Klefki - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

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

Klefki - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Klefki

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Klefki
Abilities
Prankster	Gives priority to a status move.
Magician (Hidden)	The Pokemon steals the held item of a Pokemon it hits with a move.

Klefki 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

Best Nature for Klefki

What are Natures?

Singles Movesets for Klefki

Wall-Builder Moveset & Best Build

Klefki can lead to set up walls and then switch out when it's done. Klefki's advantage over other Prankster users is that it learns Steel Beam, which drains half of its HP and allows it to deal damage and remove itself from play in one swoop. While others would require switching out directly, with the sent-in Pokemon potentially taking damage, Klefki can use Steel Beam to elegantly excuse itself.

For its Held Item, Light Clay is the one. If you're running it with Substitute, Leftovers can be viable, but this isn't really suggested for a wall-setup lead.

This set works well in a party with Pokemon like Baton Pass Scolipede and Weakness Policy Tyranitar, who need to limit the damage they take with each attack.

Organizing Klefki together with a Baton Pass user and an ace attacker, allowing the Baton Pass user to set up with a protective wall and send their stats to the big hitter, or leading with a Focus Sash user and then switching in to Klefki and using the walls on a Weakness Policy user will get the most out of Klefki's potential.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Klefki Effectively

Set up walls first

Klefki has the advantage of 11 resisted types as a Steel/Fairy type, and together with its Ability Prankster, it can set up both Light Screen and Reflect with priority at the start of a match.

Can waste Dynamax turns

When given Leftovers, it can use Substitute repeatedly to wear down an ace attacker's Dynamax.

Counters for Klefki

Weakness

Silence it with Taunt

If you see Klefki on the selection screen together with Dracozolt or Scolipede, you can expect that it will be running a wall building set with Baton Pass, or switching straight into an ace attacker. Placing a Pokemon with Taunt in the lead will limit it to using only Reflect or Light Screen before Taunt hits.

Use Substitute to wear down its walls

Eldegoss and Sableye, like Klefki, are users of the Prankster Ability, allowing them to set up Substitute and waste the turns of Klefki's walls. These Pokemon can also learn Taunt, allowing them to prevent Klefki from setting up one or both of its walls.

Infiltrator can attack through walls

Dragapult holds the Ability Infiltrator, which has the effect of ignoring Reflect, Light Screen, and even Substitute when attacking. Instead of using it against Klefki directly, switch in Dragapult after Klefki leads to put pressure on its allies who expect to take reduced damage.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Eldegoss	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can use Prankster with Taunt to hit first and prevent wall setup ・Can use Substitute to waste wall turns, and is faster than Klefki
Sableye	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Can use Taunt to limit Klefki to a single wall ・Can use Substitute to waste wall turns

Best Teammates to Use with Klefki

Pokemon	Description
Scolipede	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・Its Ability Speed Boost together with boosts from Max Moves allow it to Baton Pass to an ace attacker
Dracozolt	Ranking: ★★★★☆ ・Weakness Policy and Dynamax can take advantage of Klefki's walls Moveset & Best Build for Dracozolt

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 The Isle of Armor Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for The Isle of Armor Pokemon
Scizor	Kingdra	Magnezone
Volcarona	Chansey	Blissey
Talonflame	Azumarill	Galarian Slowbro
Porygon2	Urshifu Single-Strike Style	Urshifu Rapid-Strike Style
Slowbro	Alolan Marowak	Dragalge
Klefki	Lycanroc	Amoonguss
Poliwrath	Palossand	Mienshao
Starmie	Heracross	Comfey
Porygon-Z	Alakazam	Politoed