[OVERVIEW]
Cresselia's great utility movepool and stellar bulk allows it to support its team, and it gives Cresselia ample opportunity to setup. When against passive Pokemon like Talonflame and Diancie, Cresselia can easily take advantage of them with Calm Mind, which—alongside Kee Beery or Grassy Seed—makes it harder to be outright KOed and to switch into. Cresselia can also choose to turn the tables on otherwise rock-solid counters to it like Bronzong and Incineroar with a Trick from its Choice Scarf utility sets. However, Cresselia's mono-Psychic typing leaves it vulnurable to common moves like U-turn and Knock Off, and on top of that, Cresselias sweep can easily be cut short by a Toxic from Pokemon like Umbreon and Galarian Slowbro, forcing Cresselia to Terastallize more than it'd like. It also requires multiple boosts to be threatening, making it an easy entry point for powerful wallbreakers like Basculegion to come in on. Cresselia is quite commital in it's sweeping, especially with items like Kee Berry and Grassy Seed, making it a far less effective sweeper if forced out. Scarfed Cresselia suffers from passivity when locked into one move. Lastly, Cresselia faces stiff competition as a bulky levitate setup sweeper from Bronzong, which has a superior defensive typing as well as access to Iron Defense + Body Press.
[SET]
Calm Mind (Cresselia) @ Kee Berry / Leftovers / Grassy Seed
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Tera Type: Poison / Steel / Fairy
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Moonblast
- Moonlight / Substitute
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Stored Power is Cresselias choice of STAB attack for its abillity to overwhelm Steel-types like Klefki and Registeel, and bypasses Quagsires Unaware. Moonblast hits Dark-types like Umbreon and Incineroar that are immune to Stored Power. Moonlight relieves any chip damage that Cresselia may receive, allowing it to set up repeatedly, although Substitute can be used instead to block status moves like Toxic and Leech Seed, at the cost of losing immediate recovery. 56 speed EVs allows Cresselia to outspeed Adamant Incineroar, with the rest being dumped in HP and Defense to maximize Cresselias bulk. Tera Poison gives Cresselia a Toxic immunity while maintaining its good matchup into Fighting-Types like Breloom and Heracross. Tera Steel also give the aforementioned resistances, as well as immunity to Clear Smog from Alolan Muk and Gastrodon but makes Cresselia vulnerable to Fighting- and Fire-type attacks. However, since Substitute sets can ignore Toxic, they can opt to go for a more offensive Tera type like Fairy, which boosts Moonblast, changes Cresselia's weaknesses to Dark and Bug into resistances, and lets Cresselia wall Flygon. Kee Berry gives Cresselia a Defense boost, which lets it beat physical wallbreakers like Basculegion and Staraptor that could overwhelm it otherwise. Leftovers provides passive healing, helping out Substitute sets, and it can also be used as to not force Cresselia to heal up excessively. On the other hand, Grassy Seed does the same thing as Kee Beery, but it helps Cresselia out on Grassy Terrain teams because it can gain its boost immediately.
Cresselia best fits on balance teams as
a terrifiying bulky sweeper. Cresselia can struggle with Dark- and Ghost-types like like Incineroar and Chandelure, so checks to these Pokemon like Umbreon, Paldean Tauros-W and Diancie are excellent partners. In return, Cresselia handles the Psychic, Fighting- and Ground-types that these Pokemon are threatened by Entry hazard stacking teammates like Klefeki and Swampert are great at helping wear down Cresselias checks like Alolan Muk and opposing Klefki. Physical walls like Vileplume, Talonflame and Sylveon are great teammates for Cresselia, as it doesn't want to switch in often as not to waste Kee Berry / Grassy Seed. Toxic users like Galarian Slowbro and Corrosion Salazzle also make for great partners, as they draw in checks to Cresselia, like Incineroar and Alolan Muk, and can bother them with poison chip. Cresselia benefits from special wallbreakers like Chandelure and Porygon-Z that can help soften up walls like Incineroar and Bronzong that Cresselia struggles to break past. Physical wallbreakers like Breloom and Basculegion also enjoy Cresselia forcing in special walls like Registeel and Umbreon for them to come in on.
[SET]
Choice Scarf (Cresselia) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Tera Type: Fairy
Timid Nature
- Moonblast / Ice Beam
- Trick
- Thunder Wave
- Lunar Dance / Moonlight
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Moonblast gives Cresselia a way of hitting incoming Dark-types while still helping it against fast Pokemon like Mienshao and Flygon too. Ice Beam hits Flygon harder as well as nailing Kilowattrel and Brambleghast. Trick cripples opposing walls like Incineroar and Bronzong and setup sweepers like Sylveon and Breloom. Lunar Dance is the main attraction, allowing a weakened teammate like Dragon Dance Flygon or Swords Dance Incineroar another chance to sweep. However, on more balanced builds, Moonlight helps Cresselia repeatedly support its team.
Scarf Cresselia best fits on offensive teams, being able to revitalize a weakened sweeper like Tidy Up Cincinno or Dragon Dance Flygon or a wallbreaker like Baculegion or Sylveon for a second round of destruction. Any setup sweeper bar ones reliant on one-time items like Meteor Beam Diancie can benefit from this second limb provided by Cresselia, such as Swords Dance Breloom and Nasty Plot Porygon-Z. Hazard setters like Klefki and Froslass are great at enabling the offensive threats that Cresselia pairs with. Cresselia checks two common Pokemon in Flygon and Mienshao, so teammates that struggle versus them like Porygon-Z, Copperajah, and Toxicroak love pairing with Cresselia.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Cresselia can opt for Power Gem over Moonblast to better hit one of its most common checks, Incineroar, but it having to amass multiple boosts before being able to threaten other Dark-types like Umbreon and Alolan Muk. Shadow Ball can also be ran to hit Bronzong; however, if Bronzong gets too many boosts, it fails to do much of anything to it. Future Sight can be run on a defensive set to limit switch-ins for wallbreaking partners like Life Orb Mienshao and Choice Band Flygon, but this is typically done better by Galarian Articuno due to its access to Competitive, U-turn, and a secondary STAB move. Lunar Blessing can be run over Moonlight to help out against Toxic users and to let Cresselia run a different Tera type. But, due to how it recovers less HP than Moonlight, it typically is worse off overall.
Checks and Counters
====
**Status Conditions**: Getting hit by Toxic from Umbreon or Bellibolt completely cripples Cresselia, meaning these Pokemon force it to Terastallize if it lacks Substitute. However, Choice Scarf sets can render them near useless with Trick.
**Wallbreakers**: Strong physical wallbreakers like Staraptor and Basculegion can take advantage of Cresselias unboosted physical bulk and chunk a huge amount of its HP, forcing it out or making easy to revenge kill for their teammates. Special wallbreakers like Porygon-Z and Chandelure hit Cresselia on its uninvested Special Defense, but may struggle to break through it should Cresselia have accrued multiple boosts beforehand.
**Setup Sweepers**: Cresselia's passivity and reliance on multiple turns of setup to be threatening make it an easy entry point for opposing setup sweepers like Swords Dance Incineroar or Iron Defense + Calm Mind Bronzong.
**Phazing**: Roar from Pokemon like Umbreon and Sylveon, Haze from the likes of Tentacruel and Vaporeon, and Clear Smog Alolan Muk and Gastrodon can easily stop Cresselia's setup attempts. Cress struggles to do much in return due to its low power without boosts.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sinnabyss.626095/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Cresselia's great utility movepool and stellar bulk allows it to support its team, and it gives Cresselia ample opportunity to setup. When against passive Pokemon like Talonflame and Diancie, Cresselia can easily take advantage of them with Calm Mind, which—alongside Kee Beery or Grassy Seed—makes it harder to be outright KOed and to switch into. Cresselia can also choose to turn the tables on otherwise rock-solid counters to it like Bronzong and Incineroar with a Trick from its Choice Scarf utility sets. However, Cresselia's mono-Psychic typing leaves it vulnurable to common moves like U-turn and Knock Off, and on top of that, Cresselias sweep can easily be cut short by a Toxic from Pokemon like Umbreon and Galarian Slowbro, forcing Cresselia to Terastallize more than it'd like. It also requires multiple boosts to be threatening, making it an easy entry point for powerful wallbreakers like Basculegion to come in on. Cresselia is quite commital in it's sweeping, especially with items like Kee Berry and Grassy Seed, making it a far less effective sweeper if forced out. Scarfed Cresselia suffers from passivity when locked into one move. Lastly, Cresselia faces stiff competition as a bulky levitate setup sweeper from Bronzong, which has a superior defensive typing as well as access to Iron Defense + Body Press.
[SET]
Calm Mind (Cresselia) @ Kee Berry / Leftovers / Grassy Seed
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Tera Type: Poison / Steel / Fairy
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Stored Power
- Moonblast
- Moonlight / Substitute
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Stored Power is Cresselias choice of STAB attack for its abillity to overwhelm Steel-types like Klefki and Registeel, and bypasses Quagsires Unaware. Moonblast hits Dark-types like Umbreon and Incineroar that are immune to Stored Power. Moonlight relieves any chip damage that Cresselia may receive, allowing it to set up repeatedly, although Substitute can be used instead to block status moves like Toxic and Leech Seed, at the cost of losing immediate recovery. 56 speed EVs allows Cresselia to outspeed Adamant Incineroar, with the rest being dumped in HP and Defense to maximize Cresselias bulk. Tera Poison gives Cresselia a Toxic immunity while maintaining its good matchup into Fighting-Types like Breloom and Heracross. Tera Steel also give the aforementioned resistances, as well as immunity to Clear Smog from Alolan Muk and Gastrodon but makes Cresselia vulnerable to Fighting- and Fire-type attacks. However, since Substitute sets can ignore Toxic, they can opt to go for a more offensive Tera type like Fairy, which boosts Moonblast, changes Cresselia's weaknesses to Dark and Bug into resistances, and lets Cresselia wall Flygon. Kee Berry gives Cresselia a Defense boost, which lets it beat physical wallbreakers like Basculegion and Staraptor that could overwhelm it otherwise. Leftovers provides passive healing, helping out Substitute sets, and it can also be used as to not force Cresselia to heal up excessively. On the other hand, Grassy Seed does the same thing as Kee Beery, but it helps Cresselia out on Grassy Terrain teams because it can gain its boost immediately.
Cresselia best fits on balance teams as
a terrifiying bulky sweeper. Cresselia can struggle with Dark- and Ghost-types like like Incineroar and Chandelure, so checks to these Pokemon like Umbreon, Paldean Tauros-W and Diancie are excellent partners. In return, Cresselia handles the Psychic, Fighting- and Ground-types that these Pokemon are threatened by Entry hazard stacking teammates like Klefeki and Swampert are great at helping wear down Cresselias checks like Alolan Muk and opposing Klefki. Physical walls like Vileplume, Talonflame and Sylveon are great teammates for Cresselia, as it doesn't want to switch in often as not to waste Kee Berry / Grassy Seed. Toxic users like Galarian Slowbro and Corrosion Salazzle also make for great partners, as they draw in checks to Cresselia, like Incineroar and Alolan Muk, and can bother them with poison chip. Cresselia benefits from special wallbreakers like Chandelure and Porygon-Z that can help soften up walls like Incineroar and Bronzong that Cresselia struggles to break past. Physical wallbreakers like Breloom and Basculegion also enjoy Cresselia forcing in special walls like Registeel and Umbreon for them to come in on.
[SET]
Choice Scarf (Cresselia) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Tera Type: Fairy
Timid Nature
- Moonblast / Ice Beam
- Trick
- Thunder Wave
- Lunar Dance / Moonlight
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Moonblast gives Cresselia a way of hitting incoming Dark-types while still helping it against fast Pokemon like Mienshao and Flygon too. Ice Beam hits Flygon harder as well as nailing Kilowattrel and Brambleghast. Trick cripples opposing walls like Incineroar and Bronzong and setup sweepers like Sylveon and Breloom. Lunar Dance is the main attraction, allowing a weakened teammate like Dragon Dance Flygon or Swords Dance Incineroar another chance to sweep. However, on more balanced builds, Moonlight helps Cresselia repeatedly support its team.
Scarf Cresselia best fits on offensive teams, being able to revitalize a weakened sweeper like Tidy Up Cincinno or Dragon Dance Flygon or a wallbreaker like Baculegion or Sylveon for a second round of destruction. Any setup sweeper bar ones reliant on one-time items like Meteor Beam Diancie can benefit from this second limb provided by Cresselia, such as Swords Dance Breloom and Nasty Plot Porygon-Z. Hazard setters like Klefki and Froslass are great at enabling the offensive threats that Cresselia pairs with. Cresselia checks two common Pokemon in Flygon and Mienshao, so teammates that struggle versus them like Porygon-Z, Copperajah, and Toxicroak love pairing with Cresselia.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Cresselia can opt for Power Gem over Moonblast to better hit one of its most common checks, Incineroar, but it having to amass multiple boosts before being able to threaten other Dark-types like Umbreon and Alolan Muk. Shadow Ball can also be ran to hit Bronzong; however, if Bronzong gets too many boosts, it fails to do much of anything to it. Future Sight can be run on a defensive set to limit switch-ins for wallbreaking partners like Life Orb Mienshao and Choice Band Flygon, but this is typically done better by Galarian Articuno due to its access to Competitive, U-turn, and a secondary STAB move. Lunar Blessing can be run over Moonlight to help out against Toxic users and to let Cresselia run a different Tera type. But, due to how it recovers less HP than Moonlight, it typically is worse off overall.
Checks and Counters
====
**Status Conditions**: Getting hit by Toxic from Umbreon or Bellibolt completely cripples Cresselia, meaning these Pokemon force it to Terastallize if it lacks Substitute. However, Choice Scarf sets can render them near useless with Trick.
**Wallbreakers**: Strong physical wallbreakers like Staraptor and Basculegion can take advantage of Cresselias unboosted physical bulk and chunk a huge amount of its HP, forcing it out or making easy to revenge kill for their teammates. Special wallbreakers like Porygon-Z and Chandelure hit Cresselia on its uninvested Special Defense, but may struggle to break through it should Cresselia have accrued multiple boosts beforehand.
**Setup Sweepers**: Cresselia's passivity and reliance on multiple turns of setup to be threatening make it an easy entry point for opposing setup sweepers like Swords Dance Incineroar or Iron Defense + Calm Mind Bronzong.
**Phazing**: Roar from Pokemon like Umbreon and Sylveon, Haze from the likes of Tentacruel and Vaporeon, and Clear Smog Alolan Muk and Gastrodon can easily stop Cresselia's setup attempts. Cress struggles to do much in return due to its low power without boosts.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sinnabyss.626095/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited:
