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[OVERVIEW]
Leafeon is a fairly powerful wallbreaker for PU with high Attack and Speed, solid coverage options, and access to two excellent boosting moves in Z-Celebrate and Swords Dance. Leafeon's bulk and typing also give it a good matchup versus most defensive Pokemon in PU, including Jellicent, Torterra, Mudsdale, and Regirock. Its defensive presence and access to Knock Off and Synthesis make it a fairly well-rounded Pokemon, allowing it to fit on a wide variety of teams. However, Leafeon is very susceptible to status and vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards, forcing it to choose its switching somewhat carefully. Furthermore, although it's hard to counter defensively, Leafeon is easily offensively checked by most faster Pokemon and has a somewhat awkward defensive typing with a weakness to common Ice- and Flying-types.
[SET]
name: Z-Celebrate
move 1: Celebrate
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Knock Off / Double-Edge
move 4: Synthesis
item: Normalium Z
ability: Leaf Guard
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Z-Celebrate gives Leafeon a boost to all of its stats, turning it into a fast, bulky, and powerful sweeper all at once. Knock Off hits Steel-types like Alolan Sandslash and Ferroseed, while Double-Edge is a more powerful attack versus most Grass-type checks like Victreebel, Oricorio-E, and Drampa. Synthesis allows Leafeon to use its boosted bulk to tank hits from Pokemon like Choice Scarf Primeape without getting overwhelmed by chip damage.
Set Details
========
Leaf Guard is the only ability compatible with Celebrate.
Usage Tips
========
Depending on the matchup, Leafeon might want to function as a late-game sweeper or an early-game wallbreaker. More specifically, if facing a team with a very fast Choice Scarf user like Dodrio or Simisear, Leafeon is unlikely to ever be able to sweep and should try to get its hits in early and make use of its defensive presence. In these situations, it may also be beneficial to use Breakneck Blitz instead to catch a Grass-type check like Victreebel or Oricorio-E. However, versus teams that lack an effective revenge killer, Leafeon is an excellent sweeper once checks such as Alolan Sandslash have been worn down. Even if planning to preserve Leafeon for late-game, it can still be used earlier on to check Pokemon such as Torterra—just make sure to avoid the occasional Toxic. In general, Leafeon should avoid setting up on status users such as Bronzor and Jellicent whenever possible, and you may even want to scout for options such as Thunder Wave and Toxic from Ferroseed before assuming Leafeon can set up for free. Leafeon can use the defensive boost provided by Z-Celebrate to set up on powerful physical attackers such as Hitmonchan. However, keep in mind that its special bulk is poor enough that you'll rarely be able to set up on special attackers carrying super effective coverage. Even when you can, Leafeon will still likely take more damage than it can heal off with Synthesis after the boost. Other good Pokemon to set up on include Choice-locked Pokemon such as Primeape and Alolan Sandslash and slower Pokemon that rarely carry status moves such as Torterra.
Team Options
========
Skuntank is an excellent partner, capable of trapping nuisances like Bronzor and Choice Scarf Dodrio, pressuring Tangela, and removing Toxic Spikes for Leafeon. In return, Leafeon checks Ground-types like Torterra and Mudsdale. Stealth Rock setters like Regirock are a must, as many of Leafeon's checks are weak to Rock, including Simisear and Articuno. Regirock is also a valuable defensive partner that covers most of Leafeon's weaknesses. Leafeon likes to partner with physical wallbreakers capable of wearing down walls like Ferroseed, such as Stoutland and Crabominable. Simisear checks such as Lanturn, Ice-type checks like Alolan Sandslash, and Flying-type checks such as Carbink are strongly advisable, as Leafeon may get forced out frequently. Leafeon supports all of these Pokemon in return by checking Mudsdale and Torterra.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Knock Off / Double-Edge
move 4: Synthesis / Double-Edge
item: Grassium Z / Normalium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Knock Off has good utility in removing useful items from the likes of Bronzor and Alolan Sandslash, but Double-Edge provides higher power to threaten Grass-resistant foes like Altaria and Abomasnow. Synthesis allows Leafeon to act as a more long-term wallbreaker, capable of switching into Pokemon like Clefairy multiple times, but it can be dropped for the ability to cover nearly all of its checks at once with both offensive moves.
Set Details
========
Grassium Z gives Leafeon access to Bloom Doom, a much stronger nuke capable of blowing through Pokemon like Silvally-Fairy and Musharna much more quickly. However, Normalium Z lets Leafeon put more pressure on Grass-type checks like Articuno and Skuntank with Breakneck Blitz, which it otherwise struggles more heavily with.
Usage Tips
========
Leafeon primarily wants to function as an early-game wallbreaker due to both the amount of pressure it can exert after only a single turn of setup and the excellent utility of removing items from foes as early as possible. Since Leafeon is so hard to counter after a Swords Dance, opponents will likely look to pivot in frail but faster Pokemon such as Cryogonal and Dodrio as Leafeon sets up in order to force it out. Leafeon will also often face Pokemon such as Skuntank, Qwilfish, and Ferroseed, which cannot beat it one-on-one but aim to chip it with Aftermath, Rocky Helmet, and Iron Barbs. Be careful about preserving Leafeon's health, and keep in mind that it can deal non-contact damage with its Z-Move. That being said, don't be afraid to use Leafeon extremely aggressively. Versus offensive teams it rarely has much late-game utility unless it's absolutely needed to keep a threat like Torterra in check.
Team Options
========
Defensive partners like Bronzor, Jellicent, and Regirock capable of taking on the slew of Poison-, Ice-, Fire-, and Flying-types aiming to check Leafeon offensively are an absolute must. Leafeon's breaking power means that it provides good support for late-game sweepers like Omastar and Trick Room Musharna. Heal Bell users like Lanturn and Audino are worth considering, as they can allow Leafeon to more effectively check status inducers like Mudsdale and Jellicent without being permanently crippled. Lanturn is also notable because it will frequently use Volt Switch to pivot out on specially bulky Pokemon such as Clefairy, which Leafeon can take advantage of. Gurdurr is another notable partner that can threaten Steel-types like Ferroseed and Alolan Sandslash and appreciates Leafeon checking Jellicent. The pair also effectively pressures Oricorio-E and Tangela together.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Leafeon can be used on sun teams and may want to opt for a Life Orb rather than a Z-Crystal if another sweeper needs the breaking power. However, sun is an overall weak playstyle. Swords Dance Leafeon can also opt for a Yache or Lum Berry if another teammate needs to use a Z-Move, with the former allowing it to take a hit from certain Ice-types such as Cryogonal and the latter helping Leafeon to set up on status inducers such as Audino.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Leafeon can be revenge killed by a plethora of faster Pokemon, including Choice Scarf Rotom-F, Scyther, Choice Scarf Alolan Sandslash, Simisear, and Cryogonal. After a Z-Celebrate, Choice Scarf Dodrio and Simisear can still outspeed and KO Leafeon, although Dodrio requires slight chip damage.
**Status**: Toxic from the likes of Regirock and Audino can wear down Leafeon extremely quickly. Burn from foes like Jellicent completely negates Leafeon's breaking abilities. Although rarer, Thunder Wave users such as Clefairy can make Leafeon much easier to revenge kill.
**Grass-types**: Despite potentially losing its Eviolite to Knock Off, Tangela is by far the best hard counter to Leafeon. Other bulky Grass-types such as Bellossom and Lurantis can be somewhat annoying, although they will take a few turns to KO Leafeon, while Leafeon can potentially break through them with boosted Double-Edges. Ferroseed can cripple Leafeon with Toxic or Thunder Wave, although Synthesis sets can otherwise set up on it for free, and it doesn't enjoy losing its Eviolite. Victreebel and Roselia can tank any unboosted hit from Leafeon other than Breakneck Blitz and OHKO in return with Sludge Bomb.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Megazard, 202117]]
- Quality checked by: [[royesk, 474994], [Estarossa, 461329], [yogi, 252106]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
[OVERVIEW]
Leafeon is a fairly powerful wallbreaker for PU with high Attack and Speed, solid coverage options, and access to two excellent boosting moves in Z-Celebrate and Swords Dance. Leafeon's bulk and typing also give it a good matchup versus most defensive Pokemon in PU, including Jellicent, Torterra, Mudsdale, and Regirock. Its defensive presence and access to Knock Off and Synthesis make it a fairly well-rounded Pokemon, allowing it to fit on a wide variety of teams. However, Leafeon is very susceptible to status and vulnerable to all forms of entry hazards, forcing it to choose its switching somewhat carefully. Furthermore, although it's hard to counter defensively, Leafeon is easily offensively checked by most faster Pokemon and has a somewhat awkward defensive typing with a weakness to common Ice- and Flying-types.
[SET]
name: Z-Celebrate
move 1: Celebrate
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Knock Off / Double-Edge
move 4: Synthesis
item: Normalium Z
ability: Leaf Guard
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Z-Celebrate gives Leafeon a boost to all of its stats, turning it into a fast, bulky, and powerful sweeper all at once. Knock Off hits Steel-types like Alolan Sandslash and Ferroseed, while Double-Edge is a more powerful attack versus most Grass-type checks like Victreebel, Oricorio-E, and Drampa. Synthesis allows Leafeon to use its boosted bulk to tank hits from Pokemon like Choice Scarf Primeape without getting overwhelmed by chip damage.
Set Details
========
Leaf Guard is the only ability compatible with Celebrate.
Usage Tips
========
Depending on the matchup, Leafeon might want to function as a late-game sweeper or an early-game wallbreaker. More specifically, if facing a team with a very fast Choice Scarf user like Dodrio or Simisear, Leafeon is unlikely to ever be able to sweep and should try to get its hits in early and make use of its defensive presence. In these situations, it may also be beneficial to use Breakneck Blitz instead to catch a Grass-type check like Victreebel or Oricorio-E. However, versus teams that lack an effective revenge killer, Leafeon is an excellent sweeper once checks such as Alolan Sandslash have been worn down. Even if planning to preserve Leafeon for late-game, it can still be used earlier on to check Pokemon such as Torterra—just make sure to avoid the occasional Toxic. In general, Leafeon should avoid setting up on status users such as Bronzor and Jellicent whenever possible, and you may even want to scout for options such as Thunder Wave and Toxic from Ferroseed before assuming Leafeon can set up for free. Leafeon can use the defensive boost provided by Z-Celebrate to set up on powerful physical attackers such as Hitmonchan. However, keep in mind that its special bulk is poor enough that you'll rarely be able to set up on special attackers carrying super effective coverage. Even when you can, Leafeon will still likely take more damage than it can heal off with Synthesis after the boost. Other good Pokemon to set up on include Choice-locked Pokemon such as Primeape and Alolan Sandslash and slower Pokemon that rarely carry status moves such as Torterra.
Team Options
========
Skuntank is an excellent partner, capable of trapping nuisances like Bronzor and Choice Scarf Dodrio, pressuring Tangela, and removing Toxic Spikes for Leafeon. In return, Leafeon checks Ground-types like Torterra and Mudsdale. Stealth Rock setters like Regirock are a must, as many of Leafeon's checks are weak to Rock, including Simisear and Articuno. Regirock is also a valuable defensive partner that covers most of Leafeon's weaknesses. Leafeon likes to partner with physical wallbreakers capable of wearing down walls like Ferroseed, such as Stoutland and Crabominable. Simisear checks such as Lanturn, Ice-type checks like Alolan Sandslash, and Flying-type checks such as Carbink are strongly advisable, as Leafeon may get forced out frequently. Leafeon supports all of these Pokemon in return by checking Mudsdale and Torterra.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Leaf Blade
move 3: Knock Off / Double-Edge
move 4: Synthesis / Double-Edge
item: Grassium Z / Normalium Z
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Knock Off has good utility in removing useful items from the likes of Bronzor and Alolan Sandslash, but Double-Edge provides higher power to threaten Grass-resistant foes like Altaria and Abomasnow. Synthesis allows Leafeon to act as a more long-term wallbreaker, capable of switching into Pokemon like Clefairy multiple times, but it can be dropped for the ability to cover nearly all of its checks at once with both offensive moves.
Set Details
========
Grassium Z gives Leafeon access to Bloom Doom, a much stronger nuke capable of blowing through Pokemon like Silvally-Fairy and Musharna much more quickly. However, Normalium Z lets Leafeon put more pressure on Grass-type checks like Articuno and Skuntank with Breakneck Blitz, which it otherwise struggles more heavily with.
Usage Tips
========
Leafeon primarily wants to function as an early-game wallbreaker due to both the amount of pressure it can exert after only a single turn of setup and the excellent utility of removing items from foes as early as possible. Since Leafeon is so hard to counter after a Swords Dance, opponents will likely look to pivot in frail but faster Pokemon such as Cryogonal and Dodrio as Leafeon sets up in order to force it out. Leafeon will also often face Pokemon such as Skuntank, Qwilfish, and Ferroseed, which cannot beat it one-on-one but aim to chip it with Aftermath, Rocky Helmet, and Iron Barbs. Be careful about preserving Leafeon's health, and keep in mind that it can deal non-contact damage with its Z-Move. That being said, don't be afraid to use Leafeon extremely aggressively. Versus offensive teams it rarely has much late-game utility unless it's absolutely needed to keep a threat like Torterra in check.
Team Options
========
Defensive partners like Bronzor, Jellicent, and Regirock capable of taking on the slew of Poison-, Ice-, Fire-, and Flying-types aiming to check Leafeon offensively are an absolute must. Leafeon's breaking power means that it provides good support for late-game sweepers like Omastar and Trick Room Musharna. Heal Bell users like Lanturn and Audino are worth considering, as they can allow Leafeon to more effectively check status inducers like Mudsdale and Jellicent without being permanently crippled. Lanturn is also notable because it will frequently use Volt Switch to pivot out on specially bulky Pokemon such as Clefairy, which Leafeon can take advantage of. Gurdurr is another notable partner that can threaten Steel-types like Ferroseed and Alolan Sandslash and appreciates Leafeon checking Jellicent. The pair also effectively pressures Oricorio-E and Tangela together.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Leafeon can be used on sun teams and may want to opt for a Life Orb rather than a Z-Crystal if another sweeper needs the breaking power. However, sun is an overall weak playstyle. Swords Dance Leafeon can also opt for a Yache or Lum Berry if another teammate needs to use a Z-Move, with the former allowing it to take a hit from certain Ice-types such as Cryogonal and the latter helping Leafeon to set up on status inducers such as Audino.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Faster Pokemon**: Leafeon can be revenge killed by a plethora of faster Pokemon, including Choice Scarf Rotom-F, Scyther, Choice Scarf Alolan Sandslash, Simisear, and Cryogonal. After a Z-Celebrate, Choice Scarf Dodrio and Simisear can still outspeed and KO Leafeon, although Dodrio requires slight chip damage.
**Status**: Toxic from the likes of Regirock and Audino can wear down Leafeon extremely quickly. Burn from foes like Jellicent completely negates Leafeon's breaking abilities. Although rarer, Thunder Wave users such as Clefairy can make Leafeon much easier to revenge kill.
**Grass-types**: Despite potentially losing its Eviolite to Knock Off, Tangela is by far the best hard counter to Leafeon. Other bulky Grass-types such as Bellossom and Lurantis can be somewhat annoying, although they will take a few turns to KO Leafeon, while Leafeon can potentially break through them with boosted Double-Edges. Ferroseed can cripple Leafeon with Toxic or Thunder Wave, although Synthesis sets can otherwise set up on it for free, and it doesn't enjoy losing its Eviolite. Victreebel and Roselia can tank any unboosted hit from Leafeon other than Breakneck Blitz and OHKO in return with Sludge Bomb.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Megazard, 202117]]
- Quality checked by: [[royesk, 474994], [Estarossa, 461329], [yogi, 252106]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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