Umbreon

Umbreon, The Moonlight Pokémon. When this Pokémon becomes angry, its pores secrete a poisonous sweat, which it sprays at its opponent's eyes. On the night of a full moon, or when it gets excited, the ring patterns on its body glow yellow.

Overview

Umbreon is the perennial tank of the Eeveelutions and has held on as a solid option throughout the generations. Incredible bulk coupled with a wide support movepool and STAB Foul Play which ignore’s Umbreon’s own lackluster is everything a tank could want. Add in Clerical options like Wish and Heal Bell, Umbreon becomes an impressive cleric for the team able to keep everyone healthy against repeated assaults. The generational shifts have been kind to Umbreon. The rise of Knock Off and Future Sight give Umbreon more moves to pivot into and Fairy is not as dominant as it has been in the previous generation.

Positives
Fantastic Defenses in 95/110/130 bulk alongside recovery options in Moonlight, Wish and Heal Bell make Umbreon difficult to take out
Plentiful support move options in Wish, Heal Bell, Snarl, Baton Pass, Toxic and Yawn give Umbreon a degree of flexibility and can be mixed and matched to fill the team
Synchronize and Heal Bell disincentivize the use of Status to break through Umbreon
Negatives
Umbreon is rather passive and anything that it can’t threaten immediately can use Umbreon as setup fodder.
Poor Speed ensures Umbreon will take a hit before doing anything.

Movesets

Alien Vanguard

-Wish
-Protect
-Foul Play
-Heal Bell/Toxic/Baton Pass
Item Attached: Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SDef
Careful Nature

Wish is the crux of this set, keeping both Umbreon and its teammates healthy throughout the match, enabling Umbreon to take repeated hits. Protect helps guarantee Umbreon can get the healing for itself as well as stall out turns for extra Leftovers recover and synergizes well with Toxic. Foul Play is a STAB move that uses Umbreon’s target’s higher Attack reliably 2-3HKOing anything that doesn’t resist Dark and/or is a dedicated tank/Special attacker giving Umbreon some offensive presence. Heal Bell tends to be the last move of choice, enabling Umbreon to be full Cleric for a team and ensures it isn’t ruined by Toxic. Toxic is another move worth serious consideration, giving Umbreon an answer against Tanks that otherwise wall it and synergizes well with Wish and Protect. Baton Pass can be used akin to Clefable’s Teleport, allowing Umbreon to bring in an ally safely to get healed thanks to Umbreon’s low speed and acts as a reliable slow pivot allowing Umbreon to regain momentum against unfavorable matchups.

DYNAMAX:
Never Dynamax Umbreon. It is far too passive to Dynamax effectively and loses out on its ability to heal or effectively deal damage while Dynamaxed.

EVs and Items:
Max HP is always a must to maximize Umbreon’s bulk and the healing it grants via its Wishes. Whether you invest more in Special Defense or Defense after that is up to personal preference and team composition. Leftovers is preferred for the extra recovery it gives in conjunction with Protect, though Heavy Duty Boots is an option so that Umbreon does not have to rest as often. .

Other Options:
Yawn – Punishes Setup Sweepers harsher than Toxic and pairs very well with Protect

Partners:
Umbreon appreciates partners that can attend to its weaknesses. Poison types resist all of Umbreon’s weaknesses, many can lay down Toxic that aids in Umbreon’s walling and in turn enjoy Umbreon’s ability to answer Psychic moves and clerical abilities. Galarian Weezing stands out for its superior defense and ability to check opposing Dark types in addition to Umbreon’s weaknesses. Nidoqueen enjoys the healing and sets down Entry hazards that punish the forced switching Umbreon tends to create, while Tentacruel provides Haze and Rapid Spin support. Aegislash also reliably answers Umbreon’s weaknesses and in turn enjoys the healing Umbreon provides enabling Aegislash to pivot in multiple times during a match. Otherwise, Umbreon acts as a fantastic enabler to bulky teammates that lack reliable recovery and are vulnerable to status. Heatran, Swampert, Jirachi, and Azumarill are examples of bulky Pokémon that benefit from Umbreon’s support..

VGC & Double Battle Options

Umbreon’s history in Doubles is not as storied as other Pokémon. While getting all of the tools it needed to succeed in the fifth generation, that and the subsequent generations were very hostile towards Dark types. It is not until the most recent generations that Umbreon has truly begun to shine. Umbreon is a very disruptive Pokémon with moves like Snarl and Yawn sapping momentum and Helping Hand providing offensive presence through Umbreon’s partner. Umbreon’s fantastic bulk and Inner Focus make it very sticky so unless Umbreon gets focused down (and thus ignoring Umbreon’s undoubtably more offensive teammate) Umbreon will stick around to be a constant annoyance. Umbreon’s passivity still remains a problem and is unlikely to pull wins if the last Pokémon standing. In addition, Umbreon faces stiff competition in Incineroar, who offers similar support and can tank Attack with Intimidate.

A Helpful Shadow

-Snarl/Yawn
-Foul Play
-Moonlight
-Helping Hand
Item Attached: Leftovers/Sitrus Berry
Ability: Synchronize
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 156 Def / 100 SDef
Bold Nature

Snarl and Yawn are the disruptions of choice for Umbreon. Snarl tanks the Special Attack of many threatening Special Attackers in the format as well as providing Minor chip damage, while Yawn forces your opponent into the difficult decision of keeping your Pokémon in for one more turn and then losing it to Sleep or lose momentum and switch out to something that could be vulnerable to your attacks. Foul Play is reliable damage that can 2-3HKO most physical attackers. Moonlight is what enables Umbreon to stick around, providing massive recovery in the Sun. Helping Hand rounds out the set, enabling Umbreon to attack through its partner and has priority that makes it very difficult to stop. Inner Focus is invaluable as it ensures that Umbreon won’t lose turns to Fake Out or unlucky Rock Slide flinches, enabling it to be as disruptive and supportive as possible.

Other Options:
Mental Herb is great for stopping Taunt, Ensuring Umbreon gets its Yawn or Moonlight off. Umbreon is a rather slow user of Taunt, but is great for shutting down Trick Room before it starts. Since Moonlight is at its best in the Sun, Umbreon flourishes with partners like Groudon and Torkoal who crank Umbreon’s healing way up and in turn enjoy Umbreon patching up their lackluster Special Defense with Snarl. Umbreon’s low speed also lends it to function well on Trick Room teams, enabling it to disrupt or heal with priority over the opponent.

Countering Umbreon

Pokémon that don’t mind Foul Play and Toxic are very difficult for Umbreon to deal with outside of Yawn. Clefable stands out with Super Effective STAB, immunity to Toxic thanks to Magic Guard and taking an absolute pittance from Foul Play. Conkeldurr similarly performs well, even getting a Guts Boost off of Toxic. Setup Sweepers like Corviknight, Hatterene, and Suicune can all abuse Umbreon’s passivity to setup safely. As sturdy as Umbreon is, it is not invincible and can be worn down frighteningly quickly. Strong STAB super effective attackers like Blaziken, Heracross, Urshifu, Pheromosa, Tapu Lele can all reliably outspeed Umbreon and if not outright KO it, leave it in a position where it must switch out or be KOd. Umbreon is heavily reliant on its Status moves, so shutting down Umbreon with Taunt is a good way to force it out.

Locations in Games

Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game

Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Evolve Eevee

Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game

FireRed/LeafGreen:
Trade an Eevee and evolve it in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald

Colosseum/XD:
Starter Pokémon (Colosseum)
Evolve Eevee (XD)

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Evolve Eevee

HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Eevee

Black/White:
Trade from Black 2/White 2

Black 2/White 2:
Evolve Eevee

X/Y:
Evolve Eevee

Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Evolve Eevee

Sun/Moon:
Route 4, Route 6

Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Route 4, Route 6

Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game

Sword/Shield:
Lake of Outrage, Giant's Bed
Max Raid Battles: Giant's Mirror, Ballimere Lake

Anime Appearences

Umbreon has made numerous anime appearances. Most notably, Gary has used one during much of his travels, Virgil used one to help win the Unova League and Gladion used one in his Alola campaign

# -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics
173 Power Play Umbreon! Battle In The Moonless Night!  
185 Trouble's Brewing The 5 Eevee Sisters! Tea Party Battle!  
228 Espeon Not Included! Sakura and Espeon! Ecruteak City Again!! Pics
271 The Ties That Bind Tournament Finals! Full Battle 6 vs 6!! Pics
274 Johto Photo Finish To the End of the Full Battle! Each One's Way!! Pics
C15 Putting The Air Back Into Aerodactyl! Pokémon Researcher Gary & The Revived Aerodactyl! Pics
353 A Fan With A Plan Formidable Enemy!? Mother Coordinator Enters! Pics
M7 Destiny Deoxys Visitor of the Space Fissure - Deoxys Pics
513 Ill-Will Hunting Hunter J Again! Protect Shieldon! Pics
553 Fighting Fear With Fear! Gligar! Wings of Friendship!! Pics
M11 Giratina & The Sky Warrior Giratina & The Bouquet of the Sky - Shaymin Pics
606 Strategy Begins At Home Dawn VS Mom! Showdown Between Parent & Child!! Pics
609 Challenging A Towering Figure! Tower Tycoon! That Man, Palmer! Pics
619 The Needs of Three Azelf, Uxie, Mesprit! Pics
663 The Battle Club and Tepig's Choice Battle Club! Mysterious Pokemon Appears!! Pics
S26 TBC Dawn's New Journey Pics
S30 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Magnagate & The Infinite Labyrinth Pics
763 Team Eevee and the Pokemon Rescue Squad! Team Eevee, Depart! The Pokémon Rescue Squad!! Pics
764 Curtain Up, Unova League The Unova League Higaki Tournament Begins! Pics
766 Lost at the League! Axew Gets Lost! Pics
767 Strong Strategy Steals the Show! Sawk Enters! Ash VS Stephan! Pics
769 A Unova League Evolution Unova League Conclusion! Lucario VS Pikachu!! Pics
S31 TBC Mewtwo: The Prologue to Awakening Pics
P14 Eevee Friends Pikachu & Eevee Friends Pics
893 Tag Team Battle Inspiration! A Tag Battle is a Friendship Battle! Eevee Fights for the First Time! Pics
941 The First Day of the Rest of Your Life! One Last Battle with Ash! Serena's Choice!! Pics
970 A Glaring Rivalry! Come Forth, Lycanroc with the Crimson Look!! Pics
980 Rising from the Ruins! Rockruff and the Guardian Diety of the Ruins of Life! Pics
987 A Dream Encounter! Ash and Nebby! A Mysterious Encounter!! Pics
990 A Masked Warning! Gladion & Silvally! The Confinement Mask!! Pics
992 Mission: Total Recall! Lillie & Silvally: Memories Reborn! Pics
993 Faba's Revenge! Faba Strikes Back! Nebby Gets Abducted!! Pics
994 Family Determination! EffortfuLillie! A Determined Runaway Act! Pics
996 Rescuing the Unwilling! Hurry Up! Operation: Rescue Lusamine!! Pics
997 10,000,000 Reasons to Fight! Shine, Z-Power Ring! A Super Fully Powered 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!! Pics
998 The Professors' New Adventure! Thank You, Solgaleo! You are Our Nebby!! Pics
1008 Turning Heads and Training Hard! Ilima and Eevee Have Ilimade Their Entrance!! Pics
1017 Tough Guy Trials! This Tough Old Geezer's the Island Kahuna? Pics
M22 Pokémon The Power of Us Pokémon: Everyone's Story  
1029 I Choose Paradise! I Choose Here! The Pokémon Steam Paradise!! Pics
1033 Securing the Future! Connect to the Future! The Legend of the Blinding One!! Pics
1048 Showdown on Poni Island! Lycanroc Showdown! Ash VS Gladion!! Pics
1051 Memories in the Mist! In Tapu Fini's Mist Pics
1058 The Dealer of Destruction! Guzma, Emperor of Destruction! Pics
1070 Chasing Memories, Creating Dreams! Gladion & Lillie! Chasing a Father's Phantom!! Pics
1074 The Battlefield of Truth and Love! Jessie VS James! A Battlefield of Love and Truth!! Pics
1075 Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Strategy! Overcome Decidueye!! Pics
1079 Getting Down to The Ire! Rising Fire! More Than One Rival!! Pics
1080 The Wisdom Not to Run! Guzma the Undefeated! Pics
1081 Final Rivals! The Finals! The Ultimate Rival Showdown!! Pics
1082 Enter the Champion! He's Born! The Alolan League Winner! Pics
1084 Exhibition Unmasked! Final Battle! Ash VS Kukui!! Pics
1085 A Full Battle Bounty! Burn with Passion! Get Filled with Intensity! A Full Battle!!! Pics
1086 Fiery Surprises! Conclusion! Incineroar VS Torracat!! Pics
1087 From Z to Shining Z! The Greatest Z in Alola! Tapu Koko VS Pikachu! Pics
1089 Thank You, Alola! The Journey Continues! Thank You, Alola! Respective Departures!! Pics
1126 The New Old Gang of Mine I Am Back! Nice to See You, Alola! Pics
1138 To Train, or Not to Train! Chloe & The Really Mysterious Eevee Pics
1152 On Land, In the Sea, and to the Future! Challenge! The Pokémon Water Obstacle Course!! Pics
1168 Night and Day, You are the Ones The Moon and the Sun; Chloe and Haruhi Pics
1191 Battling in the Freezing Raid! Trial Mission: A Frozen Raid Battle!! Pics
1192 The Future is Now, Thanks to Strategy! Ash & Clemont! Special Friendship Training!! Pics
1194 Reuniting for the First Time! Eevee and Sylveon! Encounters and Reunions!! Pics
1200 The Homecoming Crown! Mohn and Lillie: A Reunion on the Tundra! Pics
1201 Helping the Hometown Hero! A Triumphant Return! The Alola Champion!! Pics
1208 TBC Chloe and Eevee and the EV-io-lite! Pics
1209 Infinite Possibilities! The Possibilities are Endless for Chloe and Eevee! Pics
1215 TBC Go for Dream! Goh's Road to Mew!! Pics
1224 Heroes Unite! Pokémon! I Am Glad I Got To Meet You Pics
1236 The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! Pics
12 The Future I Choose! The Future I Choose Pics
13 An Unexpected Picni A Sudden Picnic Pics
14 Fly! Wattrell Fly, Wattrel Pics
15 It's Someone You Can't See! Whosawhatsit? It's Someone You Can't See! Whosawhatsit? Pics
27 TBC As Long As I'm With My Companions Pics
34 TBC Respective Departures Pics