[OVERVIEW]
Cresselia is a fantastic support Pokemon due to its access to a great signature move in Lunar Dance, allowing it to enable powerful offensive Pokemon that are otherwise dealt with by constant chip damage and status. Meanwhile, its enormous bulk allows it to check a multitude of threats such as Mega Medicham, Mega Diancie, and Mega Metagross. Despite these positive traits, Cresselia is held back by its Psychic typing. This leaves it vulnerable to commonly present Dark-types, such as Weavile, Bisharp, and Tyranitar, as well as Bug-types like Mega Scizor, Mega Heracross, and Volcarona. In addition to this, Cresselia's recovery is often hampered by the presence of sand from Tyranitar. Despite this, Cresselia still manages to play a key role in the tier due to its ability to tank a variety of hits as well as wall key threats such as the aforementioned Mega Medicham.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Lunar Dance
move 2: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 3: Ice Beam / Psychic
move 4: Moonlight
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 88 SpD / 152 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Lunar Dance is a must-have, as it allows Cresseliato restore a teammate, giving it a second chance to wreak more havoc. Thunder Wave allows Cresselia to apply pressure despite its passive nature by crippling opposing Pokemon with paralysis. Toxic is a strong alternative that can hit Electric-types and shut down defensive Pokemon. Ice Beam is Cresselia's main attack, since it lets it hit Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Garchomp that would otherwise wall its Thunder Wave. It also applies pressure to Pokemon such as Serperior, Thundurus, and Dragonite. Psychic can be run instead, allowing Cresselia to hit Pokemon such as Keldeo and Volcanion that otherwise wall Ice Beam variants. Moonlight enables Cresselia to heal itself throughout the course of a game to repeatedly wall offensive threats such as Mega Medicham, Mega Metagross, and Mega Lopunny.
Set Details
========
252 HP EVs maximize Cresselia's bulk, allowing it to eat both physical and special hits. 88 EVs are allocated to Special Defense to allow Cresselia to survive two of Mega Alakazam's Shadow Balls after Stealth Rock. 152 Speed EVs allow Cresselia to outspeed Gliscor and Jolly Tyranitar, while the remaining 16 EVs are placed into Defense with a Bold nature to take on physical attackers such as Mega Metagross, Dragonite, and Mega Gallade. Alternatively, a spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 164 SpD / 16 Spe with a Calm nature can be used to let Cresselia take special hits much better. This particular spread allows Cresselia to survive two sun-boosted Flamethrowers from Mega Charizard Y, with enough Speed EVs to outspeed Crawdaunt and the rest thrown into Defense.
Usage Tips
========
Generally, Cresselia's main role is to come in on physical attackers to spread Rocky Helmet chip damage, which makes it easier for its teammates to come in and clean up later in the game. Cresselia fits best on more offensive teams, since it acts as a "one size fits all" defensive plug especially on more offensive structures. Cresselia's ability to take on a variety of attackers while providing Thunder Wave and Lunar Dance support makes it a much-valued member of these offense structures. When using Cresselia, you should avoid letting it get hit by Knock Off especially from strong Dark-types such as Weavile and Bisharp, since that removes Cresselia's Rocky Helmet and leaves it at low HP.
Team Options
========
Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Mega Lopunny make exceptional partners for Cresselia, since they are natural checks to Dark-types such as Weavile and Bisharp. Mega Lopunny especially makes for a great teammate, since it is both prone to chip damage from opposing Rocky Helmet users as well as status from contact abilities such as Static from Zapdos and Flame Body from Volcarona. Pokemon like Zapdos and Thundurus that can cover Cresselia's passivity, especially to Pokemon such as Excadrill, are also greatly appreciated.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Trick
move 2: Lunar Dance
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Ice Beam / Psychic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Trick allows Cresselia to cripple opposing Pokemon by giving them a Choice Scarf and locking them into one move. Lunar Dance is a staple move that lets Cresselia fulfill its role in fully restoring a near fainted teammate. Thunder Wave allows Cresselia to cripple key threats such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Gyarados, and Dragonite, which are outsped with Choice Scarf. Ice Beam allows Cresselia to deal heavy damage to Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Garchomp while also potentially revenge killing sweepers such as Dragonite and Serperior. However, Psychic can also be run to give Cresselia a STAB move while also allowing Cresselia to pressure Fighting-types like Keldeo and Mega Lopunny.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Timid Nature allow Cresselia to take advantage of the Choice Scarf item to outspeed key threats such as Mega Alakazam and +1 Mega Tyranitar, Mega Gyaraodos, and Dragonite. The Speed investment further allows Cresselia to outspeed key targets after losing its Choice Scarf, such as Gliscor and defensive variants of Garchomp and Landorus-T. 248 HP EVs maximize its bulk, with the rest thrown into Special Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Cresselia's main goal is to use an emergency Thunder Wave against fast offensive threats. With Trick, it can also provide utility against slower teams by disrupting enemy Pokemon through locking them into one move with Choice Scarf. With maximum Speed, Cresselia is much more likely to get off Lunar Dance than bulky variants, as it can outspeed many of its checks that would otherwise KO it from a weakened position or use Taunt.
Team Options
========
Partners that can set up such as Calm Mind Keldeo, Quiver Dance Volcarona, and Power-Up Punch Mega Metagross greatly appreciate Cresselia's ability to lock a foe into one move which can be used as a free setup opportunity. These Pokemon also appreciate Cresselia's ability to spread paralysis to cripple checks such as Serperior that might otherwise paralyze them back with Glare. They also appreciate its ability to give them a second chance at boosting through Lunar Dance.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Cresselia's attacking move can be tweaked depending on the team and what Cresselia needs to check. For example, Psyshock lets Cresselia do more damage to Calm Mind Pokemon that have boosted their Special defense such as Clefable and Keldeo. Moonblast lets Cresselia hit both Fighting-types and Dragon-types in the same slot while Icy Wind can be used to lower a foe's speed which can be abused by a teammate. Trick Room is another option Cresselia can use, but it's not reliable and only lasts five turns. Cresselia can make use of a Colbur Berry or Leftovers; however, both make it much more passive without Rocky Helmet's chip damage. Cresselia can wield a Calm Mind set to attempt to steamroll bulky teams with its huge bulk and stat boosts. However, this set is rather inconsistent due to the commonly used Dark- and Bug-types as well as the presence of status moves such as Toxic, which put Cresselia on a timer.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Pokemon such as Weavile and Bisharp are able to deal heavy damage to Cresselia and prevent it from fulfilling its role as a tank to absorb hits for its teammates. They also remove its crucial item with Knock Off and can also potentially Pursuit trap it.
**Bug-types**: Pokemon such as Volcarona, Mega Scizor, and Mega Heracross are able to threaten heavy damage on Cresselia with their Bug-type STAB moves, giving it little leeway in fulfilling its role as a tank.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-type Pokemon such as Cofagrigus and Gengar are able to take advantage of Cresselia by either crippling it with status in the form of Will-O-Wisp as well as big damage from super effective Ghost-type STAB moves in the form of Hex and Shadow Ball.
**Item Removal**: Item removal from Knock Off greatly hampers Cresselia's ability to check physical attackers, since it relies on damage from Rocky Helmet to force progress against them.
**Sand**: During sand, Cresselia's healing from Moonlight is halved, which hampers its longevity significantly by preventing it from recovering off damage easily.
**Taunt**: Taunt from Pokemon such as Tornadus-T prevents Cresselia from reviving its teammates with Lunar Dance or spreading paralysis via Thunder Wave, which significantly reduces Cresselia's utility.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mixnite.663475/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/paprikaflow.591583/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rufflespro.193716/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Cresselia is a fantastic support Pokemon due to its access to a great signature move in Lunar Dance, allowing it to enable powerful offensive Pokemon that are otherwise dealt with by constant chip damage and status. Meanwhile, its enormous bulk allows it to check a multitude of threats such as Mega Medicham, Mega Diancie, and Mega Metagross. Despite these positive traits, Cresselia is held back by its Psychic typing. This leaves it vulnerable to commonly present Dark-types, such as Weavile, Bisharp, and Tyranitar, as well as Bug-types like Mega Scizor, Mega Heracross, and Volcarona. In addition to this, Cresselia's recovery is often hampered by the presence of sand from Tyranitar. Despite this, Cresselia still manages to play a key role in the tier due to its ability to tank a variety of hits as well as wall key threats such as the aforementioned Mega Medicham.
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Lunar Dance
move 2: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 3: Ice Beam / Psychic
move 4: Moonlight
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 88 SpD / 152 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Lunar Dance is a must-have, as it allows Cresseliato restore a teammate, giving it a second chance to wreak more havoc. Thunder Wave allows Cresselia to apply pressure despite its passive nature by crippling opposing Pokemon with paralysis. Toxic is a strong alternative that can hit Electric-types and shut down defensive Pokemon. Ice Beam is Cresselia's main attack, since it lets it hit Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Garchomp that would otherwise wall its Thunder Wave. It also applies pressure to Pokemon such as Serperior, Thundurus, and Dragonite. Psychic can be run instead, allowing Cresselia to hit Pokemon such as Keldeo and Volcanion that otherwise wall Ice Beam variants. Moonlight enables Cresselia to heal itself throughout the course of a game to repeatedly wall offensive threats such as Mega Medicham, Mega Metagross, and Mega Lopunny.
Set Details
========
252 HP EVs maximize Cresselia's bulk, allowing it to eat both physical and special hits. 88 EVs are allocated to Special Defense to allow Cresselia to survive two of Mega Alakazam's Shadow Balls after Stealth Rock. 152 Speed EVs allow Cresselia to outspeed Gliscor and Jolly Tyranitar, while the remaining 16 EVs are placed into Defense with a Bold nature to take on physical attackers such as Mega Metagross, Dragonite, and Mega Gallade. Alternatively, a spread of 252 HP / 76 Def / 164 SpD / 16 Spe with a Calm nature can be used to let Cresselia take special hits much better. This particular spread allows Cresselia to survive two sun-boosted Flamethrowers from Mega Charizard Y, with enough Speed EVs to outspeed Crawdaunt and the rest thrown into Defense.
Usage Tips
========
Generally, Cresselia's main role is to come in on physical attackers to spread Rocky Helmet chip damage, which makes it easier for its teammates to come in and clean up later in the game. Cresselia fits best on more offensive teams, since it acts as a "one size fits all" defensive plug especially on more offensive structures. Cresselia's ability to take on a variety of attackers while providing Thunder Wave and Lunar Dance support makes it a much-valued member of these offense structures. When using Cresselia, you should avoid letting it get hit by Knock Off especially from strong Dark-types such as Weavile and Bisharp, since that removes Cresselia's Rocky Helmet and leaves it at low HP.
Team Options
========
Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Mega Lopunny make exceptional partners for Cresselia, since they are natural checks to Dark-types such as Weavile and Bisharp. Mega Lopunny especially makes for a great teammate, since it is both prone to chip damage from opposing Rocky Helmet users as well as status from contact abilities such as Static from Zapdos and Flame Body from Volcarona. Pokemon like Zapdos and Thundurus that can cover Cresselia's passivity, especially to Pokemon such as Excadrill, are also greatly appreciated.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Trick
move 2: Lunar Dance
move 3: Thunder Wave
move 4: Ice Beam / Psychic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
=========
Trick allows Cresselia to cripple opposing Pokemon by giving them a Choice Scarf and locking them into one move. Lunar Dance is a staple move that lets Cresselia fulfill its role in fully restoring a near fainted teammate. Thunder Wave allows Cresselia to cripple key threats such as Mega Alakazam, Mega Gyarados, and Dragonite, which are outsped with Choice Scarf. Ice Beam allows Cresselia to deal heavy damage to Ground-types such as Landorus-T, Gliscor, and Garchomp while also potentially revenge killing sweepers such as Dragonite and Serperior. However, Psychic can also be run to give Cresselia a STAB move while also allowing Cresselia to pressure Fighting-types like Keldeo and Mega Lopunny.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Timid Nature allow Cresselia to take advantage of the Choice Scarf item to outspeed key threats such as Mega Alakazam and +1 Mega Tyranitar, Mega Gyaraodos, and Dragonite. The Speed investment further allows Cresselia to outspeed key targets after losing its Choice Scarf, such as Gliscor and defensive variants of Garchomp and Landorus-T. 248 HP EVs maximize its bulk, with the rest thrown into Special Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Cresselia's main goal is to use an emergency Thunder Wave against fast offensive threats. With Trick, it can also provide utility against slower teams by disrupting enemy Pokemon through locking them into one move with Choice Scarf. With maximum Speed, Cresselia is much more likely to get off Lunar Dance than bulky variants, as it can outspeed many of its checks that would otherwise KO it from a weakened position or use Taunt.
Team Options
========
Partners that can set up such as Calm Mind Keldeo, Quiver Dance Volcarona, and Power-Up Punch Mega Metagross greatly appreciate Cresselia's ability to lock a foe into one move which can be used as a free setup opportunity. These Pokemon also appreciate Cresselia's ability to spread paralysis to cripple checks such as Serperior that might otherwise paralyze them back with Glare. They also appreciate its ability to give them a second chance at boosting through Lunar Dance.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Cresselia's attacking move can be tweaked depending on the team and what Cresselia needs to check. For example, Psyshock lets Cresselia do more damage to Calm Mind Pokemon that have boosted their Special defense such as Clefable and Keldeo. Moonblast lets Cresselia hit both Fighting-types and Dragon-types in the same slot while Icy Wind can be used to lower a foe's speed which can be abused by a teammate. Trick Room is another option Cresselia can use, but it's not reliable and only lasts five turns. Cresselia can make use of a Colbur Berry or Leftovers; however, both make it much more passive without Rocky Helmet's chip damage. Cresselia can wield a Calm Mind set to attempt to steamroll bulky teams with its huge bulk and stat boosts. However, this set is rather inconsistent due to the commonly used Dark- and Bug-types as well as the presence of status moves such as Toxic, which put Cresselia on a timer.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Pokemon such as Weavile and Bisharp are able to deal heavy damage to Cresselia and prevent it from fulfilling its role as a tank to absorb hits for its teammates. They also remove its crucial item with Knock Off and can also potentially Pursuit trap it.
**Bug-types**: Pokemon such as Volcarona, Mega Scizor, and Mega Heracross are able to threaten heavy damage on Cresselia with their Bug-type STAB moves, giving it little leeway in fulfilling its role as a tank.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-type Pokemon such as Cofagrigus and Gengar are able to take advantage of Cresselia by either crippling it with status in the form of Will-O-Wisp as well as big damage from super effective Ghost-type STAB moves in the form of Hex and Shadow Ball.
**Item Removal**: Item removal from Knock Off greatly hampers Cresselia's ability to check physical attackers, since it relies on damage from Rocky Helmet to force progress against them.
**Sand**: During sand, Cresselia's healing from Moonlight is halved, which hampers its longevity significantly by preventing it from recovering off damage easily.
**Taunt**: Taunt from Pokemon such as Tornadus-T prevents Cresselia from reviving its teammates with Lunar Dance or spreading paralysis via Thunder Wave, which significantly reduces Cresselia's utility.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/mixnite.663475/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/paprikaflow.591583/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rufflespro.193716/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited:
