[OVERVIEW]
Cresselia's incredible bulk as well as its important defensive typing gives it a strong niche, as it is one of the best defensive answers to the incredibly threatening Mega Medicham. Cresselia can act as a soft check to most Pokemon in the tier, being unthreatened by the majority of neutral attacks. Its Calm Mind variant can be incredibly difficult for some offense teams to handle, as Cresselia has the bulk to withstand strong physical hits such as Kyurem-B's Subzero Slammer. Alternatively, it serves as an important part of Trick Room teams, setting Trick Room incredibly consistently due to how difficult it is to KO. The cherry on top of its support capabilities is its signature move Lunar Dance, giving a second life to common Trick Room teammates like Alolan Marowak and Crawdaunt. However, despite Cresselia's hit-taking capabilities, it is significantly held back by needing to use Moonlight for recovery, due to its low PP. It can also be significantly passive, inviting in threats such as Ash-Greninja and Mega Mawile.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Moonlight
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 152 SpA / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Cresselia's impressive bulk makes it a great user of Calm Mind, setting up on multiple physical attackers, such as Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny. It is especially threatening against offense teams that rely on Pokemon with no recovery, such as Greninja, to check it. Ice Beam allows Cresselia to threaten Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Swords Dance Gliscor, which this set can beat one-on-one. Psyshock is Cresselia's choice of STAB move, notably being able to bypass opposing Calm Mind boosts from the likes of Clefable and Magearna.
Set Details
========
12 Speed EVs are used to outpace minimum Speed Rotom-W. 152 SpA EVs allow Cresselia to OHKO maximum Special Defense Gliscor with Ice Beam after a Calm Mind. The rest of the EVs are put into physical bulk to more easily handle physical attackers like Mega Medicham.
Usage Tips
========
Although Cresselia has outstanding bulk, it relies on Moonlight to heal itself, which can be problematic due to the move's low PP. This means that both status and the removal of its Leftovers are to be avoided if possible. Cresselia is considered one of the best defensive checks to Mega Medicham, so do not be afraid to switch Cresselia into it. Early- to mid-game, Cresselia's usage is mostly defensive, putting a stop to the aforementioned Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny, as well as pivoting in on Tapu Lele's Psyshock to give Steel-type teammates like Magearna and Heatran some relief. Late-game, when checks such as Greninja, Heatran, and Mega Mawile have been dealt with, Cresselia can go for a sweep with Calm Mind, being able to shrug off most neutral physical attacks and even weak super effective ones like U-turn from the likes of Landorus-T and Tornadus-T as it accrues boosts. What sets Cresselia apart from other defensive Psychic-types is how it can set up alongside opposing bulky setup threats, including Swords Dance Gliscor and Calm Mind Clefable, Magearna, Reuniclus, and Mega Latias, and beat them one-on-one. However, Cresselia does need to be mindful about Moonlight PP, especially against the last two.
Team Options
========
Cresselia appreciates Toxic Spikes from Toxapex, punishing Dark-types like Greninja and Weavile and putting them on a timer. Pairing Cresselia with a Dark-resistant teammate such as Clefable or Magearna is vital, as it has a tendency to invite them in. Magearna is an especially good partner, as it helps check Psychic-types too, lessening Cresselia's burden when facing Tapu Lele teams. A consistent check to Heatran, such as Gliscor or Seismitoad, is useful, as Heatran can switch into Cresselia completely freely. Sun support from Mega Charizard Y gives Cresselia a more efficient Moonlight, which is especially useful due to its low PP. Knock Off users such as Tornadus-T can remove opposing Leftovers from Cresselia's checks, such as Heatran and Tapu Fini, allowing them to get chipped down much more easily.
[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Trick Room
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Lunar Dance
item: Mental Herb
ability: Levitate
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set heavily taps into Cresselia's support capabilities, acting as a great mid- to late-game Trick Room setter. Ice Beam allows Cresselia to hit back at Landorus-T and Garchomp, preventing Cresselia from being completely passive against them. Moonlight allows Cresselia to remain healthy and act as as a valuable defensive piece that handles big threats to Trick Room teams like Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny. Trick Room enables Cresselia's slow teammates and can be immediately followed up by a Lunar Dance to both completely replenish a chipped down or statused teammate and give them as many Trick Room turns as possible to work with.
Set Details
========
152 Defense EVs allow Cresselia to survive Subzero Slammer from Kyurem-B with an Attack-boosting nature after Stealth Rock. The rest of the EVs are pooled into Special Defense to give Cresselia an easier time setting up Trick Room against premier special attackers such as Tapu Lele, Mega Alakazam, Ash-Greninja, and offensive Magearna.
Usage Tips
========
This set is relatively straightforward to use in the context of a Trick Room team, setting Trick Room in front of the many Pokemon that cannot threaten it. It can be used to effortlessly check Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny at any point throughout a game, as well as act as a stopgap against Tapu Lele, which is something to take into consideration when deciding whether to use Lunar Dance. Cresselia can provide value at any point in the match; however, it especially shines late-game, as it is able to sacrifice itself after serving its purpose to bring back a teammate that was previously out of commission with Lunar Dance, alongside giving it the optimal amount of Trick Room turns. It is important to be mindful of Cresselia's often passive nature, as it lets in threats like Mega Mawile completely for free.
Team Options
========
This set should not be used on anything other than a dedicated Trick Room team, as Trick Room support is quite underwhelming when not paired with offensive partners to exploit it. Good choices for offensive teammates include Alolan Marowak, Crawdaunt, and Mega Mawile, as they are all able to use their low Speed to their advantage under Trick Room, and they all appreciate Lunar Dance from Cresselia replenishing their health as well as curing any potential statuses. One Trick Room setter on its own is not enough to facilitate the team style, so Cresselia should always be paired with other Trick Room setters like Magearna and Uxie to be used early- to mid-game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Cresselia can also function as support for hyper offense teams, using Thunder Wave in place of Trick Room and a spread of 252 HP / 64 Def / 136 SpD / 56 Spe with a Bold nature. The Defense investment allows it to survive +1 Knock Off from Kartana after Stealth Rock. The 56 EVs in Speed allow it to outspeed a paralyzed Mega Alakazam. This variant may also hold an Eject Button to reverse momentum against U-turn and Volt Switch users. Another option is a Choice Scarf set, utilizing Trick to punish common switch-ins like Ferrothorn, Toxapex, and Chansey, as well as Thunder Wave, Ice Beam and Lunar Dance, forgoing recovery in its moveset to make space for more utility options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Cresselia does very little damage to Dark-types such as Greninja, Tyranitar, and Weavile, and it additionally has to fear Pursuit trapping from the latter two.
**Taunt**: Cresselia can be shut down by Taunt from the likes of Tornadus-T, Heatran, Serperior, and Tapu Fini, as it shuts down Cresselia from setting up Calm Mind, using Trick Room or Lunar Dance, and healing with Moonlight. Mental Herb can counteract this, but it can only do so a single time, meaning Cresselia can be vulnerable to Taunt later on.
**Passive Damage**: When Cresselia is burned or poisoned, it has a much harder time keeping healthy in conjunction with Moonlight's limited PP. This can be made even worse if Cresselia loses its Leftovers.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Mega Mawile can switch into Cresselia completely for free and take advantage of it by setting up Stealth Rock or Swords Dance as it is threatened out. Heart Swap Magearna can also completely invalidate the Calm Mind variant of Cresselia.
**Non-sun Weather**: Sand, hail, and rain halve Moonlight's healing capabilities, which severely limits Cresselia's longevity. The last two have the added detriment of chipping away at Cresselia's health, further diminishing its capability to keep healthy.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/acneautist.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/skypenguin.462413/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Cresselia's incredible bulk as well as its important defensive typing gives it a strong niche, as it is one of the best defensive answers to the incredibly threatening Mega Medicham. Cresselia can act as a soft check to most Pokemon in the tier, being unthreatened by the majority of neutral attacks. Its Calm Mind variant can be incredibly difficult for some offense teams to handle, as Cresselia has the bulk to withstand strong physical hits such as Kyurem-B's Subzero Slammer. Alternatively, it serves as an important part of Trick Room teams, setting Trick Room incredibly consistently due to how difficult it is to KO. The cherry on top of its support capabilities is its signature move Lunar Dance, giving a second life to common Trick Room teammates like Alolan Marowak and Crawdaunt. However, despite Cresselia's hit-taking capabilities, it is significantly held back by needing to use Moonlight for recovery, due to its low PP. It can also be significantly passive, inviting in threats such as Ash-Greninja and Mega Mawile.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Moonlight
item: Leftovers
ability: Levitate
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 152 SpA / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Cresselia's impressive bulk makes it a great user of Calm Mind, setting up on multiple physical attackers, such as Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny. It is especially threatening against offense teams that rely on Pokemon with no recovery, such as Greninja, to check it. Ice Beam allows Cresselia to threaten Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Swords Dance Gliscor, which this set can beat one-on-one. Psyshock is Cresselia's choice of STAB move, notably being able to bypass opposing Calm Mind boosts from the likes of Clefable and Magearna.
Set Details
========
12 Speed EVs are used to outpace minimum Speed Rotom-W. 152 SpA EVs allow Cresselia to OHKO maximum Special Defense Gliscor with Ice Beam after a Calm Mind. The rest of the EVs are put into physical bulk to more easily handle physical attackers like Mega Medicham.
Usage Tips
========
Although Cresselia has outstanding bulk, it relies on Moonlight to heal itself, which can be problematic due to the move's low PP. This means that both status and the removal of its Leftovers are to be avoided if possible. Cresselia is considered one of the best defensive checks to Mega Medicham, so do not be afraid to switch Cresselia into it. Early- to mid-game, Cresselia's usage is mostly defensive, putting a stop to the aforementioned Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny, as well as pivoting in on Tapu Lele's Psyshock to give Steel-type teammates like Magearna and Heatran some relief. Late-game, when checks such as Greninja, Heatran, and Mega Mawile have been dealt with, Cresselia can go for a sweep with Calm Mind, being able to shrug off most neutral physical attacks and even weak super effective ones like U-turn from the likes of Landorus-T and Tornadus-T as it accrues boosts. What sets Cresselia apart from other defensive Psychic-types is how it can set up alongside opposing bulky setup threats, including Swords Dance Gliscor and Calm Mind Clefable, Magearna, Reuniclus, and Mega Latias, and beat them one-on-one. However, Cresselia does need to be mindful about Moonlight PP, especially against the last two.
Team Options
========
Cresselia appreciates Toxic Spikes from Toxapex, punishing Dark-types like Greninja and Weavile and putting them on a timer. Pairing Cresselia with a Dark-resistant teammate such as Clefable or Magearna is vital, as it has a tendency to invite them in. Magearna is an especially good partner, as it helps check Psychic-types too, lessening Cresselia's burden when facing Tapu Lele teams. A consistent check to Heatran, such as Gliscor or Seismitoad, is useful, as Heatran can switch into Cresselia completely freely. Sun support from Mega Charizard Y gives Cresselia a more efficient Moonlight, which is especially useful due to its low PP. Knock Off users such as Tornadus-T can remove opposing Leftovers from Cresselia's checks, such as Heatran and Tapu Fini, allowing them to get chipped down much more easily.
[SET]
name: Trick Room
move 1: Ice Beam
move 2: Trick Room
move 3: Moonlight
move 4: Lunar Dance
item: Mental Herb
ability: Levitate
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 152 Def / 104 SpD
ivs: 0 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
This set heavily taps into Cresselia's support capabilities, acting as a great mid- to late-game Trick Room setter. Ice Beam allows Cresselia to hit back at Landorus-T and Garchomp, preventing Cresselia from being completely passive against them. Moonlight allows Cresselia to remain healthy and act as as a valuable defensive piece that handles big threats to Trick Room teams like Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny. Trick Room enables Cresselia's slow teammates and can be immediately followed up by a Lunar Dance to both completely replenish a chipped down or statused teammate and give them as many Trick Room turns as possible to work with.
Set Details
========
152 Defense EVs allow Cresselia to survive Subzero Slammer from Kyurem-B with an Attack-boosting nature after Stealth Rock. The rest of the EVs are pooled into Special Defense to give Cresselia an easier time setting up Trick Room against premier special attackers such as Tapu Lele, Mega Alakazam, Ash-Greninja, and offensive Magearna.
Usage Tips
========
This set is relatively straightforward to use in the context of a Trick Room team, setting Trick Room in front of the many Pokemon that cannot threaten it. It can be used to effortlessly check Mega Medicham and Mega Lopunny at any point throughout a game, as well as act as a stopgap against Tapu Lele, which is something to take into consideration when deciding whether to use Lunar Dance. Cresselia can provide value at any point in the match; however, it especially shines late-game, as it is able to sacrifice itself after serving its purpose to bring back a teammate that was previously out of commission with Lunar Dance, alongside giving it the optimal amount of Trick Room turns. It is important to be mindful of Cresselia's often passive nature, as it lets in threats like Mega Mawile completely for free.
Team Options
========
This set should not be used on anything other than a dedicated Trick Room team, as Trick Room support is quite underwhelming when not paired with offensive partners to exploit it. Good choices for offensive teammates include Alolan Marowak, Crawdaunt, and Mega Mawile, as they are all able to use their low Speed to their advantage under Trick Room, and they all appreciate Lunar Dance from Cresselia replenishing their health as well as curing any potential statuses. One Trick Room setter on its own is not enough to facilitate the team style, so Cresselia should always be paired with other Trick Room setters like Magearna and Uxie to be used early- to mid-game.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Cresselia can also function as support for hyper offense teams, using Thunder Wave in place of Trick Room and a spread of 252 HP / 64 Def / 136 SpD / 56 Spe with a Bold nature. The Defense investment allows it to survive +1 Knock Off from Kartana after Stealth Rock. The 56 EVs in Speed allow it to outspeed a paralyzed Mega Alakazam. This variant may also hold an Eject Button to reverse momentum against U-turn and Volt Switch users. Another option is a Choice Scarf set, utilizing Trick to punish common switch-ins like Ferrothorn, Toxapex, and Chansey, as well as Thunder Wave, Ice Beam and Lunar Dance, forgoing recovery in its moveset to make space for more utility options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Cresselia does very little damage to Dark-types such as Greninja, Tyranitar, and Weavile, and it additionally has to fear Pursuit trapping from the latter two.
**Taunt**: Cresselia can be shut down by Taunt from the likes of Tornadus-T, Heatran, Serperior, and Tapu Fini, as it shuts down Cresselia from setting up Calm Mind, using Trick Room or Lunar Dance, and healing with Moonlight. Mental Herb can counteract this, but it can only do so a single time, meaning Cresselia can be vulnerable to Taunt later on.
**Passive Damage**: When Cresselia is burned or poisoned, it has a much harder time keeping healthy in conjunction with Moonlight's limited PP. This can be made even worse if Cresselia loses its Leftovers.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, and Mega Mawile can switch into Cresselia completely for free and take advantage of it by setting up Stealth Rock or Swords Dance as it is threatened out. Heart Swap Magearna can also completely invalidate the Calm Mind variant of Cresselia.
**Non-sun Weather**: Sand, hail, and rain halve Moonlight's healing capabilities, which severely limits Cresselia's longevity. The last two have the added detriment of chipping away at Cresselia's health, further diminishing its capability to keep healthy.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/acneautist.569291/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/skypenguin.462413/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
