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firehusky, Gimmick, and theurbandear wins this week :) Normally I'm reluctant to accept trappers because it's quite a mindless and somewhat overrated pairing but the explanation was sufficient this time haha.
This time I'm going with one of my new favourites:
Boasting a good defensive typing, good utility in Toxic Spikes, and above all, a stellar ability in Adaptability, Dragalge defines wallbreaking. Additionally, it checks a few threats such as Clefable, Rotom-W, and Keldeo due to its typing, and has good coverage in Focus Blast to deal with Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Magnezone, and Heatran. However, it is befallen by a lackluster Speed stat. It is also quite frail, and its typing is a double-edged sword as well, as it leaves it checked by the likes of Mega Metagross and Landorus.
This week, you may choose which spread you'd like to use for Dragalge. The first spread has enough Speed for Hippowdon, while the latter has enough for Clefable.
Sableye @ Sablenite
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 112 Def / 144 SpD
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Knock Off
- Foul Play
- Recover
All teams around hazard stacking do well with a spinblocker, and mega sableye is the premier spinblocker in this meta. sableye also attracts a lot of fairy attacks, which dragalge can soft check with its poison typing. clefable for instance does approx 30% to dragalge with moonblast.
Mega Gyarados is a really cool partner for Dragalge as Mega Gyarados's best switch-ins such as Chesnaught, Skarmory and Keldeo are hard-checked by Dragalge while Ferrothorn can be lured with Hidden Power Fire. In reverse, Dragalge's checks such as Heatran, Latias and Bisharp are also set-up bait for Mega Gyarados. Iron Head is an option on Mega Gyarados here to OHKO offensive Mega Altaria at +1 after Stealth Rock, while also doing 80% + to the standard Magic Guard Clefable and guarantee a OHKO on Mega Gardevoir at +0 after Stealth Rock. Toxic Spikes from Dragalge also helps to weaken Azumarill which both Pokemon doesn't appreciate.
A good Azumarill and Weavile check is needed if this core is used though.
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
- Recover
Reuniclus is a good partner for Dragalge. It can setup on most bulky Psychics that attempt to check / revenge it, such as Jirachi. Reuniclus also benefits from the Toxic Spikes support as most of its checks are vulnerable to them, and can help in keeping TSPikes up by pressuring Poison types that attempt to absorb the spikes (ie Venu doesn't like switching in on Reun and thus can't absorb the spikes if they are on the field).
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Hammer Arm
- Grass Knot
Mega Metagross is a phenomenal partner to T-Spikes Dragalge for several reasons. For one, Metagross really appreciates entry-hazard support & Toxic Spikes helps wear down the opposition, turning 2HKO's into OHKO's. Secondly, Dragalge is extremely weak to Psychic, Dragon, and Ice types, and Mega Metagross easily takes care of them, while Dragalge resists common Fire type attacks.
Lopunny-Mega @ Lopunnite
Ability: Scrappy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- High Jump Kick
- Fake Out
- Ice Punch
Mega Lopunny is a great partner to Dragalge because it appreciates both wallbreaking and tspikes support. Dragalge can weaken things like Clefable, Slowbro, and Hippowdon to make a M-Lop sweep possible, meanwhile Lopunny takes on the likes of Weavile and the Latis to aid Dragalge. Fake Out + Tspikes is also a really efficient way at wearing down opposing fat cores in general. Ice Punch was chosen as the last move to target the grounds that give Dragalge trouble.
Skarmory @ Leftovers/Rocky Helmet
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Df / 4 SpD
Impish Nature
- Spikes
- Roost
- Whirlwind
- Toxic/Brave Bird/Stealth Rock
Skarmory is an exceptional Dragalge partner for several reasons. The two alone are capable of setting all three hazards between each other, they resist each others weaknesses perfectly outside of Ice, and Skarmory is physically bulky while Dragalge is specially. Skarmory has the benefit of having Roost for recovery and Whirlwind to phaze out set-up sweepers and rack up hazard damage. Toxic is an option to his Flying types and Levitate users, like Rotom-W or Latias, that would otherwise be immune to Toxic Spikes.
Clefable @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 172 Def / 84 SpD
Calm Nature
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Flamethrower / Thunder Wave
- Soft-Boiled
Clefable's decent bulk lets it take on many threatening Pokemon such as Mega Sableye, Mega Altaria, Mega Manectric, Kyurem-B, Breloom, and Mega Lopunny. Furthermore, it is a great glue for many balance teams due to this. In addition, Magic Guard leaves it effectively immune to status, which makes it one of the best Calm Mind users in the tier. Access to Flamethrower also let's it muscle past Steel-type switch-ins such as Scizor, while Thunder Wave cripples would-be checks such as Heatran.
However, Clefable's stats are not that great. It also may be overloaded at times due to it needing it check so many Pokemon. There are also an abundance of Steel- and Poison-types in OU such as Mega Metagross and Gengar which give Clefable trouble.
This is a really cool choice for matchmaking this week. So many different options as far as partners go. I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with.
Volcarona @ Lum Berry / Passho Berry
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 72 HP / 252 SpA / 184 Spe
Timid Nature
- Quiver Dance
- Fire Blast
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Ground] / Bug Buzz
Volcarona pairs very well with CM Clefable. Clef beats most of the water types in the tier, freeing Volc to run a Lum Berry over a Passho berry. Clef also beats some major threats to Volcarona - Mega Alt and the Latis in particular. T-wave support is really appreciated too, allowing Volc to revenge/set up on a paralyzed foe. Volc (specifically if its running HP Ground) can defeat stuff like CharX and Heatran and Scizor, allowing for a CM Fable sweep.
Tyranitar is a solid teammate for Clefable as it can handle a bunch of its checks to some degree. Fire types such as Talonflame, Heatran, and Mega Charizard Y bother Clefable and Choice Scarf Tyranitar can outspeed and OHKO or heavily damage all of them. In return, Clefable checks Fighting types to some degree for Tyranitar. In addition, Clefable's Magic Guard ignores the sand summoned by Tyranitar which is a small but nice bonus.
CroCune is a fantastic partner to Clefable, because Clefable struggles massively against the likes of opposing Fire types, especially Heatran, Talonflame and Charizard-Y and Suicune can set up on the former two easily, but it needs at least one CM up in order to take on Charizard-Y, and needs to get lucky with Sleep Talk. Suicune also forms a particularly sweet double CM core for Semi / Full Stall.
As everyone knows, Calm Mind Clefable is easily stopped by Scizor, Heatran, Volcarona, Excadrill, Talonflame and Gliscor. Enter Gyarados, a Pokemon who can set up on and defeat almost all the Pokemon listed above (except Will-O-Wisp Talonflame). To put the icing on the cake, Mega Gyarados's checks such as Chesnaught, Keldeo and Breloom are all (except Azumarill) defeated or set-up on by Clefable while Ferrothorn can be lured by Flamethrower or Fire Blast. Gyarados's dual STABs also allows it to muscle past Mega Metagross, Jirachi and Hippowdon, all of whom are not troubled by CM Clefable.
Note: If you use this, have a solid Azumarill check and secondary Mega Altaria check (Iron Head is not used here because Clef doesn't really mind too much about it gone; it just doesn't check it all that well)
Finally DarkNostalgia s wife comes out to play :). Utterly loves clef
Reuniclus @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Guard
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 SpD
Bold Nature
- Calm Mind
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
- Recover
Forming a trollish double magicguard core with clefable also known fondly as DarkNostalgia s wife. The pair work by setting up apon and wearing down each others checks until 1 or the other can sweep with pair being especially deadly to stall. Clef deals the likes sableye, altaria, bulky psychics or anything to reliant on status while spreading paralysis in turn reuniclus deals with steels and poisons that would otherwise force clef out.
Both work great as core due to being hard to wear down thanks magicguard and fantastic typings with only jiarchi and scizor truly threatening both a problem which can be eliminated by pairing both victini, another fire type or even magnezone.
Talonflame @ Leftovers
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Careful Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Brave Bird
- Roost
- Swords Dance/Flare Blitz/Taunt
Description: Talonflame saves Clefable from most of the steel types in OU bar Heatran. Being able to take on the common counters of Clefable with ease if rocks are kept off the field, namely Mega/Scizor, Mega Metagross and Mega Venusaur with no problem whatsoever being able to cripple them with Wil-O-Wisp or take them out with a SE move.
Calculations:
252 Atk Tough Claws burned Mega Metagross Zen Headbutt vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Talonflame: 124-147 (34.5 - 40.9%) -- 62.7% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Venusaur Sludge Bomb vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Talonflame: 123-145 (34.2 - 40.3%) -- 48.8% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
0 Atk Talonflame Brave Bird vs. 232 HP / 0 Def Venusaur: 254-300 (70.7 - 83.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Heatran @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Fire Blast
- Flash Cannon
- Earth Power
- Stone Edge
I guess most people see Clefable + Heatran and think of a specially defensive Heatran since it makes more of a defensive core. So having a Choice Scarf Heatran is a bit of a trick at team preview and also provides a nice offensive check to Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, Talonflame, Volcarona without HP Ground, Bisharp, Gengar, Serperior and opposing Heatrans to an extent. In return Clefable deals with a large number of defensive water types (non CM Slowbro, for example) and fighting types that check Heatran. I suppose that in general Clefable does more for SpDef Heatran in checking stuff like Weavile, Kyurem-Black, Mega Lopunny, and so on. However, with a Choice Scarf, Heatran is able to more easily deal with more checks to Clefable, including monsters like Gengar and Metagross as well as leaving the core less passive against opposing offensive teams.
Charizard-Mega-X (M) @ Charizardite X
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 248 HP / 152 Def / 108 Spe
- Fire Punch / Earthquake
- Dragon Tail
- Will-O-Wisp
- Roost
This thing is a wonderful partner for Clefable as it can take psychical attackers easily and burn them. The first move is slashed so you can remove Scizor and Ferrothorn or deal with Heatran. Dragon Tail deals with the set-up sweepers Clefable hates and W-o-W burns psychical attackers so Clefable can easily set-up itself and Roost is recovery. Clefable taxes Toxic for Zard and Dragon types as well. Good partners to this core are Landorus-T and Ferrothorn if anyone wants them.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Atk
Careful Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Roost
- Brave Bird
- Iron Head
Clefable's typing makes it fear the likes of Bisharp, Excadrill and Poison types like Toxicroak, Dragalgae and Gengar which makes Skarmory an excellent partner to it. Skarmory is naturally bulky on the Physical side which makes it able to invest more on the Special side. It's typing makes it immune to Poison types which makes it easy for Clefable to pivot to Skarmory when it's up against a Poison type.
Jirachi @ Expert Belt
Trait: Serene Grace
EVs: 132 Atk / 252 SAtk / 124 Spd
Mild Nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Hidden Power Ground
- Icy Wind
- Iron Head
- Healing Wish
This Jirachi is a multi-purpose lure as Hidden Power Ground hits Heatran, Magnezone and Mega Charizard-X on the switch while Icy Wind catches Specially Defensive Gliscor, Landorus-T, Garchomp and Thundurus off-guard. It also works great in conjunction with Iron Head, which can flinch the opponent. Healing Wish is a nice button to give sweepers a second chance. EVs to outspeed Bulky Garchomp and the rest to hit as hard as possible.
EDIT: Hidden Power Fire can be used to hit Scizor and Ferrothorn, freeing up the Flamethrower slot on Clefable. If this is used, run 128 Spe because of the imperfect Speed IV.
