QC APPROVED 3/3
GP APPROVED 1/1
[Pros]GP APPROVED 1/1
<ul>
<li>It has access to Shell Smash.</li>
<li>It has a great ability in Skill Link and plenty of moves that benefit from it.</li>
<li>Priority Ice Shard allows it to differentiate itself from other Shell Smash Pokemon.</li>
<li>High Defense allows it to take powerful physical hits.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>Its Stealth Rock weakness in addition to its being vulnerable to every form of entry hazard means that it gets worn down quickly.</li>
<li>Weaknesses to many common offensive types (Electric, Fighting, Grass and Rock) limit its opportunities to set up.</li>
<li>Low Special Defense hinders Cloyster's ability to set up against the majority of special attackers, no matter how weak they are.</li>
<li>It suffers from low Speed and mediocre Attack.</li>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>Cloyster @ White Herb / Lum Berry<br />
Ability: Skill Link <br />
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe <br />
Adamant / Naive Nature<br />
- Shell Smash<br />
- Icicle Spear<br />
- Rock Blast<br />
- Ice Shard / Hydro Pump<br /></p>
<p>This is Cloyster's bread-and-butter set. Shell Smash Cloyster is a potent late-game sweeper and is best used on an offensive team. Shell Smash doubles Cloyster's Attack, Special Attack, and Speed in a single turn; however, it comes at the cost of loweringboth of Cloyster's defensive stats. The second slot features arguably Cloyster's best attack, Icicle Spear. Thanks to its being boosted by Skill Link, it achieves a consistent 125 Base Power in addition to STAB, and it will be sure to deal solid damage to a good portion of the metagame. Rock Blast benefits from Skill Link as well, becoming a threatening move which is vital in beating threats such as Mega Charizard, Gyarados, Volcarona, Talonflame, and Avalugg. Ice Shard allows Cloyster to prevent many revenge killers from disposing of it once it has been weakened (eg. Breloom, Dragonite, Talonflame, and Choice Scarf Noivern). However, if you'd rather fill the final moveslot with something with a little more oomph, you can try using Hydro Pump, which allows Cloyster to bypass many physical tanks, such as Skarmory, after a Shell Smash boost. However, you are better off using Ice Shard as it will prove to be more useful for a late-game sweeper like Cloyster.</p>
<p>The EV spread is pretty straightforward. Maximum Attack and Speed EVs ensure that Cloyster can cause as much destruction as possible after a Shell Smash boost while outspeeding Choice Scarf neutral base 100 Speed Pokemon, such as Salamence and Volcarona, and everything slower. A Naive nature allows Cloyster to outpace a greater portion of the metagame (although a good portion of Scarfed Pokemon that can outpace a +2 Adamant natured Cloyster get wrecked by a +2 Ice Shard) in addition to not lowering Cloyster's Special Attack. White Herb is the primary choice, allowing Cloyster to negate any stat drops after a Shell Smash, while Lum Berry prevents bulky Pokemon such as Slowbro from crippling Cloyster with a status ailment. Life Orb can be used to allow Cloyster to almost always beat the Pokemon that usually wall it after a Shell Smash, such as Ferrothorn and Skarmory.However, it comes at the cost of further shortening Cloyster's already short lifespan and making it that much easier to revenge kill. King's Rock can take advantage of the multi-hit attacks and with it, said multi-hit moves have a good chance to flinch the opposing Pokemon.</p>
<p>Cloyster appreciates Defog and Rapid Spin users as they can remove hazards from the field to ensure an easier sweep. Examples include Scizor, Forretress, and Starmie. Pokemon such as Greninja are effective at luring Rotom-W and other Water-types and can weaken them severely with their attacks. In a similar vein, Aegislash can utilize Hidden Power Fire to gain surprise kills on Scizor, Forretress, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. Magnezone can also trap the previously mentioned Pokemon and clear the way for Cloyster to start wreaking havoc.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Countering Cloyster isn't hard, considering its pretty limited movepool in addition to mediocre offensive stats. Aegislash is one of the first counters to spring to mind, as it resists both Icicle Spear and Rock Blast and can retaliate with Sacred Sword. Thanks to its ability Unaware, Quagsire can tank repeated hits from Cloyster and wear it down with Toxic or burn it with Scald. In the Steel-type department, Ferrothorn, Magnezone, and Scizor all possess the bulk to take boosted hits from Cloyster and OHKO in return. However the latter two Pokemon must be wary of the occasional +2 boosted Hydro Pump. Cloyster is a classic example of a Pokemon suffering from the 'four-moveslot syndrome' as if it forgoes Ice Shard for Hydro Pump, it becomes prone to being revenge killed by priority attacks such as Breloom's Mach Punch. However, if it lacks Hydro Pump, it becomes relatively easy for physical walls such as Skarmory to take its attacks. Bulky Water-types such as Barbaracle and Rotom-W also spell doom for Cloyster, as they boast great Defense and can OHKO Cloyster in return with their STAB attacks. Lastly, Slowbro can tank anything that Cloyster has to throw at it with ease and cripple it with Thunder Wave.</p>
<p>Being part Ice-type is a double-edged blade for Cloyster. On one hand, it gains an awesome STAB move, but on the other, it takes 25% damage from Stealth Rock whenever it switches in, and is susceptible to both Spikes and Toxic Spikes. For this reason, having Stealth Rock on the field is a good first answer to Cloyster in any case.</p>
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