Claydol
Mechanics
Levitate-
Claydol floats in the air roughly Pikachu's height above the stage, making him immune to low attacks. He is also unaffected by traction, making it very easy for him to turn and protecting him against tripping. His levitated state does make him rather susceptible to high attacks however. Claydol also has unlimited jumps, meaning he will always be in the air. His falling speed is very fast, however, keeping him from maintaining much height. Another interesting effect of this is that Claydol has no "ground" attacks. Rather all of his attacks are aerial. He has a Neutral A/Neutral Aerial, Dash Aerial, Tilt Aerials, and Smash Aerials. Naturally, he can also aerial grab. Another odd property of Claydol's levitation is that he cannot ledge grab or be knocked to the ground. In fact- the only time his body comes into contact with the ground is through the use of Claydol's Crouch and Dair.
Stats
Height- Somewhat Short
Not counting levitation, Claydol is about the same size as Mario.
Width- Average
Claydol is again roughly the size of Mario.
Weight- Heavy
Despite being rather small (4'11"), Claydol weighs 238.1 lbs, making him a real heavyweight. He also has a notably high defense stat. His weight in Smash would probably compare to Ike's.
"Walk" Speed- Slow
Claydol just floats around, not really trying to get anywhere quickly.
Dash Speed- Fast
Due to levitation, Claydol can move quite fast.
Jumps- Unlimited
First 5 Jumps- Medium
Claydol's first 5 jumps give him a great recovery and outweigh his huge falling speed.
All Additional Jumps- Mediocre
Each of Claydol's jumps after the fifth compares to Peach's second jump (what second jump). Basically, all they are good for is limited aerial stalling, as he falls very fast.
Falling Speed- Very Fast
Claydol's falling speed is so fast that it outweighs his unlimited jumps, making aerial camping impossible. Note that all attacks do provide an aerial stall however.
Traction- Unaffected
Claydol's Levitate ability renders him immune to tripping and allows him to move with ease on any surface.
Dodges- Average
Claydol isn't a particularly great dodger, more about confusing the opponent than direct defense.
Crouch- Yes, Great
Claydol's crouch does serve a useful purpose for him, as it allows him to bypass his own levitation ability, making him more susceptible to low attacks and less susceptible to high attacks.
Crawl- No
Wall Jump- No
Would it really make since for something that doesn't even touch surfaces to wall jump?
Glide- No
Again...
Animations
Standing Pose
Claydol isn't really a very interesting Pokemon in terms of stancing. It basically just floats there, not leaning in any direction.
Idle Pose
Claydol spins around a few times and randomly winks its many eyes.
"Walk" Pose
Claydol floats around, leaning in the direction he is going. His pace is slow and leasurely. The contended look in his eyes reflects blistful ignorance or innocence.
Dash Pose
Claydol starts floating faster, leaning forward a bit farther than his walk pose. He has sped up considerably, but he is still far from quick. His eyes reflects a more determined look, as they appear focused and perhaps even angry.
All Jumps
Claydol spins around several times, giving him some vertical lift and stalling him in the air for the duration. This is much like Peach's second jump in function.
Shield
Claydol surrounds itself with rocks all around. The rocks crack as more damage is dealt to the shield, eventually causing the rocks to split and break.
Sidestep
Claydol steps to the side, rapidly waving his arms around much like R.O.B. It tends to look pretty comical in Claydol's case. Average sidestep.
Roll
Claydol rolls much like Mewtwo, except being a bit slower.
Airdodge
Claydol moves to the side while opening one of it's beaks as if to say "Phew". It has a relieved look in it's eyes.
Specials
Neutral Special- Subsitute
This move is by far the most important part of Claydol's game in Smash. Claydol takes 25% damage and creates an exact copy of himself that has 25% stamina. This has low lag on both ends. When a Substitute has been created, the player is able to control both Claydol and his Substitute to a limited extent. The main one is completely controllable, working like normal (except without use of the C-Stick or Motion Control Smashing). The secondary one is controlled with the C-Stick or with Motion controls and is unable to perform most moves. The secondary one does not have to be the Substitute (and the main does not have to be the original). By pressing Neutral Special when a Substitute is already created, the controls are switched, allowing the player to have full control of the other one. Switching between playing as the original and the fake is a lagless action. This is very useful, as it can be used to mindgame foes and perform normally dangerous attacks, such as Self Destruct, without harming the original. Mastery of Substitute is almost synonimous with mastery of Claydol- that is, you must master the Substitute to properly play Claydol on a competitive level.
Side Special- Reflect/Light Screen
The currently controlled Claydol's eyes shine bright purple/pink and a thin wall of light roughly as tall as a human character (like Marth) appears in front of it. If the currently controlled Claydol was the original, this move is Reflect. If the currently controlled Claydol was a substitute, this move is Light Screen. What do these walls of light do? Reflect causes all A attacks launched at the wall to be nullified. Light Screen causes all B attacks (specials) launched at the wall to be nullified. The walls oddly have physical properties- they can be used to wall cling and wall jump (though not by Claydol). If an attack that the walls do not protect against hit them, they vanish. They also allow certain attacks and grabs to infinite against them (so definitely don't use this move against King Dedede.) This move has very low lag on both ends. While you can have several light walls up, each one disappears after 5 seconds.
Up Special- Teleport
When used without a Substitute, this move functions exactly like Mewtwo's Up Special. When used with a Substitute, this move will cause the original and the Substitute to disappear like in Mewtwo's Up Special and trade places when they reappear. When the latter effect is used as a recovery, the original can be saved from falling to its death at the cost of dooming his substitute (and thereby "wasting" 25% of his health). Both options produce only the same lag and duration as Mewtwo's Up Special. Aside from being used as a recovery, this can also be used to mindgame foe's into getting the two Claydol's confused.
Down Special (Away From Steven)- Self Destruct
The currently controlled Claydol self destructs, causing itself to be destroyed and creating a huge explosion, roughly the size of a Smart Bomb explosion. This explosion deals high upwards knockback (KO'ing Mario at roughly 75%) and 30% damage to all (friend or foe) who are struck by it. This move has low beginning lag (and of course there is nothing left to suffer ending lag). During this low ending lag, the exploding Claydol will flash red and release steam briefly. While the cost of this move could be high (as it could cause the original to be destroyed), having a Substitute destroy itself with this move is a great way to minimize the move's cost.
Down Special (In Front of Steven)- Switch
Claydol is called back into his Pokeball and a menu is brought up, allowing the player to choose the Pokemon that Steven summons. There is only a short amount of time to choose. There is no lag on either end. There are invinceability frames throughout. Only one switch can be performed every 20 seconds.
Normal Aerials
Neutral Aerial- Cosmic Power
Claydol's eyes glow pink as he fires two pink crescent moons forwards that zigzag as they travel roughly half the distance of Final Destination, even traveling through people, objects, and the stage. One crescent moon will be above and one will be below Claydol's height when he initiated this move, with the center area only being touched when the crescents zigzag inwards. The crescents travel at a fairly fast speed (just a bit slower than one of Pit's arrows). When the crescents strike anything, they release a burst of little stars that have a circumference of a bob omb explosion. All struck foes take 3% damage and low upwards knockback. This move has low beginning lag and some slight ending lag. No hitstun. The crescents have literally no priority at all- attacks and projectiles will go right through them, leaving the crescents unaffected. This makes attacks worthless for defending against the crescents.
Dash Aerial- Rapid Spin
Claydol seems to fall flat, as if he were a top that just stopped spinning, his "head" facing the screen and his feet facing the background. He begins rapidly spinning, his faces + eyes becoming a nice visual effect. While spinning, Claydol orbits his original location, never actually re-entering this spot until the move ends. He orbits roughly 3/4 of a Battlefield platform's width away from the original spot. Foes struck by Claydol take 4% damage and are bounced away as if they had run into a Bouncer item, though the power of this knockback is only 3/4 of the Bouncer. This move has fairly low lag on both ends and a duration of roughly 1 1/4 seconds. Great priority. No hitstun.
Tilt Aerials
Side Tilt Aerial- Zen Headbutt
Claydol tilts backwards very briefly and then slams its head(?) forwards. This move's only hitbox is Claydol's head. Struck foes take 8% and medium knockback (kills Mario at roughly 150%). This attack has low beginning lag and medium ending lag. Medium priority. No hitstun. An interesting property of this move is that, even if it misses, foes within Bowser's width in front of Claydol will flinch- the priority of this flinch auto-exceeding the priority of any move they are using. This naturally gives this move some use as a gimping and defensive tool.
Up Tilt Aerial- Rock Slide
Claydol's eyes glow brightly as several rocks are raised over its head, remain there briefly, and then suddenly slide diagonally downwards in the direction Claydol is facing. The hitbox of this move is a diagonal line starting roughly Claydol's height above Claydol and ending roughly Claydol's width in tront of Claydol. Struck foes take 6% and good forwards knockback (KOs Mario at roughly 110%). This move has medium beginning lag and low ending lag. This move has great priority, serving as a nice defensive wall. No hitstun.
Down Tilt Aerial- Stealth Rock
Claydol spins around one time and sends out a swarm of very small (and hard to see) but pointy rocks below him. They travel at a swift speed, covering their maximum distance of a Battlefield Platform under Claydol in about 1/10th of a second. Foes struck by the Stealth Rock flinch, but then realize that no harm has been dealt to them. Little does the foe know that they are covered in the tiny shards. When the foe attempts to shield, they take 2% damage per second that they do so. The stealth rocks disappear after 3 seconds. Using this move on the foe again while they are already under the effect of Stealth Rock simply renews the duration. This move has low beginning lag and no ending lag. The stealth rocks have no physical presense as far as priority is concerned, thus all attacks and projectiles will go right through them. Note that this move will also strike foes that are shielding, as the attack goes through shields- but the stones do no shield damage. This move can be fired while crouching. When this happens, the Stealth Rocks will be fired forwards.
Smash Aerials
Side Smash Aerial- Psybeam
Claydol's eyes glow bright pink as he slams his head forward a bit and fires a bright pinkish purple beam of light with properties much like R.O.B.'s laser (minus the recharge time and the ability to aim). Struck foes take 10% damage and good horizontal knockback (KOs Mario at roughly 100%). In addition to this, the struck foe(s) are confused, reversing their controls for 1...4 seconds (+1 second for each second of charging, with a max charge of 3 seconds). While the foe is confused, they will imagine little cartoonish birds flying around their heads. This move has fairly high beginning lag and fairly low ending lag. No hitstun.
Up Smash Aerial- Sandstorm
A huge sandstorm is whipped up around Claydol. Use the control stick to have a limited control over where the wind blows (it will have a natural upwards arc). Claydol will become visible at the ending location of the storm, which would be roughly 3 of Claydol's heights above him at max duration. This move can be ended at any time by releasing the "charge" (releasing A) and it will reach max duration after about 2 seconds. Foes who are struck by the Sandstorm will take repeated hits of 1% damage (5 hits per second on average), though the hits are easy to DI away from. Claydol will be rapidly spinning when he becomes visible, striking foes at that location for 12% and good forwards knockback. This move has fairly low lag on both ends. Great priority. No hitstun on any hits.
Down Smash Aerial- Earthquake
Claydol starts rapidly spinning like a drill (a slight stall) and suddenly falls downwards very very fast. When/if Claydol hits the ground, it releases 1...4 large shockwaves that spread out the full length of the surface it is on. Struck foes will trip and take 5....20% damage (based on how close they are to the epicenter of the Earthquake, or Claydol). This move has medium lag on both ends and a short duration. No hitstun. Note that the hitbox of this move is only the ground, so foes who are not making contact with the ground will be unaffected. Also note that only (up to) two shockwaves are capable of hitting foes due to invinceability frames that appear while the foe trips (example- if the max number of shockwaves is used and the foe is struck by the first, they may be struck by the third, but not the second or fourth). This aerial can cause Claydol to suicide if used incorrectly.
Grabs/Throws
Grab- Power Trick
Claydol lifts the foe with psycic energy, much like with Mewtwo's Side Special in melee. Unlike that move however, the foe stays trapped in Claydol's grab. Claydol is able to freely move, jump, fall, etc. and the foe will be dragged with him. This only has 1.25x the average grab duration, so it can be difficult to escape. The reach and lag for this grab is basically identical to that of Mewtwo's Side Special. This move is named Power Trick because, unlike Claydol's other moves, the power and speed of his moves are basically swapped- his throws are slow but powerful, making them Claydol's best killing options other than Self-Destruct. Another odd property of Claydol's grab is that foes are capable of attacking Claydol while grabbed. Note that you must hold Z to keep the foe trapped. Releasing Z will cause Claydol to use the throw that corresponds to the direction the control stick is currently pressed in. This grab can be used at any elevation.
Pummel- Confusion
Claydol's grab attack can be described in two words- grab counter. That's right, if the grabbed foe attempts to attack Claydol, Claydol can use his grab attack to cause the foe to be confused and attack themselves instead!
The foe will suffer all of the damage from their attack but no knockback. This allows Claydol to hit them with a throw. No lag at all. The animation for this move involves Claydol's eyes releasing a blinding pink light. The foe must actually be in the process of performing an attack for this to be successful. This grab attack is made even more unique in that it can be performed while throwing!
Neutral/Forward Throw- Psycic
It is only fitting that a psycic pokemon should have Psycic right? Claydol's eyes glow brightly and a pink psycic aura radiates from the grabbed foe. One second later, they are shot forwards for 10% and great forwards knockback (that KOs Mario at 80%). This throw has some slight beginning lag (not counting the 1 second duration) and a little ending lag. Claydol's best throw for KO'ing.
Back Throw- Rock Smash
Claydol causes the foe to be flipped into the air and throw just behind Claydol. The foe is slammed into the ground, breaking rocks with their body. This is naturally very painful for the foe, as they take 16% damage. This throw is completely incapable of chaining, as the foe has invinceabililty frames until they regain the ability to react. This throw has no lag on either end, but a duration of roughly 3/4 of a second. This throw is quite useful for its spiking potential.
Up Throw- Stone Edge
A sharp stone that looks like a sword appears below the grabbed foe. It slices upwards, dealing 11% and good upwards knockback to them (KO's Mario at 110%). With only a small amount of lag on either end and a duration of 1/2 of a second, this is Claydol's fastest and weakest throw.
Down Throw- Rock Tomb
Rocks appear and trap both Claydol and the grabbed foe become in a pyramid shaped clump of rocks. This causes them to rapidly plummet. There can only be two outcomes- either they are both dropped to their dooms, resulting in Clayside, or they hit the stage, causing the grabbed foe to be dealt 13% and good upwards knockback (KO's Mario at 105%). This move has medium beginning lag and a variable duration that (of course) depends on distance from the stage/death.
Final Smash- Ancient Power
In Pokemon, Ancient Power is a move that may raise all stats. This carries over to Smash as Claydol's Final Smash. For 30 seconds, or until Claydol loses a stock (whichever comes first), all of Claydol's stats are buffed. 3 damage is added to all attacks and +25% is added to Claydol's movement speeds, weight, and dealt knockback. In addition to this, Claydol's moves now have 25% less lag.
Taunts:
Up Taunt-
Claydol spins like a top briefly and then becomes cartoonishly dizzy.
Side Taunt-
Claydol lifts small rocks above its head and starts juggling them with psycic energy.
Down Taunt-
The original Claydol controls the substitute Claydol to breakdance using psycic energy. This can be used if you forget which Claydol is the original. If used with no Substitute, Claydol will simply sigh.
Pros
Heavyweight.
Usually unhittable by low attacks.
Great recovery.
Unlimited jumps.
Can grab at any elevation.
Can rack up damage fairly well.
Many fast moves.
Grabs are good for KO'ing.
Unaffected by traction.
Substitute is very useful when used properly.
Can be great at mindgames with Neutral and Up Specials.
Defensively effective thanks to Neutral, Side, and Up Specials.
Good Final Smash.
Can switch to Skarmory, Aggron, Metagross, Armaldo, or Cradily.
Cons
High learning curve.
Very fast faller.
Especially susceptible to high attacks, aerials, and comboes.
Reliant on throws and self destruct to KO.
Cannot grab the edge.
Substitute damages Claydol for 20%, so it is harmful when not used to its fullest.
Throws are slow.
Lacks the ability to chain grab.
Can be attacked by grabbed foes.
Playstyle
Claydol is a very interesting character to play as- and, against a master, Claydol can be an interesting opponent. One of the best, if not the best, damage rackers on Steven's team, thanks to his quick A attacks that can be used at any elevation. Claydol is equipped with a variety of defensive and offensive options.
Let's start with the most critical part of Claydol's game- mindgames. Claydol is exceptional at mindgaming foes thanks to his Neutral Special, which summons a fake Claydol. The player is able to switch between full control of the original and full control of the fake, with the other having only partial controlability. This is the ability that makes or breaks a Claydol player. The key to using this is being unpredictable. You do not want to build habits with this, because the foe may figure you out. The entire goal of the mindgame is to keep the foe from learning which Claydol is the real one and which is the fake. This can be accomplished through frequent switching of primary control between the original and the fake and through use of Teleport, which causes the Claydol's to switch places- especially confusing when they were already adjacent. Just be careful not to mindgame yourself. The last thing you want is to self-destruct the original Claydol!
Now we move on to damage racking. Claydol is equipped with a number of quick moves. The most effective attacks for damage racking are Neutral A (a reliable projectile), Side Tilt, and Dash Attack. Neutral A is great for its quickness and projectile reach. Don't hesistate to spam it when necessary. Side Tilt is excellent for melee damage, as well as interrupting attacks with a high-priority flinch. Dash Attack is mainly for its great circumferential reach and defensive abilities, though as a dash attack, it can be predictable. None of Claydol's moves are particularly bad for damage racking, but they don't normally combo well. Down Tilt compliments all other forms of damage racking, as it punishes foes with some damage when they use their shield, as well as having the ability to flinch shielded opponents.
Claydol doesn't have a whole lot of KO'ing options. He is basically limited to Self-Destructing and his throws (fortunately, he can even grab and throw foes in midair). Both options have their downsides. Self-Destructing comes at one of two costs- the health that your Substitute currently has or an entire stock (depending on if you self-destruct the original or the copy). It is, however, a very powerful move with a great hitbox and quick activation... it shouldn't be a move that you will be using often, so it can be hard to see coming. As for your throws, they are slow but powerful- the most risky and powerful of all usually being the Forward Throw. Claydol does possess the ability to spike with his Back Throw and the ability to Clayside foes with the Down Throw.
Finally we arrive at defense. Claydol has a lot of defensive options- most of which are the spawn of his mindgames (so I will not bother restating much of that information). On top of his mindgames, Claydol also possesses a side special which can produce a wall of light that protects against normal attacks (original) or special attacks (copy). These walls are incredibly useful when used at the proper time (or against the proper attacks). They can be used to counter projectile spam or even prevent a powerful attack or combo from happening.
Claydol does have other tactics at his disposal as well:
The player can switch primary control even while performing attacks or keeping a foe grabbed. For example, if the player simply holds Z and switches primary control with Neutral B, the Claydol that is not grabbing the foe can be made to attack the grabbed foe. This can be immensely useful, but Claydol is still incapable of chain grabbing foes.
Opponents of Claydol must keep calm and wary at all times (or atleast while Claydol has a Substitute on the field). Your eyes must discern the original from the copy. If you remove Claydol's ability to confuse you, Claydol becomes nearly useless.
Allies that Claydol players should consider are:
King Dedede- Benefits heavily from the ability to chain throw against light walls.
Another Claydol- With 2 originals and 2 copies, the mindgame potential is doubled!
Power Characters- Any character that can KO foes for Claydol.
Opponents Should Consider Using:
King Dedede- Claydol can be chained against light screens that are used on the ground.
Counter Stages:
Claydol performs badly on scrolling stages, as controlling both an original and a substitute Claydol can be difficult to impossible.
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