Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Claydol is a dual type ground and psychic Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Baltoy and is not known to evolve into any other Pokemon. Claydol is classified by the Pokedex as the “Clay Doll Pokemon” which indicates its general design. This guide will showcase Claydol’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Claydol.
About Claydol
As a generation three Pokemon, Claydol first appeared in the Ruby and Sapphire season of the anime in the episode Claydol Big and Tall. In this episode a giant Claydol was released and had to be stopped from wreaking havoc on a nearby village. Claydol is the final evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves from Baltoy once it reaches level 36. The Pokedex states that Claydol was originally a doll made from mud and came to life from being exposed to a mysterious ray.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire Claydol Big and Tall |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Baltoy, not known to evolve into any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 36 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Claydol are said to be dolls of mud made by primitive humans and brought to life by exposure to a mysterious ray. This Pokémon moves about while levitating. |
Claydol Base Stats
| HP | 60 |
| ATTACK | 70 |
| DEFENCE | 105 |
| SP. ATTACK | 70 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 120 |
| SPEED | 75 |
| TOTAL | 500 |
Appearance
Claydol is a large Pokemon that resembles a statue with owl-like features. While it has no wings on its body, it is typically depicted levitating. There are large red orbs around Claydol’s head and every other orb has an open eye while the orbs in between have a closed eye. Between each orb is a small yellow beak giving it the impression of an owl that can see all directions. Most of its body is brown to match its clay-like moniker and there are several cryptic markings found all over its body. Claydol is an average height for a Pokemon at 4 feet and 11 inches, or 1.5 meters, tall.
Behavior
While Claydol is often used as a battle Pokemon, its wild variant seems to have little understanding of the world around it. It is shown to be formidable in battle, but in the wild it appears to be skeptical of its surroundings at all times. While its origins are mysterious, it is said to be a reincarnated doll of primitive humans that was brought to life by a mysterious beam. The Pokedex states that Claydol could date back over 20,000 years ago.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Claydol has phenomenal defensive stats but its health pool makes it difficult to capitalize on it and on top of this, its physical and special attack are below par. Its speed stat is not the worst, but it will almost never go first as it cannot compete with a fast offensive Pokemon very well. Furthermore, as a dual type ground and psychic Pokemon, Claydol is 2x weak to ghost, water, bug, grass, ice, and dark type moves. Thanks to its ability Levitate, it is immune to ground and it is naturally immune to electric type moves, and is resistant to fighting, poison, rock, and psychic type moves.
Shiny Claydol
It is fairly easy to distinguish between a regular Claydol and a Shiny Claydol as only its eyes will change color while its main body, trimmings, and markings have the same colour palette. You will need to pay attention to whether it has pink/red eyes or yellow eyes to determine whether you have a regular Claydol or a Shiny Claydol. Like all shiny Pokemon, a Shiny Claydol gains a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
Since Claydol’s introduction in generation three, it has not performed very strongly in competitive environments. Its stat distribution makes it difficult to fulfill a particular role and oftentimes it is utilized for its moveset rather than what its stats imply. Consider running Rapid Spin, Earth Power, Shadow Ball, and Psyshock/Psychic. Rapid Spin is a safe option as you will likely encounter hazards in competitive play, Earth Power benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) while also making the opponent’s Pokemon easier to knock out, Shadow Ball is for type coverage, and Psyshock/Psychic is up to preference as a psychic type move.
| Rapid Spin | Earth Power |
| Shadow Ball | Psyshock/Psychic |
How to Catch Claydol in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Claydol in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to obtain a Baltoy first. Like most final evolutions, its base evolution is a more common spawn to encounter in the wild and you can also hatch a Baltoy from 2 or 5 km eggs. Baltoy and Claydol will spawn at a boosted rate near hospitals, residential areas at night, parks, quarries, parking lots, or other industrial areas. If you would like to skip evolving a Baltoy, you can find Claydol in tier three raids in Pokemon Gyms, which makes things easier. However, you will need 50 Baltoy candies in order to evolve it into a Claydol.
Trivia
- Other than its evolution line, no other Pokemon has the same type combination as Claydol.
- The inspiration for Claydol’s design resembles the shakoki dogu, a clay figurine from the Jomon period of Japanese history.
- The name Claydol is a combination of the words clay and idol/doll.
Video
FAQ
Is Claydol a good Pokemon?
Claydol is placed near the bottom of competitive tier lists. While its stats would imply that it would be best used defensively, it functions more like an offensive Pokemon. It offers a wide range of solid moves that can be utilized in an offensive manner, it just does not have a good stat distribution to help it fulfill this offensive role.
Can you evolve Claydol?
Claydol is the final evolution in its two stage evolution line and thus there is no way to evolve a Claydol into any other Pokemon in the mainline games. Once you have obtained a Claydol, you are finished with that evolution line and you do not have to worry about fulfilling any special conditions for evolving Claydol.
Is Claydol a rock type?
Claydol is not a rock type, it is a ground and psychic type Pokemon. While the “clay” in its name may imply rock type to some players, it more appropriately fits as a part ground type Pokemon. The other half of its typing is psychic as it has some mysterious origins and supernatural powers.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Clay Doll Pokemon”. While Claydol has not had the biggest impact on the competitive environment, it is a unique Pokemon through its most viable strategy in battle. Most of its moves capitalize on its high defensive stats to deal large amounts of damage, rather than stalling out a battle to win off of status effects or hazards. Reserve a slot for Claydol if you want a bulky special attacker on your team that has a wide range of moves.
