[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Body Slam
move 4: Heal Bell / Shadow Ball / Hidden Power Grass
item: Leftovers
ability: Cute Charm
nature: Careful / Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to great mixed bulk, an acceptable defensive typing, and an incredible suite of utility moves, Delcatty is a staple cleric of the tier and excellent choice for any team needing a solid backbone and support Pokemon. Wish differentiates Delcatty from other walls and other bulky Normal-types like Castform thanks to the amount of support it provides. Protect allows Delcatty to safely receive its own Wish, as well as accrue additional Leftovers recovery and scout the intentions of Choice Band users such as Aipom. Body Slam is a solid damaging move when bolstered by STAB and a 30% paralysis rate, which ensures that Delcatty isn't too passive when checking threats. Heal Bell allows Delcatty to remove status from itself and its teammates. This is particularly important if Delcatty is afflicted with Toxic, since it must spend 2 turns on the field to heal itself. Shadow Ball is an option to lure Shuppet, which would otherwise take advantage of Delcatty's passiveness. Hidden Power Grass hits Rhyhorn, which easily switches into Delcatty, but it can also hit the other Rock-types that don't mind Body Slam, such as Onix and Larvitar. However, Hidden Power Grass is easily ignored by Lileep, the most common Rock-type in the tier. Maximum HP and Special Defense with a Careful nature is used so Delcatty can reliably switch into special attackers, but a Sassy nature is preferred if Delcatty uses Hidden Power Grass.
Delcatty is best used on defensive and balance teams that appreciate its ability to blanket check the many special attackers in the tier while also providing Wish and other utility. Lileep and Koffing are excellent physically defensive complements to Delcatty, checking many attackers that try to hit Delcatty on its frailer side, such as Aipom, Rhyhorn, and Pidgeotto. Lileep also particularly appreciates Heal Bell support, as Toxic is a very consistent way to break past Lileep and is splashed into the movesets of many Pokemon otherwise walled by Lileep. Wallbreakers are important on balance to help offset Delcatty's passivity. Rhyhorn is a more aggressive Normal-resistant Pokemon that becomes monstrously dangerous when supported by paralysis from Delcatty's Body Slam, and it can even come back for additional rounds of terror if restored by Wish and/or Heal Bell. Seaking and Castform are two great Pokemon that don't necessarily need support to wallbreak but appreciate Wish and cleric support for additional longevity. Other Pokemon with strong defensive qualities but no reliable recovery, such as Aron, Magnemite, and Chinchou, can stick around to fulfill their functions for much longer when they are kept alive by Wish. While the support Delcatty brings is unparalleled in the tier, it can be quite passive in the face of setup threats unafraid of Body Slam, such as Lum Berry users and Rock- and Steel-types using Substitute like Magnemite. Partnering Delcatty with good answers to these tactics, such as Koffing and Bayleef respectively, will make Delcatty much more reliable. Koffing is a terrific counter to offensive Rhyhorn and can use Explosion to check setup sweepers that might try to use Delcatty as an opportunity to run away with the game, such as Lum Berry Bagon. Bayleef's good mixed bulk allows it to duel Rock-types, Shuppet, and Magnemite that try to use Substitute against Delcatty, and either spread Toxic or chip away with Leech Seed.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Cute Charm
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Delcatty can make use of Calm Mind to become an unexpected sweeper, boosting its special stats alongside full Defense investment in order to become a very bulky cleaner. Access to Thunderbolt and Ice Beam complete the legendary BoltBeam coverage, giving it the ability to hit a wide range of Pokemon super effectively, such as Bayleef, Lileep, and Seaking. Rest allows Delcatty to set up with impunity against walls reliant on status, such as Lileep and Dustox, allowing Delcatty to checkmate more passive teams if their phazer is KOed or Delcatty is the last Pokemon remaining.
Calm Mind Delcatty is best used as a cleaner on balance teams, leveraging its bulk to slowly push through a weakened team, but appreciating the defensive backbone a balance team provides. Lileep is a great partner, blanket checking a huge portion of the metagame and spreading Toxic to soften the opposition. Wallbreakers like Aipom, Castform, and Seaking do an excellent job of removing or heavily damaging Pokemon that carry tools that can disrupt Delcatty's sweep. For example, Aipom can force big damage on Koffing, which carries Explosion, while Seaking can lure Whirlwind Dustox and threaten it with Hidden Power Rock. In the case that Delcatty comes up short late-game, other cleaners like Elekid and Horsea do a great job at picking up the pieces for Delcatty. Delcatty struggles into physical wallbreakers such as Aipom or Cubone that threaten to 2HKO or 3HKO Delcatty on the turn it Rests, so physically resilient Pokemon like Koffing, Lileep, and Bayleef are solid defensive partners for Delcatty.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Delcatty has a large selection of options, but it is difficult to fit or justify them. Thunder Wave is a way to guarantee that Delcatty dishes out paralysis for teammates reliant on it like Rhyhorn and Cubone, as well as guaranteeing to paralyze the opposing Pokemon in an emergency, but Body Slam usually gets the job done over longer games, and running Thunder Wave means giving up either Body Slam or Heal Bell. Delcatty can make use of Sing alongside its good bulk for multiple chances to put an opponent to sleep, but this is very unreliable considering Sing's paltry accuracy. Sleep Talk could be used on its Calm Mind set to become less passive when asleep, but Delcatty would usually prefer the coverage of Thunderbolt.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Shuppet:** As the sole Ghost-type of the tier, Shuppet can easily switch into Body Slam and harass Delcatty's team with status and attacks. While Shuppet must be afraid of a Shadow Ball teched for it, scouting a Shadow Ball confirms that Delcatty is missing an important move.
**Steel- and Rock-Types**: Pokemon that resist Body Slam can pretty easily switch into Delcatty, such as Aron, Rhyhorn, and Magnemite. They must be wary of Body Slam's paralysis though, even if they don't mind the Speed drop. However, Hidden Power Grass and Calm Mind beat the Rock-types, so scouting Delcatty's moveset is important to handle it consistently.
**Status**: While it seems counter-intuitive that a Pokemon with Heal Bell is afraid of status, Delcatty only has 8 uses of it, so Delcatty cannot afford to repeatedly take status and heal it off. A burn or poison will severely impede Delcatty's ability to heal, since it takes two turns on the field to use and receive Wish, and a poorly timed full paralysis can lead to Delcatty fainting.
**Offensive Pressure**: Delcatty's lack of resistances and reliance on Wish or Rest for recovery means that it can be pressured exceptionally hard through repeatedly hitting it, smart double switches with Spikes up, and disruption tools like Taunt. Choice Band users such as Aipom, Delibird, and Pidgeotto can muscle their way through Delcatty, although they must respect paralysis.
**Setup Sweepers**: Setup sweepers with a Lum Berry, or those who are willing to risk paralysis, can use Delcatty as an opportunity to accrue boosts. Bagon can survive two Body Slams and Larvitar resists the move, although they are deathly afraid of Ice Beam and Hidden Power Grass respectively. Croconaw can tank even a Thunderbolt and set up a Swords Dance to threaten Delcatty with Brick Break or Return.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
name: Defensive
move 1: Wish
move 2: Protect
move 3: Body Slam
move 4: Heal Bell / Shadow Ball / Hidden Power Grass
item: Leftovers
ability: Cute Charm
nature: Careful / Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to great mixed bulk, an acceptable defensive typing, and an incredible suite of utility moves, Delcatty is a staple cleric of the tier and excellent choice for any team needing a solid backbone and support Pokemon. Wish differentiates Delcatty from other walls and other bulky Normal-types like Castform thanks to the amount of support it provides. Protect allows Delcatty to safely receive its own Wish, as well as accrue additional Leftovers recovery and scout the intentions of Choice Band users such as Aipom. Body Slam is a solid damaging move when bolstered by STAB and a 30% paralysis rate, which ensures that Delcatty isn't too passive when checking threats. Heal Bell allows Delcatty to remove status from itself and its teammates. This is particularly important if Delcatty is afflicted with Toxic, since it must spend 2 turns on the field to heal itself. Shadow Ball is an option to lure Shuppet, which would otherwise take advantage of Delcatty's passiveness. Hidden Power Grass hits Rhyhorn, which easily switches into Delcatty, but it can also hit the other Rock-types that don't mind Body Slam, such as Onix and Larvitar. However, Hidden Power Grass is easily ignored by Lileep, the most common Rock-type in the tier. Maximum HP and Special Defense with a Careful nature is used so Delcatty can reliably switch into special attackers, but a Sassy nature is preferred if Delcatty uses Hidden Power Grass.
Delcatty is best used on defensive and balance teams that appreciate its ability to blanket check the many special attackers in the tier while also providing Wish and other utility. Lileep and Koffing are excellent physically defensive complements to Delcatty, checking many attackers that try to hit Delcatty on its frailer side, such as Aipom, Rhyhorn, and Pidgeotto. Lileep also particularly appreciates Heal Bell support, as Toxic is a very consistent way to break past Lileep and is splashed into the movesets of many Pokemon otherwise walled by Lileep. Wallbreakers are important on balance to help offset Delcatty's passivity. Rhyhorn is a more aggressive Normal-resistant Pokemon that becomes monstrously dangerous when supported by paralysis from Delcatty's Body Slam, and it can even come back for additional rounds of terror if restored by Wish and/or Heal Bell. Seaking and Castform are two great Pokemon that don't necessarily need support to wallbreak but appreciate Wish and cleric support for additional longevity. Other Pokemon with strong defensive qualities but no reliable recovery, such as Aron, Magnemite, and Chinchou, can stick around to fulfill their functions for much longer when they are kept alive by Wish. While the support Delcatty brings is unparalleled in the tier, it can be quite passive in the face of setup threats unafraid of Body Slam, such as Lum Berry users and Rock- and Steel-types using Substitute like Magnemite. Partnering Delcatty with good answers to these tactics, such as Koffing and Bayleef respectively, will make Delcatty much more reliable. Koffing is a terrific counter to offensive Rhyhorn and can use Explosion to check setup sweepers that might try to use Delcatty as an opportunity to run away with the game, such as Lum Berry Bagon. Bayleef's good mixed bulk allows it to duel Rock-types, Shuppet, and Magnemite that try to use Substitute against Delcatty, and either spread Toxic or chip away with Leech Seed.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Rest
item: Leftovers
ability: Cute Charm
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Delcatty can make use of Calm Mind to become an unexpected sweeper, boosting its special stats alongside full Defense investment in order to become a very bulky cleaner. Access to Thunderbolt and Ice Beam complete the legendary BoltBeam coverage, giving it the ability to hit a wide range of Pokemon super effectively, such as Bayleef, Lileep, and Seaking. Rest allows Delcatty to set up with impunity against walls reliant on status, such as Lileep and Dustox, allowing Delcatty to checkmate more passive teams if their phazer is KOed or Delcatty is the last Pokemon remaining.
Calm Mind Delcatty is best used as a cleaner on balance teams, leveraging its bulk to slowly push through a weakened team, but appreciating the defensive backbone a balance team provides. Lileep is a great partner, blanket checking a huge portion of the metagame and spreading Toxic to soften the opposition. Wallbreakers like Aipom, Castform, and Seaking do an excellent job of removing or heavily damaging Pokemon that carry tools that can disrupt Delcatty's sweep. For example, Aipom can force big damage on Koffing, which carries Explosion, while Seaking can lure Whirlwind Dustox and threaten it with Hidden Power Rock. In the case that Delcatty comes up short late-game, other cleaners like Elekid and Horsea do a great job at picking up the pieces for Delcatty. Delcatty struggles into physical wallbreakers such as Aipom or Cubone that threaten to 2HKO or 3HKO Delcatty on the turn it Rests, so physically resilient Pokemon like Koffing, Lileep, and Bayleef are solid defensive partners for Delcatty.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Delcatty has a large selection of options, but it is difficult to fit or justify them. Thunder Wave is a way to guarantee that Delcatty dishes out paralysis for teammates reliant on it like Rhyhorn and Cubone, as well as guaranteeing to paralyze the opposing Pokemon in an emergency, but Body Slam usually gets the job done over longer games, and running Thunder Wave means giving up either Body Slam or Heal Bell. Delcatty can make use of Sing alongside its good bulk for multiple chances to put an opponent to sleep, but this is very unreliable considering Sing's paltry accuracy. Sleep Talk could be used on its Calm Mind set to become less passive when asleep, but Delcatty would usually prefer the coverage of Thunderbolt.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Shuppet:** As the sole Ghost-type of the tier, Shuppet can easily switch into Body Slam and harass Delcatty's team with status and attacks. While Shuppet must be afraid of a Shadow Ball teched for it, scouting a Shadow Ball confirms that Delcatty is missing an important move.
**Steel- and Rock-Types**: Pokemon that resist Body Slam can pretty easily switch into Delcatty, such as Aron, Rhyhorn, and Magnemite. They must be wary of Body Slam's paralysis though, even if they don't mind the Speed drop. However, Hidden Power Grass and Calm Mind beat the Rock-types, so scouting Delcatty's moveset is important to handle it consistently.
**Status**: While it seems counter-intuitive that a Pokemon with Heal Bell is afraid of status, Delcatty only has 8 uses of it, so Delcatty cannot afford to repeatedly take status and heal it off. A burn or poison will severely impede Delcatty's ability to heal, since it takes two turns on the field to use and receive Wish, and a poorly timed full paralysis can lead to Delcatty fainting.
**Offensive Pressure**: Delcatty's lack of resistances and reliance on Wish or Rest for recovery means that it can be pressured exceptionally hard through repeatedly hitting it, smart double switches with Spikes up, and disruption tools like Taunt. Choice Band users such as Aipom, Delibird, and Pidgeotto can muscle their way through Delcatty, although they must respect paralysis.
**Setup Sweepers**: Setup sweepers with a Lum Berry, or those who are willing to risk paralysis, can use Delcatty as an opportunity to accrue boosts. Bagon can survive two Body Slams and Larvitar resists the move, although they are deathly afraid of Ice Beam and Hidden Power Grass respectively. Croconaw can tank even a Thunderbolt and set up a Swords Dance to threaten Delcatty with Brick Break or Return.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/monai.482455/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bp.272450/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tea-guzzler.577920/
Last edited:
