Cloyster - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Cloyster Movesets in Other Games
SV	SWSH

This is a strategy guide for using Cloyster in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Builds, and Held Items to use with Cloyster, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Cloyster - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Cloyster

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Cloyster
Abilities
Shell Armor	The Pokemon is protected against critical hits.
Skill Link	Increases the frequency of multi-strike moves.
Overcoat (Hidden)	Protects the Pokemon from weather damage.

Cloyster Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage
Takes 0x damage	-

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

HP	Attack	Defense	Sp. Atk	Sp. Def	Speed
50	95	180	85	45	70

Best Nature for Cloyster

Best Natures
Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)	Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
Naive (+Spd, -SpDef)	Naughty (+Atk, -SpDef)

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Cloyster

Focus Sash → Shell Smash Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Jolly (+Spd, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 180 / HP 78
Final Stat Values	HP 135 / Atk. 147 / Def. 200 / Sp.Def. 65 / Spd. 124
Ability	Skill Link
Held Item	Focus Sash
Moveset	・Shell Smash ・Icicle Spear ・Rock Blast ・Ice Shard

This build combines Cloyster's high Defense with the two-stage Attack, Special Attack and Speed boosts it obtains from Shell Smash to make it a physical attacker with fearsome speed. Focus Sash allows it to survive even attacks it's weak to, which, when used together with Shell Smash, allows it to even outspeed Hydreigon holding a Choice Scarf and take it down.

It's also possible to opt for an Adamant Nature to boost Attack instead of Speed, but this will cost it the ability to outspeed Choice Scarf Hydreigon.

Other Viable Moves

Liquidation	A physical Water-type Move. A choice for when not using priority moves.
Hydro Pump	Allows it to take advantage of the Special Attack boost of Shell Smash. When using this move, a Naive (+Spd, -SpDef) nature is preferable to avoid the Jolly nature's Special Attack drop.

Choice Scarf Moveset & Best Build

Nature	Adamant (+Atk, -SpAtk)
EV Spread	Atk. 252 / Spd. 252 / HP 4
Final Stat Values	HP 126 / Atk. 161 / Def. 200 / Sp.Def. 65 / Spd. 122
Ability	Skill Link
Held Item	Choice Scarf
Moveset	・Icicle Spear ・Rock Blast ・Liquidation ・Smart Strike

By holding a Choice Scarf, Cloyster can catch its opponents off guard and knock out physical attackers like Mimikyu in one hit while they are still trying to power up. Because most players use the Shell Smash build described above, opponents won't be expecting Cloyster to strike fast and hard right off the bat.

Other Viable Moves

Hydro Pump	Effective for hitting Steel types with high Defense. When using this move, a Naughty (+Atk, -SpDef) nature is preferable to avoid the Adamant nature's Special Attack drop.
Ice Shard	A priority STAB move. Unfortunately, it doesn't pair well with Choice Scarf, but it's great to have when you definitely need to hit first.

How to Use Cloyster Effectively

A high-speed attacker taking advantage of its Defense and movepool

Cloyster combines a high physical Defense with its ability to raise its stats using Shell Smash. Its towering Defense allows it to take a hard initial hit from a variety of opponents, following up on the second turn after its Shell Smash by switching to a fast attacking role and seizing the first hit.

A perfectly suited Ability

Cloyster's ability Skill Link allows its multi-hit attacks to land 5 times without fail. These attacks are particularly useful for their potential to break Substitute and Mimikyu's Disguise, but typically are difficult to use due to their low reliability. Skill Link makes these moves highly reliable and invaluable in depriving opponents of any opportunity to power up.

Counters for Cloyster

Weakness

Pokemon which can resist its moves

The moves learned by Cloyster are easy to resist by a number of Pokemon. Because of its multiple-hit moves, it's not possible to survive its attacks for a big hit with techniques like Focus Sash and Substitute, so while bearing the brunt of its attacks with Pokemon excelling in physical Defense, hit back hard with Special attacks to take advantage of its low Special Defense.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Toxapex	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can take its attacks with high Defense and its good type matchup ・Can remove the effects of Shell Smash with Haze Best Ranked Battle Build for Toxapex
Wash Rotom	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・Can take almost all of Cloyster's attacks with reduced damage ・Can deal massive damage with Special Electric-type moves Best Ranked Battle Build for Wash Rotom

Best Teams Featuring Cloyster

All our Best Teams are available for free rental, and usable in Ranked Battle with no EV Training necessary.
All Best Teams for Ranked Battle

Best Team for Ranked Battle from a World Top 3 Player

Best Team for Ranked Battle from a World Top 3 Player
Dragapult	Excadrill	Grimmsnarl
Togekiss	Snorlax	Cloyster

This is the primary set used by a former World Top 3 from a previous game in the series. Despite that daunting promise, it's an easy set to use for beginners, as the order to use Pokemon and which moves should be used are readily apparent. Not only that, but the set is carefully sculpted to be highly effective and dangerous even in the upper echelons of the Master Ball tier.
Best Team for Ranked Battle from a World Top 3 Player

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle ## Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

Best Builds for Returning Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for Returning Pokemon
Mimikyu	Wash Rotom	Gyarados
Ferrothorn	Aegislash	Excadrill
Tyranitar	Hydreigon	Heat Rotom
Arcanine	Mamoswine	Toxapex
Togekiss	Cloyster	Durant
Snorlax	Charizard	Sylveon
Lucario	Hippowdon	Umbreon
Conkeldurr	Quagsire	Gastrodon
Lapras	Whimsicott	Rhyperior
Goodra	Haxorus	Glaceon
Mow Rotom	Type: Null	Gengar
Milotic	Gardevoir	Flygon
Chandelure	Lanturn	Torkoal
Bisharp	Seismitoad	Silvally
Butterfree	Primarina	Incineroar
Blastoise	Decidueye	Venusaur
Darmanitan	Alolan Ninetales	Gothitelle
Crawdaunt	Clefable	Reuniclus
Kommo-o	Terrakion	Cobalion
Virizion	Noivern	Fan Rotom
Toxicroak	Pelipper	Jellicent
Celebi	Clefairy	Hitmontop
Diggersby	Ditto	Raichu
Hawlucha	Shiftry	Tsareena
Ludicolo