a backup hazard removal option, utilizing Taunt + Defog to keep entry hazards off the field, and provides paralysis support with Glare. A multitude of setup sweepers like Magearna, Volcarona, Mega Charizard X, Gyarados, Dragonite, and Mega Tyranitar benefit from the support that Cresselia provides, granting Lunar Dance to bring them back in top condition and curing any status ailments afflicted and Thunder Wave to cripple faster Pokemon like Mega Lopunny and Mega Alakazam you can add that Twave also synergize with breakers using Sub such as Volc and Nite. Additionally, Magearna provides a solid answer to Weavile and Ash-Greninja, while Cresselia safely switches into Ground-type moves aimed at Magearna, and Mega Tyranitar benefits from Cresselia handling Fighting-types like Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny. Suicune deserves a mention, as it can PP stall Toxapex's Haze, eventually forcing it to run out, and later, Suicune can gain back lost PP thanks to Cresselia's Lunar Dance to clean up later in the game. I feel like Keldeo (check Volcarona/Greninja/Weavile) or Kyurem (good MU into Sand) are more relevant examples than Suicune.
You need to add:
-Mega Charizard Y is a wonderful partner since it brings Sun and appreciate Twave + FS support from Cress
-Mega Aggron is another good partner since it can check the like of Mega Mawile and Weavile while Cress will counter fighter (+ support Aggron with FS and Twave)
-some defensive partners: for BO, Heatran + Tapu Fini. For Balance, Toxapex.

[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.102/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/

QC 1/2
 
Last edited:
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