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If you have a good competitive moveset for Cresselia, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for its pre-evolutions, if any, can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Cresselia Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Sprite

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18 Answers

10 votes

I stole this from a guy who stole it from a guy, it could very well be the most annoying thing I have ever encountered, I love it:
image

Cresselia (F) @ Flame Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 172 SpD
Modest Nature
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Psycho Shift
- Rest
- Sleep Talk

It is a status-proof tank with dual status. Psychic is to avoid being Taunt trapped, and offers nice STAB, Psyshock can also be used if you want to hit that physical Def. Psycho Shift is what makes this girl work, with Flame Orb, it can burn and cripple the Opponent's attack, while you can Rest off the burn, and heal the damage. If you encounter something that can't be burnt, Rest + Sleep Talk can Psycho Shift a nice Sleep to an unburned opponent, or you can do some damage with Psychic. This thing is a great utility and a beast of a tank, especially physically.
EVs give it 401 HP, even defences (339 each), and the rest is in SpAtk. I use Modest Nature so your choice of Stab attack will do some damage.

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I know this post is old, but I Love this set!!
#GiantPicturesRule
Why not just Toxic?
because you can weaken physical attackers :P
why not use trick, to steal their item as well?
Probably because if you lose the flame orb, you lose the chance to cripple the physical attackers with burn, which is one of the main focuses of this set
Actually, if you trick the Flame Orb, you can burn the opponent without needing Psycho Shift. The reason the Cresselia doesn't have Trick is because Cresselia couldn't learn Trick at the time this moveset was posted (and because of shifting sleep).
1 vote

Cresselia is a support Pokemon often seen in Doubles.
I'll give two sets for her.

Cresselia
Cresselia @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 220 HP / 196 Def / 92 SpA
Calm Nature
- Icy Wind
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Trick Room
- Psyshock

This is the set I run on my RainRoom team. Calm nature and 196 Def EVs give equal Defenses. Icy Wind for Speedcontrol. Hidden Power Fire to kill Ferrothorn and his companions (Scizor, Forretress). Trick Room to let my slower pokes move first.
And Psyshock as STAB.

Cresselia
Cresselia @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 220 HP / 184 Def / 104 SpD
Modest Nature
- Icy Wind
- Helping Hand
- Trick Room
- Psyshock

Almost the same set but this one is a little more Defensively orientated. Only change here is Helping Hand > Hidden Power Fire so she can turn your ally's attack in a OHKO.

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Isn't Trick Room and Icy Wind on the same set a bit contradicting?
It allows you to gain speedcontrol when Trick Room dies
Like on turn 4 and 5 Icy Wind the opponent so you will outspeed him when Trick Room dies.
The Cresselia animations moving in unison is a little creepy >.<
1 vote

Rain/Sun Support

Cresselia @ Heat Rock / Damp Rock
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
- Sunny Day / Rain Dance
- Moonlight
- Toxic
- Psychic

This is specifically for Rain or Sun teams. Obviously, you would have Heat Rock for Sunny Day and Damp Rock for Rain Dance. This can help boost the number of turns by 3 more (8 in total). Moonlight is useful under the sun (it gains more health). Even if its rainy weather, it still gives decent recovery. Toxic is a status move to hurt the opponent and Psychic is nice STAB damage.

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1 vote

A rather new approach to sweeper Cress...

SubCM + Salac Cresselia!

Cresselia @ Salac Berry
Ability: Levitate
Bold Nature
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 120 Spe
-Substitute
-Calm Mind
-Moonblast
-Lunar Dance

Cresselia has famously annoying bulk, which allows it to have insanely bulky Substitutes as well. It can CM freely, and after a few Subs, it'll get down to Salac level, where it can start outspeeding and slaughtering everything. Or you can Lunar Dance off to a weak sweeper to give it another lease on life.

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1 vote

Now then, On PokemonShowdown I have created a set that works wonders for me. It is absolutely beautiful. This is all based on stall tactics, and taking out pesky dragon and dark types. I have deemed this set the "CressClutch set". :

Cresselia @ Lum Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Modest Nature
- Calm Mind
- Moonblast
- Moonlight
- Psychic

Now, as I said, this set can deal with pesky dark types that will ruin your face. However, Cressalia is the ultimate switch in. I always use her when I have no one else can survive an attack. It has such an amazing special defense and defense stat. Now, the calm mind is to boost the special defense stats, mainly. I have found it useful to have that special attack stat at most times. The moonlight is for health regen, and psychic is for a STAB move. The final piece of this puzzle is Moonblast. The only reason I have this on is, as I said, for solid dragon types, and pesky dark types. Oh, and the lum berry, is for a toxic switch in. I first used it for sleep powder and spore users. Have a good time battling folks

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0 votes

This works as an amazing wall/ tank. Especially in the sun.

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Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fighting]

You use calm mind a few times and heal off any damage taken with moonlight. After a few calm minds, she hits pretty hard. I have 6-0'd a few OU teams with her before.

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0 votes

My very unique set for Cressy

Cresselia @ Kee Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Recycle
- Moonlight
- Icy Wind
- Toxic

Recycle renews Kee berry for more defense, Moonlight for HP, Icy Wind for outspeeding and Toxic for damage.
Simple but effective.

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0 votes

Here's an unusual set:

Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 106 Def / 152 SpD
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- Toxic
- Moonlight
- Calm Mind / Charge Beam

  • Psychic (STAB)
  • Toxic (Status)
  • Moonlight (Heal)
  • Calm Mind / Charge Beam (Calm Mind for more reliable stat boosting and Sp. Defense boost or Charge Beam for a bit of extra damage)

This set is different, but be careful because you will likely get walled by quite a few Pokemon.

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0 votes

Here's my set.

Cresselia (F)@Light Clay
Trait: Levitate
EV's: 252HP, 4Sp,Def, 252Spe
Timid nature (Spe+, Atk-)

  • Calm Mind
  • Reflect
  • Lunar Dance
  • Moonblast

This set is basically a screen/stall set. Timid nature with full investment to make her set up a screen as quick as she can and full Hp investment so she's capable of taking hits. Calm Mind will help with the lack of Sp.Atk. Reflect for those pesky physical attackers, along with Light Clay so eight turns should do the trick. Lunar Dance so you can bring an ally back if she is on the verge of fainting. Moonblast for dark type coverage. Other options could be Psychic, Ice Beam etc for attacking or Moonlight for health replenishment.

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0 votes

Cresselia's incredible bulk and interesting movepool give it two options: Staller and a Spec. Tank.
Here's both...


Staller

Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Toxic
- Swagger / Thunder Wave
- Safeguard

Toxic and Swagger to annoy everyone (especially Spec. Attackers), Safeguard to not get annoyed yourself and Psychic/Psyshock so you aren't Taunt bait. This set works great with a SniperCuno or a Tank Kyogre.


Spec. Tank:

Cresselia @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psychic
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind
- Moonlight

Psychic is STAB, Moonblast is coverage, Calm Mind is because your Spec. Atk. isn't all that high and Moonlight is recovery. This set works great with a Xerneas or Sun Sweeper.

Hope these help!

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0 votes


Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Bold Nature
EVs: 40 HP / 216 Def / 252 SpA
- Calm Mind
- Psychic
- Moonlight
- Hidden Power [Fire] / Moonblast

Calm Mind makes Cresselia a very powerful and dangerous Pokemon. She's already very bulky and Calm Mind both heightens that and helps her gain the offense she needs to tank through most of a team. Even with 252 Sp. Attack EVs, Cresselia still has better physical defense than many physical walls and will remain a solid choice as a defensive member of your team. The remaining 256 EVs are invested to specifically maximize physical defense as efficiently as possible; Basically, going max HP or max Defense, or any combination in-between won't give you more physical bulk than the EVs I've mentioned here. Cresselia doesn't need to worry about her Special Defense so much because it's already naturally very high, and Calm Mind boosts it anyway. 252 Sp. Attack EVs, on the other hand, are very important due to Cresselia's naturally low Sp. Attack. By requiring more Calm Minds, a lack of investment will make it much harder for Cresselia to deal decent damage and get past her foes. Investment also makes Cresselia much more capable of fighting back in the event she can't set up any Calm Minds at all. Compared to full defensive investment, Cresselia deals about 33% more damage but takes about 15% more damage from physical hits; It's trade-off which in practice has consistently shown to be worth it.

Outside of the basics, Psychic is your STAB attack. Max Sp. Attack helps Cresselia get past other Pokemon that boost their Sp. Defense, including other Calm Mind users. This means that Psyshock, which hits the opponent's defense, isn't too necessary here, especially since it has a lower Base Power. Just a single use of Calm Mind will let Psychic faint many Pokemon within two hits. Moonlight is important both to help get Calm Mind Boosts and for general tanking ability; With Cresselia's great Defense and Calm-Mind boosted Sp. Defense, she is not going down anytime soon as long as long she can recover half of her HP with Moonlight. As for the final slot, Moonblast is easy to get on Cresselia and is a very solid option overall for Dark Types, but a Fire-Type Hidden Power is highly recommended if you can use it to hit Steel-Types, especially Scizor. Without it, Scizor will see Cresselia as a handy invitation to switch in, use Swords Dance, and try to sweep your team. Hidden Power Fire can OHKO most Scizor after a Calm Mind Boost. Other than that, HP Fire can hit Pokemon such as Bisharp, Ferrothorn, Weavile, and Klefki.

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0 votes

I know this sounds a little strange, but I've had good experiences using Cresselia as a 'Calm Mind' Sweeper.

Cresselia @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA / 172 SpD
Modest Nature
- Psyshock
- Moonlight
- Moonblast
- Calm Mind

I haven't been playing Pokémon for very long so feedback would be very much appreciated.

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0 votes

Role: Double Screener

Cresselia @ Light Clay
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold / Impish Nature
- Light Screen
- Reflect
- Moonlight
- Toxic

  • Light Screen: Makes for excellent SP defense
  • Reflect: Enhances Physical Defense
  • Moonlight: To heal up
  • Toxic: You must have something to damage with!

Cresselia would make for a wonderful minor cleric if it had Wish. Sadly it does not. It has great health and defenses making it quite bulky. However its weaknesses are extremely common among ubers. The role it plays is quite important considering that screens can be game changing.

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0 votes

SWEEPER SET
Cresselia (F) @ Wiki Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 Spe
Modest Nature
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Moonblast
- Shadow Ball
- Ice Beam

  • Psychic / Psyshock (psychic for power, psyshock for dealing with special walls like Chansey and Blissey, and STAB)
  • Moonblast (Dark type coverage, high power)
  • Shadow Ball (Ghost type coverage, also covers other psychic types that have access to shadow ball like Alakazam)
  • Ice Beam (covers most bug types since they're part Flying, and hits ground and dragon types)

STALLER SET
Cresselia (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD
Bold Nature
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Toxic
- Lunar Dance
- Thunder Wave

  • Psychic / Psyshock to avoid taunt trap
  • Toxic to badly poison
  • Lunar Dance when she's at low health and you want to heal another badly injured party member
  • Thunder Wave to paralyze
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0 votes

I've seen this set in Gen 8 NU before, and it's hard to take out.
Gen 8 NU
Cresselia
Cresselia (F) @ Kee Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 116 Def / 140 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Moonlight
- Moonblast

EV spread: 252 HP EVs are on this set, obviously. 140 Speed EVs lets Cresselia outspeed Jolly Max Speed EVs Pangoro. I put the remaining EVs in defense.

Set Explanation: Kee Berry raises defense when hi by a physical attack. One consumed, Cresselia can take less damage from Knock Off and can become a psuedo Poltergeist check. Substitute is to help you set up. Calm Mind raises your special attack and special defense, which is why I put the remaining EVs into defense. Moonlight is for healing. Moonblast is for an attacking move that's able to defeat Pangoro. It's best to use this when opposing steel, poison, and fire types are taken out.

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0 votes

Gen 8 SS Monotype Defensive Utility (Psychic)


Cresselia (F) @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Thunder Wave
- Moonlight
- Lunar Dance

If you feel like using Cresselia on Psychic teams in SS Monotype, here is a defensive utility set Cresselia can use. Ice Beam is used to chip opposing Pokemon such as Dragonite, Landorus-Therian, and Tornadus-Therian. Thunder Wave is used to slow down opposing Pokemon, which is useful for your teammates. Moonlight gives Cresselia a form of HP recovery. Lunar Dance is used to heal a weakened Pokemon, which could give a wallbreaker on your team a second chance to wallbreak.

252 HP is to give Cresselia bulk. 112 Special Defense EVs allow Cresselia to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Specs Ice Beam from Kyurem. The remaining EVs are used in Defense to help Cresselia take physical attacks better. Rocky Helmet is used as the item to punish physical wallbreakers who make contact with Cresselia.

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0 votes

Gen 8 SS Monotype Defensive Scarf (Psychic)


Cresselia (F) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Trick
- Moonlight
- Lunar Dance

A Defensive Choice Scarf set that can serve as speed control for Psychic teams in SS Monotype. Ice Beam is used as Cresselia's attacking move that allows you to chip opposing Pokemon such as Landorus-Therian, Dragonite, Garchomp, and Tornadus-Therian. Trick is used to give away your Choice Scarf in order to cripple defensive Pokemon such as Slowbro. Moonlight is used to give Cresselia a form of HP recovery. Lunar Dance is used to heal a weakened Pokemon, which is useful for giving a wallbreaker on your team a second chance to wallbreak.

252 HP EVs are used to give Cresselia some bulk. 252 Speed EVs are used since Cresselia can also serve as speed control with Choice Scarf. Choice Scarf with Moonlight is used, as you can either Trick your Scarf and you Moonlight afterwards or use Moonlight when an opposing Pokemon switches out while you still have your Scarf, and then you switch out after you use Moonlight.

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0 votes

Gen 9 DOU

Cresselia

BIRB (Cresselia) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Fairy/Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dazzling Gleam/Expanding Force
- Ally Switch
- Icy Wind
- Thunder Wave/Sunny Day
Tailwind birb of the Rings. Leftovers is HP Recovery. Tera Fairy is Dazzling Gleam STAB & turning Chien-Pao, Tyranitar, & Chi-Yu from you weak to it into it weak to you. Tera Ghost if Fake Out, Rapid Spin, & Espeed is annoying you. IV's, EV's, & Nature allow 316 Def & 308 Sp. Def. Dazzling Gleam is STAB for Tera Fairy, while Expanding Force is if you don't Tera. Ally Switch to avoid being double teamed. Icy Wind is if there are 2 speedy mon's or if some fast electric type is ever used(Basically every electric type in DUU), while Thunder Wave is for one fast mon you need to turn from predator to prey(Some of the faster mon's that you can feel comfortable crippling are Deoxys-Attack, Landorus, Lilligant-H, Tornadus, & Whimsicott). You can also use Sunny Day for Lilligant-H & Chi-Yu to have a better chance to sweep.

Some good teammates for the ringed birb are Pokemon that can set up Tailwind(as this is the main reason for the crescent bird) and something that can get rid of dark types(Chi-Yu, Chien-Pao, Kingambit, & Tyranitar. Incineroar is more supportive), like H-Lilligant to counter Tyranitar, Chien-Pao, & all the Dark types you are worried about, while Chi-Yu breaks Gholdengo & Sinischa if you don't tera. Cresselia can help the two by making things slower like Tornadus. If you do Tera Fairy, your best bet will be Landorus-T as Intimidate to stop Supreme Overlord King, Taunt to stop Nasty Plot from Gholdengo, literally anything from Glimmora & Amoonguss, & Calm Mind from Iron Crown, & just an offensive type to deal with others is looking out for Birb of the Rings. Amoonguss is neutral from Lando but Chi-Yu is just RIGHT THERE. The last slot can go to any physical attacker. I use Diance because I HATE type overlap.

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OH MY GOD IT'S BIRB
Just some minor edits