The Next Best Thing v2 - Latios

[HUARGH]

Cloyster @ Life Orb
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Naive Nature
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Icicle Spear

HP Fire OHKOs Scizor, the likely switch-in. Bullet Punch is not even a 2HKO on +0 def Cloyster, even if 252+ CB Scizor.

But why not just +2 252 Atk Life Orb Skill Link Cloyster Rock Blast (5 hits) vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Scizor: 290-345 (84.54 - 100.58%) -- 6.25% chance to OHKO?

A possibility as well, but without stealth rocks it will rarely OHKO and more defensive variants (they do exist) will OHKO with superpower. Gets an OHKO on Ferrothorn as well.

 

[Chou Toshio]

King's Rock... lol, so fucking brilliant. You got my vote

 

[Homeslice]

But King's Rock isn't really anything new... I know for a fact Cincinno users (other Skill Link user) in UU use King's Rock all the time. I know it's got a 41% chance of flinching off the top of my head, so if I know the statistic I personally don't think it's that new. Sorry, just my opinion.

If I vote (not sure I will) I'd vote for MikeDawg's set purely because it could actually have some use and Huargh's set makes no sense. Based off my calcs, if you're investing that much into Scizor's defense, your Superpower won't OHKO. But oh well, do what you want. I just feel like HP Fire is lowering stats for no reason.

 

[youngjake93]

I like the idea of Ice Shard+King's Rock, but yea just changing between the already viable items isn't really a different set on its own.

Choice Scarf Cloyster with HP investment rather than max speed is pretty good at countering common physical threats, particularly dragons. It can switch in on Dragonite or Garchomp easily and KO them. It also provides help against sub users and such and plays completely differently from the support or smash sets. I don't have my old set anymore, but just offering ideas for others.

 

[Lavos]

King's Rock... lol, so fucking brilliant. You got my vote

i was using king's rock cloyster in april 2012 and there were probably people doing it before me too

shouldnt be counted as a submission...like grats you changed an item

edit: OK thats a fair enough justification i take it back

 

[Kidogo]

Well I looked and King's Rock isn't in the analysis (which is stupid, seriously), and honestly, cloyster does not get much more creative than that. You basically always have SS / spear / blast (unless you're going choiced, which could be cool I guess, but choiced cloy would kinda suck imo). So it's basically one move and one item you're experimenting with...so KR + shard is the best I can think of atm.

 

[Wizarus]

Cloyster @ King's Rock
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Substitute
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Shell Smash

Substitute gives Cloyster some usefulness early on in the game. Many players would instantly send in their Cloyster counter the moment he comes in to early to Smash, so you Substitute on the switch and scout the set. King's Rock gives Cloyster about a 40% chance of flinching the opponent if it moves first, allowing Cloyster to wear down it's counters or flat-out beat them, and most pokemon faster than Jolly Cloyster don't want to take STAB Icicle Spear to the face. It needs support to get past Jirachi and Metagross though.

 

[scorpdestroyer]

Cloyster @ Water Gem
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 172 Atk / 84 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Hydro Pump

With a Water Gem and the listed EVs, Cloyster in rain will always OHKO some of its greater counters Keldeo and Jirachi after Stealth Rock, with Hydro Pump. With the gem and without rain, Cloyster will always OHKO Heatran and Scizor. Thus, most of Cloyster's usual counters are soundly beaten.

This > King's Rock because haxless is moar better and reliably beats its usual counters

@BurningMan ok then

 

[George Eliot]

Can't honestly believe Kings Rock isn't already on site. I've been using that for a year, there have been multiple well-known and successful PO teams abusing it, etc etc. Anyway, like Gastrodon, Cloyster looks like a pretty bad choice for this project tbh, it just doesn't have options. Support sets are almost completely outclassed by Forry. The only thing I can think of apart from generic Shell Smash which actually works is:

Cloyster @ Choice Band
Jolly / Adamant, 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Ice Shard
- Explosion / Rapid Spin / Razor Shell

CB Oyster is actually pretty cool in the current metagame, where the likes of Lando-T and Hippowdon are extremely popular. Rather than struggling for most of a match to weaken Cloyster's counters, and then still having to find a setup opportunity for it, this Cloyster takes advantage of the turns it does get to do insane amounts of damage.

Icicle Spear is for spamming and is ridiculously strong, having a solid chance to 2HKO 252/0 Rotom-W after Stealth Rock. Rock Blast is for when you can afford to predict bulky water switch-ins. Ice Shard is really useful atm for picking off both Lando forms, as well as the omnipresent Dragons / Breloom / weakened mons in general. Finally, the last slot comes down to preference. I like Explosion for doing insane amounts of damage to the few physical walls you can't touch (Slowbro), but Razor Shell (for Rachi / Zong) or RS are also possible. This guy is just a really great wallbreaker in general for the likes of SD Scizor.

 

[BurningMan]

Cloyster @ Water Gem
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 172 Atk / 84 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast / Hidden Power Grass
- Hydro Pump

With a Water Gem and the listed EVs, Cloyster in rain will always OHKO some of its greater counters Keldeo and Jirachi after Stealth Rock, with Hydro Pump. With the gem and without rain, Cloyster will always OHKO Heatran and Scizor. Thus, most of Cloyster's usual counters are soundly beaten. If using HP Grass, Gastrodon is another counter that bites the dust to Cloyster.

This > King's Rock because haxless is moar better and reliably beats its usual counters

This actually looks pretty nice, i don't think HP Grass is necessary though since you hit it neutral with your main stab and Gastrodon usually doesn't has a move that can really hurt you, outside of the rare Earthpower or a Storm drain + Rain boosted Scald.

 

[Explorer]

Cloyster @ White Herb
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Naive Nature
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Icicle Spear

HP Fire OHKOs Scizor, the likely switch-in. Bullet Punch is not even a 2HKO on +0 def Cloyster, even if 252+ CB Scizor.



A possibility as well, but without stealth rocks it will rarely OHKO and more defensive variants (they do exist) will OHKO with superpower.

I like this set. Remember it will put a huge dent in Ferrothorn too. I think it'd OHKO after Shell Smash if you can pull that off. Everything else is standard Cloyster.

 

[Halcyon.]

Cloyster @ White Herb
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spd / 4 HP
Naive Nature
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Shell Smash
- Rock Blast
- Icicle Spear

HP Fire OHKOs Scizor, the likely switch-in. Bullet Punch is not even a 2HKO on +0 def Cloyster, even if 252+ CB Scizor.



A possibility as well, but without stealth rocks it will rarely OHKO and more defensive variants (they do exist) will OHKO with superpower.

Yeah, this set definitely needs Life Orb. With Life Orb, you can get a guaranteed OHKO on Ferrothorn, which is huge for Cloyster, because otherwise it's a bit hard to deal with. That's assuming a Naive nature and 4 SAtk EVs. I suppose you could run more, but I wouldn't. I think running Life Orb is advisable on any Cloyster set anyway, but especially this one.

 

[HUARGH]

I like this set. Remember it will put a huge dent in Ferrothorn too. I think it'd OHKO after Shell Smash if you can pull that off. Everything else is standard Cloyster.

Yeah, this set definitely needs Life Orb. With Life Orb, you can get a guaranteed OHKO on Ferrothorn, which is huge for Cloyster, because otherwise it's a bit hard to deal with. That's assuming a Naive nature and 4 SAtk EVs. I suppose you could run more, but I wouldn't. I think running Life Orb is advisable on any Cloyster set anyway, but especially this one.

Cheers, updated the set.

 

[Princess Bubblegum]

Just today I ran into an Explosion Cloyster, I don't know how useful that is overall, but it 1HKOed by Slowbro and pretty much made me lose the match because of it. Possibly something for this? Idk I don't run Cloyster, ever.

edit: this was a shell smash Cloyster (Cloyster has no CB set on site to ?_?)

 

[George Eliot]

Yeah, Explosion is the main slash on my CB set for that reason. Makes a seriously good partner to lategame physical sweepers.

End shameless plug.

 

[Joeyboy]

Voting Period for Cloyster starts now, here are links to each set you can vote for:

• Kidogo
• MikeDawg
• HUARGH
• Wizarus
• scorpdestroyer
• George Eliot

For voting, just put the username of the person you wish to vote for in bold and if you want to really show your stuff, a short 1 or 2 sentence explanation for why you chose that set. Voting will be open for 2 days! Feel free to VM or PM me any suggestions for the next test subject if you have any.

Also, I'm sorry if you thought Cloyster was a one dimensional choice, but to be honest if that's how you think of Pokemon you really don't get the Next Best Thing threads. Lucario was considered a one dimensionally special attacker before Aldaron, pretty sure, showed off how effective SD Luke is. The point is to try and find new creative sets that work, even if it looks like there aren't any.

Also, I'm allowing Kidogo's Kings Rock set to pass this time because I didn't say anything about it before now but for future please try coming but with a more creative set. It literally says in the OP that an item change doesn't make it new, especially an item that, while not on site, is not exactly a rarity.

 

[HUARGH]

HUARGH

 

[Tressed]

Damn, couple of really nice options here. I'm gonna have to go with Wizarus' Sub / SS set, super useful for setting up and breaking your own counters, though survivability could be a problem (maybe a lefties slash?).
If only Cloyster got SR, it would be MikeDawg's set I would vote for. Alas, it is not to be.

 

[Groudon ex]

George Eliot

Cloyster @ King's Rock is some amazing shit, though GE's CB Cloyster is more original and looks like it could be pretty effective, especially since SS Cloyster is so damn hard to set up in the first place.

 

[blitzlefan]

Kidogo
41% chance to flinch is ridiculous

 

[Mylo Xyloto]

scorpdestroyer

 

[Halcyon.]

HUARGH

 

[SuperChillarmy]

George Eliot

 

[Ehrmantraut]

George Eliot

 

[Lavos]

kidogo since none of these sets are particularly original except the worst one