[OVERVIEW]
Cloyster is one of the most powerful late-game sweepers in the NU tier. It's high Defense stat allows it to take a hit while boosting with Shell Smash, and once boosted, is incredibly difficult to wall or outspeed. Physical attackers, particularly Choice Scarf users like Flygon or Basculegion, provide ample opportunity for Cloyster to set up. Skill Link only increases Cloyster's offensive capability, making Icicle Spear and Rock Blast more consistent and dangerous. It has a wide variety of natural coverage options with Icicle Spear, Rock Blast, and Drill Run, and often carries Tera Blast to effectively choose its counters. Heavy-Duty Boots, Focus Sash, or hazard control can all help give Cloyster clear opportunities to boost. Finding an opportunity to Shell Smash can sometimes be tricky, and is made more difficult by Cloyster's weakness to special attackers and Stealth Rock. Revenge killing can be difficult after a Shell Smash boost, as +2 Jolly Cloyster outspeeds all common Choice Scarf users, but priority, such as Vacuum Wave or Sucker Punch, can manage it. Potential counters to Cloyster depend largely on the coverage carried and the Tera type used. Bulky Water types, such as Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Unaware Quagsire, tend to do well, but can be blown up by Tera Blast Grass or Electric. Steel types, like Registeel or Magnezone, can resist many of Cloyster's attacks, but struggle with Drill Run and Tera Ground.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Icicle Spear
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Tera Blast / Drill Run
item: Focus Sash / Heavy-Duty Boots / White Herb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Electric / Grass / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Rock Blast is a useful coverage move that OHKOs Talonflame without a boost, and after Shell Smash, 2HKOs Avalugg. Tera Blast gives Cloyster the coverage to break through the Water types that would otherwise counter it entirely. At +2, Tera Blast Grass or Electric can OHKO Vaporeon and does well over half to Slowbro. Tera Blast Grass also notably has chances to OHKO Unaware Quagsire. Drill Run provides super effective damage towards the Steel types that would otherwise wall Cloyster, and at +2, OHKOs Magnezone and 2HKOs Registeel. Tera Electric and Ground also provide immunity to the threat of Prankster Thunder Wave. Focus Sash can guarantee a Shell Smash opportunity, but requires support to keep hazards off the field. White Herb restores Cloyster's defenses after a Shell Smash, bolstering it against revenge kills. Heavy-Duty Boots protects Cloyster from its Stealth Rock weakness and preserve health to take a hit while using Shell Smash. Cloyster requires a Jolly nature to outspeed common Choice Scarf users in the tier, notably outspeeding Mienshao and Munkidori. An Adamant nature can hit a few additional breakpoints, gaining a chance to kill Registeel with +2 Tera Ground Drill Run, and guarantees an OHKO on specially bulky Diancie with +2 Tera Blast Grass.
Cloyster benefits heavily from teammates that can chip or seriously damage the Water and Steel types that can wall it. Options like Tsareena or Brambleghast can threaten defensive Water types like Slowbro and Quagsire while keeping hazards off the field, preserving Cloyster's health or Focus Sash. Fighting types like Mienshao or Gallade can put a serious dent to Steel types, and Gallade in particular threatens Slowbro with Leaf Blade. Krookodile does the same while also threatening Slowbro with Knock Off. Hazard setters like Klefki, Flygon, or Mew can also support future Cloyster sweeps, wearing down those opponents that Cloyster cannot quite OHKO. Galvantula serves a similar role, setting up Sticky Webs that allow Cloyster to run an Adamant nature and outrun Choice Scarf Infernape, Mienshao, and Munkidori after a boost. Other options for late game cleaners benefit from Cloyster's damage output, as Mienshao or a Shell Smash Torterra can storm through a team whose physical walls have already taken multiple hits.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Cloyster can choose to run Liquidation as an alternate STAB move option, and can also choose to run Ice Shard, primarily on Adamant sets, to hit the few Pokemon that outspeed and threaten it. Hydro Pump is niche but lets Cloyster always beat Avalugg after a Shell Smash boost. Tera Ghost is another option, particularly on slower, Adamant nature sets, to avoid Close Combat from revenge killing Choice Scarf Mienshao. Tera Steel is potentially useful as an Accelerock resist and to give Cloyster additional defensive resists as it sets up.
Checks and Counters
====
**Water Types**: Bulky Water types can be extremely difficult for Cloyster to break without the use of Tera Blast Grass or Electric. Slowbro and Vaporeon both comfortably take hits from Cloyster, while Unaware Quagsire counters its gameplan entirely.
**Steel Types**: Without Drill Run or Tera Blast Ground, Cloyster struggles to break through Steel types. Registeel and Magnezone, particularly if they have the opportunity to use Iron Defense, are serious checks to a potential sweep.
**Revenge Killers**: +2 Jolly Cloyster outspeeds every Choice Scarf user in the tier, so priority moves are the main source of revenge kills. Lycanroc-D's Accelerock, Brute Bonnet's Sucker Punch, Basculegion and Feraligatr's Aqua Jet, and Mew and Lucario's Vacuum Wave can threaten to end a Cloyster sweep. Boosted Adamant Cloyster can be outsped by several Choice Scarf users, notably Munkidori, Mienshao, and Flygon. Chlorophyll Venusaur can also revenge kill a boosted Cloyster, but requires a Timid nature to outspeed Jolly Cloyster.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hammer798.641404/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Cloyster is one of the most powerful late-game sweepers in the NU tier. It's high Defense stat allows it to take a hit while boosting with Shell Smash, and once boosted, is incredibly difficult to wall or outspeed. Physical attackers, particularly Choice Scarf users like Flygon or Basculegion, provide ample opportunity for Cloyster to set up. Skill Link only increases Cloyster's offensive capability, making Icicle Spear and Rock Blast more consistent and dangerous. It has a wide variety of natural coverage options with Icicle Spear, Rock Blast, and Drill Run, and often carries Tera Blast to effectively choose its counters. Heavy-Duty Boots, Focus Sash, or hazard control can all help give Cloyster clear opportunities to boost. Finding an opportunity to Shell Smash can sometimes be tricky, and is made more difficult by Cloyster's weakness to special attackers and Stealth Rock. Revenge killing can be difficult after a Shell Smash boost, as +2 Jolly Cloyster outspeeds all common Choice Scarf users, but priority, such as Vacuum Wave or Sucker Punch, can manage it. Potential counters to Cloyster depend largely on the coverage carried and the Tera type used. Bulky Water types, such as Slowbro, Vaporeon, and Unaware Quagsire, tend to do well, but can be blown up by Tera Blast Grass or Electric. Steel types, like Registeel or Magnezone, can resist many of Cloyster's attacks, but struggle with Drill Run and Tera Ground.
[SET]
name: Shell Smash
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Icicle Spear
move 3: Rock Blast
move 4: Tera Blast / Drill Run
item: Focus Sash / Heavy-Duty Boots / White Herb
ability: Skill Link
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Electric / Grass / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Rock Blast is a useful coverage move that OHKOs Talonflame without a boost, and after Shell Smash, 2HKOs Avalugg. Tera Blast gives Cloyster the coverage to break through the Water types that would otherwise counter it entirely. At +2, Tera Blast Grass or Electric can OHKO Vaporeon and does well over half to Slowbro. Tera Blast Grass also notably has chances to OHKO Unaware Quagsire. Drill Run provides super effective damage towards the Steel types that would otherwise wall Cloyster, and at +2, OHKOs Magnezone and 2HKOs Registeel. Tera Electric and Ground also provide immunity to the threat of Prankster Thunder Wave. Focus Sash can guarantee a Shell Smash opportunity, but requires support to keep hazards off the field. White Herb restores Cloyster's defenses after a Shell Smash, bolstering it against revenge kills. Heavy-Duty Boots protects Cloyster from its Stealth Rock weakness and preserve health to take a hit while using Shell Smash. Cloyster requires a Jolly nature to outspeed common Choice Scarf users in the tier, notably outspeeding Mienshao and Munkidori. An Adamant nature can hit a few additional breakpoints, gaining a chance to kill Registeel with +2 Tera Ground Drill Run, and guarantees an OHKO on specially bulky Diancie with +2 Tera Blast Grass.
Cloyster benefits heavily from teammates that can chip or seriously damage the Water and Steel types that can wall it. Options like Tsareena or Brambleghast can threaten defensive Water types like Slowbro and Quagsire while keeping hazards off the field, preserving Cloyster's health or Focus Sash. Fighting types like Mienshao or Gallade can put a serious dent to Steel types, and Gallade in particular threatens Slowbro with Leaf Blade. Krookodile does the same while also threatening Slowbro with Knock Off. Hazard setters like Klefki, Flygon, or Mew can also support future Cloyster sweeps, wearing down those opponents that Cloyster cannot quite OHKO. Galvantula serves a similar role, setting up Sticky Webs that allow Cloyster to run an Adamant nature and outrun Choice Scarf Infernape, Mienshao, and Munkidori after a boost. Other options for late game cleaners benefit from Cloyster's damage output, as Mienshao or a Shell Smash Torterra can storm through a team whose physical walls have already taken multiple hits.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Cloyster can choose to run Liquidation as an alternate STAB move option, and can also choose to run Ice Shard, primarily on Adamant sets, to hit the few Pokemon that outspeed and threaten it. Hydro Pump is niche but lets Cloyster always beat Avalugg after a Shell Smash boost. Tera Ghost is another option, particularly on slower, Adamant nature sets, to avoid Close Combat from revenge killing Choice Scarf Mienshao. Tera Steel is potentially useful as an Accelerock resist and to give Cloyster additional defensive resists as it sets up.
Checks and Counters
====
**Water Types**: Bulky Water types can be extremely difficult for Cloyster to break without the use of Tera Blast Grass or Electric. Slowbro and Vaporeon both comfortably take hits from Cloyster, while Unaware Quagsire counters its gameplan entirely.
**Steel Types**: Without Drill Run or Tera Blast Ground, Cloyster struggles to break through Steel types. Registeel and Magnezone, particularly if they have the opportunity to use Iron Defense, are serious checks to a potential sweep.
**Revenge Killers**: +2 Jolly Cloyster outspeeds every Choice Scarf user in the tier, so priority moves are the main source of revenge kills. Lycanroc-D's Accelerock, Brute Bonnet's Sucker Punch, Basculegion and Feraligatr's Aqua Jet, and Mew and Lucario's Vacuum Wave can threaten to end a Cloyster sweep. Boosted Adamant Cloyster can be outsped by several Choice Scarf users, notably Munkidori, Mienshao, and Flygon. Chlorophyll Venusaur can also revenge kill a boosted Cloyster, but requires a Timid nature to outspeed Jolly Cloyster.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hammer798.641404/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rabia.336073/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
Last edited:
