[Overview]
<p>Leafeon is one of 3 Eeveelutions that has been forced down to NU, but it's also found a great home there, and a chance to show off its great offensive and support capabilities. Leafeon boasts fantastic Attack and Defense stats, and by NU's standards, a great Speed stat as well. These factors combined with Swords Dance make Leafeon an excellent sweeper if you can remove the Steel-types that wall it. In addition to being able to utilize the Swords Dance boosts it has accumulated, it is also able to use Baton Pass to give them to a teammate.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Return / X-Scissor
move 4: Substitute / Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Leafeon's primary offensive set. Leafeon can use its high Attack and Speed to set up multiple Swords Dance boosts and easily pull off a sweep. Although it has all the right tools to sweep the opponent's team, Leafeon is easily walled by Steel-types, and many Choice Scarf users can end its sweep prematurely, so Leafeon will definitely need proper team support if it wants to pull off a full sweep. On the bright side, Leafeon is very good at punching holes in teams, and deals hefty damage to those weak to its STAB. Leaf Blade is Leafeon's main STAB move and is the go-to option against most Pokemon that don't resist it, or that Leafeon can't already hit super effectively. Return hits hard and has good neutral coverage, while X-Scissor can be used to deal a considerable amount of damage to bulky Grass-types, such as Tangela. Finally, Substitute or Baton Pass can be used in the last slot. Substitute provides safety to attack while behind a Substitute, while Baton Pass is very useful for passing Leafeon's boosts to a powerful Pokemon that can’t set up itself, such as Sawk.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While Life Orb helps Leafeon power through opposing walls, it can also opt for Leftovers to increase its longevity. Leafeon can also increase its power with an Adamant nature, since its Speed will already be increased to great heights if sun is up, thanks to Chlorophyll. If Leafeon isn't being used on a team that abuses Sunny Day, then it's recommended you give it a Jolly nature so it can Speed-tie with Timid Jynx and outspeed prominent threats such as Magmortar and Sawk. Overall, while Leafeon is powerful, it does require some support to pull off a full sweep. Steel-types will endlessly tank Leafeon's attacks, so a means of dealing with them would really help it out. Magmortar works particularly well with Leafeon; it can easily take the Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type attacks aimed at Leafeon while also demolishing Steel-types in the process. Leafeon is also open to some other options for its moveset. Synthesis is a great choice for healing off any damage that Leafeon takes, while Quick Attack gives it a priority move that is quite effective after a Swords Dance.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Leaf Blade
item: Leftovers
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to set up Swords Dance behind a Substitute before passing it to one of Leafeon's teammates. Many slower teammates benefit from the boosts Leafeon accumulates, as a Substitute can offer them the ability to beat faster Pokemon that would otherwise take them out. Leafeon can also abuse the Substitute and boosts and try to muster a sweep of its own. Thanks to Leafeon's great Defense and Speed, setting up with this set should be relatively easy, as Leafeon can easily tank a hit and outspeed most unboosted Pokemon in NU. Substitute is particularly useful for this set, as it allows Leafeon to block the status that savvy Pokemon might try to inflict in an attempt to hinder its sweep. Fortunately, Leafeon is speedy, so it can throw up a Substitute and block any status, as most defensive Pokemon in NU are slower than it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Overall, there aren't many other options for this set, since it aims to aid Leafeon's teammates rather than Leafeon itself. There are many potential partners for Leafeon to pass to, however. Marowak is a great recipient of Baton Pass, as it can inflict heavy damage at +2 thanks to its Thick Club-boosted Attack stat, while it also benefits from the Substitute due to its lackluster Speed stat. Marowak will net at least 1 KO while behind a Substitute, and thanks to its respectable bulk, it will probably end up getting 1 or 2 more. Gorebyss is yet another fantastic partner to receive Leafeon's Substitute, which can come in handy when it sets up Shell Smash; Gorebyss also resists two of Leafeon's chief weaknesses in Fire and Ice. In general, most Water- and Fire-types can take advantage of a Substitute.</p>
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Leaf Blade
move 2: Heal Bell
move 3: Wish
move 4: Yawn / Baton Pass / Roar
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Tangela arguably pulls off a physically defensive set better, Leafeon does have its perks. For one thing, it's able to heal both itself and its teammates with Wish and Heal Bell, allowing it to act as a cleric. Leafeon is also capable of hurting threats thanks to its STAB Leaf Blade and base 110 Attack stat. Leafeon also boasts the ability to phaze with Roar or temporarily cripple a Pokemon with Yawn, both of which prevent Leafeon from becoming setup fodder. Leafeon can also use Baton Pass to escape the battle safely. This strategy can be very useful in conjunction with Spikes as it's a great way of forcing switches. An Impish nature with full investment in HP and Defense will maximize Leafeon's physical bulk so that it's able to take physical hits with ease, although Leafeon should generally shy away from taking special attacks due to its abysmal Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While this set can prove effective, it does run into a few roadblocks while acting as a defensive wall. Leafeon shouldn't attempt to wall any Poison-, Fire or Flying-types, due to their STAB moves hitting Leafeon super effectively. Additionally, Leafeon can't do much damage in return with Leaf Blade. Leafeon also hates to switch into entry hazards and can be worn down by Toxic Spikes, as Heal Bell will simply run out of PP as Leafeon often has to switch in and out many times in battle. That being said, it's quite beneficial to pair Leafeon with a Rapid Spin user, as entry hazards often work effectively against Leafeon and hasten its demise. Additionally, Leafeon's EVs are pretty flexible; one can opt to run 56 Speed EVs to outrun neutral max Speed Samurott, while 16 Speed EVs let Leafeon outrun neutral max Speed Emboar and other Base 65 Speed Pokemon.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Leafeon is a somewhat diverse Pokemon with many options to choose from, although some are rather gimmicky and require a bit of team support. Leafeon can utilize Curse, although the Speed drop is often detrimental as high Speed is one of Leafeon's best qualities. Leafeon can also use Sunny Day to raise its Speed, usually with a Swords Dance set, although both Sunny Day and Swords Dance can be difficult to consecutively set up. Leafeon is an effective user of Sunny Day nonetheless and can also support its teammates with the move. Dig can be used to break through the Steel-types that otherwise wall the Verdant Pokemon. While this seems ineffective, the process for using Dig can be cut to 1 turn if Leafeon is holding a Power Herb, although this effect works only once. A RestTalk set is also somewhat viable on Leafeon, especially when paired with a cleric, as Rest heals more HP than Wish and allows Leafeon to act as a status absorber. Roar is strongly recommended on a RestTalk set to prevent Leafeon from becoming setup bait, however. An Endure + Flail set is also an option for Leafeon; while it's often situational, it can be extremely effective and deals a lot of damage via this method.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>While Leafeon is a top tier offensive threat in NU, it has no shortage of counters. Steel-types such as Metang and Probopass do a solid job of walling Leafeon, since they can take the majority of attacks in Leafeon's arsenal and can stall it out with Toxic. Tangela is another great counter to Leafeon; it can tank Leafeon's hits with ease thanks to its gargantuan bulk, and Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Fire can take down Leafeon in a number of turns. Garbodor is another good means of beating Leafeon, as it can erase Leafeon's boosts with Clear Smog while resisting its main STAB move; its respectable bulk allows it to take any of Leafeon's other unboosted attacks effortlessly. Many of the powerful Flying-and Fire-type Pokemon in the tier, such as Magmortar and Rotom-S, make great checks to Leafeon. These Pokemon resist Leafeon's main STAB move and can threaten it with a super effective attack, although they must watch out for Leafeon at +2, as Return will hit quite hard at that point.</p>
<p>Leafeon is one of 3 Eeveelutions that has been forced down to NU, but it's also found a great home there, and a chance to show off its great offensive and support capabilities. Leafeon boasts fantastic Attack and Defense stats, and by NU's standards, a great Speed stat as well. These factors combined with Swords Dance make Leafeon an excellent sweeper if you can remove the Steel-types that wall it. In addition to being able to utilize the Swords Dance boosts it has accumulated, it is also able to use Baton Pass to give them to a teammate.</p>
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Return / X-Scissor
move 4: Substitute / Baton Pass
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is Leafeon's primary offensive set. Leafeon can use its high Attack and Speed to set up multiple Swords Dance boosts and easily pull off a sweep. Although it has all the right tools to sweep the opponent's team, Leafeon is easily walled by Steel-types, and many Choice Scarf users can end its sweep prematurely, so Leafeon will definitely need proper team support if it wants to pull off a full sweep. On the bright side, Leafeon is very good at punching holes in teams, and deals hefty damage to those weak to its STAB. Leaf Blade is Leafeon's main STAB move and is the go-to option against most Pokemon that don't resist it, or that Leafeon can't already hit super effectively. Return hits hard and has good neutral coverage, while X-Scissor can be used to deal a considerable amount of damage to bulky Grass-types, such as Tangela. Finally, Substitute or Baton Pass can be used in the last slot. Substitute provides safety to attack while behind a Substitute, while Baton Pass is very useful for passing Leafeon's boosts to a powerful Pokemon that can’t set up itself, such as Sawk.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While Life Orb helps Leafeon power through opposing walls, it can also opt for Leftovers to increase its longevity. Leafeon can also increase its power with an Adamant nature, since its Speed will already be increased to great heights if sun is up, thanks to Chlorophyll. If Leafeon isn't being used on a team that abuses Sunny Day, then it's recommended you give it a Jolly nature so it can Speed-tie with Timid Jynx and outspeed prominent threats such as Magmortar and Sawk. Overall, while Leafeon is powerful, it does require some support to pull off a full sweep. Steel-types will endlessly tank Leafeon's attacks, so a means of dealing with them would really help it out. Magmortar works particularly well with Leafeon; it can easily take the Fire-, Ice-, and Bug-type attacks aimed at Leafeon while also demolishing Steel-types in the process. Leafeon is also open to some other options for its moveset. Synthesis is a great choice for healing off any damage that Leafeon takes, while Quick Attack gives it a priority move that is quite effective after a Swords Dance.</p>
[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Baton Pass
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Leaf Blade
item: Leftovers
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to set up Swords Dance behind a Substitute before passing it to one of Leafeon's teammates. Many slower teammates benefit from the boosts Leafeon accumulates, as a Substitute can offer them the ability to beat faster Pokemon that would otherwise take them out. Leafeon can also abuse the Substitute and boosts and try to muster a sweep of its own. Thanks to Leafeon's great Defense and Speed, setting up with this set should be relatively easy, as Leafeon can easily tank a hit and outspeed most unboosted Pokemon in NU. Substitute is particularly useful for this set, as it allows Leafeon to block the status that savvy Pokemon might try to inflict in an attempt to hinder its sweep. Fortunately, Leafeon is speedy, so it can throw up a Substitute and block any status, as most defensive Pokemon in NU are slower than it.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Overall, there aren't many other options for this set, since it aims to aid Leafeon's teammates rather than Leafeon itself. There are many potential partners for Leafeon to pass to, however. Marowak is a great recipient of Baton Pass, as it can inflict heavy damage at +2 thanks to its Thick Club-boosted Attack stat, while it also benefits from the Substitute due to its lackluster Speed stat. Marowak will net at least 1 KO while behind a Substitute, and thanks to its respectable bulk, it will probably end up getting 1 or 2 more. Gorebyss is yet another fantastic partner to receive Leafeon's Substitute, which can come in handy when it sets up Shell Smash; Gorebyss also resists two of Leafeon's chief weaknesses in Fire and Ice. In general, most Water- and Fire-types can take advantage of a Substitute.</p>
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Leaf Blade
move 2: Heal Bell
move 3: Wish
move 4: Yawn / Baton Pass / Roar
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Tangela arguably pulls off a physically defensive set better, Leafeon does have its perks. For one thing, it's able to heal both itself and its teammates with Wish and Heal Bell, allowing it to act as a cleric. Leafeon is also capable of hurting threats thanks to its STAB Leaf Blade and base 110 Attack stat. Leafeon also boasts the ability to phaze with Roar or temporarily cripple a Pokemon with Yawn, both of which prevent Leafeon from becoming setup fodder. Leafeon can also use Baton Pass to escape the battle safely. This strategy can be very useful in conjunction with Spikes as it's a great way of forcing switches. An Impish nature with full investment in HP and Defense will maximize Leafeon's physical bulk so that it's able to take physical hits with ease, although Leafeon should generally shy away from taking special attacks due to its abysmal Special Defense.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>While this set can prove effective, it does run into a few roadblocks while acting as a defensive wall. Leafeon shouldn't attempt to wall any Poison-, Fire or Flying-types, due to their STAB moves hitting Leafeon super effectively. Additionally, Leafeon can't do much damage in return with Leaf Blade. Leafeon also hates to switch into entry hazards and can be worn down by Toxic Spikes, as Heal Bell will simply run out of PP as Leafeon often has to switch in and out many times in battle. That being said, it's quite beneficial to pair Leafeon with a Rapid Spin user, as entry hazards often work effectively against Leafeon and hasten its demise. Additionally, Leafeon's EVs are pretty flexible; one can opt to run 56 Speed EVs to outrun neutral max Speed Samurott, while 16 Speed EVs let Leafeon outrun neutral max Speed Emboar and other Base 65 Speed Pokemon.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Leafeon is a somewhat diverse Pokemon with many options to choose from, although some are rather gimmicky and require a bit of team support. Leafeon can utilize Curse, although the Speed drop is often detrimental as high Speed is one of Leafeon's best qualities. Leafeon can also use Sunny Day to raise its Speed, usually with a Swords Dance set, although both Sunny Day and Swords Dance can be difficult to consecutively set up. Leafeon is an effective user of Sunny Day nonetheless and can also support its teammates with the move. Dig can be used to break through the Steel-types that otherwise wall the Verdant Pokemon. While this seems ineffective, the process for using Dig can be cut to 1 turn if Leafeon is holding a Power Herb, although this effect works only once. A RestTalk set is also somewhat viable on Leafeon, especially when paired with a cleric, as Rest heals more HP than Wish and allows Leafeon to act as a status absorber. Roar is strongly recommended on a RestTalk set to prevent Leafeon from becoming setup bait, however. An Endure + Flail set is also an option for Leafeon; while it's often situational, it can be extremely effective and deals a lot of damage via this method.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>While Leafeon is a top tier offensive threat in NU, it has no shortage of counters. Steel-types such as Metang and Probopass do a solid job of walling Leafeon, since they can take the majority of attacks in Leafeon's arsenal and can stall it out with Toxic. Tangela is another great counter to Leafeon; it can tank Leafeon's hits with ease thanks to its gargantuan bulk, and Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Fire can take down Leafeon in a number of turns. Garbodor is another good means of beating Leafeon, as it can erase Leafeon's boosts with Clear Smog while resisting its main STAB move; its respectable bulk allows it to take any of Leafeon's other unboosted attacks effortlessly. Many of the powerful Flying-and Fire-type Pokemon in the tier, such as Magmortar and Rotom-S, make great checks to Leafeon. These Pokemon resist Leafeon's main STAB move and can threaten it with a super effective attack, although they must watch out for Leafeon at +2, as Return will hit quite hard at that point.</p>
