[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 1 onwards
**Price Range**: 18 points
**Overview**: Celesteela is one of the most versatile Pokemon in the metagame given its role as an annoying sweeper with Autotomize and Beast Boost with both physical and special options to quickly spiral out of control or as a bulky Leech Seed + Protect Pokemon. Its great bulk makes it a challenge for foes to stop from setting up and snowballing out of control no matter which way it chooses to pressure a team. Celesteela makes great use of Z-Moves since the one-time power boost can help it pick up its first KO and get the first Beast Boost or pick up a surprise KO on a Leech Seed set.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: Autotomize alongside Beast Boost makes Celesteela a sweeper that can get quite out of control if there is no immediate check, especially alongside Z-Moves or a Weakness Policy.
**Leech Seed Stallbreaker**: Celesteela's Leech Seed is hard to defend against thanks to the heavy pressure it puts on Grass-type Pokemon. Foes slowly get chipped down while simultaneously keeping it healthy.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Heavy Slam, Flash Cannon, Air Slash
**Setup Moves**: Autotomize, Iron Defense
**Utility Moves**: Leech Seed, Toxic, Protect, Substitute
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Seed Bomb, Superpower, Zen Headbutt, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Giga Drain, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Hidden Power
Niche Moves
========
**Explosion**: Celesteela can explode late-game to clear out an opposing Pokemon that it may struggle with otherwise.
**Fly**: In conjunction with Flyinium-Z, Celesteela can gain a strong one-time Flying-type option with Fly.
**Flame Charge**: Celesteela often wants two boosts in Speed so it can get past the fastest foes and slower Choice Scarf users, but it sometimes can make it by with only one boost, and if Flame Charge happens to pick off a weakened foe it, can act as a pseudo Dragon Dance with Beast Boost. Flame Charge is particularly potent on Assault Vest sets that cannot use Autotomize to set up.
**Rest**: Celesteela lacks reliable recovery, and Rest can be useful alongside a Chesto Berry or Sleep Talk to keep it in the fight.
**Acrobatics**: If Celesteela is running a consumable item like Berries, Acrobatics can become a strong Flying-type STAB option.
**Metal Sound**: Metal Sound can be a useful tool in forcing additional switches or breaking a hard-to-KO Pokemon.
Common Items
========
**Z-Crystals**: Celesteela is a premier Z-Captain and gains a lot out of using Z-Moves to get the first offense boost and get the ball rolling. Steelium and Flyinium Z alongside Firium and Groundium Z are the most common options.
**Leftovers**: On bulky sets, the recovery from Leftovers is nice, since Celesteela lacks reliable recovery in its moves.
**Weakness Policy**: Thanks to Celesteela's natural bulk, Pokemon often fall short on OHKOing it even with super effective moves, (AC) so it can make use of both offensive boosts that Weakness Policy provides.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Occa and Wacan Berry are useful on a Celesteela set that is looking for a turn to set up late-game. They also act as insurance against fast Choice Scarfers like Victini and Tapu Koko late-game.
**Chesto Berry**: Alongside Rest, Celesteela can stay in the fight using a one-time recovery. ChestoRest also pairs well with Acrobatics.
**Choice Band / Specs**: Celesteela can use a Choice Band or Specs and get use out of its STAB moves and strong coverage options right away.
**Assault Vest**: With Assault Vest, Celesteela can leverage its natural bulk alongside its coverage for a strong, bulky offensive set.
**Rocky Helmet**: Celesteela resists U-turn well, and Rocky Helmet offers a way to punish the otherwise hard-to-punish move.
**Iapapa / Aguav Berry**: Celesteela can make use of the health recovery from Iapapa, Aguav, and other similar Berries to sustain itself quite well.
Draft Strategy
========
Despite being an incredibly strong Pokemon, Celesteela can sometimes be difficult to draft around. Because it is a Steel-type that lacks Stealth Rock and does not resist Ice as well as a Flying-type without Defog, it can sometimes be hard to fill out the necessary roles on a team alongside it.
**Entry Hazard Support**: Celesteela appreciates Stealth Rock setters alongside it, since it is a Steel that lacks the move. In addition to the plethora of Ground- and Rock-type setters, Uxie and Mesprit are nice options to pair alongside it. Toxic Spikes are also useful to set with Pokemon like Cofagrigus and Scolipede, since Celesteela can naturally draw out games.
**Ice- and Fighting-resistant Pokemon**: For all the amazing things that Celesteela's Steel / Flying typing does well, one thing it struggles with is filling some important resistances on drafts. Teammates like Tapu Fini, Victini, and Clefable handle this well.
**Fire- and Electric-resistant Pokemon** Celesteela only has two weaknesses, so getting Pokemon to sponge Fire- and Electric-type attacks is very important. Just be weary of grabbing a Water / Ground type Pokemon like Swampert or Gastrodon, (AC) since they don't resist Ice.
**Wallbreakers**: Celesteela is an excellent stallbreaker with its Leech Seed set, but it wants strong wallbreakers alongside it for the occasions it wants to set up and sweep.
**Speed** As a round 1 pick, Celesteela is quite slow. It benefits from speedy teammates like Greninja or a fast Mega Evolution like Mega Beedrill or Mega Manectric.
**Ground-type Partner**: Celesteela's weaknesses of Fire and Electric both struggle with taking on Ground-type foes. Pairing it with a Strong Ground-type like Krookodile or Nidoking can allow for strong offensive matchups.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire- and Electric-type Pokemon**: Celesteela can often survive a non-STAB Fire- or Electric-type attack, and as such, it is best checked by Fire- and Electric-types. Both types are hit by Earthquake, but Fire-types resist its STAB Steel-type attacks, and Electric-types resist both of its STAB types, so Pokemon like Rotom-H and Stunfisk combined with a Shuca Berry can check Celesteela pretty reliably.
**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: At +2 Speed, Celesteela cannot outspeed base 85 Speed Choice Scarf users without running a Speed-boosting nature, and it cannot outrun anything with base 99 Speed or faster with a Choice Scarf without getting multiple boosts. As such, getting it in KO range of one of these attackers such as Keldeo and Blacephalon can go a long way.
**Status**: Both burn and paralysis really dig into Celesteela. Burn slowly chips it down and prevents it from recovering with Leftovers. Paralysis can hamper a sweep and make it harder to continue a Leech Seed stallbreak.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: The strongest Pokemon in the format like Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, and Kyurem-B can force 2HKOs on Celesteela and make it tougher for it to do its job as a sponge.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jesse504.512785/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Round 1 onwards
**Price Range**: 18 points
**Overview**: Celesteela is one of the most versatile Pokemon in the metagame given its role as an annoying sweeper with Autotomize and Beast Boost with both physical and special options to quickly spiral out of control or as a bulky Leech Seed + Protect Pokemon. Its great bulk makes it a challenge for foes to stop from setting up and snowballing out of control no matter which way it chooses to pressure a team. Celesteela makes great use of Z-Moves since the one-time power boost can help it pick up its first KO and get the first Beast Boost or pick up a surprise KO on a Leech Seed set.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Setup Sweeper**: Autotomize alongside Beast Boost makes Celesteela a sweeper that can get quite out of control if there is no immediate check, especially alongside Z-Moves or a Weakness Policy.
**Leech Seed Stallbreaker**: Celesteela's Leech Seed is hard to defend against thanks to the heavy pressure it puts on Grass-type Pokemon. Foes slowly get chipped down while simultaneously keeping it healthy.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Heavy Slam, Flash Cannon, Air Slash
**Setup Moves**: Autotomize, Iron Defense
**Utility Moves**: Leech Seed, Toxic, Protect, Substitute
**Coverage**: Earthquake, Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Seed Bomb, Superpower, Zen Headbutt, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Giga Drain, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Hidden Power
Niche Moves
========
**Explosion**: Celesteela can explode late-game to clear out an opposing Pokemon that it may struggle with otherwise.
**Fly**: In conjunction with Flyinium-Z, Celesteela can gain a strong one-time Flying-type option with Fly.
**Flame Charge**: Celesteela often wants two boosts in Speed so it can get past the fastest foes and slower Choice Scarf users, but it sometimes can make it by with only one boost, and if Flame Charge happens to pick off a weakened foe it, can act as a pseudo Dragon Dance with Beast Boost. Flame Charge is particularly potent on Assault Vest sets that cannot use Autotomize to set up.
**Rest**: Celesteela lacks reliable recovery, and Rest can be useful alongside a Chesto Berry or Sleep Talk to keep it in the fight.
**Acrobatics**: If Celesteela is running a consumable item like Berries, Acrobatics can become a strong Flying-type STAB option.
**Metal Sound**: Metal Sound can be a useful tool in forcing additional switches or breaking a hard-to-KO Pokemon.
Common Items
========
**Z-Crystals**: Celesteela is a premier Z-Captain and gains a lot out of using Z-Moves to get the first offense boost and get the ball rolling. Steelium and Flyinium Z alongside Firium and Groundium Z are the most common options.
**Leftovers**: On bulky sets, the recovery from Leftovers is nice, since Celesteela lacks reliable recovery in its moves.
**Weakness Policy**: Thanks to Celesteela's natural bulk, Pokemon often fall short on OHKOing it even with super effective moves, (AC) so it can make use of both offensive boosts that Weakness Policy provides.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Occa and Wacan Berry are useful on a Celesteela set that is looking for a turn to set up late-game. They also act as insurance against fast Choice Scarfers like Victini and Tapu Koko late-game.
**Chesto Berry**: Alongside Rest, Celesteela can stay in the fight using a one-time recovery. ChestoRest also pairs well with Acrobatics.
**Choice Band / Specs**: Celesteela can use a Choice Band or Specs and get use out of its STAB moves and strong coverage options right away.
**Assault Vest**: With Assault Vest, Celesteela can leverage its natural bulk alongside its coverage for a strong, bulky offensive set.
**Rocky Helmet**: Celesteela resists U-turn well, and Rocky Helmet offers a way to punish the otherwise hard-to-punish move.
**Iapapa / Aguav Berry**: Celesteela can make use of the health recovery from Iapapa, Aguav, and other similar Berries to sustain itself quite well.
Draft Strategy
========
Despite being an incredibly strong Pokemon, Celesteela can sometimes be difficult to draft around. Because it is a Steel-type that lacks Stealth Rock and does not resist Ice as well as a Flying-type without Defog, it can sometimes be hard to fill out the necessary roles on a team alongside it.
**Entry Hazard Support**: Celesteela appreciates Stealth Rock setters alongside it, since it is a Steel that lacks the move. In addition to the plethora of Ground- and Rock-type setters, Uxie and Mesprit are nice options to pair alongside it. Toxic Spikes are also useful to set with Pokemon like Cofagrigus and Scolipede, since Celesteela can naturally draw out games.
**Ice- and Fighting-resistant Pokemon**: For all the amazing things that Celesteela's Steel / Flying typing does well, one thing it struggles with is filling some important resistances on drafts. Teammates like Tapu Fini, Victini, and Clefable handle this well.
**Fire- and Electric-resistant Pokemon** Celesteela only has two weaknesses, so getting Pokemon to sponge Fire- and Electric-type attacks is very important. Just be weary of grabbing a Water / Ground type Pokemon like Swampert or Gastrodon, (AC) since they don't resist Ice.
**Wallbreakers**: Celesteela is an excellent stallbreaker with its Leech Seed set, but it wants strong wallbreakers alongside it for the occasions it wants to set up and sweep.
**Speed** As a round 1 pick, Celesteela is quite slow. It benefits from speedy teammates like Greninja or a fast Mega Evolution like Mega Beedrill or Mega Manectric.
**Ground-type Partner**: Celesteela's weaknesses of Fire and Electric both struggle with taking on Ground-type foes. Pairing it with a Strong Ground-type like Krookodile or Nidoking can allow for strong offensive matchups.
Checks and Counters
========
**Fire- and Electric-type Pokemon**: Celesteela can often survive a non-STAB Fire- or Electric-type attack, and as such, it is best checked by Fire- and Electric-types. Both types are hit by Earthquake, but Fire-types resist its STAB Steel-type attacks, and Electric-types resist both of its STAB types, so Pokemon like Rotom-H and Stunfisk combined with a Shuca Berry can check Celesteela pretty reliably.
**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: At +2 Speed, Celesteela cannot outspeed base 85 Speed Choice Scarf users without running a Speed-boosting nature, and it cannot outrun anything with base 99 Speed or faster with a Choice Scarf without getting multiple boosts. As such, getting it in KO range of one of these attackers such as Keldeo and Blacephalon can go a long way.
**Status**: Both burn and paralysis really dig into Celesteela. Burn slowly chips it down and prevents it from recovering with Leftovers. Paralysis can hamper a sweep and make it harder to continue a Leech Seed stallbreak.
**Strong Wallbreakers**: The strongest Pokemon in the format like Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, and Kyurem-B can force 2HKOs on Celesteela and make it tougher for it to do its job as a sponge.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/jesse504.512785/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited: