Create Defensive Cobblemon Teams for Long Battles

In Cobblemon, a defensive team is built to outlast opponents, resist damage, and slowly wear down the opposition over time. Defensive teams excel in long battles, using healing, status effects, and high defenses to frustrate attackers and emerge victorious. In this guide, we’ll explore how to build a strong defensive Cobblemon team, focusing on types, moves, and strategies that help your Cobblemon tank hits and control the pace of the battle.

Why Choose a Defensive Team?

Defensive teams are ideal for trainers who prefer strategic, drawn-out battles. These teams excel at:

• Absorbing damage: Defensive Cobblemon have high HP, Defense, and Special Defense, allowing them to take multiple hits without fainting.
• Wearing down opponents: Through status conditions like Poison or Burn, defensive Cobblemon can chip away at opponents over time.
• Healing: With access to recovery moves and healing items, defensive Cobblemon can last much longer than their offensive counterparts.
• Controlling the battlefield: Moves like Reflect, Light Screen, and entry hazards give defensive teams control over the tempo of battle.

Step 1: Choosing Defensive Cobblemon

The foundation of any defensive team is choosing Cobblemon with high defensive stats and utility moves that help them stay on the field longer. Here are some of the best defensive Cobblemon and their roles:

1. Blissey (Normal)

• Key Stats: HP, Special Defense
• Role: Special wall, healer
• Moves: Soft-Boiled (healing), Toxic (status infliction), Seismic Toss (consistent damage), Heal Bell (removes status conditions)
• Strategy: Blissey is a fantastic special tank, absorbing special attacks and healing itself or the team. Use Toxic to slowly wear down foes while healing off damage with Soft-Boiled.

2. Ferrothorn (Grass/Steel)

• Key Stats: Defense, Special Defense
• Role: Physical wall, entry hazard setter
• Moves: Leech Seed (healing), Stealth Rock (entry hazard), Gyro Ball (damage based on Speed), Protect (stalling)
• Strategy: Ferrothorn excels at setting up entry hazards like Stealth Rock and wearing down opponents with Leech Seed. Its Steel typing gives it plenty of resistances, making it hard to take down.

3. Toxapex (Water/Poison)

• Key Stats: Defense, Special Defense
• Role: Physical and special wall, status inflictor
• Moves: Recover (healing), Toxic (poison), Scald (chance to burn), Haze (removes stat boosts)
• Strategy: Toxapex’s incredible bulk and access to Recover make it a nightmare to deal with. Use Toxic to poison foes and Haze to prevent enemies from boosting their stats.

4. Umbreon (Dark)

• Key Stats: Special Defense, HP
• Role: Support, special wall
• Moves: Wish (healing), Protect (stalling), Toxic (status infliction), Foul Play (damage)
• Strategy: Umbreon’s primary role is support, using Wish to heal itself and teammates. Toxic and Protect allow it to outlast opponents while dealing chip damage.

5. Corviknight (Flying/Steel)

• Key Stats: Defense, Special Defense
• Role: Physical wall, support
• Moves: Roost (healing), Defog (removes hazards), Body Press (damage based on Defense), Iron Defense (boosts Defense)
• Strategy: Corviknight is a versatile defender with access to Roost for healing and Defog for removing enemy hazards. It can also boost its Defense with Iron Defense, making it incredibly hard to take down.

Step 2: Balancing Physical and Special Defense

One of the keys to building a successful defensive team is ensuring that you have coverage for both physical and special attackers. Some Cobblemon excel at tanking physical hits, while others are better suited for absorbing special damage.

Physical Walls:

• Ferrothorn: Takes physical hits with ease, especially with its Steel typing providing resistances.
• Corviknight: Has high Defense and can heal with Roost, making it a reliable physical tank.
• Toxapex: Its high Defense and access to Recover allow it to handle most physical threats.

Special Walls:

• Blissey: With its enormous HP and Special Defense, Blissey can tank special moves all day.
• Umbreon: Great Special Defense and access to Wish make it a reliable special wall.
• Toxapex: Can also serve as a special tank thanks to its solid Special Defense.

Balancing Tip:

• Make sure to include both physical and special walls on your team to cover all types of threats. For example, pair Blissey with Ferrothorn to handle both physical and special attackers effectively.

Step 3: Incorporating Healing and Status Moves

A defensive team relies heavily on recovery and status moves to maintain control of the battle. Here are some essential moves and strategies to keep your defensive Cobblemon healthy while chipping away at the enemy’s HP.

Healing Moves:

• Recover (Toxapex, Milotic): Instant healing move that restores 50% of HP.
• Soft-Boiled (Blissey): Blissey’s signature healing move.
• Roost (Corviknight, Togekiss): Heals Flying-type Cobblemon while removing their Flying typing temporarily.
• Leech Seed (Ferrothorn): Drains HP from the opponent every turn, providing passive healing.
• Wish (Umbreon, Clefable): Heals the user or a teammate after one turn.

Status Moves:

• Toxic: Slowly increases damage dealt to the opponent each turn. Ideal for stalling.
• Burn (Will-O-Wisp, Scald): Halves the opponent’s physical Attack and deals chip damage every turn.
• Thunder Wave: Paralyzes the opponent, reducing their Speed and giving your team the advantage.

Step 4: Entry Hazards and Battlefield Control

Entry hazards are crucial for wearing down opponents in long battles. Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes chip away at the opponent’s HP every time they switch Cobblemon, giving defensive teams a significant advantage.

Key Entry Hazards:

• Stealth Rock (Ferrothorn): Deals damage to every Cobblemon that switches in, with Flying, Fire, Bug, and Ice-types taking more damage.
• Spikes (Ferrothorn): Deals damage to non-Flying Cobblemon when they switch in.
• Toxic Spikes (Toxapex): Poisons every grounded Cobblemon that switches in, making it harder for opponents to switch freely.

Hazard Removal:

• Defog (Corviknight): Removes both your and the opponent’s hazards, useful when the opponent has set up Stealth Rock or Spikes.
• Rapid Spin: Clears hazards on your side of the field while slightly boosting your Cobblemon’s Speed.

Step 5: Held Items for Defensive Teams

Held items play a crucial role in increasing the survivability of your defensive Cobblemon. Here are some of the most common items used on defensive teams:

• Leftovers: Restores HP at the end of every turn, perfect for defensive Cobblemon like Blissey and Ferrothorn.
• Rocky Helmet: Deals damage to opponents that use physical moves, useful for Cobblemon like Ferrothorn.
• Black Sludge: Works like Leftovers but only for Poison-types. Ideal for Toxapex.
• Chesto Berry: Cures sleep status once, useful in combination with Rest for immediate recovery.

Step 6: Strategy for Long Battles

Defensive teams thrive in long battles where patience and planning are key. Here’s how to use a defensive team effectively in extended battles:

1. Set Up Entry Hazards

• Use Stealth Rock or Spikes early in the battle to begin chipping away at the opponent’s HP every time they switch.

2. Inflict Status Conditions

• Spread status conditions like Toxic or Burn to limit your opponent’s ability to deal damage. Poisoned or burned Cobblemon will slowly lose HP while your defensive Cobblemon heal.

3. Heal and Stall

• Rotate between your Cobblemon to heal using moves like Recover, Wish, or Leech Seed. This ensures your team stays healthy while the opponent’s HP dwindles.

4. Wear Down Opponents

• Continue applying pressure by switching between your physical and special walls, maintaining hazards, and inflicting status. Over time, even the toughest offensive Cobblemon will fall to constant chip damage and healing.

Sample Defensive Team

Here’s a sample defensive team designed for long battles:

1. Blissey – Special Wall and Healer
   • Moves: Soft-Boiled, Toxic, Seismic Toss, Heal Bell
   • Item: Leftovers
2. Ferrothorn – Physical Wall and Hazard Setter
   • Moves: Leech Seed, Stealth Rock, Gyro Ball, Protect
   • Item: Rocky Helmet
3. Toxapex – Physical and Special Wall
   • Moves: Scald, Toxic, Recover, Haze
   • Item: Black Sludge
4. Umbreon – Special Wall and Support
   • Moves: Wish, Protect, Toxic, Foul Play
   • Item: Leftovers
5. Corviknight – Physical Wall and Hazard Removal
   • Moves: Roost, Defog, Body Press, Iron Defense
   • Item: Leftovers
6. Milotic – Special Wall with Recovery
   • Moves: Recover, Scald, Ice Beam, Toxic
   • Item: Leftovers

Conclusion

Building a defensive Cobblemon team requires a combination of high defenses, healing, and battlefield control. By focusing on status effects, entry hazards, and healing, you can outlast your opponents and slowly wear them down. With the right combination of defensive Cobblemon, moves, and strategies, your team will be ready to handle long battles and tough opponents.

What’s your favorite defensive strategy? Share your tips in our Discord!