[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to Clamperl's exclusive item Deep Sea Tooth, it can reach an insane 34 Special Attack. Using Shell Smash allows Clamperl to outspeed the entire unboosted LC metagame while also skyrocketing its Special Attack stat. However, Clamperl is quite frail, which makes it quite hard to set up a Shell Smash. Additionally, after it has used Shell Smash, its lowered defensive stats leave it incredibly vulnerable to priority attacks. It is also outclassed by Omanyte, which has a better typing, is less reliant on having a specific item, and is bulkier, allowing for easier set up. However, Clamperl does hit far harder and, unlike Omanyte, is not weak to Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave, which is more important than Omanyte's resistance to Flying-type attacks now that Gale Wings has been nerfed.
[SET]
name: COME ON AND SLAM, AND WELCOME TO THE CLAM
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Surf
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Substitute
item: Deep Sea Tooth
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid
evs: 248 SpA / 76 SpD / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shell Smash brings Clamperl's Special Attack to insane levels, allowing it to OHKO most of the LC metagame. Shell Smash also raises its Speed so that it can outspeed the majority of Pokemon in LC. Surf is Clamperl's strongest STAB attack and is incredibly powerful, making it often Clamperl's most-used attack. Ice Beam is a useful coverage move that can deal with Grass-types, such as Foongus and Cottonee, and Dry Skin Croagunk. Hidden Power Grass can be used to hit bulky Water-types that resist Surf and Ice Beam such as Chinchou and Frillish. Alternatively, Substitute allows Clamperl to set up Shell Smash more easily and to avoid Sucker Punches from Pokemon such as Pawniard and Stunky.
Set Details
========
The EV spread puts as many points into Special Attack and Speed as possible to give Clamperl the best chance for sweeping the enemy team. The remaining EVs are put into Special Defense to raise it by one point. Timid gives Clamperl enough Speed to outspeed 16 or 17 Speed Choice Scarf Users such as Mienfoo and Chinchou after using Shell Smash. Shell Armor prevents critical hits, which can help against priority attacks such as Sucker Punch. Deep Sea Tooth doubles Clamperl's Special Attack, making it incredibly hard to switch into, especially after a Shell Smash.
Usage Tips
========
Clamperl can set up at any point in the game. During the early-game it can set up and soften the enemy team to allow for a teammate to clean up, while Clamperl can also set up late-game to sweep weakened teams. You should be very careful while setting up, as Clamperl is incredibly frail and will usually only get one chance to set up. Make sure to get rid of the opponent's priority move users such as Timburr and Pawniard and to weaken bulky special walls such as Munchlax. If Clamperl is unable to sweep for whatever reason, it can still force switches and potentially set up a Substitute, which allows it to fire off powerful attacks freely.
Team Options
========
Clamperl requires a lot of team support in order to succeed, and often one will need to build the entire team around facilitating a Clamperl sweep. Magnet Pull Magnemite is able to trap and KO Ferroseed and Pawniard, two Pokemon that greatly threaten a Clamperl sweep. Fighting-types such as Mienfoo and Timburr can Knock Off to remove items such as Eviolite and Focus Sash that could otherwise hinder a Clamperl sweep. They can also check Ferroseed and Munchlax, both of which can counter Clamperl. Chinchou and other Water-types can help Clamperl by wearing down shared checks such as Ferroseed and other bulky Grass-types. Hidden Power Fire Foongus is helpful for dealing with Ferroseed, as Foongus lures it in and takes it down to where it can be KOed by Clamperl's Ice Beam. Knock Off Abra can get rid of the items held by bulky Pokemon such as Munchlax and can also weaken Ferroseed. Memento users such as Diglett and Cottonee can be useful for weakening foes so Clamperl is able to set up easily. Cottonee can also Encore an enemy Pokemon into a weak move to allow Clamperl to set up and check Chinchou, which can be a very large threat to Clamperl. Diglett is able to trap Abra and break its Focus Sash, which is important for preventing Abra from revenge killing Clamperl. The Focus Sash Reversal set can also deal with Munchlax, which is a large threat to Clamperl. Diglett can also carry Sludge Bomb to take care of Cottonee. Entry hazard support from teammates such as Onix and Dwebble is very important, as it can help wear down foes so Clamperl can KO them. Pursuit trappers such as Pawniard, Stunky, Alolan Grimer, and Honedge are all able to support Clamperl by helping whittle the enemy team and popping Abra's Focus Sash. Stunky and Alolan Grimer both have Memento, which can help Clamperl set up, and Honedge can check Ferroseed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Clamperl has a very shallow movepool, which means there are not too many viable options outside of those listed above. Hidden Power Electric can be used to hit bulky Water-types that are neutral to Grass such as Tentacool, Mareanie, Skrelp, and Mantyke, but none of those are common enough to make it worth running the move, and one of the most common Water-types, Chinchou, absorbs it. Rattled can be a useful ability when you are not setting up, but it can be hard to activate and most of the time Shell Armor is more useful. Hidden Power Fire can be used to OHKO Ferroseed, which can otherwise survive Surf or Ice Beam and KO Clamperl.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Priority**: Clamperl is quite frail, leaving it vulnerable to being revenge killed by priority attacks after using Shell Smash. Priority moves such as Mach Punch and Sucker Punch are carried by Pokemon such as Timburr and Pawniard. Cottonee can also use Encore or Taunt to lock Clamperl into Shell Smash or prevent setup.
**Revenge Killers**: Fast Choice Scarf users such as Doduo are able to outspeed and KO Clamperl even after a Shell Smash. SturdyJuice users such as Magnemite, Onix, and Dwebble are all able to revenge kill Clamperl thanks to their ability. Focus Sash Abra can also beat Clamperl, as it survives any attack due to its item and is able to KO in return with Energy Ball or Psychic.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Very bulky Pokemon such as Ferroseed and Munchlax can usually take at least one hit and either KO or cripple Clamperl with some status move. Munchlax is also able to phaze it with Whirlwind, forcing Clamperl to set up again should it want to regain its boosts. Mareanie is able to tank Surf, will survive most of Clamperl's coverage, and is able to KO it with Sludge Bomb. However, if its item has been removed by Knock Off, it has a chance to be KOed by a boosted Hidden Power Grass.
Thanks to Clamperl's exclusive item Deep Sea Tooth, it can reach an insane 34 Special Attack. Using Shell Smash allows Clamperl to outspeed the entire unboosted LC metagame while also skyrocketing its Special Attack stat. However, Clamperl is quite frail, which makes it quite hard to set up a Shell Smash. Additionally, after it has used Shell Smash, its lowered defensive stats leave it incredibly vulnerable to priority attacks. It is also outclassed by Omanyte, which has a better typing, is less reliant on having a specific item, and is bulkier, allowing for easier set up. However, Clamperl does hit far harder and, unlike Omanyte, is not weak to Mach Punch or Vacuum Wave, which is more important than Omanyte's resistance to Flying-type attacks now that Gale Wings has been nerfed.
[SET]
name: COME ON AND SLAM, AND WELCOME TO THE CLAM
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Surf
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Grass / Substitute
item: Deep Sea Tooth
ability: Shell Armor
nature: Timid
evs: 248 SpA / 76 SpD / 184 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shell Smash brings Clamperl's Special Attack to insane levels, allowing it to OHKO most of the LC metagame. Shell Smash also raises its Speed so that it can outspeed the majority of Pokemon in LC. Surf is Clamperl's strongest STAB attack and is incredibly powerful, making it often Clamperl's most-used attack. Ice Beam is a useful coverage move that can deal with Grass-types, such as Foongus and Cottonee, and Dry Skin Croagunk. Hidden Power Grass can be used to hit bulky Water-types that resist Surf and Ice Beam such as Chinchou and Frillish. Alternatively, Substitute allows Clamperl to set up Shell Smash more easily and to avoid Sucker Punches from Pokemon such as Pawniard and Stunky.
Set Details
========
The EV spread puts as many points into Special Attack and Speed as possible to give Clamperl the best chance for sweeping the enemy team. The remaining EVs are put into Special Defense to raise it by one point. Timid gives Clamperl enough Speed to outspeed 16 or 17 Speed Choice Scarf Users such as Mienfoo and Chinchou after using Shell Smash. Shell Armor prevents critical hits, which can help against priority attacks such as Sucker Punch. Deep Sea Tooth doubles Clamperl's Special Attack, making it incredibly hard to switch into, especially after a Shell Smash.
Usage Tips
========
Clamperl can set up at any point in the game. During the early-game it can set up and soften the enemy team to allow for a teammate to clean up, while Clamperl can also set up late-game to sweep weakened teams. You should be very careful while setting up, as Clamperl is incredibly frail and will usually only get one chance to set up. Make sure to get rid of the opponent's priority move users such as Timburr and Pawniard and to weaken bulky special walls such as Munchlax. If Clamperl is unable to sweep for whatever reason, it can still force switches and potentially set up a Substitute, which allows it to fire off powerful attacks freely.
Team Options
========
Clamperl requires a lot of team support in order to succeed, and often one will need to build the entire team around facilitating a Clamperl sweep. Magnet Pull Magnemite is able to trap and KO Ferroseed and Pawniard, two Pokemon that greatly threaten a Clamperl sweep. Fighting-types such as Mienfoo and Timburr can Knock Off to remove items such as Eviolite and Focus Sash that could otherwise hinder a Clamperl sweep. They can also check Ferroseed and Munchlax, both of which can counter Clamperl. Chinchou and other Water-types can help Clamperl by wearing down shared checks such as Ferroseed and other bulky Grass-types. Hidden Power Fire Foongus is helpful for dealing with Ferroseed, as Foongus lures it in and takes it down to where it can be KOed by Clamperl's Ice Beam. Knock Off Abra can get rid of the items held by bulky Pokemon such as Munchlax and can also weaken Ferroseed. Memento users such as Diglett and Cottonee can be useful for weakening foes so Clamperl is able to set up easily. Cottonee can also Encore an enemy Pokemon into a weak move to allow Clamperl to set up and check Chinchou, which can be a very large threat to Clamperl. Diglett is able to trap Abra and break its Focus Sash, which is important for preventing Abra from revenge killing Clamperl. The Focus Sash Reversal set can also deal with Munchlax, which is a large threat to Clamperl. Diglett can also carry Sludge Bomb to take care of Cottonee. Entry hazard support from teammates such as Onix and Dwebble is very important, as it can help wear down foes so Clamperl can KO them. Pursuit trappers such as Pawniard, Stunky, Alolan Grimer, and Honedge are all able to support Clamperl by helping whittle the enemy team and popping Abra's Focus Sash. Stunky and Alolan Grimer both have Memento, which can help Clamperl set up, and Honedge can check Ferroseed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Clamperl has a very shallow movepool, which means there are not too many viable options outside of those listed above. Hidden Power Electric can be used to hit bulky Water-types that are neutral to Grass such as Tentacool, Mareanie, Skrelp, and Mantyke, but none of those are common enough to make it worth running the move, and one of the most common Water-types, Chinchou, absorbs it. Rattled can be a useful ability when you are not setting up, but it can be hard to activate and most of the time Shell Armor is more useful. Hidden Power Fire can be used to OHKO Ferroseed, which can otherwise survive Surf or Ice Beam and KO Clamperl.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Priority**: Clamperl is quite frail, leaving it vulnerable to being revenge killed by priority attacks after using Shell Smash. Priority moves such as Mach Punch and Sucker Punch are carried by Pokemon such as Timburr and Pawniard. Cottonee can also use Encore or Taunt to lock Clamperl into Shell Smash or prevent setup.
**Revenge Killers**: Fast Choice Scarf users such as Doduo are able to outspeed and KO Clamperl even after a Shell Smash. SturdyJuice users such as Magnemite, Onix, and Dwebble are all able to revenge kill Clamperl thanks to their ability. Focus Sash Abra can also beat Clamperl, as it survives any attack due to its item and is able to KO in return with Energy Ball or Psychic.
**Bulky Pokemon**: Very bulky Pokemon such as Ferroseed and Munchlax can usually take at least one hit and either KO or cripple Clamperl with some status move. Munchlax is also able to phaze it with Whirlwind, forcing Clamperl to set up again should it want to regain its boosts. Mareanie is able to tank Surf, will survive most of Clamperl's coverage, and is able to KO it with Sludge Bomb. However, if its item has been removed by Knock Off, it has a chance to be KOed by a boosted Hidden Power Grass.
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