Leafeon Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Z-Celebrate boosts all of Leafeon's stats, allowing it to sweep with its boosted Attack and Speed while avoiding being revenge killed thanks to increased bulk. Swords Dance allows Leafeon to boost further after setting up a Z-Celebrate, allowing to OHKO much of the metagame. For example, at +3 Attack, it OHKOes Bronzor with Knock Off and has a chance to OHKO Combusken with Leaf Blade. Double-Edge is an option to round out Leafeon's coverage, hitting Pokemon like Altaria and Monferno quite hard. However, a lack of Swords Dance means Leafeon struggles to break through more defensive teams. Knock Off is Leafeon's best coverage move, hitting Pokemon like Bronzor and removing crucial items like Eviolite and Leftovers from the likes of Mareanie and Altaria. Set Details Leaf Guard must be used, as is the only ability that is compatible with Celebrate. Normalium Z is required to let Leafeon set up with Z-Celebrate. It can also be used in tandem with Double-Edge for a 190-Base Power Breakneck Blitz, which can allow it to break past Pokemon like Altaria more easily. However, this will leave Leafeon unable to set up later. Usage Tips Leafeon should be preserved until late-game in order to attempt to set up and sweep. Thanks to its good Defense, it can set up on certain physical attackers like Golem and Pawniard. Pokemon like Gourgeist-XL and Altaria should be removed or significantly chipped before Leafeon attempts to sweep, as otherwise they will easily prevent it from doing so. If Leafeon finds an opportunity to set up a Swords Dance in addition to Z-Celebrate, it can break through some Pokemon that it otherwise would have unable to, such as a full health Bronzor or a full health Electivire. Thanks to the increased bulk from Z-Celebrate, Leafeon can set up again on Pokemon like Choice Scarf Electivire lacking Flamethrower and non-Ice Beam Silvally-Fighting. Remember that Leafeon can only set up Z-Celebrate once, so if the opponent still has a phazer or Haze user such as Roar Altaria or Haze Mareanie alive, you should not set up until they are gone or sufficiently weakened. If you're running Double-Edge, it can be worthwhile to go for Breakneck Blitz in stead of Z-Celebrate in rare occasions, such as when it is unlikely that Leafeon will be able to sweep but it can break through a Pokemon like Altaria using its Z-Move. Due to Leafeon's great Defense, it can occasionally be used to check physical attackers like Komala. However, this set has no recovery and is thus vulnerable to getting worn down, which will also leave Leafeon unable to sweep. Team Options Leafeon's biggest counter is Gourgeist-XL, so Pokemon that consistently check it, such as Morning Sun Rapidash and Combusken, are solid partners for Leafeon. Pokemon that can bring in Leafeon on foes it can set up on work quite well with it, such as Komala luring in Golem and U-turning out on it; Komala can also lure in Gourgeist-XL before badly poisoning it with Toxic. In return, Leafeon heavily pressures their checks. Special wallbreakers like Floatzel, Chatot, and Mr. Mime can break through the physically defensive Pokemon that wall Leafeon, such as Gourgeist-XL and Gabite, while Leafeon pressures specially defensive Pokemon in return. Stealth Rock setters like Golem pair well with Leafeon, as they wear down opposing Pokemon, especially Flying-types, allowing Leafeon to sweep more easily. Checks to faster Pokemon, especially those that can revenge kill Leafeon like Choice Scarf Swanna and Choice Scarf Rapidash, are very useful; examples include Silvally-Water and Golem, respectively. Since Leafeon needs as much HP as possible to set up reliably, entry hazard removers such as Silvally-Water, Silvally-Fighting, Altaria, and Komala are solid partners.

Moves Bullet Seed allows Leafeon to OHKO Sturdy Golem and Focus Sash Kadabra and hit through Substitutes from Pokemon such as Rotom-F. Leaf Blade gives Leafeon a more reliable STAB option, while Knock Off is its best coverage option and provides utility by removing items. In the final slot, Double Edge can be used to hit Monferno and other Grass resists harder, whereas Quick Attack can be used as a last-ditch priority attack despite being somewhat weak. Set Details Maximum Speed and Attack investment lets Leafeon wallbreak as effectively as possible. Choice Band further augments Leafeon's Attack. An Adamant nature is preferred, as Leafeon outspeeds very few extra Pokemon with a Jolly nature and appreciates the significant boost to its Attack. Leaf Guard must be used, as Bullet Seed and Chlorophyll are incompatible. Usage Tips Leafeon should be used early-game to soften up opposing defensive cores. Using Knock Off can also help cripple opposing teams by removing items. Leafeon can check weaker physical attackers but normally needs to be brought in with a double switch or a free switch due to its mediocre bulk. Beware of locking Leafeon into Leaf Blade or Bullet Seed when facing teams with Bouffalant, as Grass-type moves provide a free boost for it thanks to Sap Sipper. When facing teams with a suicide Stealth Rock setter, such as Rampardos or Golem, Leafeon can prevent it from setting up entry hazards by KOing it through Focus Sash or Sturdy with Bullet Seed. Team Options Sweepers such as Pawniard and Monferno appreciate Leafeon's wallbreaking capabilities, although they provide little defensive synergy. Leafeon also needs teammates like Roselia, Ninetales, and Relicanth, which can switch into Water-, Fire-, and Flying-type attackers that can revenge kill it with ease. Stunfisk is a notable partner for also checking Flying-types, setting up Stealth Rock to assist Leafeon in wearing down opposing teams, and even luring Water-types if running Passho Berry. Checks to Vullaby, such as Raichu, are also needed, as Leafeon is incapable of doing any significant damage to it. Although somewhat rare, clerics such as Grumpig can help keep Leafeon free of status conditions to help it continue wallbreaking. Slow pivots such as Probopass and Pelipper, while not entirely necessary, can help Leafeon switch in more easily.

Moves Leaf Blade is Leafeon's main STAB move, as it is its strongest move and has perfect accuracy. Knock Off is a decent coverage move that allows Leafeon to hit common Psychic- and Ghost-types such as Beheeyem and Gourgeist-XL, and it is generally useful for removing the opposing Pokemon's items such as Eviolite and Leftovers. Double-Edge provides neutral coverage on most targets that resist Grass- and Dark-type moves, such as Monferno and Vullaby, and it is even more effective when these Pokemon have already been hit with Knock Off. Return is an alternative to Double-Edge, as it does not inflict recoil at the cost of less power; however, it is important to note that Return does not 2HKO Monferno on the switch, while Double-Edge has a 93% chance to 2HKO. The final moveslot is primarily up to team structure and preference; X-Scissor helps against Grass-types such as opposing Leafeon and Cacturne while Bullet Seed is an option to bypass Sturdy and Focus Sash users such as Golem and Smeargle. Rock Smash is also worth mentioning as a filler move if none of the other moves are needed due to the fact that it hits Pawniard super effectively. Set Details Maximum Attack investment enables Leafeon to hit as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature and a Choice Scarf allows Leafeon to outspeed the tier's most common Choice Scarf users, such as Rotom-F, Mr. Mime, and Chatot, as well as Pokemon in a higher Speed tier, such as Floatzel and Zebstrika. Chlorophyll is mostly an irrelevant ability, but it can be useful against opposing sun teams. Leaf Guard is used only if Bullet Seed is used as well because Chlorophyll is illegal in conjunction with Bullet Seed. Usage Tips Use Leafeon to threaten and revenge kill fast(er) threats, such as Floatzel, Choice Scarf Mr. Mime, Choice Scarf Chatot, and other relatively frail offensive Pokemon. Leafeon is best used in the mid-game and late-game, primarily because it can clean late-game once its checks and counters have been weakened or removed. Leafeon can also be used somewhat in the early game, bypassing dedicated leads such as Golem, Relicanth, and Focus Sash Smeargle with the use of Bullet Seed provided it gets three or more hits. Furthermore, using Knock Off in the early-game can cripple or weaken Pokemon that depend on their item, paving the way for a teammate to benefit later on. For example, removing Monferno's Eviolite makes it more easily beaten by Double-Edge later on in the match, and removing Altaria's Leftovers early on gets rid of its passive recovery, forcing it to Roost more often and lose momentum. Even though Leafeon can be a good switch-in to some attacks that it resists early on, it should do so with caution to avoid getting worn down too quickly because it may need its health later on in the match to tank a hit. Additionally, although Leafeon has good physical bulk, it has mediocre special bulk, and thus it should not be switched in carelessly into special attacks, even if it resists them. Leafeon should also be careful of attempting to revenge kill Pokemon that it cannot OHKO, as it risks taking unnecessary damage back. Leafeon can click Knock Off or Leaf Blade fairly liberally, as they have few drawbacks. However, it is important to not lock Leafeon into an unfavorable move that would allow it to be set up on, such as locking it into Leaf Blade to give Sap Sipper Bouffalant and Swords Dance Monferno a free turn to set up. This can be avoided either by double switching or picking a move that would better prevent the opponent from taking advantage of Leafeon. Finally, remember that all forms of status, especially paralysis and burn, hinder Leafeon's ability to revenge kill and attack effectively. Team Options Pokemon that appreciate Leafeon's ability to pressure and KO faster threats are good partners. This includes sweepers such as Ursaring, Ninetales, and Nasty Plot Mr. Mime. Choice Scarf Leafeon can fit nicely on bulkier and more balanced teams in need of speed control, but it also fits on offensive teams in the same manner. Leafeon is a good partner to Pokemon that are checked by Golem, such as Dodrio and Muk, as it can remove it for them. Answers to defensive stops like Mawile, Vullaby, Muk, Tangela, and Monferno are helpful, as Leafeon is unable to break through and clean opposing teams until these Pokemon are removed. Notable examples include Water-types such as Floatzel and Swanna, which threaten the Fire-, Flying- and Grass-type counters, and Ninetales and Rapidash, which threaten the Grass- and Steel-type counters. Misdreavus is a nice teammate due to its ability to cripple Fire-type checks with Thunder Wave, making them easier to deal with. Misdreavus counters and weakens opposing Bouffalant that try to prevent Leafeon from spamming Leaf Blade. It also weakens Leafeon's typical counters like Mawile, Vullaby, and Altaria with moves like Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Dazzling Gleam. Camerupt is another good partner, since it switches into Electric-type checks such as Zebstrika and Rotom-F, while Leafeon can handle Ground- and Water-type moves for Camerupt; Choice Specs Camerupt can even lure Altaria for Leafeon and remove it with Hidden Power Ice and generally puts a lot of offensive pressure on opposing walls. Stealth Rock support from the likes of Probopass, Golem, and specially defensive Clefairy is very helpful for Leafeon, as it limits Flying- and Fire-type checks and counters and allows Leafeon to net some important KOs, such as OHKOing Mr. Mime, which would otherwise survive one Leaf Blade from full HP.

Moves Swords Dance assists Leafeon in breaking down bulkier teams, while Leaf Blade functions as its main STAB attack. Knock Off is its best coverage move and can remove Eviolite from a lot of Leafeon's most common switch-ins, such as Vullaby and Tangela. Return is Leafeon's best neutral coverage, acting as Leafeon's strongest attack versus foes such as Monferno, Vullaby, Roselia, and Jumpluff. Double-Edge is an option over Return as it can guarantee the 2HKO on Vullaby after Stealth Rock at +2 at the expense of taking recoil damage in the process. Set Details Maximum Speed and Attack investment alongside a Jolly nature helps Leafeon outspeed and KO as many threats as possible. Chlorophyll is mostly a filler ability, but it allows Leafeon to check opposing sun teams. Yache Berry is critical to prevent Leafeon from easily being revenge killed by faster Water-types with Ice Beam such as Simipour. Usage Tips Leafeon can either set up a Swords Dance early-game to weaken teams for its teammates to have an easier time sweeping or wait until late-game to sweep itself. Using Knock Off early-game helps cripple opposing teams by removing items. Leafeon can switch into weaker physical attackers lacking a super effective move, such as Metang and Gabite, and it also checks Ground-types such as Stunfisk and Golem fairly well. However, it has difficulty switching into other Pokemon and needs to be played with care. Keep in mind that, despite its Yache Berry, Leafeon can still be revenge killed by Choice Scarf Rotom-F's Blizzard after Stealth Rock. Team Options Other strong physical attackers and sweepers, particularly fast ones such as Choice Scarf Dodrio or ones which can boost their Speed such as Fraxure, can benefit from Leafeon's wallbreaking prowess and ability to remove Eviolites with Knock Off. Checks to Fire-, Water-, and Flying-types such as Grumpig, Politoed, and Klang, respectively, are essential, as these foes will often come in to revenge kill Leafeon. Pokemon that can threaten Vullaby, such as Probopass and Electric-types such as Rotom-F, are also appreciated, as Vullaby can easily wall Leafeon and pressure Swords Dance recipients with Foul Play. Lures such as Dazzling Gleam Kadabra can accomplish this as well. Entry hazard setters such as Gabite and Roselia can help wear down Leafeon's switch-ins such as Tangela with Spikes and Stealth Rock damage.

This set works best against slower and bulkier teams such as bulky offense, balance, or even more defensive teams. Leafeon's strategy is simple and linear. Firstly, Leafeon needs to actually get into battle against something that it can force out. Luckily, this isn't hard at all, as Leafeon can switch in on many common threats found on all different types of teams; Kabutops, Rhydon, Slowking, Alomomola, Uxie, and more are prime switch-in opportunities, although some of these Pokemon can hurt Leafeon depending on their set. Next, feel free to set up a Swords Dance, as your opponent will likely switch to a Grass-type counter such as Druddigon, Amoonguss, or Entei. Then, Leafeon can use Baton Pass to switch out of these threatening foes to something more apt to take them on. An important reason why this will work most of the time is that Leafeon is faster than most of the metagame, and nearly all of its best checks are slower than it. Now, the teammate on the receiving end of the Swords Dance boost is ready to wreak havoc. To get an idea of how much Leafeon can help its team with a boost, here are some damage calculations involving some ideal receivers: 252+ Choice Band Entei Flare Blitz vs. 248/144 Slowking: 76.3-90% 252+ Choice Band Entei Flare Blitz vs. 252/240+ Intimidate Qwilfish: 64.3-76% 252+ Choice Band Entei Flare Blitz vs. 252/252+ Alomomola: 46-54.1% 252+ Choice Band Aggron Head Smash vs. 252/252+ Alomomola: 112.1-131% 252+ Choice Band Aggron Head Smash vs. 156/0 Golurk: 120.3-141.6% 252+ Choice Band Aggron Head Smash vs. 252/0 Eviolite Rhydon: 49.2-57.9% 252+ Choice Band Escavalier Megahorn vs. 252/252+ Poliwrath: 64-75.7% 252+ Choice Band Escavalier Megahorn vs. 252/252+ Alomomola: 103.3-121.5% 252+ Choice Band Druddigon Outrage vs. 252/252+ Alomomola: 94.9-111.7% 252+ Choice Band Druddigon Outrage vs. 252/252+ Eviolite Ferroseed: 53-62.6% 252+ Choice Band Druddigon Outrage vs. 252/252+ Tangrowth: 92.8-109.4% As you can see, the damage output of some of Leafeon's best teammates is quite ridiculous after a Swords Dance boost. Slower teams will seriously struggle to find anything that can beat these behemoths. Leafeon does have another dimension to its strategy, though, and its remaining moves allow it to accomplish this. Against more offensive teams, Leafeon is able to serve as a good check to some of the metagame's most prominent threats like Kabutops. Leaf Blade allows Leafeon to actually damage its foes, and it is decently powerful after a Swords Dance boost. In theory, Leafeon would be able to sweep once all of your opponent's Grass-type resistances have been removed, but this is actually very hard to do in practice because there are just so many of them in the metagame. Baton Pass can also be used to gain momentum easily against offensive teams, as dry passing to a counter is extremely effective and impossible to stop. Synthesis gives Leafeon some added survivability to ensure that it can execute its strategy multiple times over the course of a match. It also ensures that Leafeon is difficult to wear down with hazards against teams that use Spikes. It may also allow Leafeon to get another Swords Dance boost under its belt, though one is usually plenty to Baton Pass to a teammate. Maximum HP and Speed EVs make Leafeon the best pivot it can be; Leafeon needs to outspeed as many threats as possible while retaining as much bulk as possible after that. Leftovers is the preferred item choice to ensure that Leafeon doesn't go down easily, but a Lum Berry can be used as well if avoiding status becomes a major issue. However, you should only use Lum Berry if you are deathly afraid of Leafeon getting paralyzed, as the only other status that significantly impacts its effectiveness is burn. Note that Pokemon that can put Leafeon to sleep or freeze it are generally not good ones to switch into in the first place. Also, Toxic is not a big deal to Leafeon, as it rarely spends more than two or three consecutive turns in battle. Chlorophyll is Leafeon's best ability, as it will be more useful than Leaf Guard against the rare sun team. Leafeon can also use Heal Bell on this set; however, it is not recommended because that would mean giving up either Swords Dance or Baton Pass, both of which are needed to make this set effective. Leafeon could also forgo Baton Pass or Synthesis for Return to gain coverage against many Pokemon that resist Leaf Blade. However, this is essentially making Leafeon a worse Sawsbuck, whose superior power, coverage, and additional Normal-type STAB make it a better Swords Dance sweeper than Leafeon. Leafeon needs a good amount of support from its teammates to reach its maximum effectiveness. Good receivers for Baton Pass are necessary; a good receiver is one that can easily cover Leafeon's weaknesses while also boasting a great deal of power after a Swords Dance boost. Ideally, Leafeon wants at least two different receivers, but this is not an issue because RU has many good candidates for this job. Entei is one of the best receivers, as it can switch into many threats that Leafeon has trouble with, including Amoonguss, Roselia, and Escavalier to an extent (Choice Band-boosted Megahorn hurts). Kabutops can switch into Moltres and Entei with relative ease. Escavalier can switch into Druddigon, Amoonguss, Bouffalant, and opposing Escavalier (although this can end up in a stalemate or worse depending on how much Speed or bulk both you and your opponent are running). Druddigon can switch into Entei and all the Grass-types that give Leafeon trouble, as well as Moltres if you get lucky with a Hurricane miss or two. Aggron can switch into Druddigon (don't get caught by Earthquake or Superpower), Escavalier, some Sigilyph variants, and Bouffalant (again, avoid Earthquake). There are other receivers that can work, like Durant, but these are among the best. Leafeon can also benefit from more defensively inclined partners. These teammates can be dry passed to to gain momentum, or they can benefit from a Swords Dance boost if they use physical attacks. Alomomola is a great physical wall that can stop nearly every physical threat in the metagame along with Leafeon, and it can also pass Wishes to Leafeon. Using Leafeon with Alomomola is one of the few instances where it can be beneficial to drop Synthesis on Leafeon for Heal Bell; Synthesis could end up being redundant while Heal Bell is appreciated on nearly every team. Hazard setters can also benefit Leafeon greatly, as the extra damage allows Leafeon and its receivers to destroy the opponent that much more easily. Both Steelix and Regirock are good Stealth Rock users that can check some of the threats that beat Leafeon, such as Escavalier and Moltres respectively. They both use physical attacks as well, so they benefit from a Swords Dance boost. Spikes aren't as necessary because Leafeon's receivers are already obnoxiously powerful and there often isn't enough room to fit Spikes, but if you can fit a Qwilfish or Roselia on your team, Leafeon will surely benefit from it. A field full of hazards on your opponent's side allows Leafeon to dry pass very effectively and make it nearly impossible to wall its receivers.

Leafeon can work well defensively on teams looking for a cleric and Wish support. Its fantastic Defense allows it to wall many physical attackers that can't hit it for super effective damage such as Mienfoo, Lairon, Slaking, and many Persian sets. Wish does a great job at keeping its teammates healthy, allowing them more opportunities to break down the opposing team. Protect ensures Leafeon can receive the healing it needs from Wish, or you can opt to run Synthesis instead to regain immediate health if it can't afford to use Wish and wait a turn. Heal Bell is for curing Leafeon and its teammates of status conditions. Leaf Blade is still a strong STAB move despite the lack of Attack investment, and it keeps Leafeon from being incredibly passive. Cleric Leafeon does best on bulky and balance teams. It is able to sit in on Pokemon like Solrock, Meganium, Hippopotas, and Vibrava while later curing status with Heal Bell. This means it can pass Wishes with little to no drawback to an offensive Pokemon with a favorable matchup against them like Glaceon, Grumpig, Walrein, or Pelipper. Cleric Leafeon really appreciates being paired with Pokemon such as Simisear, Muk, Emolga, and Arbok that can deal with foes that resist its Leaf Blade. It does well at providing teams with longevity when they otherwise wouldn't be able to outlast bulkier teams that attempt to wear them down with status conditions or other notable chip damage.

Swords Dance Leafeon is a threatening setup sweeper due to its great Attack and Speed stats. It has solid bulk, allowing it to come in and set up against passive walls or weaker physical attackers, like Clefairy, Hippopotas, Graveler, or Munchlax. Using Lum Berry can help Leafeon safely set up against any of these more passive Pokemon reliant on status, like Solrock and Frillish. Leaf Blade deals massive damage to bulky neutral targets such as Lairon, Wormadam-G, and Pelipper. The high critical hit ratio can also assist in breaking through the aforementioned setup targets. Return or Double-Edge can help it break through the Poison-types and Grass-types that resist Leaf Blade. When carrying the Normal Gem, Leafeon can OHKO those Grass-resistant foes with a Normal-type move after setting up one Swords Dance; it is worth noting that Return won't always OHKO Muk, Meganium, or opposing Leafeon at full health in this instance, whereas Double-Edge always will. Alternatively, X-Scissor is optimal for hitting opposing Grass- and Psychic-types really hard without the concern of Double-Edge recoil damage, but Leafeon struggles to damage Muk and Arbok without a Normal-type move. Synthesis is great for Leafeon's longevity, keeping it healthy to set up against the previously mentioned Pokemon that it wants to come in on. Leafeon thrives on balance and offensive teams looking for a reliable sweeper that can take a hit or two. It appreciates teammates like Solrock or Graveler to take hits from the faster physically offensive Pokemon such as Emolga and Persian. Special walls such as Clefairy and Grumpig can deal with the faster Raichu and Simisear. Depending on its coverage move, Leafeon can struggle against some combination of Grass-, Poison- and Steel-types. Leafeon pairs well with Muk, Grumpig, Simisear, and Arbok, which can help deal with walls of these types, some of the few it struggles to break through. These walls include Meganium, Muk, Ivysaur, and Wormadam-S. Simisear in particular works well with Leafeon, as it can bring in the Water- and Rock-types that Leafeon likes to setup on. Leafeon also has strong synergy with other physical sweepers like Shelgon and Whiscash, as Leafeon and them can pressure each other's shared checks.