Sir Quaffler
May we meet again
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2012
(Pokemon of the Week is something that the DGN Elite Four is going to do on a weekly basis, where an Elite Four member posts an in-depth look at ways to competitively use certain Pokemon. The purpose of this is to stimulate interest in the metagame, so if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.)
Hello, and welcome to Pokemon of the Week! This week's topic is Claydol, the Master Troll Pokemon.
Notable Moves:
Earthquake
Psychic
Rapid Spin
Stealth Rock [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Explosion
Cosmic Power
Sand Storm
Heal Block
Ice Beam [TM]
Light Screen [TM]
Reflect [TM]
Smack Down [TM]
SolarBeam [TM]
Shadow Ball [TM]
Rest [TM]
Stone Edge [TM]
Gyro Ball [TM]
Psych Up [TM]
Grass Knot [TM]
Substitute [TM]
Trick Room [TM]
Dazzling Gleam [TM]
Gravity [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Magic Coat [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Signal Beam [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Base Stats:
HP: 60
Attack: 70
Defense: 105
Special Attack: 70
Special Defense: 120
Speed: 75
Total: 500
Overview:
On the surface, Claydol is a staple wall and support Pokemon. With its respectable defense and special defense, and access to several moves that deter many common threats & support the rest of your team, Claydol serves its role quite adequately.
However, where Claydol’s true potential lies is with its ability to be a complete troll to the other team. Forgoing the traditional route of wall/support, Claydol can become the spanner in the works that throws your opponent off of their game. Gravity to put a stop to flying or levitating strategies, Trick Room to pull a switcheroo on speedy teams, Stealth Rock to make switch-out teams think twice before pulling their stunts and Rapid Spin to keep the same from happening to you, among other things, with Explosion being his ace in the hole to really mess around with your opponent’s mind.
The fun doesn’t stop with Single Battles, though. All the above strategies still work well in Doubles, but where it gets awesome is with Psyche Up and Skill Swap. They allow you to copy all of your ally’s stat changes and to exchange the two Pokemon’s Abilities, respectively. When done right, this can be the change in the tide of battle that completely halts your opponent’s plans and produces an upset victory.
Viable Movesets:
1. “Playing it Safe”
Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Relaxed
EV’s: 236 HP/136 ATTK or SP. ATTK/108 DEF/30 SP. DEF
Earthquake
Ice Beam/Psychic
Rest
Rapid Spin
This is the standard wall setup for Claydol. Earthquake and Ice Beam to hit all types, or Psychic to hit other types harder, Rest to recover, and Rapid Spin to clear entry hazards, with the EV’s and Nature meant to complement the defensive side. [For a further in-depth analysis of this strategy, check out Serebii’s aricle here.
2. “When will the ticking time bomb go off…?”
Focus Sash
Relaxed
EV’s: 232 HP, 170 ATTK (or 170 SP. ATTK), 108 DEF
Rapid Spin/Gravity
Stealth Rock
Earthquake/Psychic
Explosion
Mastering Claydol like this is similar in style to mastering Aegislash; it’s more an exercise in psychology than anything. If you can predict your opponent’s Pokemon well, you can force a switch-out in fear of your Explosion while in fact you set up a Stealth Rock instead. Depending on how your team is set up, Earthquake for physical attack needs or Psychic for special attack needs work well for Claydol. Rapid Spin is there if you’re concerned about entry hazards on your own side (which is usually the case), but if you want to foil Flying or levitating Pokemon use Gravity instead and follow up with EQ. But the point of this setup is: Explosion WILL happen at some point in the match, it’s just a matter of when. Have fun taunting your opponent with the threat as much as you can, but if you don’t actually follow through with it you’re not doing it right [with the caveat that the opponent isn’t weak to Ground or can’t evade your Explosion in some manner].
One other note: If you sense a Gengar or some other levitating or flying Pokemon coming up next, use Gravity to bring them back down to Earth (or if you can pull it off, let him evolve into a Mega Gengar and EQ him for an upset to mess with your opponent’s head).
3. “Taking One for the Team” [Double Ubers strategy]
Skill Swap
Stealth Rock/Rapid Spin
Light Screen/Reflect
Rest/Substitute/Trick Room
Bold (+Def,-Attk)
Focus Sash
EV’s: 252 Def, 252 Sp. Def, 4 HP
This set has Skill Swap as its central move, since in Ubers Claydol’s not likely to get more than one move off. Lead with Claydol and someone who’s really strong but whose abilities really hurt them, like Slaking, Regigigas, or even Archaeops, Skill Swap right off the bat, and sacrifice yourself while the other guy sweeps everything! If you can manage to get in a few support moves before you hit the dirt, all the better.
4. “Prepare for Trouble, and make it Double”
Claydol
Psyche Up
Skill Swap
Earthquake
Gyro Ball
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Brave (+Attk,-Speed)
EV’s: 252 Attk, 252 HP, 4 Sp. Def.
Item: Sitrus Berry/Leftovers
Snorlax
Curse/Stockpile
Rest
Crunch/Fire Punch
Amnesia/Belly Drum
Ability: Immunity
Nature: Brave (+Attk, -Speed)
EV's: 252 Sp. Def., 252 HP, 4 Attk
Item: Chesto Berry
2 heavy-offense Pokemon
Claydol can work in tandem with Snorlax to put an absolute stop to whatever it is your opponents in Doubles are planning. Start with Snorlax and a heavy-offensive Pokemon like Blaziken or Lucario to draw the attention while Snorlax sets up (especially Lucario, since he can forcibly draw their attention with Follow Me). With any luck, the two big-hitters will go down before Snorlax does, taking the opponent’s team down a notch with them. Claydol comes in, Psyches Up Snorlax’s stat changes, Skill Swaps next turn, gets some health back from Leftovers or a Sitrus Berry, and then the two ravage the weakened team with EQ, a boosted Gyro Ball, and whatever Snorlax’s attack is to victory. [Unless you happen to run into an Unaware Quagsire at the end, in which case you’re kinda screwed.]
Keep in mind that unless you’re doing a standard wall/support, there are no singular movesets that objectively work best for him. The entire point of Claydol is to keep your opponent scared & guessing and to be pliable enough to work with the rest of your team.
Checks & Counters:
The best counter against Claydol would have to be Gengar. Levitate nullifies Claydol’s main physical attack, his higher speed usually ensures he can get an attack in beforehand, he completely shrugs off Claydol’s attempts to Rapid Spin and laughs at Explosion, and his Ghost-type moves ensure heavy damage against Claydol. [Although if you can trick your opponent into Mega Evolving Gengar you can trap him with your Earthquake and laugh at his foolishness!] Dusclops and Cofugrius are also exceptional counters to Claydol, what with their tanky build. Really, though, most if not all Ghosts are gonna give Claydol trouble.
In general, Claydol has quite a lot of weaknesses (Ice, Ghost, Dark, Bug, Grass, and Water), so even with his four resistances (Fighting, Poison, Rock, Psychic) and two immunities (Ground, Electric) you’re not gonna get the best mileage out of him if you’re trying to play it safe with a standard wall/support.
Doubles/Triples Partners:
Snorlax. Like the strategy above pointed out, Snorlax is awesome at taking hits & setting up, allowing Claydol to utilize his switcheroo moves to the best efficiency.
Regigigas, Slaking, Archaeops, etc. Basically any Pokemon that would be awesome were it not for their shoddy ability. Claydol can remove that ability and grant them an immunity to Ground in its stead, allowing these Pokemon to go full-force right from the get-go.
Gengar. Claydol’s worst nightmare can become its greatest ally as well. Since none of Claydol’s multi-target moves hits Gengar, you have no need to worry of hitting him with EQ or Explosion, and the two work with great synergy to take down most foes they come across.
And there you have it. Claydol, a semi-average Pokemon with great potential hidden under the surface.
#344 - Claydol
Species: Clay Doll Pokemon
Abilities: Levitate
Height: 4’11” / 1.50 M
Weight: 238.1 lbs / 108.0 kg
Species: Clay Doll Pokemon
Abilities: Levitate
Height: 4’11” / 1.50 M
Weight: 238.1 lbs / 108.0 kg
Hello, and welcome to Pokemon of the Week! This week's topic is Claydol, the Master Troll Pokemon.
Notable Moves:
Earthquake
Psychic
Rapid Spin
Stealth Rock [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Explosion
Cosmic Power
Sand Storm
Heal Block
Ice Beam [TM]
Light Screen [TM]
Reflect [TM]
Smack Down [TM]
SolarBeam [TM]
Shadow Ball [TM]
Rest [TM]
Stone Edge [TM]
Gyro Ball [TM]
Psych Up [TM]
Grass Knot [TM]
Substitute [TM]
Trick Room [TM]
Dazzling Gleam [TM]
Gravity [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Magic Coat [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Signal Beam [B2W2 Move Tutor]
Base Stats:
HP: 60
Attack: 70
Defense: 105
Special Attack: 70
Special Defense: 120
Speed: 75
Total: 500
Overview:
On the surface, Claydol is a staple wall and support Pokemon. With its respectable defense and special defense, and access to several moves that deter many common threats & support the rest of your team, Claydol serves its role quite adequately.
However, where Claydol’s true potential lies is with its ability to be a complete troll to the other team. Forgoing the traditional route of wall/support, Claydol can become the spanner in the works that throws your opponent off of their game. Gravity to put a stop to flying or levitating strategies, Trick Room to pull a switcheroo on speedy teams, Stealth Rock to make switch-out teams think twice before pulling their stunts and Rapid Spin to keep the same from happening to you, among other things, with Explosion being his ace in the hole to really mess around with your opponent’s mind.
Viable Movesets:
1. “Playing it Safe”
Leftovers/Chesto Berry
Relaxed
EV’s: 236 HP/136 ATTK or SP. ATTK/108 DEF/30 SP. DEF
Earthquake
Ice Beam/Psychic
Rest
Rapid Spin
This is the standard wall setup for Claydol. Earthquake and Ice Beam to hit all types, or Psychic to hit other types harder, Rest to recover, and Rapid Spin to clear entry hazards, with the EV’s and Nature meant to complement the defensive side. [For a further in-depth analysis of this strategy, check out Serebii’s aricle here.
2. “When will the ticking time bomb go off…?”
Focus Sash
Relaxed
EV’s: 232 HP, 170 ATTK (or 170 SP. ATTK), 108 DEF
Rapid Spin/Gravity
Stealth Rock
Earthquake/Psychic
Explosion
Mastering Claydol like this is similar in style to mastering Aegislash; it’s more an exercise in psychology than anything. If you can predict your opponent’s Pokemon well, you can force a switch-out in fear of your Explosion while in fact you set up a Stealth Rock instead. Depending on how your team is set up, Earthquake for physical attack needs or Psychic for special attack needs work well for Claydol. Rapid Spin is there if you’re concerned about entry hazards on your own side (which is usually the case), but if you want to foil Flying or levitating Pokemon use Gravity instead and follow up with EQ. But the point of this setup is: Explosion WILL happen at some point in the match, it’s just a matter of when. Have fun taunting your opponent with the threat as much as you can, but if you don’t actually follow through with it you’re not doing it right [with the caveat that the opponent isn’t weak to Ground or can’t evade your Explosion in some manner].
One other note: If you sense a Gengar or some other levitating or flying Pokemon coming up next, use Gravity to bring them back down to Earth (or if you can pull it off, let him evolve into a Mega Gengar and EQ him for an upset to mess with your opponent’s head).
3. “Taking One for the Team” [Double Ubers strategy]
Skill Swap
Stealth Rock/Rapid Spin
Light Screen/Reflect
Rest/Substitute/Trick Room
Bold (+Def,-Attk)
Focus Sash
EV’s: 252 Def, 252 Sp. Def, 4 HP
This set has Skill Swap as its central move, since in Ubers Claydol’s not likely to get more than one move off. Lead with Claydol and someone who’s really strong but whose abilities really hurt them, like Slaking, Regigigas, or even Archaeops, Skill Swap right off the bat, and sacrifice yourself while the other guy sweeps everything! If you can manage to get in a few support moves before you hit the dirt, all the better.
4. “Prepare for Trouble, and make it Double”
Claydol
Psyche Up
Skill Swap
Earthquake
Gyro Ball
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Brave (+Attk,-Speed)
EV’s: 252 Attk, 252 HP, 4 Sp. Def.
Item: Sitrus Berry/Leftovers
Snorlax
Curse/Stockpile
Rest
Crunch/Fire Punch
Amnesia/Belly Drum
Ability: Immunity
Nature: Brave (+Attk, -Speed)
EV's: 252 Sp. Def., 252 HP, 4 Attk
Item: Chesto Berry
2 heavy-offense Pokemon
Claydol can work in tandem with Snorlax to put an absolute stop to whatever it is your opponents in Doubles are planning. Start with Snorlax and a heavy-offensive Pokemon like Blaziken or Lucario to draw the attention while Snorlax sets up (especially Lucario, since he can forcibly draw their attention with Follow Me). With any luck, the two big-hitters will go down before Snorlax does, taking the opponent’s team down a notch with them. Claydol comes in, Psyches Up Snorlax’s stat changes, Skill Swaps next turn, gets some health back from Leftovers or a Sitrus Berry, and then the two ravage the weakened team with EQ, a boosted Gyro Ball, and whatever Snorlax’s attack is to victory. [Unless you happen to run into an Unaware Quagsire at the end, in which case you’re kinda screwed.]
Keep in mind that unless you’re doing a standard wall/support, there are no singular movesets that objectively work best for him. The entire point of Claydol is to keep your opponent scared & guessing and to be pliable enough to work with the rest of your team.
Checks & Counters:
The best counter against Claydol would have to be Gengar. Levitate nullifies Claydol’s main physical attack, his higher speed usually ensures he can get an attack in beforehand, he completely shrugs off Claydol’s attempts to Rapid Spin and laughs at Explosion, and his Ghost-type moves ensure heavy damage against Claydol. [Although if you can trick your opponent into Mega Evolving Gengar you can trap him with your Earthquake and laugh at his foolishness!] Dusclops and Cofugrius are also exceptional counters to Claydol, what with their tanky build. Really, though, most if not all Ghosts are gonna give Claydol trouble.
In general, Claydol has quite a lot of weaknesses (Ice, Ghost, Dark, Bug, Grass, and Water), so even with his four resistances (Fighting, Poison, Rock, Psychic) and two immunities (Ground, Electric) you’re not gonna get the best mileage out of him if you’re trying to play it safe with a standard wall/support.
Doubles/Triples Partners:
Snorlax. Like the strategy above pointed out, Snorlax is awesome at taking hits & setting up, allowing Claydol to utilize his switcheroo moves to the best efficiency.
Regigigas, Slaking, Archaeops, etc. Basically any Pokemon that would be awesome were it not for their shoddy ability. Claydol can remove that ability and grant them an immunity to Ground in its stead, allowing these Pokemon to go full-force right from the get-go.
Gengar. Claydol’s worst nightmare can become its greatest ally as well. Since none of Claydol’s multi-target moves hits Gengar, you have no need to worry of hitting him with EQ or Explosion, and the two work with great synergy to take down most foes they come across.
And there you have it. Claydol, a semi-average Pokemon with great potential hidden under the surface.
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