[OVERVIEW]
Shellos is one the bulkiest Pokemon in LC thanks to its high HP, reliable recovery, and ability in Sticky Hold, which prevents its Eviolite from being removed. Its physical bulk and lack of weaknesses means it can often stonewall physical attackers and sweepers, and even special sweepers struggle to break Shellos before it removes their boosts with Clear Smog. It can sometimes function as a wincon, owing to the rarity of strong Grass- and Electric-type moves and its ability to outlast most foes. However, Shellos is also relatively passive and can be smothered by a prepared team, especially ones that spread poison or carry Taunt, and it struggles mightily against the common bulky Grass-types, Foongus and Ferroseed. Shellos's lack of resistances can also lead to it being worn down by the tier's most powerful breakers, like Abra and Reckless Mienfoo. Nonetheless, it is a sturdy Pokemon that can find a home in many defensive cores.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Recover
move 3: Clear Smog
move 4: Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Bold
evs: 228 HP / 132 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald deals reliable damage to neutral foes while spreading invaluable burns to render physical attackers useless. Recover keeps Shellos healthy enough to deal with multiple foes or outstall Pokemon that cannot break it like physical Vullaby. Clear Smog helps to check Pokemon that would otherwise try to set up on Shellos, like Nasty Plot Vullaby, and can prevent a sweep in motion if Shellos is healthy enough to survive a hit. Toxic lets Shellos outlast most foes and threaten bulky walls like Spritzee and Porygon, spreading chip damage so that a bulkier team can win a longer game.
Set Details
========
Eviolite, in tandem with Sticky Hold, makes Shellos incredibly bulky and one of the few Pokemon not threatened by Knock Off. A Bold nature and the given defensive investment give Shellos even Defense and Special Defense to take advantage of Eviolite. Maximum HP investment gives Shellos a sky-high 27 HP and reduces the threat from Final Gambit users like Diglett. The remaining investment in Speed lets Shellos Speed tie with standard Timburr and outspeed standard Spritzee.
Usage Tips
========
Shellos functions as a wet blanket to smother offensive momentum and checks potent threats like Ponyta, Drilbur, physical Vullaby, and Dragon Dance Onix. You should prioritize using Recover and keeping Shellos's health high so that it can repeatedly take heavy hits. Against setup sweepers like Nasty Plot Vullaby, maintaining enough health to survive a hit and then use Clear Smog is crucial. Shellos should generally not stay in against Pokemon that can poison it, such as Mareanie. Beware Mold Breaker Pancham, which is the only Pokemon able to remove Shellos's Eviolite with Knock Off.
Team Options
========
Shellos fits well on teams that need a blanket answer to physical attackers, especially Ponyta and Ground-types like Onix and Mudbray. In turn, it appreciates Pokemon that can switch into Foongus, Chinchou, and Ferroseed, and it partners well with its own Ferroseed. Teammates that can set up on Foongus make for great partners, such as Ferroseed with Spikes. Diglett can trap and remove Chinchou. Shellos needs a Poison-type teammate to absorb Toxic Spikes reliably, like Foongus and Mareanie; it can also take advantage of its own Toxic Spikes set by Mareanie and Koffing.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam is an option over Clear Smog or Toxic to hit Foongus, but dropping either move sacrifices some defensive capability. Earth Power is an option to hit Mareanie, Chinchou, and Croagunk. Mirror Coat lets Shellos surprise and KO special attackers like Chinchou, and Counter does the same to physical attackers like Guts Timburr, both owing to Shellos's tremendous bulk and HP and the difficulty of OHKOing it. Shellos can run a variety of boosting moves to more directly serve as a wincon, including a set of Curse, Amnesia, Facade, and Rest; this set needs extensive team support, though, and is unable to beat Taunt users and Ghost-types. An investment of 68 HP / 132 Def / 20 SpD / 244 Spe with a Bold nature can be run with Amnesia and Acid Armor as a wincon that sets up on physical attackers.
Checks and Counters
===================
*Grass-types**: Foongus can outlast Shellos by healing while hitting it with Giga Drain, in addition to resisting Scald and being immune to Toxic. Foongus also can generate momentum by using Spore. Ferroseed walls Shellos while threatening it with Giga Drain or Bullet Seed, but must be wary of Shellos stalling out Giga Drain PP with Recover. Foongus must be wary of the rare Ice Beam.
**Electric-types**: Chinchou takes little damage from Scald and can both break Shellos with Thunderbolt and garner momentum with Volt Switch. However, Chinchou's lack of reliable recovery makes it vulnerable to chip damage from status. Magnemite can KO Shellos with its powerful Thunderbolt or pivot with Volt Switch, though it cannot switch into Scald well.
**Poison**: Poison, especially Toxic, can invalidate Shellos's ability to wall threats. Running Toxic on unusual Pokemon that Shellos likes to come in against, such as Ponyta, Timburr, and Diglett, can surprise and inhibit it. Shellos also must fear being forced onto the field when Toxic Spikes are up. Shellos often appreciates its own burn to prevent being poisoned.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[KSG, 32350]]
- Quality checked by: [[Fiend, 208173], [Stoward, 420389], [Coconut, 150971]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Winry, 216033], [Estronic, 240732]]
Shellos is one the bulkiest Pokemon in LC thanks to its high HP, reliable recovery, and ability in Sticky Hold, which prevents its Eviolite from being removed. Its physical bulk and lack of weaknesses means it can often stonewall physical attackers and sweepers, and even special sweepers struggle to break Shellos before it removes their boosts with Clear Smog. It can sometimes function as a wincon, owing to the rarity of strong Grass- and Electric-type moves and its ability to outlast most foes. However, Shellos is also relatively passive and can be smothered by a prepared team, especially ones that spread poison or carry Taunt, and it struggles mightily against the common bulky Grass-types, Foongus and Ferroseed. Shellos's lack of resistances can also lead to it being worn down by the tier's most powerful breakers, like Abra and Reckless Mienfoo. Nonetheless, it is a sturdy Pokemon that can find a home in many defensive cores.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Scald
move 2: Recover
move 3: Clear Smog
move 4: Toxic
item: Eviolite
ability: Sticky Hold
nature: Bold
evs: 228 HP / 132 Def / 100 SpD / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Scald deals reliable damage to neutral foes while spreading invaluable burns to render physical attackers useless. Recover keeps Shellos healthy enough to deal with multiple foes or outstall Pokemon that cannot break it like physical Vullaby. Clear Smog helps to check Pokemon that would otherwise try to set up on Shellos, like Nasty Plot Vullaby, and can prevent a sweep in motion if Shellos is healthy enough to survive a hit. Toxic lets Shellos outlast most foes and threaten bulky walls like Spritzee and Porygon, spreading chip damage so that a bulkier team can win a longer game.
Set Details
========
Eviolite, in tandem with Sticky Hold, makes Shellos incredibly bulky and one of the few Pokemon not threatened by Knock Off. A Bold nature and the given defensive investment give Shellos even Defense and Special Defense to take advantage of Eviolite. Maximum HP investment gives Shellos a sky-high 27 HP and reduces the threat from Final Gambit users like Diglett. The remaining investment in Speed lets Shellos Speed tie with standard Timburr and outspeed standard Spritzee.
Usage Tips
========
Shellos functions as a wet blanket to smother offensive momentum and checks potent threats like Ponyta, Drilbur, physical Vullaby, and Dragon Dance Onix. You should prioritize using Recover and keeping Shellos's health high so that it can repeatedly take heavy hits. Against setup sweepers like Nasty Plot Vullaby, maintaining enough health to survive a hit and then use Clear Smog is crucial. Shellos should generally not stay in against Pokemon that can poison it, such as Mareanie. Beware Mold Breaker Pancham, which is the only Pokemon able to remove Shellos's Eviolite with Knock Off.
Team Options
========
Shellos fits well on teams that need a blanket answer to physical attackers, especially Ponyta and Ground-types like Onix and Mudbray. In turn, it appreciates Pokemon that can switch into Foongus, Chinchou, and Ferroseed, and it partners well with its own Ferroseed. Teammates that can set up on Foongus make for great partners, such as Ferroseed with Spikes. Diglett can trap and remove Chinchou. Shellos needs a Poison-type teammate to absorb Toxic Spikes reliably, like Foongus and Mareanie; it can also take advantage of its own Toxic Spikes set by Mareanie and Koffing.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam is an option over Clear Smog or Toxic to hit Foongus, but dropping either move sacrifices some defensive capability. Earth Power is an option to hit Mareanie, Chinchou, and Croagunk. Mirror Coat lets Shellos surprise and KO special attackers like Chinchou, and Counter does the same to physical attackers like Guts Timburr, both owing to Shellos's tremendous bulk and HP and the difficulty of OHKOing it. Shellos can run a variety of boosting moves to more directly serve as a wincon, including a set of Curse, Amnesia, Facade, and Rest; this set needs extensive team support, though, and is unable to beat Taunt users and Ghost-types. An investment of 68 HP / 132 Def / 20 SpD / 244 Spe with a Bold nature can be run with Amnesia and Acid Armor as a wincon that sets up on physical attackers.
Checks and Counters
===================
*Grass-types**: Foongus can outlast Shellos by healing while hitting it with Giga Drain, in addition to resisting Scald and being immune to Toxic. Foongus also can generate momentum by using Spore. Ferroseed walls Shellos while threatening it with Giga Drain or Bullet Seed, but must be wary of Shellos stalling out Giga Drain PP with Recover. Foongus must be wary of the rare Ice Beam.
**Electric-types**: Chinchou takes little damage from Scald and can both break Shellos with Thunderbolt and garner momentum with Volt Switch. However, Chinchou's lack of reliable recovery makes it vulnerable to chip damage from status. Magnemite can KO Shellos with its powerful Thunderbolt or pivot with Volt Switch, though it cannot switch into Scald well.
**Poison**: Poison, especially Toxic, can invalidate Shellos's ability to wall threats. Running Toxic on unusual Pokemon that Shellos likes to come in against, such as Ponyta, Timburr, and Diglett, can surprise and inhibit it. Shellos also must fear being forced onto the field when Toxic Spikes are up. Shellos often appreciates its own burn to prevent being poisoned.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[KSG, 32350]]
- Quality checked by: [[Fiend, 208173], [Stoward, 420389], [Coconut, 150971]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Winry, 216033], [Estronic, 240732]]
Last edited:
