Cresselia Movesets & Competitive Sets

Set Description Choice Scarf in combination with Trick allows for Cresselia to force passive Pokemon to use weak attacks or status moves while it heals with Rest. This allows Cresselia to defeat stall Cresselia, Tapu Koko, and Pressure stall Entei. Psychic defeats Urshifu-R, while Psyshock is better against Nihilego; both attacks help against Sawk. Ice Beam gives Cresselia a favorable matchup against Garchomp as well as most Landorus-T sets. Moonblast is an option to defeat no-bulk Urshifu-S, while Calm Mind provides a better matchup against Sylveon, especially when combined with Moonlight. Moonlight gives Cresselia more reliable recovery at the expense of being weaker against status moves and having less PP. This helps against certain Spectrier sets but gives up matchups against some stall foes like Chansey. EVs 64 Special Attack EVs are used to 2HKO 4 SpD EVs Haxorus. 232 Speed EVs allow Cresselia to outspeed Tapu Koko. 196 HP with 16 Def EVs combined with a Bold Nature allows Cresselia to take 2 Adamant Haxorus Outrages while maximizing its HP. If running Moonblast instead of Ice Beam, Cresselia should run 44 Special Attack EVs to still 2HKO Haxorus while OHKOing 4 SpD Urshifu-S, 232 Speed EVs to outspeed Tapu Koko, and 232 HP EVs to still take 2 Adamant Haxorus Outrages. Usage Tips Cresselia should generally use Trick to lock the opponent into a move, which, due to Cresselia's bulk combined with recovery from Rest or Moonlight, allows for Cresselia to stall out many attacks. However, Cresselia should be wary of using Trick against opposing Choice item Pokemon; instead, Cresselia should use an attack if it can KO the foe first, such as versus Naganadel and Urshifu-R. Additionally, versus weaker Choice Scarf + Trick Pokemon such as Tapu Fini, Cresselia should use Trick first as if Scarf Tapu Fini uses an attack Cresselia can stall by using Rest, and if both use Trick, then this will reset the position. This should be repeated until Trick is out of PP; then, Rest should be used to win the resulting Struggle battle.

Set Description Leftovers paired with Calm Mind and Icy Wind gives Cresselia a good matchup against most sets of the Water / Fairy types: Primarina, Tapu Fini, and Azumarill. Moonlight allows Cresselia to set up safely in front of many Pokemon that do not outdamage Leftovers + Moonlight recovery such as Kyurem and Choice Specs Naganadel. Stored Power allows for Cresselia to defeat some opposing Calm Mind users, including the aforementioned Tapu Fini and Primarina as well as breaking through resistant foes such as Steelix and non-Metal Sound Magnezone. Icy Wind flips many matchups, most notably versus Taunt users such as Tapu Fini, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Bulu as well as Swords Dance variants of Garchomp and Landorus-T. EVs The Special Defense EVs are to take a maximum Special Attack Modest Choice Specs Volcanion Steam Eruption into +1 Steam Eruption, assuming burn. The Speed EVs are to outspeed Garchomp after an Icy Wind, while the rest of the EVs are put into Defense to have the best odds to take attacks from Garchomp, Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan, and Tapu Bulu. Usage Tips Cresselia should use Calm Mind versus Tapu Fini; Icy Wind should only be used if Tapu Fini Taunts Cresselia. Since Cresselia loses to Trick Tapu Fini regardless of the move used, using Calm Mind turn one is optimal. Icy Wind should be used turn one versus Garchomp and Landorus-T, as this allows Cresselia to use Moonlight in the face of potentially getting 2HKOed by Choice Band Outrage from Garchomp and provides Cresselia better rolls to 2HKO Swords Dance + Knock Off variants of Landorus-T. Cresselia generally outspeeds most Tapu Bulu variants, so using Calm Mind turn one is generally safe, and subsequently alternating between Icy Wind and Stored Power after getting Taunted to avoid potentially losing a turn to Disable. It is worth noting that Tapu Bulu can win if it uses Taunt on turn one but this risks losing to Trick Cresselia, thus turning the matchup into a fifty-fifty. Finally, Calm Mind should be used against Tapu Koko and, Icy Wind should only be used after getting Taunted.

Set Description Leftovers combined with Calm Mind allows Cresselia to defeat Icy Wind + Encore Primarina sets. Moonlight provides reliable recovery allowing Cresselia to defeat Choice Band Zeraora and non-Swords Dance Landorus-T. Stored Power allows Cresselia to break through opposing Calm Mind Pokemon such as Primarina; or power through resists such as non-Swords Dance Ferrothorn and some Celesteela. Psyshock can be used to still help break through opposing Calm Mind users as well as defeating Nihilego at the expense of being worse into Psychic-resistant foes. Skill Swap allows Cresselia to defeat Aroma Veil Aromatisse and be better against Regidrago as well as defeating some Unaware Pokemon if running Psyshock such as Clefable and Quagsire but notably not Pyukumuku. Substitute allows Cresselia to improve odds of not getting KOed by a critical hit while using Calm Mind as well as beating Goodra and improving the matchup against Yawn Sylveon. EVs The Special Defense investments allows Cresselia to take a 252+ Primarina Moonblast into Torrent Hydro Cannon. The Speed EVs let its outspeed base-60 foes such as Primarina, Sylveon, and Magnezone. The rest is put into Defense to take hits from Pokemon such as Zeraora, Landorus-T, and Haxorus. Usage Tips Most matchups are straightforward: use Calm Mind until Stored Power is strong enough such that using Calm Mind again has less of a return on investment. For example, if Stored Power can 3HKO at +3 and 2HKO at +4, and Cresselia does not need the Special Defense boost, it is preferable to start attacking earlier. That way, it gets more chances to critical hit, potentially turning Stored Power into a 2HKO. Otherwise, use Moonlight whenever Cresselia is low on HP, and be wary of Moonlight's measly eight PP. If possible, attempt to keep Cresselia's HP high enough such that even a critical hit will not KO Cresselia. Finally, Skill Swap is generally used for Aromatisse, taking Aromatisse's Aroma Veil so that Aromatisse can neither use Encore nor Disable on Cresselia. It can also be used versus some Regidrago sets where Cresselia should use Skill Swap on turn one. This reduces the damage of special attacks the same amount as Calm Mind would, with the added benefit of also weakening the damage of Regidrago's physical attacks. Against Unaware Pokemon such as Clefable and Quagsire, Cresselia will need to use Skill Swap if not running Stored Power while avoiding being Encored into Skill Swap so Cresselia can OHKO with a Calm Mind-boosted Psyshock. Cresselia should be unpredictable with using Skill Swap while using Calm Mind to boost and Moonlight to stay healthy. Be aware that Pyukumuku is generally favored as an Unaware user due to being able to use the combination of Taunt, Mirror Coat, and Recover to prevent Cresselia from boosting fast enough without being taken out by Mirror Coat. Finally, versus Landorus-T, Cresselia should use Moonlight on turn one and then use Skill Swap to improve the matchup against Choice Band Knock Off Landorus-T.

Set Description Kee Berry, maximum Defense EVs, and Reflect allows Cresselia to defeat most physical attackers, most notably Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan. Reflect also helps against Choice Band Haxorus Outrage, as its Unnerve ability means that Cresselia's Kee Berry does not get consumed. Calm Mind + Stored Power allows for Cresselia to break through Psychic-resistant foes such as Celesteela and Ferrothorn. Moonlight provides reliable recovery, allowing Cresselia to remain healthy while boosting up. Psyshock is an option to defeat Nihilego, but this loses reliability versus the aforementioned Steel-types. Skill Swap can be used to defeat Aromatisse as well as some Sylveon and Regidrago at the cost of reliability against many physical attackers. EVs Maximum Defense EVs with a Bold Nature is used to provide Cresselia the best odds to defeat Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan. Usage Tips Defensive Kee Berry Cresselia is straightforward to use. Versus physical attackers, Cresselia should generally use Reflect, followed up by boosting with Calm Mind and healing with Moonlight whenever low, and finally KOing with Stored Power. Versus special attackers, Cresselia should forgo using Reflect and instead start setting up immediately with Calm Mind. When facing Ferrothorn in particular, Cresselia should use Calm Mind first instead of Reflect, as Cresselia is not immediately threatened by Ferrothorn's attacks and should only use Reflect when Ferrothorn uses Swords Dance to minimize wasted Reflect turns. Finally, it is important to be aware that this Cresselia set in particular provides many opportunities for foes to critical hit through Cresselia's boosts or get powerful secondary effects, so one should be wary of this. This set is particularly vulnerable to Taunt Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Tapu Koko due to the lack of Icy Wind, resulting in Cresselia's inability to outspeed the Taunt users and being forced to use a weak 20-Base Power Stored Power.

Cresselia's impressive bulk and useful ability in Levitate along with access to reliable recovery, status, and setup moves make it a defensive behemoth that is difficult to wear down and break through. Its Poison typing from Toxic pairs nicely with Levitate, making it immune to both the poison status and Ground-type attacks while leaving it with only two weaknesses. Toxic puts offensive threats like Fire / Grass Volcarona and Hydreigon on a timer to prevent them from using setup moves effectively. Moonblast is a spammable attack that grants Cresselia a Fairy typing, which gives it an immunity and stacks useful resistances with its Poison typing. Moonlight is Cresselia's reliable recovery and keeps it healthy. Calm Mind keeps Cresselia from being overly passive and allows it to set up on other passive Pokemon like Blissey and Slowbro, or boost alongside opposing Calm Mind users like Electric / Dragon Latios, wearing all the aforementioned Pokemon down with Toxic as it sets up. Thunder Wave is another option that punishes offensive threats that Toxic can't, like Poison-type Garchomp, Latias, and Naganadel. It provides a great defensive typing with only one weakness thanks to Levitate and useful resistances to Flying- and Electric-type attacks that Toxic variants take neutral damage from. Shadow Ball gives Cresselia another unique typing with multiple immunities, mainly to high-powered Normal-type attacks like Extreme Speed, Facade, and Boomburst. It also allows Cresselia to have more coverage when it sets up with Calm Mind, but it makes Cresselia vulnerable to Ghost-type STAB moves like Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball, which are commonly seen on Facade and Boomburst users like Heracross and Noivern. Black Sludge is the item of choice for Poison-type Cresselia, as it increases Cresselia's longevity and punishes Trick users, while other Cresselia sets opt for Leftovers. A Bold nature with full investment in HP and Defense allows Cresselia to take on numerous physical attackers like Landorus-T, Lycanroc-D without Iron Head, and most unboosted Extreme Speed users outside of Zygarde-10% with Thousand Arrows. While Cresselia is bulky, it is still vulnerable to high-powered neutral attacks like Guts-boosted Facade from Heracross and Triple Axel from Choice Band Pheromosa. Each of these attacks can 2HKO Cresselia with prior damage, so it is important to pair Cresselia with teammates that can stomach these hits like defensive Water / Poison Slowbro and Normal-resistant Pokemon such as Steel-type Buzzwole. These teammates also help cover Cresselia's few remaining weaknesses to types like Poison, Psychic, or Steel, depending on Cresselia's typing. Magnezone can pair with Cresselia to trap and eliminate Steel-types like Buzzwole and Scizor. While Cresselia can use Calm Mind to combat certain opposing setup threats, others like Psychic Volcarona and Taunt Spectrier can quickly overwhelm it. Defensive Dark / Poison Pokemon such as Unaware Clefable and Toxapex make great partners for Cresselia to handle the setup threats that can break past it.

Cresselia is a great defensive sweeper thanks to its tremendous bulk and solid defensive typing, which allow it to easily set up Calm Mind. Psyshock lets Cresselia threaten Pheromosa, Nihilego, Naganadel, and Galarian Zapdos. Moonlight provides Cresselia with recovery, allowing it to outlast foes such as Indeedee, Volcanion, and Tapu Lele. Ice Beam hits Zygarde, Landorus, Rillaboom, and Landorus-T. Icy Wind is a weaker alternative that provides speed control. Trick Room allows Cresselia and its teammates to move before faster foes. Helping Hand allows damaging partners like Diancie and Volcanion to OHKO Galarian Moltres and Assault Vest Rillaboom. Protect is an effective answer to Fake Out, allowing Cresselia to safely set Trick Room on turn 2. The Special Defense EVs ensure Cresselia survives a +1 Bug Buzz from Life Orb Genesect, while the Defense investment allows it to deal with physical attackers like Rillaboom better. Using a Calm nature is optimal for sets without Trick Room, while sets opting for Trick Room should use a Sassy nature to ensure Cresselia is as slow as possible. Cresselia is found on slow, bulky teams that appreciate Trick Room's or Icy Wind's speed control and Cresselia's ability to outlast foes. Fire-types such as Incineroar, Heatran, and Volcanion are great partners, since they deal with the Steel-types that Cresselia struggles against such as Genesect and Metagross. Volcanion in particular also defeats Incineroar. In return, Cresselia can deal with Landorus, Landorus-T, and Zygarde with Ice Beam or Icy Wind. Rock-types such as Diancie and Rhyperior also make fantastic partners, as they can defeat Incineroar and Galarian Moltres. In return, Cresselia can threaten Zygarde, Landorus, and Landorus-T with Ice Beam.

Cresselia is the bulkiest option avaliable for a Calm Mind user. Stored Power takes time to gain power, but after 2 Calm Minds, it becomes Cresselia's most powerful STAB attack. Psyshock can be used to defeat Tapu Fini in Calm Mind wars if they lack Taunt, win against Raikou, and deal massive damage to Nihilego. Ice Beam hits a lot of high value targets hard, such as Landorus-T, Salamence, and Garchomp. Moonblast still does good damage to Dragon-types, and makes Cresselia less vulnerable to Dark-types like Urshifu-S. Substitute allows Cresselia to set up in the face of status users such as Celesteela, Swampert, and Hippowdon that lack Whirlwind. However, this makes Cresselia completely useless against Dark-types, so don't choose it in team preview if they are seen. Items Kee Berry's Defense boost helps Cresselia against powerful Dynamaxing threats such as Cinderace and Landorus-T, all while giving another 20 BP boost to Stored Power. Sitrus Berry gives Cresselia a short burst of extra health, making it more difficult to break past in the short term. Leftovers gives more long-term recovery, which is helpful in slower-paced matches. Rocky Helmet is useful for punishing Pokemon that commoningly use physical contact moves, such as Cinderace and Urshifu-R. EV Spreads 252 HP / 252 Bold / 4 Spe Bold: This spread maximizes Cresselia's physical bulk. 252 HP / 100 Def / 156 Spe Bold: This spread is suggested for Substitute Cresselia. It outspeeds up to Timid Celesteela, allowing Cresselia to set up Substitute before Celesteela hits with Leech Seed.

Cresselia is an extremely bulky option for Trick Room, and with Lunar Dance, it's the only viable one that can give Trick Room sweepers another chance at sweeping. Psychic is a reliable STAB option if Cresselia needs to do some damage, but Ice Beam hits a wide variety of targets harder such as Landorus-T, Salamence, and Garchomp. Even though this Cresselia often sacrifces itself with Lunar Dance, Moonlight is still good to have to potentially wall certain Pokemon. When using this Cresselia, always pair it with 1-2 slow Pokemon that can take advantage of Trick Room. Glastrier is by far the most dangerous Trick Room sweeper, so it comes highly recommended. Other options for slow Pokemon include Celesteela, Heatran, Magnezone, and Ferrothorn. Items Sitrus Berry gives Cresselia a quick burst of recovery. This is more valuable than Leftovers, since Cresselia often sacrifices itself anyways. Rocky Helmet is still good for punishing contact moves from common foes such as Cinderace and Urshifu-R.

Moves Moonlight is Cresselia's form of reliable recovery, healing half of its HP in a single turn. Cresselia's main STAB move is Psyshock and is used used over Psychic because it reliably 2HKOes Virizion. Moonblast lets Cresselia hit Dark- and Dragon-types like Pangoro and Zygarde-10%. Ice Beam is an option to deal with threats such as Noivern, Zygarde-10%, and Flygon much better, although it does leave it more vulnerable to Dark-types. Toxic lets Cresselia cripple switch-ins like Porygon2 that would otherwise wall it. Set Details 144 Speed EVs let Cresselia outpace Pokemon like Pangoro and Honchkrow so it can OHKO them with Moonblast without having to worry about taking a powerful hit. The rest of the EVs are dumped into HP and Defense to maximize Cresselia's potential to soak up physical attacks. A Bold nature improves Cresselia's already respectable Defense stat. Leftovers gives Cresselia passive recovery and lets it more easily switch into attackers like Gardevoir and Nidoqueen. Levitate allows Cresselia to consistently switch into Ground-type attacks from Pokemon like Nidoqueen. Usage Tips Avoid Toxic from Pokemon like Registeel and Zygarde-10% at all costs, as once Cresselia gets badly poisoned, it will struggle to switch into a plethora of Pokemon. In the same way, avoid paralysis, as Cresselia will struggle to check Pokemon like Pangoro when paralyzed. Be careful not to burn through Cresselia's Moonlight, as once its mere 8 PP has been used, Cresselia will struggle to check threats like Salazzle and Choice Scarf Flygon. Be careful to not give Pokemon like Escavalier, Ninetales, and Metagross a free switch, since they can do a great amount of damage. Use Cresselia to consistently check Pokemon like Nidoqueen and Virizion. Team Options Status absorbers like Snorlax and Seismitoad work well with Cresselia. Cresselia works best on balance teams, so make sure to pair it up with common balance picks like hazard removers such as Mega Blastoise and Mandibuzz and Choice Scarf users such as Shaymin and Gardevoir. Pokemon that can help mitigate Cresselia's weakness to Steel-, Bug-, and Dark-types make great teammates. For example, Bewear can beat Steel-types for Cresselia, and Tyrantrum and Gardevoir can take care of Bug- and Dark-types, respectively. Clerics like Florges can work decently with Cresselia, being able to heal any status, especially Toxic poison, that Cresselia could potentially be inflicted with. Pokemon resistant to Bug like Registeel work well with Cresselia, as they can come in on threatening Bug-types like Yanmega. A plethora of Pokemon work well with Cresselia depending on which other option it utilizes. For example, setup sweepers like Virizion appreciate Cresselia's ability to cripple revenge killers like Choice Scarf Drapion and Gardevoir with Thunder Wave. They also appreciate Healing Wish to heal them late-game. Shaymin synergizes well with Hidden Power Fire Cresselia, which can beat Steel-types like Escavalier.

Moves Psyshock works as Cresselia's primary attack, hitting Blissey and other special walls while also nailing Poison-types like Nidoking, Nihilego, and Tentacruel. It also improves Cresselia's matchup against Calm Mind users such as Latias and Suicune. Moonblast enables Cresselia to lure in and damage common Dark-types that assume they have no issues switching in like Krookodile and Hydreigon. Calm Mind is on this set to allow Cresselia to muscle through and OHKO Terrakion, Heracross, and more offensive variants of Mega Altaria with Twinkle Tackle while also giving it a stronger Psyshock for Blissey. Cresselia can also be a possible bulky wincon through accumulating multiple Calm Mind boosts. Toxic can be used over Calm Mind to wear down passive threats and stallbreakers that aren't immune to Poison such as Jellicent and Mega Houndoom but this prevents Cresselia from being a wincon and OHKOing the aforementioned threats. Set Details 16 EVs in Speed allow Cresselia to outspeed Adamant Crawdaunt and OHKO it with Twinkle Tackle. The rest of the investment into Defense allows Cresselia to survive two Stone Edges from Choice Band Terrakion or Outrage from a boosted Dragon Dance Haxorus. Fairium Z lets Cresselia use a Twinkle Tackle and also reduces the damage of Knock Off from Krookodile and Mamoswine. Usage Tips Twinkle Tackle should be used as a last resort against any stallbreakers that have gone out of control that the rest of your team cannot handle. It is also useful to surprise Dark-types that believe that they can come in with no penalty, so use careful predictions and scouting to ensure you make the most out of Twinkle Tackle. Avoid Toxic, as it cripples Cresselia as a possible bulky wincon by reducing its longevity. Burn damage can also be an issue, as it places Cresselia in range of being knocked out from Pokemon it's supposed to check such as Terrakion, Mega Altaria, and Choice Band Infernape. Toxic and Calm Mind are massive assets to Cresselia, so they must be used correctly depending on the situation. Calm Mind should be used when Cresselia needs to possibly break through and OHKO an offensive threat like Crawdaunt, Haxorus, or Terrakion. Use cleric support whenever it is necessary to assist Cresselia in removing status ailments so it isn't crippled by Toxic and other status. Even in quicker games, liberally using Moonlight can waste its PP and make Cresselia a complete liability for the rest of the game. Only use Moonlight when necessary to restore health to allow it to stomach a hit from a wallbreaker or avoid the KO from fast threats like Terrakion. Team Options Cresselia fits best on stall and bulkier teams that can be troubled by frightening stallbreakers while appreciating a defensive sweeper. Cresselia appreciates cleric and Wish support from Blissey and Umbreon, as it keeps Cresselia from having to use up Moonlight PP and stops it from being crippled. Cresselia is easily pressured by Dark-types, so Mega Altaria, Sylveon, and Florges are able to stomach blows from them, and the last two can also pass Wishes. Steel-types such as Mega Aggron, Mega Steelix, and Stakataka can use Cresselia to remove Fighting-types that trouble them while also dealing with Bug-types like Scizor and Mega Beedrill that attempt to put a dent into Cresselia while gaining momentum. Entry hazards are key to chip Cresselia's victims down into range of Twinkle Tackle while also letting it sweep much more easily. The aforementioned Steel-types double as Stealth Rock setters for Cresselia due to their defensive typing to deal with Bug-types. Chesnaught works as a bulky Spikes setter that can handle Dark-types for Cresselia. Gligar and Moltres check Scizor and other Steel-types that Cresselia cannot harm while also providing pivoting through slow U-turns to give Cresselia more opportunities to come in without risking any damage.

Calm Mind remains a strong option despite an uptake in the use of Toxic. Psychic is the preferred STAB move for its superior power, but Psyshock allows Cresselia to hit more specially defensive foes hard. The given nature and EVs aim to maximize Cresselia’s mixed walling capabilities, although a spread such as 244 HP / 108 Def / 68 SpA / 4 SpD / 84 Spe can be adopted to help beat foes such as Mega Salamence by outspeeding and 2HKOing Adamant variants with Icy Wind and making Jolly Salamence’s Double-Edge a 3HKO. Mega Charizard Y makes a good partner to deal with Steel-types and boost the healing of Moonlight with sun.

Cresselia is one of the bulkiest Trick Room setters and therefore one of the most reliable. Ice Beam is a common coverage move for picking up the OHKO on Landorus-T and Mega Salamence. Alternatively, while Icy Wind might seem paradoxical on a Trick Room set, utilizing them both allows an incredible degree of flexibility in speed control. The last slot is largely filler; Helping Hand is generally useful, Hidden Power Ground hits troublesome Steel-types like Heatran, and Toxic deals with bulky foes like Porygon2. Psychium Z allows the use of Z-Trick Room to stop Taunt, or a big attack in Z-Psychic, and also limits damage from Knock Off.

Moves Psyshock offers this set a way to take advantage of Calm Mind boosts and is chosen over Psychic for its ability to take on Chansey, Calm Mind Tapu Fini, and Seed Zapdos. Icy Wind can deal decent damage to Ice-weak targets, especially when boosted, but it's primarily used for speed control; allies become more likely to move first, and Cresselia gets to recover with Moonlight more safely. Calm Mind offers defensive utility while also making Cresselia offensively threatening. Moonlight keeps Cresselia healthy and is especially useful in sun thanks to its boosted healing. Set Details Electric Seed gives Cresselia a one-time Defense boost under Electric Terrain. With the given spread, Cresselia gains the ability to outrun Tornadus and Mega Metagross after hitting them with Icy Wind, which also 2HKOes uninvested Mega Salamence after Cresselia has used Calm Mind once. Defensively, Cresselia is guaranteed to take maximum Attack Tapu Bulu's Wood Hammer in Grassy Terrain, even if it scores a critical hit, and the remaining 52 EVs are put in Special Defe​nse. Usage Tips There are a few key checks that can stop Cresselia in its tracks, primarily Toxic users like Chansey, phazers like Whirlwind Zapdos, and Taunt Pokemon like Tapu Koko, which can also carry Nature's Madness. Be sure to scout foes' movesets before setting up with Cresselia, as it often has trouble setting up a second time due to the loss of its Seed boost and starting from a weakened or statused state. On that note, avoid sending Cresselia in when its Seed will activate unless you're planning to leave it on the field for the long haul. This includes the opponent potentially setting the associated Terrain as well, so be vigilant. If Cresselia isn't able to act as a wincon, Icy Wind can still be useful to its teammates, so don't necessarily throw it out just because its setup fails. With the amount of pressure opponents often have to exert to take Cresselia down, make sure you keep it healthy enough to withstand double targeting. Team Options Mega Charizard Y stands out as one of the best teammates for Calm Mind Cresselia thanks to its ability to check Steel-types, which resist both of Cresselia's attacks, and its summoned sun offering a boost to the efficacy of Moonlight. Other offensive answers to Steel-types like Volcanion, Incineroar, and Zygarde can also be useful. Cresselia needs an Electric Terrain setter for its Electric Seed, so it looks to Tapu Koko for this. Tapu Koko also offers Taunt to prevent opposing Whirl​wind, Taunt, and Toxic,​ making it especially valuable. Incineroar and Tyranitar are two of the most common threats that both wall Cresselia and threaten it offensively, so bringing checks to them such as Landorus-T and Scrafty is incredibly important. Wallbreakers with a middling Speed tier like Kyurem-B and Fightinium Z Kartana benefit from Icy Wind support and open up teams to being cleaned by a boosted Cresselia. Using either Fake Out support from Zeraora or redirection from Amoonguss or Volcarona can ease setup, but Cresselia rarely needs it, so it's just a nice thing to have—not a priority for the team Cresselia finds itself on. Avoid adding too many passive teammates; Cresselia can't do much damage while it's setting up, and it will require the rest of its team to keep up the offensive pressure.

Moves A variety of popular threats like Landorus-T, Zygarde, and Mega Salamence are extremely susceptible to Ice-type attacks, so Ice Beam acts as Cresselia's primary attack. Trick Room provides support for slower teammates. Psychic is beneficial for teams that need Cresselia to have a way of damaging Ice-resistant threats like Volcanion and Kyurem-B. Helping Hand provides Cresselia with a way to increase its team's offensive pressure, as it rarely exerts much on its own. Toxic chips away at supremely bu​lky foes, making it useful against both setup​ users like Mega Latias and support Pokemon like Porygon2. Ally Switch offers another form of support by allowing Cresselia to take a frailer teammate's place, with its great bulk, immunity to Ground, and resistance to Psychic and Fighting often coming in handy for taking these incoming attacks. Icy Wind provides an alternate method of speed control and can be used instead of or in conjunction with Trick Room to be flexible in its ability to ensure its teammates' ability to move first. None of these moves are strictly required for Cresselia to function well; some form of speed control and some sort of attack are strongly advised, but depending on its team, Cresselia could thrive with any combination of the moves listed here. Set Details 252 HP and 164 Defense EVs are used to ensure that Cresselia will take standard Tapu Bulu's Bloom Doom, even after incurring Stealth Rock damage. With 64 Special Defense EVs and a Sassy nature, Cresselia is also guaranteed to survive the combination of Kingdra's Muddy Water and Hydro Vortex from Hydro Pump when rain is set. A Wiki Berry offers burst recovery and is especially nice for such a bulky Pokemon that is rarely taken out by attacks above its activation range. A Speed-reducing nature is used for maximum efficacy in Trick Room, and you can also minimize Cresselia's Speed IVs if you want to lower its Speed further. However, on semi-Trick Room teams, Cresselia usually prefers retaining some Speed for those times that Trick Room isn't set. Usage Tips This set has limited offensive potential, so Cresselia should only attack in specific situations, such as against a foe that's hit super effectively or that an ally needs Cresselia to weaken or finish off. For the most part, stick to using Trick Room and then make a teammate more threatening with Helping Hand. However, Cresselia's bulk allows it to set Trick Room multiple times during the match, and the limited number of turns available often makes switching Cresselia out a stronger play. Ally Switch, if carried, should be used primarily to protect a teammate rather than Cresselia itself; Cresselia can't do much with the additional safety that turn. Team Options Tyranitar, with or without its associated Mega Stone, is a great teammate, as it thrives under Trick Room and takes on some of Cresselia's greatest obstacles like Incineroar and Zapdos. It can even use coverage like Low Kick or Flamethrower to take on opposing Tyranitar or Genesect, respectively. Fire-types appreciate Cresselia's solid matchup against Landorus-T, Zygarde, and Mega Salamence, and they generally take on the Steel-types that often wall Cresselia, such as Mega Metagross. Volcanion is particularly notable, as it also takes on Incineroar well. Other slow Pokemon that benefit from Trick Room support like Tapu Bulu and Mega Camerupt are also strong picks, especially as they offer significant damage output to make up for Cresselia's difficulty in taking foes down on its own.

Moves Cresselia is very deadly after a Calm Mind boost, as the majority of the offensive attackers in the format are specially oriented. Psychic is the strongest Psychic STAB Cresselia learns, and the damage output drastically increases with a few Calm Minds. Calm Mind can also negate the slight power drop of Psyshock, if hitting Pokemon with less Defense is more desired. Icy Wind can be used as team support, while Ice Beam deals strong damage to Pokemon that have an exploitable Ice Weakness and is a guaranteed OHKO on Landorus-T and Salamence at +1 Special Attack. Moonlight keeps Cresselia on the field longer, which is vital for a set that thrives on setting up for multiple turns. Hidden Power Ground hits Steel-types, especially Heatran. Moonlight keeps Cresselia on the field longer, which is vital for a set that thrives on setting up for multiple turns. Set Details Kee Berry is used to give Cresselia a way to increase both its defenses. Electric Seed and Grassy Seed also boost Defense if you have Tapu Koko or Tapu Bulu, respectively, as a teammate. Leftovers can increase longevity and recovery. This EV spread maximizes Defense, as with Calm Mind it's easy to boost Special Defense and very quickly have a prolific mixed wall. Rocky Helmet makes physical attackers wary of hitting Cresselia and also makes it easier to pick up KOs once it has racked up a few boosts. Usage Tips This set is at its best when used against teams with lots of Special attackers and few Dark- and Ghost-type Pokemon that threaten its setup. Identifying which Pokemon are the threats to Cresselia and removing them is a key strategy, as then Cresselia becomes a win condition by itself. With Kee Berry especially, it's good to stack Intimidate or switch in on weak physical attacks such as Fake Out to gain quick Defense boosts while lowering your opponent's damage output. Calm Mind Cresselia isn't as effective against teams that run rain, sand, or hail due to the fact that Moonlight recovers less HP than it would normally, which severely cuts Cresselia's staying power. Team Options Heatran is one of the best partners for Cresselia, as it can easily remove Steel-types, that Cresselia struggles with using strong Fire STAB attacks or Earth Power. Landorus-T makes a great pairing for Cresselia, complementing its bulk with Intimidate and removing opposing Steel-types. Landorus-T also has the ability to use Earthquake freely due to Cresselia's Levitate. Tapu Fini, though it doesn't give Cresselia immunity to status effects, covers Cresselia as a way to deal with Heatran and can potentially support Cresselia with Heal Pulse. Mega Kangaskhan and Cresselia make a great duo of bulky attackers, hitting from both the special and physical sides. With Drought, Mega Charizard Y gives Cresselia greater recovery from Moonlight, and obliterates all Steel-types, not named Heatran.

Moves Cresselia is one of the bulkiest Pokemon that learns Trick Room, which it uses to assist its strong, bulky partners, flipping the turn order in each priority bracket. Psychic provides a reliable STAB attack that does decent damage to a wide variety of Pokemon. Psyshock, on the other hand, trades some power to hit Pokemon with weaker physical defense for more damage. Ice Beam is for hitting Pokemon that resist Psychic-type attacks or are very weak to Ice-type attacks, such as Salamence and Landorus-T. Skill Swap takes away useful abilities such as Intimidate, Aerilate, and Parental Bond and gives Levitate to teammates such as Heatran. Helping Hand boosts the power of Cresselia's teammates, and can turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. Set Details Cresselia's great staying power makes it an obvious choice for setting up Trick Room. Mental Herb prevents the likes of Taunt and Encore from stopping Cresselia's setup, which are common ways to prevent Trick Room. The EV spread is used to patch up Cresselia's slightly weaker Defense. Sitrus Berry maximizes the chances of setting Trick Room a second time, which can be game winning. Leftovers is the best item for long term recovery and increasing the amazing staying power that Cresselia already possesses. Usage Tips It's advised to not bring Cresselia against teams with dedicated Trick Room answers, such as Amoonguss. Use Team Preview to judge the Speed of the opposing team, if it is on the faster end, lots of times it won't be as defensive, and Cresselia and its partners can just tear through the opposing team. Watch out for Pokemon such as Aegislash and Tyranitar that can one-shot Cresselia with their insanely strong super effective Z-moves. Team Options Amoonguss is one of the classic partners for Trick Room Cresselia, as its great bulk allows it to sponge hits rather easily with Rage Powder while Cresselia sets up. Then, Amoonguss is able to put things to sleep with Spore while other Pokemon get to work. Tyranitar is slow and very powerful, and complements Cresselia well by hitting Ghost types that it doesn't enjoy facing, and OHKOing some Dark-types with Superpower. Mega Kangaskhan, while not necessarily a slow Pokemon, can be built to be slow and assist Cresselia with setting up Trick Room using Fake Out. Conkeldurr is one of the strongest and slowest Pokemon in the metagame, and having something like Cresselia to support its power complements it really well. Heatran can be run with a slow and bulky set as well, which means it can take advantage of Trick Room and can cover Cresselia's bad Steel-type matchup with strong Fire-type STAB attacks. Cresselia can also utilize Skill Swap to give Heatran Levitate, removing its 4x weakness to Ground.

Ice Beam is very important for hitting Dragon-types, while Psychic deals a good amount of damage to Fighting-types, Cloyster, and Tapu Koko. Moonlight is needed to restore Cresselia's health. The rest of the support moves depend on what your team needs, with Thunder Wave and Toxic being good moves to cripple foes, Trick Room being great support for slow Pokemon, and Lunar Dance giving a sweeper another chance to win the game. Rocky Helmet punishes physical attackers, while Sitrus Berry gives Cresselia a bit of extra health. For a riskier alternative to Sitrus Berry, consider a Wiki Berry, which will restore more health at the cost of requiring Cresselia to drop down to 25%. The given spread maximizes Cresselia's physical bulk, since it checks physical threats more easily than special threats. Cresselia works fine in most stages of the game, but note that Lunar Dance and Trick Room usually work better later in the game, when the win condition becomes clear. If using Lunar Dance, be sure to pair Cresselia up with strong, bulky sweepers such as Mega Charizard X and Mega Salamence. Trick Room enjoys the support of slow Pokemon such as Alolan Marowak. Be sure to prepare for Dark-, Ghost-, and Bug-type Pokemon, since Cresselia struggles to wall these kinds of Pokemon, especially if they can set up. A Toxic switch-in is also a good idea, since Cresselia is especially vulnerable to it.

Moves Light Screen and Reflect reduce damage taken by Cresselia and its teammates for several turns and can provide them with extra opportunities to set up or attack. Lunar Dance restores a weakened teammate and grants them a safe switch in. Moonblast prevents Cresselia from being complete Taunt fodder and is used over a STAB move to avoid being taken advantage of by Dark-types. Thunder Wave can be used over Moonblast to cripple Pokemon and allow Cresselia's teammates even safer setup and attacking opportunities. Set Details 252 EVs are placed into Speed for Cresselia to safely set up dual screens against as many Pokemon as possible and to give it a better chance at using Lunar Dance. 252 EVs are placed into HP to allow Cresselia to take hits while it sets up. Light Clay is the preferred item to maximize Light Screen and Reflect turns. Usage Tips Dual screens Cresselia works best on hyper offense teams with setup sweepers that can take advantage of the support Cresselia provides. Cresselia should set up screens early game and switch out as soon as possible to allow a teammate to set up or attack. It should set up the appropriate screen to reduce damage taken from the foe on the field at the time. Later in the game, Cresselia can set up screens again if possible and use Lunar Dance to heal up a teammate, giving it a second chance at a sweep. Team Options Cresselia should be used with setup sweepers such as Slurpuff and Lucario. Teammates that threaten common Defog users are necessary to prevent screens from being removed. Mega Aerodactyl can KO or Taunt Defog users and enjoys the support of dual screens and Lunar Dance. Finally, Cresselia's team needs Stealth Rock and appreciates Spikes to aid other teammates in sweeping.

Moves Calm Mind boosts Cresselia's Special Attack and Special Defense, increasing its offensive presence while making it insanely hard to KO with neutral special attacks. Psyshock is Cresselia's main STAB move and allows it to beat other Calm Mind users such as Suicune and Florges by hitting their unboosted Defense. Moonblast provides useful coverage alongside Psyshock and gives Cresselia a super effective move against Dark- and Dragon-types so that they cannot switch in or set up for free. Ice Beam may be used over Moonblast to hit specific targets, such as Mega Aerodactyl and Rotom-C, harder. Moonlight allows Cresselia to restore its HP and set up more comfortably against special attackers such as Nidoqueen and Mega Blastoise. Moonlight also lets Cresselia reliably check physical attackers such as Haxorus and Mienshao by keeping herself healthy. Substitute can be used instead to prevent status and allow Cresselia to set up more easily in certain scenarios. Set Details Cresselia can boost its Special Defense with Calm Mind, so maximum investment is placed into HP and Defense with a Bold nature, allowing it to easily tank most non-super effective physical hits. 16 EVs are placed into Speed to outspeed uninvested base 85s, such as Suicune and Gligar, as well as uninvested Rotom formes. Leftovers gives Cresselia passive recovery, making up for the HP lost from creating Substitutes and lessening the need to use Moonlight. Usage Tips Calm Mind Cresselia works best on balanced and stall teams as a physical wall and a win condition that can defeat opposing CroCune. Cresselia should not try to set up while powerful wallbreakers with super effective STAB moves, such as Hydreigon and Heracross, are still on the opposing side of the field. Scouting for Toxic from Pokemon such as Empoleon is necessary for it to avoid being crippled and put on a timer. Cresselia can set up on a wide range of both physical and special attackers, such as Mienshao and Nidoqueen, as well as various support Pokemon, such as Vaporeon. Team Options Cresselia should be paired with teammates that can take strong Dark- and Bug-type attacks from Pokemon such as Mega Absol and Heracross. Status absorbers and clerics are useful if Cresselia opts for Moonlight over Substitute. Florges can fulfill both of these roles and is a useful partner for Cresselia. Cresselia needs teammates to weaken or eliminate bulky Steel-types, such as Mega Aggron and Empoleon, that it struggles to KO before being phazed or worn down. Entei can check these Pokemon and spread burns, giving Cresselia an easier time setting up, and also appreciates Cresselia's ability to beat Suicune. Heracross and Machamp with Guts are also good offensive partners, as they threaten most of Cresselia's checks and also absorb status directed at Cresselia.

Moves Moonlight keeps Cresselia healthy and is its only form of recovery besides Leftovers. Thunder Wave cripples offensive Pokemon such as Mega Aerodactyl, and Toxic can be used instead to put sweepers and defensive Pokemon on a timer. Psychic is Cresselia's main STAB move, though it is very weak from an uninvested low base Special Attack. Moonblast gives Cresselia super effective coverage on Dark- and Dragon-types, while Ice Beam hits specific Pokemon, particularly Gligar, harder. Set Details Maximum investment is placed into HP and Defense with a Bold nature to allow Cresselia to take hits from physical attackers such as Mega Aerodactyl and Lucario easily. Leftovers is used for passive recovery. Usage Tips Defensive Cresselia fits best on balanced teams that need an answer to powerful physical attackers and setup sweepers. Because of its limited PP, Moonlight should be used sparingly. Team Options Cresselia needs teammates that can check Dark- and Bug-types, especially if it runs Ice Beam over Moonblast. Florges is a good partner that can also check various threats such as Heracross and remove any status inflicted on Cresselia. Teammates that can answer to Steel-types such as Mega Aggron and Forretress are appreciated, making bulky Water-types such as Swampert good partners.

Moves Trick Room has a strong niche against offensive teams. Lunar Dance allows Cresselia to heal any Pokemon on the player's team but KOes it in the process. Toxic is used to cripple Primal Groudon as well as other Pokemon that can take advantage of Cresselia's lack of offensive power to set up. Ice Beam 2HKOes Mega Salamence and Rayquaza. It also chips away at Pokemon neutral to it and prevents Struggle recoil if Cresselia happens to get crippled by Taunt. Alternatively, Magic Coat bounces back Taunt, status moves, and entry hazards. However, it should only be used instead of Ice Beam if the team has another Mega Salamence check. Set Details Maximum HP and Defense EVs with a Bold nature maximize Cresselia's physical bulk in order to deal with Primal Groudon, Arceus-Ground, and Mega Salamence well. The remaining EVs are invested in Special Defense to offer a negligible amount of help against special attacks such as Primal Groudon's Lava Plume. Mental Herb allows Cresselia to use Trick Room even through a foe's Taunt. Alternatively, Rocky Helmet is a very useful item to inflict chip damage on physically offensive Pokemon such as Mega Salamence and Extreme Killer Arceus. It is also good against Dragon Tail Primal Groudon trying to phaze Cresselia on the switch. Usage Tips Against hyper offense, Cresselia can only use Trick Room once, so time it well. Also, make sure to keep Cresselia healthy for Mega Salamence and Rayquaza. However, pay attention to Rayquaza because its Choice Band set 2HKOes Cresselia with Dragon Accent. Use Lunar Dance when you don't need Cresselia anymore or when you really need to heal a certain threat's check. Against stall and bulky balanced teams, use your stallbreaker until it's weakened, and then switch it out to heal it later with Cresselia's Lunar Dance. Never use Trick Room against stall teams, as Pokemon on these teams are really slow. Against Xerneas with Aromatherapy or any other Pokemon trying to set up on Cresselia, use Trick Room and then use Lunar Dance to bring in your check to them, especially if it's weakened. Against Taunt users, use Trick Room on the same turn Mental Herb activates, and then use Toxic or switch out. If you opted for Rocky Helmet, make sure to switch Cresselia in on possible contact moves. Team Options Cresselia shines on balanced and bulky offensive teams. It's especially good with Pokemon that can take advantage of Trick Room like Eruption Primal Groudon, offensive Life Orb Dialga, and Mega Mawile. It should also be paired with strong stallbreakers that can be healed with Lunar Dance such as Perish Trap Mega Gengar and paradancer Primal Groudon. Checks to Xerneas like Primal Groudon, Klefki, and Ho-Oh are mandatory. Finally, switch-ins to Dark-type attacks, such as Klefki and Xerneas, and to Ghost-type attacks, such as Yveltal, should be on the team to patch up Cresselia's weaknesses.

Moves Trick Room reverses the move order of all Pokemon the field, providing Cresselia and its slower teammates the opportunity to move quicker under its effects. A damaging move is useful to stop Cresselia from being total Taunt bait. Ice Beam deals good damage to foes 4x weak to Ice such as Mega Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, and Landorus-T. Psychic is an alternative option if Ice-type coverage is unneeded, as it hits Amoonguss and neutral targets harder. Helping Hand boosts the power of an ally's attack and often results in a higher damage output than Cresselia could achieve on its own. Skill Swap is primarily used to regain control of the weather by using it on an allied Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre. Gravity increases the accuracy of all Pokemon by two stages and allows Ground-type moves to hit Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate. Skill Swap is generally the more useful of the two, but if maintaining control of the weather is less important for Cresselia, such as when its teammates have alternative means to control the weather, then Gravity may be more appealing. Set Details Sitrus Berry is used to maximize Cresselia's overall bulk, but Mental Herb can be used instead if Taunt is more threatening to setting up Trick Room than damage is. Levitate is Cresselia's only ability, but it's an excellent one. The prevalence of Ground-type attacks as a result of Primal Groudon not only provides Cresselia with a great immunity but also makes Levitate a good ability to Skill Swap away to a vulnerable partner. A Speed-reducing nature is used to allow Cresselia to move quicker under the effect of Trick Room. The HP EVs grant Cresselia an even number of HP, which allows Sitrus Berry to activate after taking a Super Fang from Crobat. The remaining investment makes both Jolly Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge and Modest Primal Groudon's Eruption a 3HKO factoring in Sitrus Berry's recovery. When using Mental Herb, an alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 60 Def / 196 SpD should be used instead to make +2 Modest Xerneas's Dazzling Gleam a 3HKO. While using 0 Speed IVs is generally recommended to make Cresselia as slow as possible under Trick Room, running 4 or more may also be useful to use Skill Swap after a foe's Cresselia under Trick Room, as this causes your team's weather to activate second and prevail over the opposing team's. Usage Tips Cresselia should preferably be led in combination with a Fake Out user or redirection user to provide the best chance of setting up Trick Room, which it should aim to do as early as possible in order to provide the maximum opportunities for partners to sweep. Try to determine early on if you'll need Cresselia to set up Trick Room multiple times to help decide whether to conserve it after its initial activation. Once set up, Cresselia should mostly aim to use Helping Hand in combination with powerful spread attacks such as Precipice Blades and Origin Pulse in order to deal as much damage as possible during Trick Room's limited turns. Cresselia's damage output is fairly underwhelming on its own, so think twice about using Ice Beam or Psychic over Helping Hand. When an allied Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre is on the field and the opponent is threatening to switch in its counterpart, use Skill Swap pre-emptively to maintain control of the weather and avoid killing momentum. Also be aware of instances where Cresselia can steal strong abilities from foes, such as Parental Bond from Mega Kangaskhan. When Cresselia is beside another Trick Room setter, remember the option of using Trick Room twice on a predicted passive turn from your opponent, as this will reset Trick Room's turns. Team Options Primal Groudon makes for an excellent partner for Cresselia, as it appreciates Skill Swap to reset Desolate Land and make it immune to Ground-type attacks, which it's otherwise weak to. Gravity also increases Precipice Blade's otherwise undesirable accuracy and allows it to hit Flying-types and foes with Levitate. Primal Kyogre equally values Skill Swap and Gravity for resetting its weather and increasing Origin Pulse's accuracy. Restricted Trick Room setters Dialga and Palkia can both take advantage of Trick Room and set it up again later in the battle should Cresselia have fainted by that time, therefore making Cresselia less important to preserve. Xerneas can dispatch opposing Dark-types that threaten Cresselia with its Fairy Aura-boosted attacks. Mega Mawile is another Fairy-type that can handle opposing Dark-types, and it operates well under Trick Room. Mega Kangaskhan works great both in and out of Trick Room and can help Cresselia set it up with Fake Out. Amoonguss's Rage Powder also helps Cresselia set up Trick Room, and its low Speed stat allows it to take advantage of it by putting faster threats to sleep with Spore. Landorus-T can use Earthquake freely beside Cresselia thanks to Levitate. Moreover, its Intimidate ability patches up Cresselia's often weaker physical bulk, and it can pivot out on the turn Trick Room is used with U-turn to make way for a more appropriate Trick Room sweeper.

Moves Icy Wind is a spread move that provides speed control and is 4x super effective against Landorus-T and Salamence. Thunder Wave is also great for permanent speed control and the possibility to immobilize a foe. Helping Hand assists in giving Cresselia's partner a 1.5x power boost, which can be helpful in many situations. Psyshock is a reliable STAB move because more of the Doubles metagame has bulkier Special Defense. Light Screen boosts the team's overall Special Defense significantly or Protect can be used to add more survivability. Set Details A Calm nature with maximum HP investment and 112 Special Defense EVs enable Cresselia to be a specially defensive wall that's difficult to take down. With the assitance of a Sitrus Berry, Cresselia can avoid getting 2HKOed by a Shadow Ball from Modest Mega Gengar. Furthermore, the 100 Defense EVs with the Sitrus Berry ensure that Cresselia will survive a Pin Missile from Adamant Mega Heracross, an extremely strong attack, and also let it avoid being 2HKOed by a Double-Edge from Mega Kangaskhan. Safety Goggles can assure Cresselia is not shut down by Spore or Sleep Powder. Usage Tips The main purpose of this set to provide Cresselia's partner with speed control and a boost to its attacks. However, Cresselia is also extremely useful in switching into most attacks thanks to its impressive bulk. Cresselia should slow the opposing Pokemon down with Icy Wind until its partner is able to outspeed them, before spamming Helping Hand to assist its partner in dealing major damage. Psyshock should only be used if it is super effective against the opposing Pokemon or if the enemy is within KO range. Team Options This set is most effective on offensive teams looking for a Pokemon that can take hits and provide speed control to aid with sweeping. Powerful attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Mawile, Landorus, Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, Azumarill, and Keldeo all enjoy speed control for beating faster checks. Speedy Fighting-types such as Terrakion and Keldeo or those with priority moves make good partners, as they can eliminate Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Hydreigon before they inflict damage towards Cresselia with their powerful Dark-type STAB attacks. Fire-types such as Heatran and Talonflame are also helpful for taking care of annoying Steel-types that will support Cresselia such as Scizor. Earthquake users such as Landorus-T and Garchomp are able to spam Earthquake thanks to Levitate, while also taking care of Steel-types, notably Heatran. Garchomp appreciates speed control as well to outspeed and beat Latios.

Moves Calm Mind makes Cresselia a very threatening cleaning wall, as most Pokemon are not able to damage it faster than it can heal itself and very few can take boosted Psyshocks with ease. Even though Dark-types are immune to it, Psyshock is still Cresselia's main attacking option, as Cresselia needs the STAB boost to deal sufficient damage after a Calm Mind or two. Psyshock is recommended over Psychic solely for the mirror match. Moonlight is Cresselia's best healing option because rain and sand are uncommon. As a Trick Room setter, this Cresselia is able to support its team and pull its weight even when it can't use Calm Mind, and under Trick Room, it is able to move first, making it that much scarier. However, Icy Wind can be used instead on the fourth slot in for additional coverage that can still prove support. Hidden Power Ground is also an option, useful for getting past Steel-types such as Heatran and Aegislash. Set Details Cresselia runs maximum HP and Defense EVs because Calm Mind will boost its Special Defense. Safety Goggles is the recommended item because the easiest way to dispatch this Cresselia is to put it to sleep, though Leftovers (with Substitute) and Chesto Berry (with Rest) are also options. If Cresselia is not using Trick Room, 136 Speed EVs may be used so that Cresselia outspeeds Bisharp, granting it the ability to use Moonlight before taking Knock Off and stalling it out. If using Icy Wind, this also allows Cresselia to move before offensive Thundurus and any base 110s after getting a speed drop. Usage Tips If you plan to win with Calm Mind, it is absolutely critical to avoid letting Cresselia get burned, especially before it has set up, as burns destroy its effectiveness by forcing it to heal almost every turn. The game plan for this set is simple: come in on two foes that can't outdamage Moonlight, set up a Trick Room or Calm Mind, and become virtually invincible. Don't be afraid to set up early; thanks to Cresselia's bulk, it can set up multiple times throughout a match, and setting up is a great way to lure in Cresselia's checks for its partner to dismantle. Cresselia can support its team throughout the match by plugging away with +1 or +2 Psyshocks to soften up the opposing team, and Cresselia has a much easier time sweeping when it has partner support. Team Options Because Cresselia is capable of offering Trick Room support, it fits quite well on Trick Room teams as an extremely bulky setter that doesn't fear being OHKOed. In return, it appreciates Fake Out and redirection support, which can give it a much easier time setting up, block Taunt and burns, and help Cresselia get past certain threats such as Kangaskhan. Of course, it wants teammates that can remove Dark- and Steel-types consistently, which means Fighting-, Fairy-, and Fire-types are most effective. On non-Trick Room teams, Keldeo is a very good partner, as it lures in setup bait such as Amoonguss and Venusaur and is able to handle all of the common Dark- and Steel-types.

Moves Trick Room gives slower allies a chance to sweep. Cresselia's STAB-boosted Psychic does respectable damage to things which are not weak to its coverage moves, such as Rotom-W. Cresselia should always run Psychic, not Psyshock, because only the former breaks Kyurem-B's Substitute. Ice Beam gives Cresselia extra coverage, dealing 4x super effective damage to common threats such as Landorus-T and Garchomp. Hidden Power Ground lets Cresselia 2HKO Heatran, a threat that would normally wall Cresselia, as it resists Psychic- , Ice-, and Fairy-type attacks. Hidden Power Fighting allows Cresselia to deal 4x super effective damage to Bisharp. Set Details The main purpose of this set is to set up Trick Room and hit common threats hard. A Sassy nature and 3 Speed IVs allow Cresselia to function as effectively as possible in Trick Room while still having the maximum power possible for Hidden Power Ground. The EV spread lets Cresselia survive a Life Orb-boosted Knock Off from Bisharp while OHKOing 0 / 4 Landorus-T with Ice Beam. Expert Belt lets Cresselia deal more damage to the Pokemon it hits for super effective damage without compromising its bulk as Life Orb would do. Sitrus Berry increases Cresselia's longevity and lets it set up Trick Room more times and deal extra damage to foes. Usage Tips Trick Room should be set up as early in the battle as possible, as Cresselia functions best under it and it can aid slower partners. You should also attempt to keep Cresselia and a partner that can sweep under Trick Room alive for a possible late-game sweep when the opponent's checks have been removed. Cresselia is great for switching into attacks because its amazing bulk allows it to take multiple hits. Cresselia should also be used to support its partner by getting surprise KOs on checks such as Bisharp and Landorus-T. Team Options As the moveset suggests, Cresselia is great for Trick Room teams, as you will find many opportunities to set up Trick Room with its impressive bulk and hit foes that are weak to Cresselia's attacks for good damage with Expert Belt. You should partner Cresselia with slow, powerful Pokemon such as Mega Mawile, Rhyperior, and Mega Ampharos to get the most out of the Trick Room turns provided. A Fake Out user such as Scrafty or Hitmontop can flinch potential threats to increase the chances of setting Trick Room. Fighting-types also handle the common threats Cresselia has to deal with such as Tyranitar and Bisharp. Earthquake users such as Rhyperior pair well with Cresselia, as they can freely use their STAB attack without hitting Cresselia. Amoonguss can also be a viable partner, as Rage Powder redirects Taunt and aids in setting up Trick Room. It can also put a potential threat to sleep with Spore and benefits greatly from Trick Room.

Thanks to its titanic bulk, decent Speed tier, and good pure Psychic typing, Cresselia is an excellent support Wonder Guard user, reliably providing cleric support, Wish passing, entry hazard removal, entry hazard setting, and pivoting support for its teammates. In addition to the utility a pivoting move provides, Baton Pass also allows Cresselia to escape its greatest enemy—Pursuit—provided it is faster than its foe. Thankfully, Cresselia is naturally faster than the most common Pursuit user, Huge Power Mega Gyarados. Alternatively, King's Shield eases Cresselia's matchup versus Pursuit users while also improving Cresselia's matchup against powerful physical foes like Choice Band Mold Breaker Mega Rayquaza. Defog and Aromatherapy are extremely valuable support options on the majority of team structures, but if another teammate is carrying either one, Cresselia can also opt to support its team with Stealth Rock instead. Whirlwind is another option that synergizes well with entry hazards and allows Cresselia to force out Substitute + Baton Pass Wonder Guard users like Xerneas. Finally, recovery is essential for this set to function. Recover's immediate recovery is usually superior on sets lacking King's Shield, while Wish allows Cresselia to support its teammates and has good synergy with both King's Shield and Baton Pass. Shed Shell is the preferred item, as it makes Cresselia much more resilient against Shadow Tag users, requiring a teammate to remove its item with Trick or Knock Off before it can be trapped. A physically defensive EV spread is used to better scout Choice Band Mold Breaker users, as Cresselia's typing and natural bulk allow it to switch into the likes of Choice Specs Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Rayquaza once even without investment. A Bold Nature and 31 Speed IVs allow Cresselia to outspeed opposing Mega Gyarados with no Speed EVs, allowing it to escape Mega Gyarados's Pursuit with Baton Pass. Alternatively, if vulnerability to Pursuit trappers isn't a concern, a Relaxed nature and 0 Speed IVs can be used to allow Cresselia to underspeed other common slow pivots such as Xerneas and Primal Kyogre. Like is the case with all support Wonder Guard users, most teams benefit from the utility Cresselia can provide in the form of Aromatherapy, entry hazard removal or setting, pivoting, and Wish passing. In addition, Cresselia can also support Huge Power or Protean teammates lacking a Dark-, Bug-, or Ghost-type attack as a switch-in for them against Imposter users. Cresselia can similarly support Choice Specs Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Rayquaza against Imposter users. Wonder Guard Xerneas is a particularly notable teammate for Cresselia, as it has an excellent matchup against Huge Power Mega Gyarados and other Pursuit trappers in addition to forming a strong Wonder Guard core with it. Alternatively, Cresselia can also pair well with offensive Wonder Guard users like Mega Lucario and Shell Smash Xerneas thanks to their positive matchup into Pursuit users, as well as Cresselia's own ability to effectively compress the roles of cleric and defogger. Offensive Shadow Tag users that aren't weak to Water, such as a Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X, also make effective teammates for Cresselia, as they can trap and remove the aforementioned Mega Gyarados. Ironically, Cresselia's greatest nemeses—Huge Power Dark-types like Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, and Yveltal—are also stellar teammates for it, serving as offensive checks against Shell Smash Mold Breaker users, especially with Sucker Punch. Similarly, -ate Speed users such as Mega Rayquaza and Mega Abomasnow are also excellent teammates for that same ability to check and revenge kill Shell Smash Mold Breaker users. In addition, -ate Speed users are excellent entry hazard setters and can either form a entry hazard stacking core with Cresselia or free up a moveslot for Whirlwind or other utility move.

Moves Icy Wind slows down both opposing Pokemon, deals an okay amount of damage, and can't be shut down by Taunt. Thunder Wave targets only one Pokemon, but it won't activate Defiant or Competitive. Psychic is the primary STAB option, hitting decently hard against targets that are weak to it. Psyshock is weaker than Psychic, but it targets Defense instead of Special Defense such as Milotic, Mega Charizard Y, and Sylveon. Moonlight gives Cresselia a recovery move. Ice Beam is a great coverage move, because despite Cresselia's weak Special Attack stat, Ice is a great offensive typing and hits many common Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, and Garchomp 4x super effectively. Ice Beam should be used only if you don't run Icy Wind, however. Helping Hand allows Cresselia to boost her partner's power and pick up surprising KOs. Safeguard can block Spore, Thunder Wave, and Will-O-Wisp. Moonlight can also be used in this slot if you want to use both Ice Beam and Moonlight. Sunny Day can be used if rain teams give you problems, and it boosts the power of Fire-types, such as Heatran. Set Details A Bold nature, 252 HP EVs, and 172 Defense EVs allow Cresselia to survive two of Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Returns. 84 Special Defense EVs increase Cresselia's special bulk. EVs can be optimized in many ways; 52 Speed EVs allow Cresselia to outspeed positive natured base 100s after Icy Wind, and 212 Special Attack EVs allow her to OHKO 4 HP Landorus-T. Sitrus Berry increases Cresselia's longevity. Leftovers recovers more HP in the long run than Sitrus Berry does, though. With Leftovers, 100 Defense EVs are enough to let Cresselia to survive two Returns from Adamant Mega Kangaskhan. Rocky Helmet works well with Cresselia's bulk and allows her to annoy physical attackers, especially Mega Kangaskhan. Usage Tips Cresselia should be used to support her team. Using her is simple: first she should use a speed control move, and then she should either attack with her Psychic-type STAB move and Ice Beam, support with Helping Handm or heal herself with Moonlight. Cresselia works well during any stage of battle, and she is easy to switch in due to her massive bulk. While Cresselia can tank hits well, try to avoid powerful super effective attacks such as Bisharp's Knock Off. Team Options Any Pokemon that enjoys speed control is a good partner for Cresselia, such as Bisharp, Mega Kangaskhan, Breloom, Hydreigon, or Sylveon. Landorus-T and Garchomp work well with Cresselia, as they can use Earthquake safely, and Cresselia can even boost their Earthquakes with Helping Hand. Mega Charizard Y is a good partner for Cresselia; it enjoys her ability to provide speed control, KOes many Pokemon that threaten her, such as Aegislash and Bisharp, and enjoys Helping Hand, while she can beat Pokemon that threaten Charizard, such as Salamence and Landorus-T, and Moonlight heals her even more in sun. Other Fire-types, such as Heatran, Volcarona, and Talonflame, can beat Steel-types, which wall Cresselia. Heatran also enjoys speed control.

Moves Trick Room allows slow Pokemon such as Mega Camerupt and Mega Mawile to sweep. Psychic or Psyshock is Cresselia's STAB move; Psychic hits harder overall, but Psyshock hits Pokemon with low Defense, such as Sylveon and Milotic, harder. Ice Beam hits Landorus-T and Mega Salamence hard. Helping Hand allows Cresselia to power up her partner's moves. Safeguard blocks some annoying status moves, such as Swagger, Spore, and Thunder Wave, which can waste important turns of Trick Room. Sunny Day shuts down opposing rain and is helpful if Cresselia's partner is Mega Camerupt, boosting power of its Fire-type moves deadly levels. Set Details 236 HP and 204 Defense EVs allow Cresselia to survive two of Mega Mawile's Play Roughs, while the remaining 68 Special Defense EVs increase her special bulk. Mental Herb is used to block Taunt, which is often used to stop her setting Trick Room. Sitrus Berry increases Cresselia's longevity, increasing her chance to get a Trick Room up. Usage Tips Cresselia should be used mainly as Trick Room setter. After Trick Room is up, use either Safeguard to block status moves, Helping Hand to boost her partner's moves, or her STAB move and Ice Beam to attack foes. Cresselia is bulky enough to potentially set up Trick Room multiple times. Mental Herb blocks Taunt once, so don't be too afraid of it if you need to get Trick Room up. Team Options All Pokemon that enjoy Trick Room support are good partners for Cresselia. Powerful Trick Room Mega Evolutions, such as Mega Mawile, Mega Camerupt, and Mega Abomasnow, are some examples. Amoonguss works well in Trick Room, with the ability to outspeed almost everything and put foes to sleep. Slow and bulky Fake Out users such as Scrafty and Hariyama increase the chance for Cresselia to get Trick Room up. Landorus-T can use Intimidate to weaken a physical attacks aimed at Cresselia and then U-turn into a Trick Room sweeper.

Moves Ice Beam is Cresselia's main checking tool, KOing important threats that are 4x weak to Ice, such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Mega Salamence. Moonlight restores Cresselia's health, maintaining her ability to check important physical threats. Psychic is a good secondary attack, allowing Cresselia to 2HKO her archnemesis, Mega Gengar, making it think twice about switching in. Psychic also 2HKOes Fighting-types such as Blaziken and Mega Lopunny and does decent chip damage to Mega Kangaskhan. One of Cresselia's most potentially devastating support options is Lunar Dance. Lunar Dance might seem like a strange option on such a defensive Pokemon, as Cresselia will immediately faint after using it. However, the ability to completely restore the health and PP of a battle-weary sweeper can lead to a devastating turn of events for your opponent, making it a great move to use when Cresselia has outlived her usefulness. If you're more interested in early-game support options, Thunder Wave is an excellent choice, crippling Cresselia's faster offensive checks and clearing the way for your own sweepers. Cresselia also happens to be one of the most reliable users of Trick Room around, allowing your slow, bulky attackers to become fearsome speed demons for five turns! Toxic is Cresselia's most passive support option. While it won't immediately cripple offensive threats, Toxic gives Cresselia the edge against opposing Cresselia and Porygon2 and does a great job of wearing down physical threats. Finally, if your team can handle Fighting-types and Mega Gengar effectively, you can even opt to replace Psychic with Lunar Dance, giving Cresselia room for these support options. Set Details A Bold nature and maximum investment in HP and Defense are required for Cresselia to check Battle Spot's many dangerous physical threats. The extra 4 EVs go in Special Defense because winning Speed ties won't aid Cresselia in the slightest. Rocky Helmet is by far Cresselia's best item choice. Because Cresselia's offenses are lackluster, Rocky Helmet picks up the slack by dealing damage to any Pokemon using a contact move. This is what makes Cresselia an effective check to Mega Kangaskhan, forcing it to lose around 32% of its health any time it attacks Cresselia! If another one of your Pokemon is already using Rocky Helmet, you can opt to use a Sitrus Berry or Leftovers to give Cresselia some extra sustainability. Just note that this makes Cresselia a less effective Mega Kangaskhan check. Usage Tips Cresselia is at its best early on in the match. Simply switch Cresselia into dangerous physical threats with contact moves, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Garchomp, Mega Salamence, and Mega Lopunny, and use the appropriate attacking move or recover Cresselia's health with Moonlight. Strong, boosted attacks have the potential to severely damage Cresselia, so switching it into these threats before they boost is a good idea. If Cresselia has taken down one of its targets, don't be afraid to sacrifice Cresselia. Using Lunar Dance to restore a battle-weary sweeper's HP or simply switching Cresselia into a powerful move so a faster Pokemon can revenge kill the foe is a fine choice if Cresselia has taken down its targets, because keeping Cresselia around longer than it is useful can actually backfire due to its minimal offensive presence. Pay attention to Team Preview, as there are two big factors that can affect Cresselia before the battle even begins! The first factor is Mega Gengar. Mega Gengar's ability to trap and defeat Cresselia is a huge problem, so if you feel like you must use Cresselia, using Psychic or Thunder Wave on predicted Gengar switch-ins can save Cresselia from assassination attempts! Wobbuffet can pose similar issues; due to its typing, Cresselia does extremely poorly against Wobbuffet. Additionally, Cresselia has a difficult time making an impact on stall teams due to its poor offenses. When seeing a stall team or Wobbuffet in Team Preview, consider benching Cresselia if at all possible. If using Trick Room Cresselia, it might be tempting to set up Trick Room as soon as possible. However, Cresselia's offensive presence is rather poor, usually forcing you to switch her out for a more potent threat. This wastes a valuable turn of Trick Room, meaning that using Trick Room early in the match isn't always the correct choice. If you are unsure whether your opponent is running foes that check your choice of Trick Room sweepers, it is usually best to let the match play out until you feel that Trick Room will make a big impact on the battlefield. Team Options As Cresselia is primarily a defensive Pokemon, covering its weaknesses to Dark-, Ghost-, and, to a lesser extent, Bug-type Pokemon is highly recommended. Ferrothorn is a unique threat to Cresselia, using its Steel typing and Leech Seed to simply stall Cresselia out of Moonlight's PP. Fighting-types such as Mega Heracross, Blaziken, Mega Lopunny, and Terrakion (which notably gets an Attack boost from Dark-type attacks) are effective switch-ins for Dark- and Bug-type moves, and effectively slam Ferrothorn. Mega Mawile's and Azumarill's Fairy typing makes them effective checks to most Dark- and Bug-types as well. Dark-types such as Hydreigon and Mega Gyarados also happen to pair well with Cresselia, covering Cresselia's weaknesses to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks while Cresselia tanks Fighting-type attacks. Porygon2's Normal typing makes it immune to Ghost-type moves, and its good bulk allows it to check Greninja and Aegislash effectively. While Heatran only covers Cresselia's weakness to Bug-type attacks, it is notable for forming an effective defensive partnership with Cresselia thanks to its ability to lure in Ground- and Fighting-type attacks for Cresselia to take advantage of. Additionally, Mega Mawile and Azumarill are particularly notable threats, as they can use Cresselia's poor offensive presence to set up and break through Cresselia's team. These Pokemon can be particularly hard to wall, meaning that less defensive options to Cresselia's checks can work well, too. Talonflame makes for a particularly powerful teammate, using its strong priority Brave Bird to smash through Belly Drum Azumarill and frail special attackers such Greninja and Mega Gengar and using Flare Blitz to fry Mega Mawile and weakened Aegislash. Mega Charizard Y is another notable offensive teammate, roasting Steel-types and slamming Azumarill with Solar Beam. Mega Charizard Y's Drought also gets rid of the dreaded sandstorm and replaces it with sunny weather, which boosts Moonlight! Mega Gengar can toy with Cresselia's defensive threats effectively thanks to Shadow Tag and its immunity to Toxic, and it can also sacrifice itself with Destiny Bond to remove some of Cresselia's offensive checks. Lunar Dance is an amazing support move, so teaming Cresselia up with decently bulky attackers is highly recommended. Mega Kangaskhan stands out as the most brutal teammate, as restoring Mega Kangaskhan to full health can annihilate worn-down teams! Other good recipients for Lunar Dance include Mega Salamence, Aegislash, Garchomp, Belly Drum Azumarill, Mega Mawile, Dragonite, and Mega Charizard X. If your Cresselia is equipped with Thunder Wave, make sure to take advantage of it with her teammates! Slow, powerful Pokemon such as Mega Mawile, Azumarill, and Conkeldurr work well here. You can also use Pokemon that, while not slow, have more awkward Speed tiers. Great examples of teammates in this category include Landorus-T, Hydreigon, and Mega Heracross. Cresselia variants that are being used as Trick Room supporters need to be paired with some slow, powerful Pokemon to work effectively. Mega Mawile is the premier teammate under Trick Room, becoming extremely difficult to check when it outspeeds the majority of the metagame! Other good choices include Azumarill, Escavalier (which provides a Spore immunity with Overcoat), Rhyperior, and Conkeldurr. Also, realize that your entire team shouldn't focus on functioning under Trick Room, as this reduces your team's matchup versatility.

Cresselia's typing, ability, and monstrous bulk allow it to take on a legion of powerful Fighting- and Ground-types in UU. With access to instant recovery in Moonlight, Cresselia becomes a nearly insurmountable obstacle for these otherwise dangerous threats. Although this set invests primarily in physical bulk, Cresselia's natural special bulk allows it to sponge powerful special attacks as well. Psychic is a decently powerful STAB move to extirpate Fighting-types, such as Hitmontop and Machamp. Beware, though, that Heracross can dig Cresselia a shallow grave with Megahorn. Hidden Power Fighting is the coverage move of choice, as it deals decent damage to Dark-type switch-ins, such as Bisharp, and is also Cresselia's best option against Cobalion. However, Ice Beam eliminates the likes of Flygon. Thunder Wave and Toxic are both excellent options for shutting down opposing offensive Pokemon; Thunder Wave debilitates fast, frail sweepers, whereas Toxic cripples bulky set-up sweepers. Cresselia can opt to run both Thunder Wave and Toxic, but this makes it more difficult to finish off dangerous threats. Cresselia is also greatly hindered by status itself; Toxic, in particular, forces it to switch out. Rest is a viable option to deal with these issues, although current sleep mechanics make this unreliable. Reflect can be used to shut down almost every physical attacker in the tier, although STAB Megahorn will still do a number on Cresselia. Light Screen can also be used to provide insurance against powerful special attackers. Similarly, Cresselia can opt for an alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Def with a Calm nature, functioning similarly to other special walls in the tier but with the added benefit of handling many physical threats very well. However, most offensive threats in the metagame are physically oriented, so physical Defense investment is still preferred. As mentioned before, Dark-types are the bane of Cresselia's existence. Ironically, the very Pokemon Cresselia exists to eliminate, Fighting-types, such as Hitmontop, make great teammates, as they can easily beat down those shady characters. While we're on the topic of irony, Dark-types, such as Weavile, also make great teammates for their ability to take out pesky Ghost-types. A powerful Fire-type, such as Rotom-H or Darmanitan can roast powerful Bug-types, such as Heracross and Escavalier, who threaten Cresselia with their powerful Megahorns. Although Cresselia's defensive stats are phenomenal, it can still be overwhelmed by intense offensive pressure. Therefore, it is recommended to pair Cresselia with other sturdy walls, such as Registeel and Milotic, to lessen its workload.

Cresselia has impressive bulk, no doubt, and it certainly makes a great check to a horde of powerful attackers, but Cresselia can easily make use of those titanic defenses to support the team in another manner: dual screens. The lunar maiden can withstand the most savage blows, and should have no problem getting up Reflect and Light Screen. The fact that these moves augment its already impressive defensive stats doesn't hurt either, and Cresselia can easily set up dual screens multiple times throughout the match. Light Clay is the item of choice, as it gives the best mileage out of your screens. Although Leftovers is tempting given Cresselia's fantastic bulk, Cresselia can survive an encounter with even the most powerful of attackers, and those extra three turns of screens are much more beneficial. However, what separates Cresselia from the crowd is its signature move, Lunar Dance. This move sacrifices Cresselia, but in return, heals a teammate to full HP, and cures them of all status ailments. Not only does this give a battered sweeper a second lease of life, it also potentially provides the sweeper with a free set-up opportunity; in essence, Lunar Dance is the ultimate momentum move, and can shift the tides of a game. The last slot is dedicated to an offensive move to ensure Cresselia is not a sitting duck (pun not intended) when Taunted. Psychic is preferred, as it is Cresselia's most powerful move, although Hidden Power Fighting can be used to hit Dark-type switch-ins. Thunder Wave can be used instead of either Lunar Dance or Psychic, but replacing the former takes away one of Cresselia's greatest assets, while replacing the latter leaves Cresselia prone to Taunt. Moonlight is an option to improve Cresselia's longevity, but realistically, you should be using Lunar Dance on the way out. Leftovers can be used to improve Cresselia's survivability as well, but Cresselia should focus on providing screens for its teammates rather than surviving. The EV spread gives Cresselia the ability to tank hits from both sides, although one could alter the spread based on preference. Although Cresselia is a defensive Pokemon, this set functions best on an offensively oriented team. Dual screens give frail sweepers an easier time setting up, while Lunar Dance could potentially grant them a second opportunity to sweep. Of course, this set is greatly hampered by status, especially Toxic, due to the lack of recovery. One could opt for either a Wish passer or a cleric to keep Cresselia happy. However, as mentioned before, this set works best on high octane offensive teams, so it may be difficult to fit those onto the team. A more feasible option is to pair it with a Pokemon such as Heracross, who can nab an Attack boost from status moves and wreak havoc behind screens.

Although Cresselia's main boon is its bulk, it can still run a Calm Mind set to pose an offensive presence. However, Calm Mind is honestly more useful for driving its Special Defense to untouchable levels. After just one Calm Mind boost, Cresselia becomes a nearly impenetrable fortress, though it needs multiple boosts before it can pose any sort of offensive threat. This set is best used as a stallbreaker, Cresselia can set up massive Substitutes that block status and are incredibly difficult to break for the offensively challenged walls commonly found on stall teams. Psyshock is the preferred STAB move, as Cresselia often has difficulty winning Calm Mind wars due to its unimpressive Special Attack, however Psychic does more immediate and consistent damage in the long run. Hidden Power Fighting is the recommended coverage move, as it hits Dark- and Steel-types, who laugh at Psyshock. Ice Beam can be used to hit Pokemon such as Flygon and Rhyperior harder, but is generally inferior to Hidden Power Fighting. The given EV spread maximizes Speed while retaining solid bulk. A more defensive EV spread can be used, but the extra Speed is helpful for speed tying opposing base 85s, most notably Heracross. You could also opt to invest in Special Attack, but Cresselia would need multiple boosts to sweep regardless. Moonlight or Rest can be used in place of Substitute, but the former makes Cresselia prone to status while the latter is unreliable. Due to its lackluster Special Attack, Cresselia has difficulty winning Calm Mind wars, so a powerful physical attacker such as Heracross and Weavile can be used to take them out. Although most Cresselia sets function as team supporters, this set is more selfish so to speak, and functions well as a stand alone sweeper.

Cresselia's defenses are incredibly hard to break, so it is well suited to being either a physical or mixed wall. With the listed combination of moves, it can function as a decent counter to some of the top threats in the Ubers metagame, including Groudon, Rayquaza, Garchomp, Giratina-O, and Choice Scarf Palkia and Dialga. Cresselia is well-known as the best Groudon counter in the game, unless the Groudon carries Swords Dance and Shadow Claw for some odd reason. Moonlight heals 2/3 of Cresselia's HP under the sun, which is better than Lugia's Roost. However, it has only 8 PP, while the other reliable recovery moves have 16 PP. Moonlight allows Cresselia to stall out Groudon with ease, as it can survive even a +4 Stone Edge from most Groudon. Reflect bolsters Cresselia's huge Defense to even greater heights, allowing Cresselia to take hits from most physical attackers and making it a decent team player. With Reflect, Cresselia can check Swords Dance Groudon, Rayquaza, and Garchomp a lot easier. No physical attack can OHKO Cresselia when it is safely behind the screen. Toxic damages bulkier threats such as Groudon and Arceus, while Thunder Wave cripples speedy Pokemon like Darkrai and Mewtwo. Magic Coat allows Cresselia to bounce back status and entry hazards at the opponent; this is exceedingly useful since Cresselia tends to attract Spikes users such as Ferrothorn. Cresselia's lack of weaknesses to Ice-, Electric-, and Rock-type moves sets it apart from Lugia. Another advantage is that Cresselia can survive a Choice Band-boosted Bolt Strike from Zekrom; Lugia can still survive with a faster Reflect, but Cresselia can actually stall out Choice Scarf Zekrom, something Lugia cannot do. Terrakion is effectively walled by Cresselia as well. Do take note that Cresselia is outclassed by Lugia otherwise, as Lugia has higher Speed, a better support movepool, and overall better stats. Grass Knot can be used over Ice Beam since it hits Groudon harder and actually scratches Kyogre; however, Cresselia will lose its ability to counter physical Dragons such as Rayquaza and Garchomp. Hidden Power Fire can 2HKO Forretress outside of rain, but is essentially useless otherwise, since Ferrothorn takes laughable damage from the attack due to its good Special Defense. Cresselia's shabby offensive stats means that it can't go on the offensive route. A faster set can be used to outspeed slow base 90 Ubers like Groudon, but is not recommended since Cresselia really enjoys the extra bulk. Trick Room can be still used on this set if you need both a wall and someone to set it up. Kyogre counters Cresselia easily as it can come in and threaten to OHKO with Water Spout or set up with Calm Mind. Cresselia can barely touch Kyogre with Grass Knot due to Kyogre's massive Special Defense stat. Darkrai can pound Cresselia hard with a boosted Dark Pulse or incapacitate it with Dark Void, while Cresselia can only hope to paralyze Darkrai on the switch in. Tyranitar can 2HKO Cresselia with Crunch while taking negligible damage from Ice Beam thanks to the sandstorm Special Defense buff. Blissey, Chansey, and Heatran laugh at Cresselia while crippling it with Toxic, or Taunt in Heatran's case. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress can freely set up on Cresselia unless Cresselia has Magic Coat. Heracross and Scizor can hurt Cresselia with their STAB super effective Bug moves. Heracross can even threaten to OHKO Cresselia with a Guts or Choice Band boost under its belt. Ho-Oh doesn't mind anything but Toxic, and can set up a Substitute on Cresselia for free while whittling away at its health with Sacred Fire or Brave Bird. Groudon provides eternal sunlight to make Moonlight more efficient, while countering Tyranitar, Heracross, Scizor, Blissey, and Chansey at the same time. Forretress resists Cresselia's weaknesses to Ghost- and Dark-type moves, and provides entry hazards to help Cresselia wear down the opponent faster. Giratina covers Cresselia's weaknesses to Heracross, Scizor, and Ho-Oh nicely. Groudon should always be partnered with Cresselia. The permanent sunlight really helps Cresselia when it's recovering with Moonlight. Forretress resists Ghost-, Dark-, Bug-, and Ice-type attacks and launches hazards onto the opponent's field--any form of entry hazard will help Cresselia weaken its counters. Cleric support is also great to help keep Cresselia free from Toxic; Blissey and Chansey are good choices as they can take most special attacks aimed at Cresselia. Most Dark-types can be taken down by Arceus-Fighting or Terrakion, while Groudon can take care of Blissey and Tyranitar. A RestTalk set is horrible for Cresselia in Ubers since it usually gives the opponent a free chance to set up, which can be game-deciding in Ubers. Cresselia can use Magic Coat, Psycho Shift, or Safeguard for status protection. Ferrothorn resists Cresselia's Dark and Ghost weaknesses while providing Spikes support and Leech Seed to weaken Cresselia's counters and checking Tyranitar.

Cresselia's fantastic defensive stats make it a very reliable Trick Room user. While its weaknesses to common Dark- and Ghost-type attacks somewhat hamper its walling capacity, Cresselia can actually survive even super effective hits. The combination of Trick Room and Lunar Dance on this set is unique to Cresselia and is something Lugia cannot do. Additionally, Cresselia's lower Speed compared to Lugia becomes an advantage under the effects of Trick Room. Cresselia is extremely bulky, so it can utilize dual screens and Trick Room effectively to support an entire team based on Trick Room. Cresselia can turn the tables on common Pokemon who love to come in on it, such as Forretress, and use them as setup bait. You can switch Cresselia in on a Pokemon who can do little to harm it, particularly Blissey, Lugia, Giratina, Groudon, or even Forretress and Ferrothorn if your team doesn't mind entry hazards, then proceed to set up dual screens and Trick Room. Late-game, use Lunar Dance to fully heal one of your sweepers under the protection of dual screens. One must never use this Cresselia set as a physical wall, since the other set performs that role much better. Instead of utilizing a fast Cresselia to set up screens more quickly, one should focus on Cresselia's sheer bulk, since Cresselia isn't outspeeding anything significant even with max Speed. Cresselia should be used alongside powerful sweepers who benefit from dual screen and Trick Room support, such as Calm Mind Giratina-O, Zekrom, Swords Dance Groudon, Kyogre, Reshiram, or Dialga. If your team doesn't need Trick Room support, feel free to drop it for another support move. Safeguard can be used if your team fears status, while Thunder Wave allows Cresselia to cripple a speedy threat such as Darkrai. If you are using this set in a Baton Pass team, Cresselia should be paired with Mew, as the dual screen protection can help it set up and pass the boosts to a late-game sweeper. Lunar Dance also enables Mew to Baton Pass boosts twice, as Mew often loses a lot of HP during the first Baton Pass. However, bear in mind that Baton Pass is a lot more unreliable in today's metagame since Mew can only use one move in the last slot. If Mew uses Taunt, Dragon Tail totally ruins it; if Mew uses Substitute, Roar or Whirlwind will stop it cold; if Mew uses Dragon Tail, it is halted by Taunt and can no longer pass the boosts. A few Pokemon can switch in on Cresselia and prevent it from setting up dual screens. Choice Specs Kyogre and Reshiram 2HKO with Water Spout or Blue Flare respectively, even if Light Screen is up, though bulky Cresselia can usually survive two Blue Flares at full health. Lunar Dance sacrifices Cresselia to fully heal a teammate, which is important for Trick Room teams to maintain the momentum. After your team has been weakened mid-game, Cresselia can switch in, set up dual screens and Trick Room, and then sacrifice herself to help another powerful teammate, such as Groudon, successfully sweep. Light Clay prolongs the effects of the dual screens to eight turns. Ice Beam can be used if your team still needs an answer to Groudon or Rayquaza. However, Ice Beam won't deter most of Cresselia's counters, such as Heatran and Tyranitar, from switching in. This Cresselia set is extremely vulnerable to Taunt since it has no attacks. Pokemon with phazing moves can phaze Cresselia before it can set up Trick Room, so it is wise to set up dual screens first when facing a Pokemon likely to carry phazing moves such as Groudon. The given EVs grant Cresselia balanced bulk on both sides. The aforementioned counters can easily stop Cresselia, but it can turn the tables on them by setting up screens first, followed by Lunar Dance once its job is done. Any Calm Mind Arceus variant can also set up on and beat Cresselia one on one, especially Arceus-Ghost, Arceus-Dark, or Arceus-Bug. Choice Specs Kyogre can possibly 2HKO Cresselia even through Light Screen, so Cresselia best not be sticking around. Arceus-Grass, Palkia, and Zekrom can easily take down Kyogre for Cresselia thanks to their Water resistances and powerful Electric or Grass attacks. Groudon's massive Defense stat enables it to easily counter Tyranitar, also known as the bane of Cresselia. Heatran and Tyranitar can also be stopped by Kyogre due to the legendary whale's massive bulk, and the rain it brings serves to weaken Heatran further. This set can greatly aid powerful sweepers, such as Dialga and Kyogre, who enjoy dual screens and Lunar Dance support. After they have been weakened mid-game, Cresselia can step in and set up screens and Trick Room followed by Lunar Dance once her purpose has been fulfilled. This set works well in Trick Room teams as a suicide Pokemon to set up a game-breaking sweeper such as Rayquaza or Groudon.

This set utilizes Cresselia's excellent bulk and fantastic movepool to create a powerful support Pokemon. Each time Icy Wind hits an opponent, their Speed decreases. Thunder Wave is also another option to regulate Speed but gets no use against Pokemon such as Garchomp or Excadrill, or Pokemon with Lightningrod on the field. Psychic gives Cresselia an attacking option if she gets taunted or needs to quickly KO a weakened Pokemon. Light Screen or Reflect make great choices for helping your team's defensive capabilities. The move you use can depend on what kind of attacks your team is weak to. If you have trouble with moves such as Surf, Discharge, or other special attacks, Light Screen would be the preferred choice; if many of your Pokemon have issues with physical attacks such as Rock Slide or Earthquake, Reflect is the obvious choice. A great supporting move Cresselia can use is Helping Hand, which boosts her partner's attacks, gaining significant KOs. Rest is also an option in tandem with Chesto Berry, helping Cresselia last longer as a supporter in matches. The choice of item depends on what kind of recovery you would prefer. Sitrus Berry is great quick recovery for matches, while Chesto Berry is preferred for use with Rest to keep Cresselia awake. However, it can serve use without Rest by defending Cresselia against sleep inducing moves. Levitate is Cresselia's only ability and provides a Ground-type immunity, meaning partners such as Garchomp can spam Earthquake. A Calm nature can be used to add onto Cresselia's special bulk. The EV spread aims to provide as much special bulk as possible to tank those common spread moves, such as Surf, Discharge, and Blizzard, while cushioning against strong special Ghost-type moves, such as Shadow Ball. An EV spread of 252 HP / 28 SpA / 230 SpD gives Cresselia the ability to 2HKO 252 HP Hitmontop and Hariyama. This spread also works well with Ice Beam to get easy 2HKOs on Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus. You can replace Psychic on the set to compensate for the other kind of screen support you chose, giving the classic dual screen coverage to fend off assaults from both attacking stats. Protect also makes a good choice, keeping Cresselia alive longer with prediction. Cresselia can use Trick Room on this set to counter opposing Trick Room users, or to regulate the speed of the game when you know the opposition outspeeds Cresselia's partners. Cresselia, being the great supporter it is, can pair with lots of different Pokemon, especially with hard hitting Pokemon such as Garchomp or Abomasnow who benefit from Helping Hand. Slow bulky Pokemon are excellent partners for Cresselia because of the way she can change the tempo of the game with Trick Room, Icy Wind, or Thunder Wave. Tyranitar and other Dark-types provide trouble for Cresselia while she is supporting her team, so having ways to take these kinds of Pokemon out immensely extends Cresselia's longevity. A Pokemon with Intimidate, such as Hitmontop, Salamence, or Gyarados, is a great partner to weaken physical attacks that would otherwise heavily dent Cresselia.

In this metagame, Cresselia is no doubt the best Trick Room set-up user. Psychic helps KO worn down Pokemon and provides a nice way to deal out huge damage to the common Fighting-types. Cresselia can also remain as a supporter and maximize her team's offensive potential with Helping Hand, boosting her partner's moves such as Earthquake or Rock Slide. One of the most annoying ways people deal with Trick Room is to put all of the Pokemon to sleep. This creates a better opportunity for them to stall and KO your Pokemon while taking no damage. You can solve this problem with Safeguard. Screens also make a fine choice, as they help Pokemon set up and are usually successful in VGC. The screen to use depends on what support the team needs. If you have trouble with special attacks, Light Screen would be the screen of choice, while Reflect is the obvious choice for defending against physical attacks. Cresselia will be taking a lot of damage in matches, so Sitrus Berry is the item of choice for quick recovery. If you have trouble with Sitrus Berry or Taunt users, Mental Herb is a completely fine option to be able to set Trick Room immediately without being Taunted. Levitate is Cresselia's only ability and provides a Ground-type immunity, meaning partners such as Garchomp can spam Earthquake. A Sassy nature gives more special bulk and might be preferred to take powerful weather boosted moves. A Relaxed nature allows Cresselia to take physical hits better and still have some special bulk from the given EV spread. The EV spread is just an all around build to better tank more hits. As a Trick Room setter, she will commonly find herself being double targeted, necessitating an all-around bulky build to be successful in surviving a lot of the time. Protect can still keep Cresselia alive longer with good prediction. Because this set is dedicated to setting up Trick Room, Pokemon that can effectively utilize Trick Room, such as Rhyperior and Snorlax, are some of the best partners for Cresselia. Fake Out users, such as Scrafty and Hariyama, are wonderful for Cresselia as they can disable a threat for one turn, which is enough for Cresselia to set up Trick Room. These kinds of Pokemon can also give Cresselia safety from Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Bisharp. Strong attackers with Intimidate work well with Cresselia, cushioning her against physical attacks. Sadly, not many Intimidate users are slow enough for optimal Trick Room use.

Cresselia excels at supporting a wide variety of teammates with its absurd bulk and incredible movepool. Psychic and Ice Beam have excellent neutral coverage and hit the threatening Fighting- and Ground-types for super effective damage, which would otherwise check Cresselia's most common partners in Heatran and Metagross. The rest of the moveset is dedicated to supporting the rest of the team; these moves can be mixed and matched to create the perfect Cresselia for an individual team. Some teams may want Skill Swap to remove the Ground-type weakness of their Steel-type. Others might need Sunny Day for the rain matchup or to power up Heatran. Cresselia is a viable user of every speed control option save Tailwind and one should be chosen that best fits the team's need. The HP and Special Defense EVs allow Cresselia to survive a Helping Hand Dragon Gem Draco Meteor from Latios. The Special Attack investment allows Ice Beam to OHKO no-bulk Landorus-T and Salamence.

Despite its uninspiring Special Attack, an offensive Cresselia can be very effective, turning an otherwise support-oriented Pokemon into an offensive threat. Psychic- and Ice-type coverage hits the majority of Pokemon for meaningful damage, and the Steel-types that resist those types can be hit for super effective damage by the chosen Hidden Power. Hidden Power Ground lets Cresselia beat the more common Heatran, while Hidden Power Fire enables it to flip the matchup against two of its counters in Scizor and Ferrothorn. The correct EV and IV spreads will need to be selected based on the Hidden Power type chosen. The former are for Hidden Power Ground while the latter are for Hidden Power Fire. The Speed EVs let Cresselia outspeed Latios after hitting it with an Icy Wind. Other Options ChestoRest is a powerful option, giving Cresselia a way to fully heal, shake off status, and beat Spore users. Cresselia has a deluge of support moves to create the perfect set to fit one's team. Calm Mind turns Cresselia into a potential sweeper, dual screens provide excellent damage mitigation for its team, Safeguard all but eliminates Amoonguss as a significant threat, and Toxic lets it exert long term pressure onto Pokemon it otherwise does not threaten such as Suicune and opposing Cresselia. Common Partners Heatran benefits from many things that Cresselia can do, such as setting Trick Room, Sunny Day, and using Skill Swap to give Heatran Levitate, removing its biggest weakness. It also benefits from Ice Beam threatening the Ground-type attackers offensively, making the opponent have to second-guess whether they can Earthquake your Heatran with their Landorus-T. Similarly, Metagross benefits from Trick Room, Skill Swap, or a self-target Swagger on a Lum Berry set, as proven effective on Ray Rizzo's 2012 Worlds team. Rotom-Wash and Cresselia have great neutral matchups against most things. This duo of bulky Pokemon can trade advantageously against many foes and cover each other's weaknesses. Checks and Counters Tyranitar is immune to Psychic, residual sand chip damage limits Cresselia’s survivability, and 2HKOes it with Crunch. Metagross resists both Psychic- and Ice-type attacks and outdamages even offensive Cresselia sets carrying Hidden Power Fire or Hidden Power Ground. To a lesser extent, other Steel-types can also be a major threat to Cresselia depending on its set and the game state. Heatran will defeat any non-Hidden Power Ground sets, and Scizor can set up on non-Hidden Power Fire sets. Landorus-T, although greatly threatened by Ice Beam, outspeeds Cresselia and deals meaningful chip damage with U-turn.

Sporting incredible bulk, a Ground immunity, and a serviceable defensive typing, Cresselia is able to tank strong hits even without investment. Cresselia uses its bulk, many speed control options, and supporting moves to assist its teammates. Although it has a rather weak Special Attack stat, this is partially mitigated by access to a reliable combination of moves with which it hits many of the top threats in the metagame super effectively. All in all, Cresselia is a threat if left alone and is a Pokemon that all teams must have an answer to. Psychic is a STAB attack that can 2HKO Amoonguss, Conkeldurr, and Hitmontop. Ice Beam is used to hit common Ice-weak foes, such as Landorus-T, Thundurus, and Latios, super effectively. Hidden Power Ground hits Steel-types, notably Heatran and Metagross, that resist Cresselia's other moves super effectively. Hidden Power Fire is used on teams that wish to improve their matchup against Scizor, Genesect, and Ferrothorn. The last moveslot is typically reserved for a speed control option, although the choice depends on the team. Thunder Wave is the most reliable, as its speed control benefits every type of team. Trick Room is an excellent option for teams with many slow Pokemon, such as Heatran, Conkeldurr, and Tyranitar. Trick Room can also be used to reset opposing Trick Room, ensuring Cresselia and its teammates keep the upper hand. Expert Belt takes advantage of Cresselia's ability to hit common metagame threats super effectively by boosting the power of these hits without any drawbacks. Notably, it allows Cresselia to 2HKO Latios and Amoonguss. The spread maximizes Cresselia's damage output, with a Timid nature ensuring that it outspeeds unboosted Adamant Landorus-T. Cresselia's main role is to take heavy attacks and threaten a super effective hit on many of the top Pokemon in the tier. Keep in mind that Cresselia's damage output is rather poor and can have trouble OHKOing even with super effective moves, so most of the time, it will be weakening the Pokemon for its partner to clean up later. Cresselia's bulk allows it to tank many hits so it can be kept on the field longer to scare off these threats from coming in. Cresselia is great on sand teams because it threatens common sand answers like Landorus-T and Conkeldurr, has Levitate, allowing Excadrill to freely use Earthquake, and has access to speed control for Tyranitar. In return, Tyranitar can beat Jellicent and opposing Cresselia, which shrug off any of Cresselia's attacks, and Excadrill beats opposing Tyranitar. Landorus-T is another excellent teammate, as it also threatens Tyranitar and can freely use Earthquake, and Intimidate allows Cresselia to better tank physical attacks. Heatran benefits from Cresselia threatening Landorus-T, Conkeldurr, and opposing Heatran, thus allowing it to set up Substitute more easily. Finally, Conkeldurr benefits from Cresselia's speed control and ability to threaten Amoonguss and Intimidate users, such as Landorus-T and Hitmontop. Cresselia has a large supporting movepool with which it can support different team compositions. Helping Hand boosts the power of Cresselia's partner, allowing Pokemon, such as Excadrill and Heatran, to pick up KOs that they normally couldn't. Sunny Day can be used as an emergency check to rain teams. These support options can be used in place of one of Cresselia's coverage moves. Icy Wind is an alternative speed control option. Other sets include a Cresselia with more defensive investment to focus more as bulky support, Calm Mind with a defensive EV spread, which can be a win condition, and minimum speed for dedicated Trick Room teams.

While Cresselia is often compared to Lugia in terms of physical walling, she lacks the weaknesses associated with the Flying-type. She doesn't fear Stone Edge and Stealth Rock, and cannot shed her Ground-immunity with Roost. Hence, she can more reliably counter Groudon, Rayquaza, and Garchomp, the three main physical powerhouses in Ubers, and take less damage from the ever-common Ice Beam and Thunder. Even +4 Life Orb Groudon's Stone Edge will never OHKO Cresselia. Also, in the sun, Moonlight heals 66.7% of her HP, which is more efficient than Lugia's Roost. Ice Beam is needed to counter Rayquaza, Groudon, and Garchomp. It OHKOes Rayquaza after Stealth Rock Damage and Life Orb recoil, and nets a 2HKO on Garchomp. Reflect halves the power of physical attacks, and is especially helpful against enemy Pursuit users or if rain is on the field, severely reducing Moonlight's effectiveness. Toxic is recommended for the last slot; Ice Beam does little damage to any Pokemon without a 4x Ice weakness. Furthermore, it deals more damage over time to Groudon than a single Ice Beam. Thunder Wave can hit incoming sweepers on the switch, and the two most common Pokemon in Ubers who are immune to Thunder Wave, Groudon and Garchomp, will never switch into Cresselia. Hidden Power Fire prevents Forretress from using Cresselia as set up bait and Scizor from using U-turn. Hidden Power Fire is also Cresselia's most powerful attack in the sunlight, 2HKOing 252 / 252+ Forretress. Unfortunately, in the rain, it won't even 4HKO thanks to Leftovers recovery. The HP and Defense EVs maximize Cresselia's bulk. Cresselia can easily survive a +1 Adamant Rayquaza's Outrage after Stealth Rock damage. Cresselia will even survive a +2 Jolly Rayquaza's Outrage 87% of the time when factoring in Stealth Rock and one turn of Leftovers recovery. If she switches directly into the Outrage--meaning no Leftovers recovery--she has a 50% chance to survive%. Leftovers is the preferred item choice for the HP recovery, reducing the number of times Cresselia will have to resort to using Moonlight's precious PP. However, Shed Shell enables Cresselia to switch out of Wobbuffet. Cresselia is offensively inept with her pathetic base 75 Special Attack. As such, she should only be used on stall teams; she is dead-weight on any offensive team. Cresselia should always be used alongside Groudon, setting up the sun so Moonlight will heal 66.7% of Cresselia's HP, and removing rain when necessary. Blissey as a teammate can absorb special assaults directed at Cresselia, who in return can take physical attacks aimed at Blissey, forming a pseudo SkarmBliss combo. Blissey can also provide Aromatherapy support to rid Cresselia of poison or a burn, or use Wish to heal Cresselia should there be rain on the field. In return, Blissey will more than appreciate the support provided by Reflect. An allied Latias acts similarly to Blissey. However, Latias shares all three of Cresselia's weaknesses. When using these two together, one of them should use Hidden Power Fire to deal with Scizor. Cresselia hates Toxic, so an ally who is either immune to Toxic, such as Dialga, Forretress, or Scizor, or can take advantage of it, namely Heracross, is recommended. Kyogre is Cresselia's main nemesis. Cresselia cannot dent it without status, while its ability, Drizzle, reduces Moonlight's recovery to only 25%. Timid Kyogre can 2HKO with Surf after Stealth Rock damage over 97% of the time, and Choice Specs Kyogre can OHKO Cresselia with Water Spout. Kyogre can also use Cresselia as setup bait with Calm Mind. Latias can handle all Kyogre sets, and can set up Calm Mind alongside Kyogre. Tyranitar can also reduce Moonlight's recovery and severely dent Cresselia with Crunch or Pursuit. Fortunately, Groudon handles Tyranitar. Darkrai can block any status attempts with Substitute or Taunt, set up Nasty Plot, and remove Cresselia with Dark Pulse. Heracross and Primeape counter Darkrai without fearing Dark Void, but should Sleep Clause be activated, Scizor, along with revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Palkia and Dialga, can check Darkrai too. Without Hidden Power Fire, Scizor and Forretress can comfortably switch into Cresselia and U-turn or set up entry hazards respectively. Ho-Oh, Dialga, and Groudon can roast them with Sacred Fire, Fire Blast, and Fire Punch respectively, while taking little damage from U-turn. If Cresselia lacks a Shed Shell, Wobbuffet can easily switch in, trap Cresselia with its ability, Shadow Tag, and use the Encore + Tickle combination to lower Cresselia's Defense to the point that an opposing Pursuit user, such as Tyranitar and Scizor, can easily OHKO Cresselia. Alternatively, Wobbuffet can enable a powerful sweeper to switch in for free. Unfortunately, Cresselia cannot switch out of Wobbuffet due to Shadow Tag. As most Pursuit users are Choiced, an allied Scizor or Dialga can come in after Cresselia is fainted, and in Scizor's case, use U-turn to scout the opponent's switch-in (Dialga has a myriad of options available to it, such as Fire Blast and Bulk Up). Scizor also deals heavy damage to Wobbuffet with U-turn, but it won't OHKO. However, if a Ghost-type switches in after U-turn, Wobbuffet's Counter fails, and the switch-in takes no damage.

Switch Cresselia in on a Pokemon who can do little to harm Cresselia, such as Blissey, Lugia, Giratina, Groudon, or even Forretress if you do not mind your opponent setting up entry hazards, then proceed to set up dual screens. Late-game, use Lunar Dance to fully heal one of your sweepers, under the protection of dual screens. The last move is up to user preference. Thunder Wave provides extra team support, paralyzing Pokemon to support a late game sweep. Additionally, by paralyzing faster opponents, Cresselia can set up a screen before they attack her. Moonlight can keep Cresselia healthy and is useful if you want to set up dual screens more than once. Ice Beam enables Cresselia to check Rayquaza, Garchomp, and Groudon without Toxic. Even with no Defense EVs, Cresselia makes a comfortable counter to Swords Dance Rayquaza, outspeeding Adamant Rayquaza and always surviving +2 Jolly Life Orb Dragon Claw after Stealth Rock damage. However, keep in mind that +1 Jolly Rayquaza's Outrage is likely to OHKO Cresselia after Stealth Rock damage, so Cresselia is not a reliable Dragon Dance Rayquaza counter. One should not use Ice Beam for the sole purpose of not Struggling when Taunted, because all the common Taunt users have nothing to fear from Cresselia's Ice Beam and can easily use a Taunted Cresselia as setup bait. The Speed EVs enable Cresselia to outrun Adamant Rayquaza and the many base 90 Speed Ubers without a +Speed nature, so she can set up a screen before being attacked, enabling her to easily set up dual screens against Groudon, Dialga, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza. Against these foes, you should only switch Cresselia in on them after a KO, so that you are not attacked without a screen. One can also elect to give Cresselia a Bold or Calm nature, and put all the Speed EVs into Defense and Special Defense respectively, to better protect Cresselia from one side. This is helpful for setting up against Pokemon who are always faster than Cresselia, such as Choice Scarf Dialga and Garchomp. Cresselia will rarely be on the offensive, if at all. She should be paired alongside a late-game sweeper who benefits from dual screen support, such as Calm Mind Giratina-O, Mewtwo, or Rock Polish Groudon with Swords Dance. Giratina-O can also switch into Brick Break and attempt a sweep, but any screens will still be broken. Cresselia can be paired with Mew, as the dual screen protection can help Mew set up and pass the boosts to a late-game sweeper. Lunar Dance also enables Mew to Baton Pass boosts twice, as Mew often loses a lot of HP after Baton Passing the first time. You should have teammates who both lure out Pokemon who Cresselia can easily set up on and benefit from dual screens themselves, such as Groudon to lure out Lugia or Giratina. Scizor lures in Pokemon whom Cresselia can easily set up on, for example, Groudon, Giratina, Forretress, and Skarmory, and can also check many fast Choice Scarf Pokemon, such as Darkrai and Shaymin-S, who can revenge kill your late-game sweepers. Few Pokemon can switch in on Cresselia and prevent her from setting up dual screens. Choice Specs Kyogre 2HKOes with Water Spout if Light Screen is up, while Choice Band Tyranitar 2HKOs with Crunch after Stealth Rock damage and one turn of sandstorm damage if Reflect is up unless Cresselia invests in Defense or Special Defense EVs. Palkia and Latias can switch in on Choice Specs Kyogre, while Groudon or Scizor can switch in on Tyranitar's Crunch or Pursuit. Scizor also comfortably handles Mewtwo, Mew, Darkrai, and Deoxys-S, the most common users of Taunt, who would otherwise completely shut down Cresselia. However, Scizor must avoid Fire Blast from Mewtwo and Darkrai's Nasty Plot boosted Focus Blast.

Set Details Cresselia is a versatile support piece that offers various speed control and damage mitigation options. With excellent bulk and a useful immunity to Ground-type attacks, Cresselia can provide support to nearly everything in the format. Cresselia runs Psychic for reliable STAB-boosted damage. For coverage, Cresselia typically opts for either Ice Beam to hit Latios, Salamence, and Zapdos or Hidden Power Fire to target Metagross, Bronzong, Scizor, Abomasnow, and Shedinja. Icy Wind is an alternative speed control move. When using Icy Wind, Cresselia will usually run at least 116 Speed EVs to outspeed Latios, Gengar, and Infernape after using it. Trick Room and Thunder Wave are Cresselia's main speed control moves. Its immense natural bulk ensures it can survive most unboosted hits in the metagame, providing the longevity needed to safely set up Trick Room or consistently spread paralysis across the opposing team. If Cresselia is using Trick Room, it can opt for minimum Speed to act first under Trick Room conditions. Safeguard is a rarer move on Cresselia used to counter status-spreading Pokemon such as Thunder Wave Cresselia and Dark Void Smeargle. This can be paired with Swagger to grant allies an Attack boost without inflicting confusion. Swagger may also be used with Lum Berry partners and can disrupt the enemy team by fishing for confusion self-hits. Rest allows Cresselia to sustain itself and gives you a potential win condition by letting Cresselia stall the opponent until their Pokemon run out of move PP. Reflect and Protect are moves to deter Explosion, which otherwise can be used to remove Cresselia without much fear. Sitrus Berry gives Cresselia some burst healing to recover from high-power moves. Chesto Berry heals the sleep inflicted by threats such as Dark Void Smeargle and Hypnosis Bronzong as well as enabling Cresselia to use Rest without any drawbacks. Leftovers give Cresselia consistent healing and is commonly used with Protect. The defensive investment allows Cresselia to survive a Self-Destruct from Snorlax or two Life Orb-boosted Draco Meteors from Latios. The Special Attack EVs grant Cresselia the ability to OHKO Salamence with Ice Beam most of the time and consistently 4HKO bulky Metagross with Hidden Power Fire. Teambuilding Cresselia's best partner is Metagross, as its offensive output more than makes up for Cresselia's lacking damage potential, and it defensively complements Cresselia by resisting Explosion. Metagross greatly benefits from Cresselia's speed control, and by holding a Lum Berry, it can receive an Attack boost from Swagger without inflicting confusion. Heatran and Snorlax also stand out as exemplary Cresselia partners. Cresselia can take on the Fighting-types that threaten both Heatran and Snorlax, offer speed control, or, in Heatran's case, use Skill Swap to replace its Ground-type weakness with an immunity. As Icy Wind Cresselia often runs significant Speed investment, it can take a more offensive role and pairs well with Kangaskhan, which can offer Fake Out support and appreciates Cresselia's Icy Wind speed control. Fast Heatran and Suicune can also fit neatly on teams with Icy Wind Cresselia. Steel-types such as Metagross, Heatran, and Scizor threaten significant damage against Cresselia, while it cannot do much in return. Cresselia can be an easy target for Explosion from Metagross, Snorlax, or Bronzong, as it often lacks Protect. Cresselia is vulnerable to Taunt from Gyarados or Gengar, which shuts down its support moves.

Cresselia solidifies itself as one of the best support Pokemon in the metagame thanks to its wide movepool and monstrous bulk. Even the likes of Choice Band Tyranitar fail to OHKO it, which is a testament to its durability with which it can use vital support moves such as Thunder Wave and Trick Room. Cresselia is very reliant on its partners to make up for its own poor offensive presence, but Helping Hand makes up for this by boosting its partners. Psychic significantly hits Fighting-types like Infernape and Hitmontop, which is useful when Cresselia is commonly paired with Fighting-weak Pokemon like Tyranitar, Rhyperior, and Heatran. Thunder Wave is Cresselia's most reliable form of speed control, allowing slow Pokemon like Tyranitar and Swampert to outspeed Choice Scarf Latias. Helping Hand allows Cresselia to make up for its middling offensive pressure by allowing powerful attackers like Metagross and Choice Specs Latias to KO bulky Tyranitar and chipped Cresselia. Spread move users like Heatran, Rhyperior, and Swampert also greatly appreciate the boost in order to do as much damage to opponents as quickly as possible. Trick Room enables slow, bulky attackers such as Tyranitar, Rhyperior, and Metagross, as it turns their low speed into an advantage against the tier's faster threats, especially with Cresselia's Helping Hand support. Icy Wind can be used on faster teams, where it is advantageous to slow down Choice Scarf users like Rotom-A and Latias as well as other fast attackers like Raikou and Infernape. Cresselia can fit a variety of other options such as dual screens to enable teammates to setup, Toxic to wear down other bulky foes, and Safeguard to help shield it and its teammates from opposing Thunder Wave. The HP and Defense investment along with a Defense boosting nature and Sitrus Berry allow Cresselia to take Adamant Tyranitar's Crunch and a round of sandstorm damage twice. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Defense to better withstand the likes of Draco Meteor from Latias and Shadow Ball from Rotom-A. Cresselia appreciates support from Fighting- and Steel-types, like Hitmontop, Infernape, and Metagross, that can OHKO Tyranitar, as it is one of Cresselia's worst matchups. Incidentally, Tyranitar pairs well with Cresselia, as it threatens Rotom-A and can go on a tear with Cresselia's Trick Room and Helping Hand support. Heatran and Infernape, along with other Fire-type coverage like Rotom-H's Overheat, are also useful for blasting Steel-types like Metagross, Bronzong, and Scizor, as Cresselia can't touch them. Cresselia works well early-game to spread Thunder Wave and great late-game to secure a vital Trick Room going up, but it should be especially careful of Trick from Choice Item Latias and Rotom-A if used as a lead.