approved by Nexus
[title]
Competitive Differences in XY OU
[head]
[page]
<h2>Introduction</h2>
<p>
With every new generation comes an at least partially refreshed set of mechanics and rules. No generation is ever the same or even close to the last one, as seen with virtually every generation shift in Pokémon history. XY brought about a massive number of changes, including the introduction of Mega Evolutions and other brand new competitive Pokémon. This article covers the changes most relevant to you as a competitive player.
</p>
<h2>Mega Evolutions</h2>
<p>
Mega Evolutions are the most major change this generation has brought. They work as in-battle evolutions with a priority only second to switching, shifting the stats, abilities, and even typing of a Pokémon. These Pokémon can gain blazing fast Speed, immense Attack stats, great bulk, game-changing abilities, etc. To prevent Mega Evolutions from being overpowering, Game Freak implemented a limit of one Mega Evolution per battle. You may bring more than one Pokémon holding a Mega Stone, but it will but unadvantageous the vast majority of the time due to the fact that the Pokémon could be holding a more useful item. This also means that you must use your Mega Evolution wisely; there are so many, and virtually all are great Pokémon. Therefore, you must also pick it wisely, as the Mega Evolution will be your "ace in the hole," so to say. A list of Mega Evolutions with the last information on them can be found <a href="/forums/forums/research.251/?prefix_id=115">here</a>. Each forum thread has all of the relevant information regarding each MEvo.
</p>
<p>
Many MEvos are good in the OU environment—some even dominant. It is simply a matter of which ones warrant a spot over another MEvo, as there is a limit of one per team. <strong>Mega Lucario</strong> utilizes its ability Adaptability, high offenses, and blazing Speed to dominate with its Swords Dance and Nasty Plot sets, both of which have entirely different counters, and very few at that. It is even difficult to revenge kill with access to both strong STAB physical and special priority moves (Bullet Punch and Vacuum Wave, respectively). <strong>Mega Charizard X</strong>, boasting the Fire / Dragon typing Charizard has been longing for since the first generation, is a monster both defensively and offensively with solid defenses and Tough Claws boosting many of its attacks. <strong>Mega Charizard Y</strong> is another great choice, as it can provide Drought support for itself and teammates, and hits like a nuke. <strong>Mega Mawile</strong> and <strong>Mega Tyranitar</strong> have emerged as veritable offensive threats; the former utilizes its massive power with its new ability (Huge Power) and STAB Sucker Punch in addition to a great Steel / Fairy typing, while the latter takes advantage of its increased Speed (up to 71) to run an effective Dragon Dance sweeper set. <strong>Mega Gardevoir</strong> has excellent Special Attack and Special Defense, which allow it to run effective Calm Mind and tank sets, but is frail. Finally, <strong>Mega Scizor</strong> runs an effective specially defensive Swords Dance set, which can take beating after beating, recover with Roost, boost with Swords Dance, and utterly wreck with Bullet Punch and Bug Bite. It can also use Defog, which is discussed later in the article.
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<p>
<strong>Mega Pinsir</strong> gains a Bug / Flying typing and a free, ability-boosted 102 BP STAB in Return thanks to Aerilate, which increases the power of Normal-type moves by 30% and changes their type to Flying. <strong>Mega Heracross</strong> gets Skill Link, which it can take advantage of with a buffed Pin Missile in addition to Rock Blast and the usual STAB Close Combat. <strong>Mega Medicham</strong> gets base Attack and Speed increases to 100 and keeps Pure Power, making it obscenely powerful and bringing its Speed up to par. <strong>Mega Gyarados</strong> can run an effective defensive set, though its Dark typing does cause, in some cases, more issues than benefits, adding a Fighting weakness. <strong>Mega Blastoise</strong>, especially thanks to Blastoise's newfound access to Aura Sphere, can function as a great bulky yet offensive Rapid Spin user. <strong>Mega Aerodactyl</strong> gains a massive base 150 Speed stat and increased power thanks to Tough Claws. Finally, there are some MEvos that haven't really made the cut; namely, <strong>Mega Aggron</strong> for still lacking in Special Defense and Speed, <strong>Mega Ampharos</strong> for just not improving enough, <strong>Mega Alakazam</strong> for actually getting worse thanks to trading Magic Guard for Trace, <strong>Mega Garchomp</strong> for being outright worse than its base forme due to a decrease in Speed, <strong>Mega Houndoom</strong> due to the sun nerf, and <strong>Mega Manectric</strong> due to just not improving enough.
</p>
<h2>Type Chart Changes</h2>
<h3>The Fairy-type</h3>
<p>
The first thing to talk about is the Fairy-type. Apparently, Game Freak decided that Dragon-types were way too overpowered in the last generation, which was especially evident in OU with Latios, Latias, Dragonite, etc. dominating usage stats and play, as well as Ubers. In order to combat this, a new type called Fairy was introduced. Fairy is immune to Dragon and hits it super effectively, neutering a type that was once almost impossible to counter. This is the most major shift, but Fairy naturally has other properties. On the defensive side, Fairy is hit super effectively by Poison- and Steel-types and resists Dark, Bug, and Fighting. Poison and Steel have always been poor offensive typings, so this buff to their coverage makes them much more desirable options on Pokémon with access to them, many of which might have opted for another STAB move and extra coverage in Generation 5. Additionally, its Fighting resistance helps neuter Fighting-types, which were extremely prominent last generation. Offensively, Fairy hits Fighting and Dark super effectively and is resisted by Fire, Poison, and Steel. Being super effective on Fighting aids in getting rid of Fighting-types, while being resisted by Fire—a defensive typing that has typically been poor—buffs Fire-types immensely. Of course, now you have to be wondering what Pokémon actually got the gift of Fairy. Keep reading for information on competitive Fairy-types!
</p>
<h4>Competitive Fairy-types</h4>
<p>
Two Mega Evolutions have Fairy typing—<strong>Mega Mawile</strong> and <strong>Mega Gardevoir</strong>. The former, as previously mentioned is a huge attacker. It takes advantage of its Fairy typing to switch into Choice-locked Dragon-types, in addition to losing its Fighting weakness, and sets up with Swords Dance, which boosts its already ridiculously high Pure Power-boosted base 105 Attack to great levels, allowing it to sweep with Sucker Punch and Play Rough, a 90 BP Fairy-type physical STAB move. Mega Gardevoir, on the other hand, is more of a special threat. Its excellent Special Attack and Special Defense lend it to Calm Mind and special tank sets. It utilizes its Psychic STAB in addition to a 95 BP Fairy-type STAB in Moonblast.
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<p>
In addition to the two Fairy-type MEVos, some old Pokémon have been retyped to Fairy. Among the more significant ones are Togekiss and Azumarill. <strong>Togekiss</strong> is retyped to Fairy / Flying, transforming it into a monster. First off, it goes from taking neutral damage from Fighting-type attacks to quadrupally resisting them. It also gains the ability to handle Dragon-types, which it certainly could not in the past. Between Nasty Plot, Roost, and STAB Dazzling Gleam (85 BP Fairy-type move) and Air Slash, Togekiss can wreak quite a bit of havoc. <strong>Azumarill</strong> did not only get the benefits of a Fairy typing, but also access to Belly Drum + Aqua Jet. With Belly Drum, Azumarill has been transformed into a top sweeper with priority STAB Aqua Jet in conjunction with STAB Waterfall and Play Rough. It too, like Togekiss, has gone from having great issues with Dragon-types to utterly demolishing them.
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<p>
There are some other retypings, including to Clefable's evolution line (now pure Fairy), Wigglytuff's evolution line (now Normal / Fairy), Mr. Mime (now Psychic / Fairy), Granbull (now pure Fairy), and Whimsicott (now Grass / Fairy). <strong>Clefable</strong>, gifted with Unaware and Fairy typing, has unexpectedly shone this generation as a stop to setup sweepers and Dragon-types of all kinds. It's not stuck with Seismic Toss for an offensive move now, learning Moonblast, and has the reliable recovery needed for it to stay healthy throughout a match. <strong>Mr. Mime</strong> has definitely been buffed, which is nice for the Baton Pass teams it basically carries on its shoulders thanks to Soundproof blocking Perish Song and Roar. The ability to handle Dragon-types will serve these teams well. Wigglytuff, on the other hand, even with a 10 point Special Attack increase, retyping, and an awesome ability in Competitive, is still complete and utter garbage to its pitiful defenses and unimpressive offenses. Whimsicott, too, still suffers from low defenses, and with better Grass-types in this generation (Mega Venusaur and Trevenant) struggles to find a place on any team.
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<p>
As far as Ubers is concerned, there are two Fairy-types that reside in the tier—Xerneas and Fairy Arceus. <strong>Xerneas</strong> is the cover legendary of Pokémon X, boasting a key Speed tier at 99. 99 Speed puts it completely above the 90s and 95s that are prominent in Ubers. It also gets a pretty good base 131 Special Attack, which wouldn't be all that impressive for Ubers were it not that Xerneas got one of the best signature moves ever, Geomancy. Geomany is a setup move that has a one turn charge-up, givng the equivalent of two Quiver Dance boosts on the second turn; this charge-up turn can be eliminated by a Power Herb, however. With a Power Herb, Xerneas can have +2 Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed in just one turn with powerful STAB- and Fairy Aura-boosted Moonblast alongside the typical Focus Blast for coverage. It can also run Close Combat, which with a base 131 Attack stat doesn't even require going mixed to do enough damage to the Steel- and Dark-types weak to it. For a secondary coverage move, it runs Thunder to hit Kyogre hard and for the 30% paralysis chance. <strong>Fairy Arceus</strong> is, well, Arceus (note that it is not yet available in non-PokéBank OU). It has the signature 120 stats across the board, so it has excellent bulk and Speed, as well as decent power. It runs Calm Mind sets with Recover, Fairy-type Judgement, and Focus Blast for coverage; in the last slot, Refresh and Roar are also options, as Fairy is an excellent STAB type on its own. It can handle the titanic Dragon-types of Ubers even better than Xerneas thanks to its higher Special Defense (and Defense),
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<p>
The new generation also brought some new Pokémon with Fairy typing. The competitive ones consist of Sylveon and Klefki (disregarding the aforementioned Xerneas). <strong>Sylveon</strong> dominates the scene with impressive special walling capabilities and, thanks to its ability Pixilate, an insanely powerful STAB Hyper Voice. It commonly runs a specially defensive set, which packs quite the punch, or a devastating Choice Specs set. Finally, <strong>Klefki</strong> has established itself as the Liepard of XY. It learns Swagger, Foul Play, Substitute, and Thunder Wave, and gets the Prankster ability—all of the things that made Liepard annoying last generation—but with actual defensive sets (though they're still not that great) and moreover Steel / Fairy typing. However, although this strategy may be its claim-to-fame, the SwagPlay strategy's inconsistency leaves the set not to difficult to fight out. However, as a difficult-to-stop dual screener and Spikes setter, Klefki has a solid place in OU.
</p>
<h3>The Dethroning of the Steel-type</h3>
<p>
In addition to the shake-ups caused by the Fairy-type, it was apparently decided that the Steel type had too many resistances. This is made evident in the fact that Steel now takes neutral damage from Dark- and Ghost-type attacks. This is massive for Pokémon with those STABs—no longer will Steel-types get in the way of Gengar spamming its Shadow Ball or anything like that. It also makes Genesect much more manageable in PokéBank OU, throwing it off its pedestal, so to say. Steel is no longer the end-all be-all defensive typing with the lack of these resistances, allowing types like Dark and Fairy to shine more. This small change has huge ramifications in all tiers, especially for Dark- and Ghost-type threats of earlier generations.
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<p>
A niche threat at best in BW, <strong>Bisharp</strong> has come storming into OU with a potent Swords Dance set. Since it received a strong new STAB in the buffed Knock Off and an indirect buff in the introduction of Fairy-types, which are weak to its Steel-type STAB, Bisharp has found a place in OU. Now that Steel-types can't wall it, very little can handle Bisharp and its STAB Sucker Punch. It is also the worst enemy of all Defog users, gaining a +2 Attack boost from switching in Defog thanks to its ability, Defiant.
</p>
<h2>New Pokémon</h2>
<p>
New Pokémon are a major reason why generational shifts are typically so significant. There are less than before in this generation because of the introduction of various Mega Evolutions instead of as many entirely new Pokémon, but there are still 69 contenders, many of which are causing drastic shifts among the tiers. Without further adieu, it's time to investigate how these new Pokémon are affecting XY's tiers!
</p>
<h3>New Threats in OU</h3>
<p>
OU has gotten a huge influx of new threats in this generation. Many of the new Pokémon are, if not necessarily OU candidates, at least OU contenders. The most significant of the introductions are Aegislash and Talonflame. <strong>Aegislash</strong> has Steel / Ghost typing (!) and a revolutionary ability, Stance Change, that allows it to switch between its Shield and Sword stances. Upon switching in, Aegislash is in Shield stance, which has 60 / 60 / 150 / 60 / 150 / 60 stats, giving it incredible bulk. When it uses an attack, it shifts to Sword stance, which has 60 / 150 / 60 / 150 / 60 / 60 stats, making it a devastatingly powerful attacker. It can revert back to Shield stance with the use of the move King's Shield, which functions as a Protect that drop the foe's Attack one stage if it uses a contact move. It also reverts to Shield stance upon switching out. With access to Swords Dance, STAB priority in Shadow Sneak, STAB Iron Head to hit Fairy-types, and Sacred Sword for coverage on Dark- and Steel-types, Aegislash is nothing short of a monster. It has taken the metagame by storm with its mixed Shadow Ball / Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword / Iron Head set and with Swords Dance and Autotomize sets. The former is the premier wallbreaker and utility attacker of the current metagame, while the latter two are late-game sweepers. The former targets more defensive teams, while the latter targets more offensive (speedy) teams. Moving on, <strong>Talonflame</strong> has a high base 122 Speed, which is great and all, but it only has base 81 Attack and not-so-great defenses, as well as unusable Special Attack. However, it is saved by its ability Gale Wings, which gives Flying-type moves priority. With base 120 BP and STAB, Brave Bird is surprisingly powerful; with its priority, Talonflame has become a premier revenge killer. Between it and STAB Flare Blitz, Talonflame has plenty of coverage. In order to supplement its power, it can run Swords Dance, allowing it to boost its Attack to the standard required for doing a serious amount of damage. Roost rounds out its movesets, giving it tons of long-term longevity. Why is there so much information on Aegislash and Talonflame, you may ask? Well, they're two of the best Pokémon of this generation, so you must be prepared for them.
</p>
<p>
Next up on the list are this generation's Dragon-types. <strong>Goodra</strong> is the only one solidly finding a spot in OU, boasting great Special Attack and outstanding special bulk. Its ability, Gooey, decreases the Speed of any Pokémon that uses a contact move, which is characteristic of almost every physical attack. Goodra is most commonly seen running an Assault Vest tank set that fires off powerful Draco Meteors while being able to take quite a beating from special threats. <strong>Noivern</strong>, though much less common, finds itself as an amalgamation of Deoxys-S and Latios, running an effective revenge killer set due to its base 123 Speed and sporting a fairly powerful Draco Meteor backed up by a decent base 97 Special Attack. Zygarde and Dragalge were also added this generation, but both are overshadowed by other OU Dragons—the former (Mega) Garchomp and the latter Goodra and Latios. If you see a Zygarde, it is most likely running a Dragon Dance or Coil set, which utilizes its excellent STAB coverage to sweep, whilst Dragalge would run a Choice Specs set to utilize its insanely powerful Draco Meteors thanks to Adaptability, as well as its unique Fairy-killing ability to its secondary Poison STAB.
</p>
<p>
Probably the most overhyped Pokemon this generation is Greninja, which has sported top 10 usage since the beginning of the generation. It is not necessarily deserving of that spot—though that isn't to say it's worthless at all. Its ability Protean gives it STAB on every attack, which, in addition to a wide offensive movepool boasting gems like Hydro Pump, Dark Pulse, and Ice Beam, access to Spikes, and blazing base 122 Speed, makes it a veritable offensive threat. The other starters have not found such success. <strong>Chesnaught</strong> has a niche in its great Defense and Attack with the ability Bulletproof, granting it immunities to all ball and bomb moves, most notably Shadow Ball, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast, and Sludge Bomb. These traits make it an excellent counter to Aegislash and check to all but Sludge Wave Gengar. However, it is languishing in the depths OU with not even top 100 usage. Delphox is just a total flop, finding itself outclassed by literally every other OU special attacker due to its frailty and unimpressive power in comparison to the titans present in the tier. Overall, the starters this generation have fared better in OU than those of generations past, but outside of Greninja, none of the three have made much of an impact.
</p>
<h2>Miscellaneous</h2>
<h3>Defog</h3>
<p>
The buffed Defog has made quite a splash this generation. In XY, Defog, a previously useless move, was given an immense buff: it removes hazards from both sides of the field. Since it was an HM in DPP, its distribution is decently wide, too, causing some Pokemon to rise immensely in usefulness. The two most common Defog users are <strong>Latias</strong> and <strong>Mandibuzz</strong>. Both have exceptional bulk that grants them numerous switch-in opportunities, allowing them to switch in time after time and get rid of hazards as needed. Latias is an excellent Pokemon this generation as one of the few ways to handle Mega Charizard Y, a top OU threat. Mandibuzz, on the other hand, capitalizes on stellar physical bulk. to serve as a check to many top OU threats, and with an immunity to Spore and Sleep Powder thanks to the Overcoat buff, a buffed Knock Off, Foul Play, and reliable recovery in Roost, it is one of the best.
</p>
<p>However, by no means are these the only Defog users. Offensive teams prefer Latias's male twin, <strong>Latios</strong>, to fill the role. With its high Special Attack and trademark Draco Meteor, it forces many switches, providing numerous opportunities to Defog. <strong>Mega Scizor</strong, with its immense bulk and exceptional power, is among the top users for bulky offensive and balanced teams looking for some defensive utility in their Defog user while desiring that it pack a punch. <strong>Skarmory</strong> has evolved from hazard setter to hazard remover, often running Defog; it is a top physical wall, and can also support its team by setting Stealth Rock, which is still a mandatory hazard. Crobat and Zapdos are less common, but still good, Defog users. Zapdos finds itself a niche as an excellent check to Talonflame with its Flying resistance and with its great special bulk when invested. Crobat, meanwhile, capitalizes on the Infiltrator buff, which allows it to hit behind Substitutes, in addition to Taunt, U-turn, and Brave Bird.
</p>
<p>
While one might think that a move able to remove hazards from both sides of the field would decrease the importance of Stealth Rock, it really has not. If anything, it has become more crucial than ever, as threats like Talonflame, Mega Charizard X, and Mega Charizard Y are around to dominate, destroying teams lacking good responses to them. The extra damage from Stealth Rock can be the difference between a win and a loss.
</p>
<h3>Knock Off</h3>
<p>This generation, Knock Off's Base Power was increased to 65. This isn't too impressive, but when it knocks off an item, its BP is increased by 50% to 97.5. This is stronger than any offensive option physical Dark-types have had in the past, and limits the potency of defensive threats, which hate to lose their Leftovers recovery. Bisharp was mentioned earlier in the article, so it won't be covered in much detail again, but in short, it received pretty much every possible buff. The introduction of Fairy-types weak to its STAB Iron Head, Steel-types losing their Dark resistance, the prominent Defog giving in a +2 boost to its Attack, gaining a +1 boost from Intimidate, and being gifted an excellent STAB option in the buffed Knock Off have made OU its sure home this generation.</p>
<p>Bisharp is not the only Pokemon to appreciate the Knock Off buff. Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Scizor, and Crawdaunt—and many others—utilize Knock Off to get rid of Leftovers, power-boosting items, and more. Crawdaunt in particular has profited. Although not OU, it has established itself as a veritable offensive threat, benefiting greatly from the Steel-type nerf, great new STAB, and access to Aqua Jet with Adaptability have changed things a good amount for it, allowing it to function pretty well in OU.</p>
<h3>Sticky Web</h3>
<p>With Defog removing it, Sticky Web has not made as much of an impact as originally speculated, but it still is potent. Sticky Web is a hazard like Stealth Rock or Spikes that reduces the Speed of all grounded foes by one stage. This allows slower sweepers and attackers to dominate opposing teams—at least in theory. Besides Defog, Sticky Web has another issue to contend with—lack of viable users. Sticky Web is so strapped for users that Smeargle has catapulted into OU just because it can make use of it. With access to the only sleeping move that can incapacitate Mega Venusaur—Dark Void—in addition to Parting Shot, which is basically a fusion of U-turn and Memento, lowering the foe's Attack and Special Attack stats by one stage and forcing Smeargle to switch out like U-turn, allowing for easy setup by a teammate. It can also set up Stealth Rock, providing some extra utility. Unfortunately, its stats are pretty much all crap, and it offers basically no defensive synergy, so it's overall a crappy Pokemon. Galvantula has a bit more offensive presence, and is certainly usable, but its frailty and overall failure to provide much besides Sticky Web leave it in an odd spot. All in all, Sticky Web is an excellent move, even allowing Smeargle to reach OU just because of how potent it is, but none of its users do anything besides set up Defog really, so it's in kind of an odd spot.</p>
<h3>Assault Vest</h3>
<p>Assault Vest is an item that boosts the Special Defense of its holder by 50%, but restricts it to using attacking moves... (to be continued)</p>
- Assault Vest
- Critical hits: 1.5x damage
- Weakness Policy
[title]
Competitive Differences in XY OU
[head]
[page]
<h2>Introduction</h2>
<p>
With every new generation comes an at least partially refreshed set of mechanics and rules. No generation is ever the same or even close to the last one, as seen with virtually every generation shift in Pokémon history. XY brought about a massive number of changes, including the introduction of Mega Evolutions and other brand new competitive Pokémon. This article covers the changes most relevant to you as a competitive player.
</p>
<h2>Mega Evolutions</h2>
<p>
Mega Evolutions are the most major change this generation has brought. They work as in-battle evolutions with a priority only second to switching, shifting the stats, abilities, and even typing of a Pokémon. These Pokémon can gain blazing fast Speed, immense Attack stats, great bulk, game-changing abilities, etc. To prevent Mega Evolutions from being overpowering, Game Freak implemented a limit of one Mega Evolution per battle. You may bring more than one Pokémon holding a Mega Stone, but it will but unadvantageous the vast majority of the time due to the fact that the Pokémon could be holding a more useful item. This also means that you must use your Mega Evolution wisely; there are so many, and virtually all are great Pokémon. Therefore, you must also pick it wisely, as the Mega Evolution will be your "ace in the hole," so to say. A list of Mega Evolutions with the last information on them can be found <a href="/forums/forums/research.251/?prefix_id=115">here</a>. Each forum thread has all of the relevant information regarding each MEvo.
</p>
<p>
Many MEvos are good in the OU environment—some even dominant. It is simply a matter of which ones warrant a spot over another MEvo, as there is a limit of one per team. <strong>Mega Lucario</strong> utilizes its ability Adaptability, high offenses, and blazing Speed to dominate with its Swords Dance and Nasty Plot sets, both of which have entirely different counters, and very few at that. It is even difficult to revenge kill with access to both strong STAB physical and special priority moves (Bullet Punch and Vacuum Wave, respectively). <strong>Mega Charizard X</strong>, boasting the Fire / Dragon typing Charizard has been longing for since the first generation, is a monster both defensively and offensively with solid defenses and Tough Claws boosting many of its attacks. <strong>Mega Charizard Y</strong> is another great choice, as it can provide Drought support for itself and teammates, and hits like a nuke. <strong>Mega Mawile</strong> and <strong>Mega Tyranitar</strong> have emerged as veritable offensive threats; the former utilizes its massive power with its new ability (Huge Power) and STAB Sucker Punch in addition to a great Steel / Fairy typing, while the latter takes advantage of its increased Speed (up to 71) to run an effective Dragon Dance sweeper set. <strong>Mega Gardevoir</strong> has excellent Special Attack and Special Defense, which allow it to run effective Calm Mind and tank sets, but is frail. Finally, <strong>Mega Scizor</strong> runs an effective specially defensive Swords Dance set, which can take beating after beating, recover with Roost, boost with Swords Dance, and utterly wreck with Bullet Punch and Bug Bite. It can also use Defog, which is discussed later in the article.
</p>
<p>
<strong>Mega Pinsir</strong> gains a Bug / Flying typing and a free, ability-boosted 102 BP STAB in Return thanks to Aerilate, which increases the power of Normal-type moves by 30% and changes their type to Flying. <strong>Mega Heracross</strong> gets Skill Link, which it can take advantage of with a buffed Pin Missile in addition to Rock Blast and the usual STAB Close Combat. <strong>Mega Medicham</strong> gets base Attack and Speed increases to 100 and keeps Pure Power, making it obscenely powerful and bringing its Speed up to par. <strong>Mega Gyarados</strong> can run an effective defensive set, though its Dark typing does cause, in some cases, more issues than benefits, adding a Fighting weakness. <strong>Mega Blastoise</strong>, especially thanks to Blastoise's newfound access to Aura Sphere, can function as a great bulky yet offensive Rapid Spin user. <strong>Mega Aerodactyl</strong> gains a massive base 150 Speed stat and increased power thanks to Tough Claws. Finally, there are some MEvos that haven't really made the cut; namely, <strong>Mega Aggron</strong> for still lacking in Special Defense and Speed, <strong>Mega Ampharos</strong> for just not improving enough, <strong>Mega Alakazam</strong> for actually getting worse thanks to trading Magic Guard for Trace, <strong>Mega Garchomp</strong> for being outright worse than its base forme due to a decrease in Speed, <strong>Mega Houndoom</strong> due to the sun nerf, and <strong>Mega Manectric</strong> due to just not improving enough.
</p>
<h2>Type Chart Changes</h2>
<h3>The Fairy-type</h3>
<p>
The first thing to talk about is the Fairy-type. Apparently, Game Freak decided that Dragon-types were way too overpowered in the last generation, which was especially evident in OU with Latios, Latias, Dragonite, etc. dominating usage stats and play, as well as Ubers. In order to combat this, a new type called Fairy was introduced. Fairy is immune to Dragon and hits it super effectively, neutering a type that was once almost impossible to counter. This is the most major shift, but Fairy naturally has other properties. On the defensive side, Fairy is hit super effectively by Poison- and Steel-types and resists Dark, Bug, and Fighting. Poison and Steel have always been poor offensive typings, so this buff to their coverage makes them much more desirable options on Pokémon with access to them, many of which might have opted for another STAB move and extra coverage in Generation 5. Additionally, its Fighting resistance helps neuter Fighting-types, which were extremely prominent last generation. Offensively, Fairy hits Fighting and Dark super effectively and is resisted by Fire, Poison, and Steel. Being super effective on Fighting aids in getting rid of Fighting-types, while being resisted by Fire—a defensive typing that has typically been poor—buffs Fire-types immensely. Of course, now you have to be wondering what Pokémon actually got the gift of Fairy. Keep reading for information on competitive Fairy-types!
</p>
<h4>Competitive Fairy-types</h4>
<p>
Two Mega Evolutions have Fairy typing—<strong>Mega Mawile</strong> and <strong>Mega Gardevoir</strong>. The former, as previously mentioned is a huge attacker. It takes advantage of its Fairy typing to switch into Choice-locked Dragon-types, in addition to losing its Fighting weakness, and sets up with Swords Dance, which boosts its already ridiculously high Pure Power-boosted base 105 Attack to great levels, allowing it to sweep with Sucker Punch and Play Rough, a 90 BP Fairy-type physical STAB move. Mega Gardevoir, on the other hand, is more of a special threat. Its excellent Special Attack and Special Defense lend it to Calm Mind and special tank sets. It utilizes its Psychic STAB in addition to a 95 BP Fairy-type STAB in Moonblast.
</p>
<p>
In addition to the two Fairy-type MEVos, some old Pokémon have been retyped to Fairy. Among the more significant ones are Togekiss and Azumarill. <strong>Togekiss</strong> is retyped to Fairy / Flying, transforming it into a monster. First off, it goes from taking neutral damage from Fighting-type attacks to quadrupally resisting them. It also gains the ability to handle Dragon-types, which it certainly could not in the past. Between Nasty Plot, Roost, and STAB Dazzling Gleam (85 BP Fairy-type move) and Air Slash, Togekiss can wreak quite a bit of havoc. <strong>Azumarill</strong> did not only get the benefits of a Fairy typing, but also access to Belly Drum + Aqua Jet. With Belly Drum, Azumarill has been transformed into a top sweeper with priority STAB Aqua Jet in conjunction with STAB Waterfall and Play Rough. It too, like Togekiss, has gone from having great issues with Dragon-types to utterly demolishing them.
</p>
<p>
There are some other retypings, including to Clefable's evolution line (now pure Fairy), Wigglytuff's evolution line (now Normal / Fairy), Mr. Mime (now Psychic / Fairy), Granbull (now pure Fairy), and Whimsicott (now Grass / Fairy). <strong>Clefable</strong>, gifted with Unaware and Fairy typing, has unexpectedly shone this generation as a stop to setup sweepers and Dragon-types of all kinds. It's not stuck with Seismic Toss for an offensive move now, learning Moonblast, and has the reliable recovery needed for it to stay healthy throughout a match. <strong>Mr. Mime</strong> has definitely been buffed, which is nice for the Baton Pass teams it basically carries on its shoulders thanks to Soundproof blocking Perish Song and Roar. The ability to handle Dragon-types will serve these teams well. Wigglytuff, on the other hand, even with a 10 point Special Attack increase, retyping, and an awesome ability in Competitive, is still complete and utter garbage to its pitiful defenses and unimpressive offenses. Whimsicott, too, still suffers from low defenses, and with better Grass-types in this generation (Mega Venusaur and Trevenant) struggles to find a place on any team.
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<p>
As far as Ubers is concerned, there are two Fairy-types that reside in the tier—Xerneas and Fairy Arceus. <strong>Xerneas</strong> is the cover legendary of Pokémon X, boasting a key Speed tier at 99. 99 Speed puts it completely above the 90s and 95s that are prominent in Ubers. It also gets a pretty good base 131 Special Attack, which wouldn't be all that impressive for Ubers were it not that Xerneas got one of the best signature moves ever, Geomancy. Geomany is a setup move that has a one turn charge-up, givng the equivalent of two Quiver Dance boosts on the second turn; this charge-up turn can be eliminated by a Power Herb, however. With a Power Herb, Xerneas can have +2 Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed in just one turn with powerful STAB- and Fairy Aura-boosted Moonblast alongside the typical Focus Blast for coverage. It can also run Close Combat, which with a base 131 Attack stat doesn't even require going mixed to do enough damage to the Steel- and Dark-types weak to it. For a secondary coverage move, it runs Thunder to hit Kyogre hard and for the 30% paralysis chance. <strong>Fairy Arceus</strong> is, well, Arceus (note that it is not yet available in non-PokéBank OU). It has the signature 120 stats across the board, so it has excellent bulk and Speed, as well as decent power. It runs Calm Mind sets with Recover, Fairy-type Judgement, and Focus Blast for coverage; in the last slot, Refresh and Roar are also options, as Fairy is an excellent STAB type on its own. It can handle the titanic Dragon-types of Ubers even better than Xerneas thanks to its higher Special Defense (and Defense),
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<p>
The new generation also brought some new Pokémon with Fairy typing. The competitive ones consist of Sylveon and Klefki (disregarding the aforementioned Xerneas). <strong>Sylveon</strong> dominates the scene with impressive special walling capabilities and, thanks to its ability Pixilate, an insanely powerful STAB Hyper Voice. It commonly runs a specially defensive set, which packs quite the punch, or a devastating Choice Specs set. Finally, <strong>Klefki</strong> has established itself as the Liepard of XY. It learns Swagger, Foul Play, Substitute, and Thunder Wave, and gets the Prankster ability—all of the things that made Liepard annoying last generation—but with actual defensive sets (though they're still not that great) and moreover Steel / Fairy typing. However, although this strategy may be its claim-to-fame, the SwagPlay strategy's inconsistency leaves the set not to difficult to fight out. However, as a difficult-to-stop dual screener and Spikes setter, Klefki has a solid place in OU.
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<h3>The Dethroning of the Steel-type</h3>
<p>
In addition to the shake-ups caused by the Fairy-type, it was apparently decided that the Steel type had too many resistances. This is made evident in the fact that Steel now takes neutral damage from Dark- and Ghost-type attacks. This is massive for Pokémon with those STABs—no longer will Steel-types get in the way of Gengar spamming its Shadow Ball or anything like that. It also makes Genesect much more manageable in PokéBank OU, throwing it off its pedestal, so to say. Steel is no longer the end-all be-all defensive typing with the lack of these resistances, allowing types like Dark and Fairy to shine more. This small change has huge ramifications in all tiers, especially for Dark- and Ghost-type threats of earlier generations.
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<p>
A niche threat at best in BW, <strong>Bisharp</strong> has come storming into OU with a potent Swords Dance set. Since it received a strong new STAB in the buffed Knock Off and an indirect buff in the introduction of Fairy-types, which are weak to its Steel-type STAB, Bisharp has found a place in OU. Now that Steel-types can't wall it, very little can handle Bisharp and its STAB Sucker Punch. It is also the worst enemy of all Defog users, gaining a +2 Attack boost from switching in Defog thanks to its ability, Defiant.
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<h2>New Pokémon</h2>
<p>
New Pokémon are a major reason why generational shifts are typically so significant. There are less than before in this generation because of the introduction of various Mega Evolutions instead of as many entirely new Pokémon, but there are still 69 contenders, many of which are causing drastic shifts among the tiers. Without further adieu, it's time to investigate how these new Pokémon are affecting XY's tiers!
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<h3>New Threats in OU</h3>
<p>
OU has gotten a huge influx of new threats in this generation. Many of the new Pokémon are, if not necessarily OU candidates, at least OU contenders. The most significant of the introductions are Aegislash and Talonflame. <strong>Aegislash</strong> has Steel / Ghost typing (!) and a revolutionary ability, Stance Change, that allows it to switch between its Shield and Sword stances. Upon switching in, Aegislash is in Shield stance, which has 60 / 60 / 150 / 60 / 150 / 60 stats, giving it incredible bulk. When it uses an attack, it shifts to Sword stance, which has 60 / 150 / 60 / 150 / 60 / 60 stats, making it a devastatingly powerful attacker. It can revert back to Shield stance with the use of the move King's Shield, which functions as a Protect that drop the foe's Attack one stage if it uses a contact move. It also reverts to Shield stance upon switching out. With access to Swords Dance, STAB priority in Shadow Sneak, STAB Iron Head to hit Fairy-types, and Sacred Sword for coverage on Dark- and Steel-types, Aegislash is nothing short of a monster. It has taken the metagame by storm with its mixed Shadow Ball / Shadow Sneak / Sacred Sword / Iron Head set and with Swords Dance and Autotomize sets. The former is the premier wallbreaker and utility attacker of the current metagame, while the latter two are late-game sweepers. The former targets more defensive teams, while the latter targets more offensive (speedy) teams. Moving on, <strong>Talonflame</strong> has a high base 122 Speed, which is great and all, but it only has base 81 Attack and not-so-great defenses, as well as unusable Special Attack. However, it is saved by its ability Gale Wings, which gives Flying-type moves priority. With base 120 BP and STAB, Brave Bird is surprisingly powerful; with its priority, Talonflame has become a premier revenge killer. Between it and STAB Flare Blitz, Talonflame has plenty of coverage. In order to supplement its power, it can run Swords Dance, allowing it to boost its Attack to the standard required for doing a serious amount of damage. Roost rounds out its movesets, giving it tons of long-term longevity. Why is there so much information on Aegislash and Talonflame, you may ask? Well, they're two of the best Pokémon of this generation, so you must be prepared for them.
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<p>
Next up on the list are this generation's Dragon-types. <strong>Goodra</strong> is the only one solidly finding a spot in OU, boasting great Special Attack and outstanding special bulk. Its ability, Gooey, decreases the Speed of any Pokémon that uses a contact move, which is characteristic of almost every physical attack. Goodra is most commonly seen running an Assault Vest tank set that fires off powerful Draco Meteors while being able to take quite a beating from special threats. <strong>Noivern</strong>, though much less common, finds itself as an amalgamation of Deoxys-S and Latios, running an effective revenge killer set due to its base 123 Speed and sporting a fairly powerful Draco Meteor backed up by a decent base 97 Special Attack. Zygarde and Dragalge were also added this generation, but both are overshadowed by other OU Dragons—the former (Mega) Garchomp and the latter Goodra and Latios. If you see a Zygarde, it is most likely running a Dragon Dance or Coil set, which utilizes its excellent STAB coverage to sweep, whilst Dragalge would run a Choice Specs set to utilize its insanely powerful Draco Meteors thanks to Adaptability, as well as its unique Fairy-killing ability to its secondary Poison STAB.
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<p>
Probably the most overhyped Pokemon this generation is Greninja, which has sported top 10 usage since the beginning of the generation. It is not necessarily deserving of that spot—though that isn't to say it's worthless at all. Its ability Protean gives it STAB on every attack, which, in addition to a wide offensive movepool boasting gems like Hydro Pump, Dark Pulse, and Ice Beam, access to Spikes, and blazing base 122 Speed, makes it a veritable offensive threat. The other starters have not found such success. <strong>Chesnaught</strong> has a niche in its great Defense and Attack with the ability Bulletproof, granting it immunities to all ball and bomb moves, most notably Shadow Ball, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast, and Sludge Bomb. These traits make it an excellent counter to Aegislash and check to all but Sludge Wave Gengar. However, it is languishing in the depths OU with not even top 100 usage. Delphox is just a total flop, finding itself outclassed by literally every other OU special attacker due to its frailty and unimpressive power in comparison to the titans present in the tier. Overall, the starters this generation have fared better in OU than those of generations past, but outside of Greninja, none of the three have made much of an impact.
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<h2>Miscellaneous</h2>
<h3>Defog</h3>
<p>
The buffed Defog has made quite a splash this generation. In XY, Defog, a previously useless move, was given an immense buff: it removes hazards from both sides of the field. Since it was an HM in DPP, its distribution is decently wide, too, causing some Pokemon to rise immensely in usefulness. The two most common Defog users are <strong>Latias</strong> and <strong>Mandibuzz</strong>. Both have exceptional bulk that grants them numerous switch-in opportunities, allowing them to switch in time after time and get rid of hazards as needed. Latias is an excellent Pokemon this generation as one of the few ways to handle Mega Charizard Y, a top OU threat. Mandibuzz, on the other hand, capitalizes on stellar physical bulk. to serve as a check to many top OU threats, and with an immunity to Spore and Sleep Powder thanks to the Overcoat buff, a buffed Knock Off, Foul Play, and reliable recovery in Roost, it is one of the best.
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<p>However, by no means are these the only Defog users. Offensive teams prefer Latias's male twin, <strong>Latios</strong>, to fill the role. With its high Special Attack and trademark Draco Meteor, it forces many switches, providing numerous opportunities to Defog. <strong>Mega Scizor</strong, with its immense bulk and exceptional power, is among the top users for bulky offensive and balanced teams looking for some defensive utility in their Defog user while desiring that it pack a punch. <strong>Skarmory</strong> has evolved from hazard setter to hazard remover, often running Defog; it is a top physical wall, and can also support its team by setting Stealth Rock, which is still a mandatory hazard. Crobat and Zapdos are less common, but still good, Defog users. Zapdos finds itself a niche as an excellent check to Talonflame with its Flying resistance and with its great special bulk when invested. Crobat, meanwhile, capitalizes on the Infiltrator buff, which allows it to hit behind Substitutes, in addition to Taunt, U-turn, and Brave Bird.
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<p>
While one might think that a move able to remove hazards from both sides of the field would decrease the importance of Stealth Rock, it really has not. If anything, it has become more crucial than ever, as threats like Talonflame, Mega Charizard X, and Mega Charizard Y are around to dominate, destroying teams lacking good responses to them. The extra damage from Stealth Rock can be the difference between a win and a loss.
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<h3>Knock Off</h3>
<p>This generation, Knock Off's Base Power was increased to 65. This isn't too impressive, but when it knocks off an item, its BP is increased by 50% to 97.5. This is stronger than any offensive option physical Dark-types have had in the past, and limits the potency of defensive threats, which hate to lose their Leftovers recovery. Bisharp was mentioned earlier in the article, so it won't be covered in much detail again, but in short, it received pretty much every possible buff. The introduction of Fairy-types weak to its STAB Iron Head, Steel-types losing their Dark resistance, the prominent Defog giving in a +2 boost to its Attack, gaining a +1 boost from Intimidate, and being gifted an excellent STAB option in the buffed Knock Off have made OU its sure home this generation.</p>
<p>Bisharp is not the only Pokemon to appreciate the Knock Off buff. Pokemon such as Mandibuzz, Scizor, and Crawdaunt—and many others—utilize Knock Off to get rid of Leftovers, power-boosting items, and more. Crawdaunt in particular has profited. Although not OU, it has established itself as a veritable offensive threat, benefiting greatly from the Steel-type nerf, great new STAB, and access to Aqua Jet with Adaptability have changed things a good amount for it, allowing it to function pretty well in OU.</p>
<h3>Sticky Web</h3>
<p>With Defog removing it, Sticky Web has not made as much of an impact as originally speculated, but it still is potent. Sticky Web is a hazard like Stealth Rock or Spikes that reduces the Speed of all grounded foes by one stage. This allows slower sweepers and attackers to dominate opposing teams—at least in theory. Besides Defog, Sticky Web has another issue to contend with—lack of viable users. Sticky Web is so strapped for users that Smeargle has catapulted into OU just because it can make use of it. With access to the only sleeping move that can incapacitate Mega Venusaur—Dark Void—in addition to Parting Shot, which is basically a fusion of U-turn and Memento, lowering the foe's Attack and Special Attack stats by one stage and forcing Smeargle to switch out like U-turn, allowing for easy setup by a teammate. It can also set up Stealth Rock, providing some extra utility. Unfortunately, its stats are pretty much all crap, and it offers basically no defensive synergy, so it's overall a crappy Pokemon. Galvantula has a bit more offensive presence, and is certainly usable, but its frailty and overall failure to provide much besides Sticky Web leave it in an odd spot. All in all, Sticky Web is an excellent move, even allowing Smeargle to reach OU just because of how potent it is, but none of its users do anything besides set up Defog really, so it's in kind of an odd spot.</p>
<h3>Assault Vest</h3>
<p>Assault Vest is an item that boosts the Special Defense of its holder by 50%, but restricts it to using attacking moves... (to be continued)</p>
- Assault Vest
- Critical hits: 1.5x damage
- Weakness Policy
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