Kecleon Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Sucker Punch is a very strong priority move that aids Kecleon in deterring faster, frailer Pokemon that might attempt to revenge kill it, and is a decent primary attack most of the time. Fire Blast is Kecleon's strongest coverage move, allowing it to OHKO many defensive Pokemon, such as Steelix, Gourgeist, and Vileplume after Stealth Rock damage, and 2HKO bulky Poison-types like Garbodor and Weezing. Grass Knot allows Kecleon to beat Gastrodon, Quagsire, Regirock, and Rhydon while also ensuring that Omastar and Barbaracle are not able to set up on it. Knock Off is a more reliable and spammable primary move providing Kecleon with the excellent utility of removing items such as Eviolite and Leftovers. It also hits Musharna and Lanturn hard, both of which might otherwise attempt to pivot into some of Kecleon's other attacks. Iron Tail is Kecleon's best alternate coverage move, allowing it to break past Mega Audino and Clefairy while also giving Kecleon a Steel typing, which has temporary defensive benefits. Stealth Rock is a great utility move that Kecleon can easily make use of due to the fact that it forces so many switches thanks to its power and coverage. Shadow Sneak is a priority move that allows Kecleon to act as a last ditch spinblocker, though Kecleon is unable to switch into Rapid Spin. Set Details 116 Speed EVs allow Kecleon to outspeed Gourgeist-XL and not get burned by Will-O-Wisp before attacking with Fire Blast. 200 Special Attack EVs with a Life Orb and a Mild nature is enough to let Kecleon OHKO some switch-ins, such as Gourgeist-XL, Steelix, and Vileplume, with Fire Blast after Stealth Rock damage. The remaining 192 EVs are dumped into Attack, powering up Kecleon's physical moves and allowing Sucker Punch to have a 75% chance to OHKO Swellow after Stealth Rock damage, as well as a good chance to 2HKO Mega Audino with Iron Tail. Usage Tips Kecleon is decently powerful and able to break down common defensive cores with its range of physical and special attacks. Kecleon can take advantage of the fact that fully physical sets are quite common, allowing it to lure its targets more easily. Due to its low Speed, Kecleon will mostly be using Sucker Punch to dole out damage to offensive teams. When facing balanced, slower teams, Kecleon needn't rely on Sucker Punch as heavily, as these balance teams tend to carry slower Pokemon such as Mega Audino, Gourgeist, and Vileplume, all of which are outsped and dealt with by Kecleon. Kecleon can utilize Protean's ability to effectively create mind games, such as using Dark-type attacks on Psychic-type Pokemon in order to evade their STAB moves and clicking Fire Blast on Gourgeist-XL to avoid being burnt by Will-O-Wisp. Kecleon's physical frailty means that it should only be switched in on weaker special attacks, pivoted in via a slow Volt Switch or U-turn, or brought in on a double switch. Kecleon's reliance on priority to hit anything faster means fast status users, such as Rotom and Mismagius, are able to avoid Sucker Punch and cripple Kecleon with Will-O-Wisp, so try and hit these with Knock Off as they switch in if possible. Team Options Pokemon that appreciate defensive staples such as Audino and Steelix being severely weakened by Kecleon's various coverage options, such as Tauros, Archeops, Kangaskhan, and Swellow, make for good partners. Pokemon with access to speed control are also viable partners, as they are able to mitigate Kecleon's horrendous Speed stat, allowing Kecleon to fare much better against offensive teams, albeit only for a few turns. Slow VoltTurn users are also great options to get Kecleon into battle, as they can bring Kecleon in after the opponent attacks so that Kecleon does not take damage; some Pokemon that can do this well are Pelipper and Lanturn. Hazard-stacking cores such as Garbodor + Steelix make for excellent partners because of the extra damage accumulated by the entry hazards they set, helping Kecleon assure KOs on certain targets such as Vileplume and Steelix. Omastar also makes for a great partner, as it has access to three entry hazards, and checks common threats to Kecleon, such as Archeops, Kangaskhan, physical Charizard, and Tauros. Mesprit and Audino are able to significantly slow down threats with Thunder Wave, and the former is able to support Kecleon with Healing Wish, should Kecleon acquire too much Life Orb recoil, and Stealth Rock so Kecleon can nab the KO on Vileplume, Steelix, and Swellow after Stealth Rock damage.

Kecleon can make use of its above average special bulk to set up Stealth Rock in front of special attackers. Color Change also allows it to wall several Pokemon such as special Samurott lacking Taunt and Choice Scarf Jynx. Recover allows Kecleon to keep itself healthy against the onslaught of special attackers. Foul Play is used as Kecleon's attacking option, as its Attack stat is subpar and it rarely receives a STAB boost on any move due to Color Change. Foul Play also deals heavy damage to Golurk. Kecleon can also be a decent status spreader, with Toxic crippling walls and Thunder Wave crippling fast opposing attackers; both can potentially pave the way for a teammate's sweep. It should be noted that it is very easy for opponents to take advantage of Color Change to expose Kecleon to super effective attacks. For instance, Charizard can use a combination of Hidden Power Grass and Fire Blast to easily KO Kecleon. As such, Kecleon should always be used with caution. Magic Coat is a decent move on Kecleon, allowing it to bounce status moves, entry hazards, and Taunt back at the opponent. Return can be used over Foul Play, but it is usually weak due to Kecleon's ever-changing typing. Because Kecleon can slow down faster foes with paralysis, teammates that appreciate the opponent's team getting slowed down are decent. Sawk, Ursaring, and Samurott are good examples. Physically defensive Pokemon are also great partners as they cover up Kecleon's weaker defensive stat. Musharna is a great example as it can provide cleric support, as well as taking the Fighting-type hits that threaten Kecleon before Color Change activates. Dark-type Pursuit trappers are also nice teammates to have because they deter opponents from bringing in Pokemon such as Heal Bell Synchronize Musharna that can beat Kecleon. Skuntank and Sneasel are good examples.

Kecleon is surprisingly bulky on the special side, with defensive stats slightly superior to Clefable's. Color Change gives Kecleon a unique advantage over other special walls, as it often causes special attackers to hit it with resisted attacks. Every common special attacking type in UU resists itself, except Ghost, which Kecleon is naturally immune to, meaning it can come in on nearly any Choice-locked special attacker without being 2HKOed. Even Pokemon that don't use Choice items often lack wide enough coverage to land consecutive neutral hits on Kecleon. Life Orb Venusaur, for example, cannot even 3HKO Kecleon with any attack if it switches in on Sludge Bomb. This set focuses on forcing out special attackers and supporting the team. Stealth Rock is an excellent addition to any type of team, limiting the opponent's ability to switch and giving your sweepers the ability to secure additional OHKOs and 2HKOs. If another Pokemon on your team has entry hazards covered, Thunder Wave is a great alternative option. Paralysis will cripple any special attacker foolish enough to stay in, and directly helps Kecleon by allowing it to outspeed many Pokemon it otherwise could not. Although Kecleon can't rely on a consistent STAB boost for Return, it is still a good move that combines with Aqua Tail to hit everything in UU, except Shedinja, for at least neutral damage. Recover gives Kecleon reliable recovery so it can continue walling special attackers throughout the match. With a Careful nature and 252 SpD EVs, Kecleon can switch in on almost any Choiced special attack not named Focus Blast with impunity. Modest Choice Specs Alakazam's Psychic and Timid Choice Specs Moltres's Fire Blast, two of the most powerful special attacks in UU, both fail to 2HKO because of Color Change, which allows Kecleon to resist the second hit. Even special attackers that don't use Choice items can have trouble breaking through; Life Orb Milotic cannot 2HKO Kecleon even by rotating between Hydro Pump, Hidden Power Grass, and Ice Beam, although Kecleon won't be able to do much in return. While Kecleon rarely has trouble taking hits from special attackers, it is quite vulnerable on the physical side. Fighting-types are Kecleon's worst nightmare, as most of them can OHKO with STAB Close Combat. Hariyama and Hitmontop in particular can both switch in on any of Kecleon's moves and force it out. Hariyama can absorb even Thunder Wave for a Guts boost. Donphan can spin away Stealth Rock, is immune to Thunder Wave, and takes pitiful damage from Aqua Tail while striking back with powerful physical attacks. In order to get rid of these threats, a sturdy Psychic-type partner, such as Uxie, is recommended. In addition, bulky setup sweepers like Curse Registeel and Calm Mind Slowbro can come in and set up on Kecleon with impunity. While they may not be immediately threatening, there is little Kecleon can do to stop them from setting up, so it's important to have a teammate that can prevent these Pokemon from sweeping. Milotic with Haze and Alakazam with Encore are both very capable of disrupting any Pokemon that attempts to boost its stats.

Kecleon's low Speed, excellent special bulk, and access to a reliable recovery move make it a natural choice to set up Trick Room, which turns slow, forgotten Pokemon into dangerous sweepers that can tear through unprepared teams. Stealth Rock helps such sweepers get their KOs more quickly, preventing valuable Trick Room turns from being wasted. Return does respectable damage if Kecleon is forced to attack, while Recover helps keep it healthy so it can continue setting up Trick Room throughout the battle. The EVs maximize Kecleon's special bulk while making it as slow as possible, since Trick Room will be inverting Speed. Once Trick Room is up, the only Pokemon that will be "faster" than Kecleon are other Pokemon designed for Trick Room (and Gyro Ball Steelix). For this set to be useful, your team should load up on slow, powerful attackers with good bulk and wide coverage. Rhyperior is perhaps the most fearsome Trick Room sweeper, as it has great physical bulk and reaches 832 Attack after a Swords Dance, allowing it to OHKO nearly everything with the fantastic STAB combination of Earthquake and Stone Edge. Strong users of priority, particularly Azumarill, are other excellent teammates to consider when using a Trick Room team. You will also want other Pokemon that can set up Trick Room in case Kecleon is incapacitated. Spiritomb is immune to the Fighting-type attacks that threaten Kecleon and possesses excellent overall bulk, allowing it to set up Trick Room multiple times. Slowking is another cool option, able to both set up Trick Room and sweep inside it with Nasty Plot.

Thanks to Kecleon's usable Attack stat and excellent special bulk, a Choice Band set is viable. Return and Aqua Tail have good Base Power and perfect neutral coverage, meaning nothing can switch into this set for free. Low Kick provides extra power against some of UU's sturdiest Pokemon, 2HKOing both Registeel and Steelix. Trick is a great move for crippling Pokemon that Kecleon would otherwise have trouble with. Mismagius might try to sneak in on a predicted Return or Low Kick to set up a sweep, while Slowbro takes little damage from any of Kecleon's attacks; however, both will hate being stuck with a Choice Band for the rest of the match. The given Speed EVs allow Kecleon to outspeed minimum Speed base 60s. Attack is maximized to hit as hard as possible, and the remaining EVs are put into HP to make it easier for Kecleon to switch in. If you aren't concerned about Clefable and Weezing, a spread of 172 HP / 252 Atk / 84 Spe will increase Kecleon's bulk while still allowing it to beat minimum base 50s such as Chansey, Donphan, Aggron, and Registeel. Either way, a couple of extra points in Speed can be used as insurance against Speed creep. This set is generally much harder to switch into, but it still has some solid counters. Defensive Hariyama is not 2HKOed by any of Kecleon's moves and doesn't particularly mind being Tricked a Choice Band. Weezing won't enjoy Trick, but it can take any of Kecleon's other attacks and cripple it with Will-O-Wisp. Slowbro is an excellent partner, as it reliably counters these Pokemon and can help Kecleon overcome its low Speed by providing paralysis support. Offensively, Swellow is a good teammate since it can sweep much more easily if the opponent's physical walls are weakened or Choice-locked; it also has no trouble taking out the Fighting-types that threaten Kecleon.

This set is better designed for heavy stall teams, making the absolute most of Kecleon's huge Special Defense stat to counter special attacking threats throughout a match, including even Huntail. Seismic Toss and Toxic allow Kecleon to inflict the most damage possible over an extended match, preventing it from being complete setup bait to any Pokemon apart from some Substitute users such as Whiscash. RestTalk gives Kecleon a ton of longevity, making it very hard to break for weather sweepers and opposing stall teams in particular. With a RestTalk set, Kecleon is less susceptible to its Color Change being taken advantage of by the opponent, as the recovery helps cover most mispredictions and surprise coverage moves by special attackers. This set should focus completely on Kecleon's Special Defense in order to best counter the special attackers in the tier throughout a match. As RestTalk Kecleon should only be used on stall teams, it should have teammates to cover its lower Defense stat. While Kecleon has no trouble walling most special attackers like Plusle and Bellossom, it has some major issues with mixed attackers and setup sweepers that can take advantage of its offensive impotence like Substitute Whiscash, Calm Mind Chimecho, and Haunter. Stall staples such as physically defensive Sableye, Roar Wailord, and Chimecho make good partners for Kecleon for this reason. Chimecho stands out for being able to check Hitmonchan, and it can carry Heal Bell to wake Kecleon more easily. As a stall team member, Kecleon appreciates Spikes support from Roselia and Glalie to more quickly wear the opposing team down with Toxic and Seismic Toss. Rapid Spin Hitmonchan also makes a good teammate to clear Spikes from your side of the field and ensure that Kecleon can more reliably check Huntail and other powerful special attackers throughout the match.

Kecleon stands out as a Choice Band user by possessing a ton of natural special bulk, allowing it to simultaneously check special attackers and threaten the opposing team offensively with its strong physical moves. While Kecleon has rock-bottom Speed as a Choice Band user, meaning it likely won't be able to sweep the opponent, it makes up for it by checking many Pokemon other similar Choice Band users, such as Pidgeot and Raticate, cannot. Return is the recommended STAB move, as Kecleon will likely be taking a lot of damage from the opponent due to its low Speed, meaning the recoil from Double-Edge is undesirable. It should be noted here that Kecleon is unlikely to keep Return as its STAB move if it switches into a special attacker's attack, so another move of your choice can easily fit this slot. Shadow Ball and Brick Break pair with Return to give Kecleon perfect neutral coverage and nail the Ghost-, Steel-, and Rock-types that can switch into Return for free. Focus Punch is a decent alternative to Brick Break if you feel you can predict well due to its sheer power, but mispredicting can spell doom for Kecleon or its teammates. The last slot is reserved for Trick, which is nearly unique to Kecleon in NU. With Trick, Kecleon can completely cripple Sableye or another stall staple, such as Wailord, for the rest of the match, giving it a great niche over other similar Choice Band users. Kecleon is so slow that there's not much point in running any Speed; otherwise, you'll end up detracting too much from its bulk or Attack. However, if you really want Kecleon to outspeed minimum base 50s, 84 EVs can be moved from Attack to Speed. Kecleon has a few other physical moves to choose from if you want to target specific threats on the opponent's team. Aerial Ace can make for a very nasty surprise for Hitmonchan and Tangela; Rock Slide will put the hurt on the Fire- and Ice-types that Kecleon can switch into easily; and Iron Tail will hit Rock-types significantly harder than Brick Break. A Lonely nature can be run with Ice Beam or Hidden Power Grass as well to get a very strong hit on Tangela, Graveler, Shelgon, and Relicanth with the appropriate move. Choice Band Kecleon fits best on balance teams that want an offensive switch-in to special attackers in the tier in order to keep up offensive pressure and not give the opponent an opportunity to set up. Good offensive teammates to pair with Kecleon include Relicanth, Murkrow, Tangela, and Pikachu, as they have low Special Defense and lure in the special attackers that Kecleon can use to fire off strong attacks. Raticate in particular can make an effective teammate with Kecleon to clean up once the opponent's Normal-type counters have been revealed and weakened. Kecleon is very easily revenge killed due to its low Defense and Speed, meaning a physically bulky teammate that can pick up its slack is recommended. Offensive Chimecho is a good example that can switch into Hitmonchan easily, and offensive Mawile can keep up momentum with Baton Pass and check the Normal- and Flying-types that will target Kecleon's Defense. Other Options Kecleon's movepool is very large, making many different kinds of sets possible that have not been listed above. A SubPunch set can make use of Kecleon's great bulk and ability to force switches, but Kecleon is too slow to pull this set off effectively against more offensive teams. A straight special attacking set can make use of Kecleon's huge special movepool, although it's a bit outclassed by Wigglytuff due to its higher Special Attack. However, access to Blizzard, Ice Beam, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Hidden Power Grass, Feint Attack, Water Pulse, and Psybeam makes Kecleon very unpredictable and tough to switch into. Screech can be used to greatly increase the damage of Kecleon's physical moves, but Kecleon is too slow to really make the most of it. Of particular note is Kecleon's huge array of supportive moves that have not yet been mentioned. Kecleon is probably the best user of Psych Up in the tier, as it can easily switch into a Calm Mind-boosted Sableye or Chimecho and steal the boosts, making it nigh-unbreakable with special attacks. Skill Swap is pretty gimmicky, but it can really screw over something like Flareon that can then become unable to even scratch Kecleon. Magic Coat can prevent Kecleon from being inflicted by status and bounce it back at the opponent, but RestTalk is a better method overall of preventing status from crippling Kecleon. Sunny Day and Rain Dance can be used to support the team; and Kecleon can offensively take advantage of Sunny Day with Fire Blast and Solar Beam, and it can use Thunder and Water Pulse with Rain Dance. Finally, Kecleon can use Trick with an item like Macho Brace to cripple the foe without having to use a Choice Band. Checks and Counters Metang is probably the safest switch-in to Kecleon as it takes little from Kecleon's STAB moves, is immune to Toxic, typically doesn't mind being paralyzed, and can target Kecleon's lower Defense stat with Meteor Mash and Earthquake. Mawile is another great switch-in as it really only fears a Choice Band-boosted Focus Punch or the uncommon Fire Blast and can lower Kecleon's Attack with Intimidate. Rock-types such as Relicanth and Sudowoodo will not appreciate being hit by Toxic, but they can also absorb Kecleon's Normal moves and nail Kecleon with a strong Rock Slide. Hitmonchan has a tougher time switching directly into Kecleon, but it can easily OHKO Kecleon with Sky Uppercut. Most strong physical attackers such as Raticate, Kingler, Piloswine, and Pidgeot can easily O-2HKO Kecleon with the appropriate move. In general, many Pokemon can take advantage of Kecleon's Color Change by changing it into a type that's weak to their coverage moves. For example, Huntail can nail Kecleon with Hydro Pump, follow up with a super effective Hidden Power Grass, and proceed to follow that up with a super effective Ice Beam. Other attackers that typically carry a move super effective to another they carry include Flareon, Bellossom, Pikachu, and Whiscash.

Kecleon is one of the best blanket checks to special attackers in NU, and this set is designed to take advantage of that fact and spread paralysis for the rest of its team. Kecleon fits best on balanced teams as a role compressor, completing a two- or three-Pokemon defensive core. Body Slam makes use of Kecleon's decent Attack stat and hits most of the specially offensive Pokemon in the tier in their weaker Defense stat. Protect allows Kecleon to scout moves, which is particularly helpful in Kecleon's case, as it allows you to more accurately predict how your opponent will play into Color Change. Shadow Ball is recommended to fill out the set, since Kecleon is one of the best answers to Haunter in the tier and it gives Kecleon something to hit Sableye with. Brick Break is a good alternative to prevent Mawile from being able to use Kecleon as complete setup bait, and it gets a decent hit on Glalie and Dewgong. Kecleon's movepool is huge, so there are a lot of different ways you can customize this set to suit your needs and take on the Pokemon you need to more reliably counter. Most prominently is Kecleon's huge array of coverage moves that can fill the last slot to allow it to cover certain weak points in your team structure. Icy Wind is a great option on Kecleon to slow the opposing Pokemon down to potentially stop a sweep and get a decent hit on Pupitar, Tropius, and Tangela. Fire Blast allows Kecleon to counter Bellossom and Tangela even in the sun, as long as it avoids Sleep Powder. Hidden Power Grass can be a nasty surprise for Whiscash and Relicanth thinking they can absorb Body Slam and Thunder Wave safely. Kecleon works best as part of a defensive core, as its lacking Defense stat leaves it very vulnerable to physical attackers like Hitmonchan, Pidgeot, and Raticate. Relicanth and Chimecho pair extremely well with Kecleon, and as a core they cover nearly every major threat in the tier between them. Relicanth in particular appreciates Kecleon's ability to absorb most Grass-type attacks, and Chimecho loves Kecleon's ability to paralyze the opposing team. In return, Relicanth easily stops Normal-types in their tracks, and Chimecho switches into Hitmonchan's Fighting-type attacks. In general, Pokemon that will appreciate Kecleon's paralysis support make the best teammates, in particular slower, bulkier sweepers such as Swords Dance Tropius, Bulk Up Hitmonchan, and Bulk Up Vigoroth.