This pistol shrimp packs a punch! Clauncher is the Water Gun pokemon that was introduced in Pokemon XY and uses its special oversized claw to fire off powerful bursts of compressed water against its enemies. It’s ability Mega Launcher juices the power of Aura and Pulse based movers, which means that it is considerably powerful as an offensive special attacker when given the right moves.
It evolves into the mighty Clawitzer at level 37. Clauncher was introduced in the 6th generation of Pokemon games in Pokemon X & Pokemon Y. It’s debut in the main series anime would come within the XY episode “Going for the Gold”.
About Clauncher
| First appearance in anime | “Going for the Gold!” | |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon X/Y | |
| Region | Kalos | |
| Evolution | Clawitzer | |
| 1st Evo level | 37 | |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A | |
| Pokedex Entry | X:They knock down flying prey by firing compressed water from their massive claws like shooting a pistol. | Y:Through controlled expulsions of internal gas, it can expel water like a pistol shot. At close distances, it can shatter rock. |
Clauncher Base stats
| HP | 50 |
| ATTACK | 53 |
| DEFENCE | 62 |
| SP. ATTACK | 58 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 63 |
| SPEED | 44 |
| TOTAL | 330 |
Appearance
Clauncher is a crustacean Pokémon that resembles a shrimp with light blue and gray coloration. It has three pairs of gray legs and its claws are unevenly sized, with one claw forming a single, sharp point and the other being larger and forming a more traditional pincer with a small yellow claw. Each front claw has a black stripe across the top and on its head is a pair of antennae, yellow eyes, and three pointed mandibles. There are three black stripes that separate its body into segments, and it has a light gray underside. Two black, rectangular fins form its tail. At just barely over 1’ft and a mere 18 pounds, it is relatively lightweight Pokemon
Behavior
Claunchers have ample tools to defend themselves from potential predators between either intimidation with their oversized claw, or actually putting to use by manipulating the gas inside of the to fire off high velocity projectiles. Claunchers have a tendency to be captured for the sake of their oversized claws, which are a delicacy in the region of Kalos. Thankfully they can regenerate lost limbs after a period of time
Strengths and Weaknesses
Clauncher, through either his natural level ups or via TMs/TRs, has a broad amount of choice whenever it comes to offensive options, learning powerful moves like Aura Sphere and Water Pulse, both of which gain a benefit from its ability Mega Launcher. This makes him an offensive powerhouse that is difficult to survive once he gets rolling. However, Clauncher is notably very slow and not exactly very durable himself.
It is very possible for him to be knocked out before even getting an attack off against faster pokemon. As a pure Water type, Clauncher is weak to Grass and Electric type moves, and thus takes double the normal damage from them. However, while it has no immunities, it is resistant to Steel, Fire, Water and Ice type moves.
Best Moveset
Clauncher is at his best when using moves that gain the benefit from his abilities to make him a scary attacker that can hit for super effective damage on multiple types of pokemon. In order to circumvent his innate weakness of being slow naturally, consider a priority move like Aqua Jet in order to gain the upper hand against lighter, flimsier foes
| Aura Sphere | Water Pulse |
| Aqua Jet | Dragon Pulse |
How to catch Clauncher in Pokemon Go?
Clauncher was recently introduced into Pokemon GO as part of the Rivals Week 2021 on April 13th, 2021.event alongside Clawitzer, Skrelp, and Dragalge. You can find them out in the wild near water and water adjacent areas. It was formerly a Tier 1 Raid Boss and the “Win a Raid” event field research task prize. It can evolve into Clawitzer after being fed 50 candies.
Trivia
- Clauncher’s name may be derived from a combination of “Claw” and “Launcher”
- Clauncher is almost certainly based on the real like Pistol Shrimp, even sharing the ability to use internal gas to fire off pressurized water as a defense mechanism
- Clauncher is one of three pokemon with the ability Mega Launcher, the other two being its evolution Clawitzer and Mega Blastoise
FAQs
Is Clauncher a special attacker?
While its stat spread may not make it immediately clear, the nature of many moves boosted by its Mega Launcher ability definitely makes it lean more towards the special attacker label.
What are the best natures for Clauncer?
Anything that helps boosts its formidable special attack capabilities but doesn’t hinder its other offensive capabilities like speed, like Modest or Mild work well.
What is Clauncher weak to?
As a pure Water type, it is vulnerable to grass and electric type attacks. Outside of typing disadvantages, it is relatively slow and struggles to attack first against many pokemon, meaning it is liable to be knocked out before it even gets the chance to do anything.
Conclusion
Clauncher is a unique creature of the seas, able to use its powerful oversized claw to shoot down anything it deems a threat. Its offensive flexibility makes it a valuable asset to any team, and you can even manage to work around its weaknesses of low speed with proper moveset building. How could you not like this crustacean cannoneer?
