Clawitzer, The Howitzer Pokémon. By expelling water from the nozzle in the back of its claw, it can move at a speed of 60 knots. Their enormous claws launch cannonballs of water powerful enough to pierce tanker hulls.
Overview
Clawitzer is yet another Water-type that has a somewhat unique niche to its name to try and set it apart from the numerous other Water-types that already exist. Unfortunately for Clawitzer its cool Mega Launcher ability isn't quite enough to make it stand out. It has all the moves it needs to take advantage of its fairly unique ability as well as an impressive Special Attack stat, though it has very tough competition in Mega Blastoise which has the same ability and is both stronger and bulkier than Clawitzer. Despite being a powerful wallbreaker, Clawtizer is also very slow and not quite bulky enough to make up for it, so it will often end up taking a big hit to do much in return. Ultimately Clawitzer falls into the camp of new Pokémon that had looked promising at first glance but unfortunately failed to have a lasting impact in competitive play. That's not to say Clawitzer isn't capable of leaving a mark in a battle though. While it may not be as frail as your typical glass cannon it definitely still hits as hard as one, and that Mega Launcher ability goes a long way in making sure that huge claw isn't just for show.
Positives
+ Clawitzer boasts an impressive base 120 Special Attack stat, allowing it to deal huge damage with moves boosted by Mega Launcher.
+ Clawitzer has a somewhat diverse movepool for a Water-type, having access to moves such as Aura Sphere and Dark Pulse which are both boosted by Mega Launcher.
+ 71/88/89 may not be the most impressive defenses, but for something as slow as Clawitzer it definitely helps to have the bulk to take a hit or two.
Negatives
- Clawitzer's low base 59 Speed is very underwhelming for a wallbreaker, making it a liability against faster more offensive teams.
- While Mega Blastoise takes up a Mega slot and can't hold a boosting item, it tends to outclass Clawitzer with its superior bulk, more acceptable Speed tier and greater base Special Attack.
Abilities
Mega Launcher: Increases the power of Aura and Pulse moves by 50%. This is a fantastic ability for Clawitzer since it essentially gives a STAB boost to some of its coverage moves. Clawitzer also has no other abilities though so it's not like there's any reason to not use this ability.
Movesets
Burst Shot
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Dark Pulse
- Aura Sphere
Item Attached: Life Orb
Ability: Mega Launcher
EVs and Nature:
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
Clawitzer is a wallbreaker above all else, so it wants to capitalize on its solid coverage and power. While Water Pulse is Clawtizer's most powerful STAB move thanks to Mega Launcher, Scald's 30% chance to burn is usually more useful than the slight power boost and a 20% chance to confuse the foe. Ice Beam is not boosted by Mega Launcher either, but it provides necessary coverage against Grass-types and Dragon-types that otherwise don't mind Water-type moves much. Dark Pulse provides generally useful coverage for hitting Psychic and Ghost-types, though the real draw is the fact that Dark Pulse is boosted by Mega Launcher which essentially gives it another STAB move. Likewise, Aura Sphere is boosted by Mega Launcher provides more useful coverage for hitting Steel-types, Normal-types and Dark-types.
Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment allows Clawtizer to hit as hard as possible, while the Speed helps it outpace slower uninvested foes in order to wallbreak more effectively. A Modest nature is preferred over Timid though, since the power difference is much more significant than a 10% Speed boost from such a low Speed stat. Life Orb boosts Clawitzer's damage output further, which is vital for something that only cares about KOing everything it can.
Other Options
- Water Pulse can be used if you really want the extra power, though in most cases the extra burn chance with Scald is more worthwhile than the slight power difference.
- Dragon Pulse can hit some Dragon-types harder than Ice Beam since it's boosted by Mega Launcher, but it's almost impossible to justify running it over Ice Beam since the coverage against Grass-types is too important.
- Choice Specs can be used to boost Clawitzer's power further than Life Orb, but Clawitzer is not something that really wants to be locked into one move so it's usually not worth the item slot.
- U-turn can be used to help Clawitzer maintain momentum for its team, but it usually isn't worth giving up a coverage move for it.
Countering Clawitzer
Clawitzer is a slow bulky attacker that relies on its coverage to threaten teams, so switching into defensive Pokémon is not usually an easy option. However, specially defensive Pokémon such as Chansey and Alomomola usually can outlast Clawitzer and force it out. Bulky Water-types are typically the best option defensively since they resist Scald and Ice Beam and aren't weak to any of its coverage moves, though without reliable recovery they will be worn down quickly if they lack any way to take down Clawitzer fast. Offensive teams usually have little trouble dealing with Clawitzer due to its low Speed, since Clawitzer isn't quite bulky enough to take repeated hits from strong attackers. Electric-types and Grass-types in particular work well for this, though the former usually aren't bulky enough to switch in directly and the latter fear Ice Beam so they must be careful coming in against Clawitzer. In most cases Clawitzer will usually be running Life Orb, so while switching into it safely is difficult, this can be used against it since it'll end up being worn down quickly. This can be further complemented by entry hazards such as Stealth Rock and Spikes, so setting them up as soon as possible may be advantageous if you find your team struggling to take out Clawitzer quickly.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game
Black/White:
Not in game
Black 2/White 2:
Not in game
X/Y:
Route 8, Ambrette Town, Cyllage City (X)
Trade from X/Alpha Sapphire (Y)
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Evolve Clauncher (Alpha Sapphire)
Trade from X/Alpha Sapphire (Omega Ruby)
Sun/Moon:
Transfer from Generation VI
Animé Appearences
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Clawitzer has made several appearances in the anime. Most notably it was used by Sawyer during his Kalos League campaign and his semi-final match against Ash. |
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