XY OU Threat List [Compiling Entries]

Psywaves

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Starmie
Type: Water / Psychic
Base Stats: 60 HP / 75 Atk / 85 Def / 100 SpA / 85 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Illuminate / Natural Cure / Analytic

Despite having finally descended to UU after five generations of OU stardom, Starmie's combination of excellent coverage, great power and high Speed mean that it is still a capable offensive threat in its own right. Access to Rapid Spin means that Starmie functions as one of a handful of viable offensive spinners, and also ensures that allies troubled by Stealth Rock will make the most of having Starmie around. But this is not all; additionally, Starmie boasts a rather handy ability - Ghost-types aren't going to like being on the receiving end of an Analytic-boosted Hydro Pump when they come in to try and spinblock. It is fair to say that on the whole, Starmie makes for a pretty solid offensive spinner that one would do well not to underestimate.


Staraptor
Type: Normal / Flying
Base Stats: 85 HP / 120 Atk / 70 Def / 50 SpA / 60 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Intimidate / Reckless

Staraptor's Brave Bird is truly in a league of its own; after boosts from STAB, Reckless and a Choice Band, the vast majority of Pokémon that do not resist it are OHKOed or 2HKOed. Also setting it apart from its avian brethren is its access to Close Combat, which will swiftly dispatch of Rock-type and Steel-types attempting to come in and tank a Brave Bird. Should it encounter a sticky situation, Staraptor can U-turn out to an ally, gaining offensive momentum in the process. In a similar vein, Staraptor can utilize its stellar HP stat in conjunction with Final Gambit to put a dent in Pokemon that it won't be able to break through. Finally, when equipped with a Choice Scarf, Staraptor can take on the role of a late-game cleaner, tearing through the opposition when its counters have been eliminated. Make sure your team is capable of dealing with this flying menace, or you'll know all about it when it strikes.
 
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Psywaves

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Mega Pinsir
Type: Bug / Flying
Base Stats: 65 HP / 155 Atk / 120 Def / 65 SpA / 90 SpD / 105 Spe
Ability: Aerilate (Hyper Cutter / Mold Breaker / Moxie)

After generations of living in the shadow of Heracross, Pinsir was finally a given a chance to shine this generation with the debut of Mega Evolution. No longer grounded, Mega Pinsir takes flight as one of OU's best physical sweepers. Thanks to its monstrous base 155 Attack stat and the hefty boost granted by Aerilate, Pinsir's STAB Return (or Frustration) is a scary prospect, even without any Swords Dance boosts. After a boost, Mega Pinsir becomes a terrifying sweeping machine that only a select handful of Pokémon can deal with. Access to priority in the form of Quick Attack gives Mega Pinsir a way to put the hurt on foes faster than itself, and a secondary coverage attack such as Earthquake complements Pinsir's Flying-type STAB wonderfully. The dangers that a boosted Mega Pinsir presents to an unprepared team cannot be stressed enough - failing to prepare for Mega Pinsir means that you are surely preparing to fail against it.



Mega Venusaur
Type: Grass / Poison
Base Stats: 80 HP / 100 Atk / 123 Def / 122 SpA / 120 SpD / 80 Spe
Ability: Thick Fat (Overgrow / Chlorophyll)

Sporting incredibly well-rounded stats, a rather wide movepool and a stellar defensive typing further aided by its ability, it's no wonder Mega Venusaur stands out as one of OU's premier defensive Pokemon. Capable of checking a plethora of lethal threats such as Keldeo and Thundurus, Mega Venusaur can act as a solid defensive pivot for the team. With an arsenal containing utility options such as Leech Seed and Sleep Powder, Mega Venusaur is able to pull off a multitude of different tricks with great success, plus recovery from Giga Drain and Synthesis work wonders for Mega Venusaur's longevity. A versatile defensive threat that can work well on both offensively and defensively-inclined teams, Mega Venusaur is more than capable of pulling its weight and proving its worth.
 
Psywaves Offensive Starmie doesn't run Natural Cure, you may want to remove that and talk about how Ghost-types can't switch in on Starmies's Analytic boosted attacks.
 

Psywaves

Procrastinating Pedantic Perfectionist™
is a Contributor Alumnus
Psywaves Offensive Starmie doesn't run Natural Cure, you may want to remove that and talk about how Ghost-types can't switch in on Starmies's Analytic boosted attacks.
Good point TRC; I guess Natural Cure is more something that should be mentioned regarding defensive Starmie variants - Fixed. :]
 
Just wondering; do all the Pokemon in the OP need writeups? If so, I'd love to help.

The reason I'm asking is because it seems a lot of these have been left untouched and the OPs to these tend to be outdated :x
 

Manaphy
Type: Water
Base Stats: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
Ability: Hydration

Manaphy's signature move, Tail Glow, allows it to raise its Special Attack by three stages, making it an extremely powerful offensive threat. It also has great coverage in Surf, Ice Beam, and either Energy Ball for the likes of Rotom-W and Slowbro or Psychic for the likes of Mega Venusaur. Leftovers is usually chosen for passive recovery, though Wacan Berry can be used to beat Thundurus, and Life Orb can even be chosen as a way to 2HKO Chansey after a single Tail Glow. While Tail Glow is the most common set, a Calm Mind set with Calm Mind, Rain Dance, Scald, and Rest can be used, taking advantage of Hydration to wake Manaphy up right after it uses Rest.

Talonflame
Type: Fire / Flying
Base Stats: 78 HP / 81 Atk / 71 Def / 74 SpA / 69 SpD / 126 Spe
Abilities: Flame Body / Gale Wings

Talonflame is a serious threat thanks to its ability, Gale Wings. With Gale Wings, Talonflame receives priority to all Flying-type move, effectively giving it a 120 Base Power priority move in Brave Bird. It's secondary STAB also gives it a way to deal with the Steel-types that resist Brave Bird. The most common set tends to be Choice Band, taking Talonflame's mediocre Attack and making it much more effective at revenge killing and late-game cleaning. It also can use U-turn to gain momentum, as well as priority Tailwind to help a sweeper before it faints. Another common set is Swords Dance, also powering up Talonflame to great levels. These sets can run Natural Gift with a certain berry to break past common counters; for example, Liechi Berry with Natural Cure can help in beating Rotom-W. Finally, a Bulk Up set is possible, not only boosting Talonflame's Attack stat, but its Defense stat as well, making it much harder to KO.
 

Azumarill
Type: Water / Fairy
Base Stats: 100 / 50 / 80 / 60 / 80 / 50
Abilities: Thick Fat / Huge Power / Sap Sipper

Looking at Azumarill's base stats, it doesn't look like anything special. However, upon further inspection you see how wonderful Azumarill truly is. Huge Power is a blessing which gives Azumarill an Attack stat that's effectively higher than base 150. Its typing gives it many wonderful resistances as well. This typing allows it to check many potent threats like Mega Charizard X and Keldeo. It can run three viable sets: Assault Vest, Choice Band, and Belly Drum. Assault Vest sets are the best sets in the current metagame and act as a wonderful sponge and glue. Choice Band sets hit hard right off the bat and also enjoy powerful priority STAB Aqua Jets. Belly Drum sets turn Azumarill into an even larger threat, as nothing can switch into it at +6, nothing can switch into it safely anyways! Azumarill can OHKO / 2HKO most of the metagame while also having enough bulk to sponge a couple hits in return.
 
unfixable
"as nothing can switch into it at +6, nothing can switch into it safely anyways!"

This is false and misleading. There's a plethora of Pokemon that can switch into it regularly (Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, Ferrothorn when CB locked into anything not Superpower), and even one at +6 (Quagsire).
 

Psywaves

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Excadrill
Type: Ground / Steel
Base Stats: 110 HP / 135 Atk / 60 Def / 50 SpA / 65 SpD / 88 Spe
Ability: Sand Rush / Sand Force / Mold Breaker

Meet Excadrill, a very potent offensive Rapid Spinner. With a great Attack stat and powerful STAB at its disposal, Excadrill's offensive presence can prove rather threatening indeed. This is further augmented by its choice of abilities; Mold Breaker means that levitating Pokemon such as Rotom-W aren't safe to switch in on an Earthquake, and when paired with Tyranitar or Hippowdon, Excadrill can become an insanely fast sweeper thanks to Sand Rush. Excadrill can also take on the role of a speedy revenge killer when equipped with a Choice Scarf; allowing it to outspeed and check a whole new legion of foes. The destructive capabilities of this Pokemon are to be feared, and the support it can provide by clearing hazards for its team is very valuable indeed.


Venomoth
Type: Bug / Poison
Base Stats: 70 HP / 65 Atk / 60 Def / 90 SpA / 75 SpD / 90 Spe
Ability: Shield Dust / Tinted Lens / Wonder Skin

At a first glance, Venomoth looks like nothing special; a Pokémon with mediocre base stats and a weakness to Stealth Rock. However, Venomoth's niche lies in passing boosts acquired via Quiver Dance; a role that it performs rather well. Incapacitating the opponent with Sleep Powder allows Venomoth to set up, and it can then proceed to Baton Pass the boosts it accumulates to an ally. Wonder Skin is particularly useful for Venomoth, as it makes being shut down by moves such as Taunt and Thunder Wave far less of a likelihood. Venomoth has the potential to turn already-powerful special attackers like Thundurus-T, Keldeo and Mega Gardevoir into insanely strong and fast sweepers, so its supportive capabilities are certainly not to be underestimated.
 
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Psywaves

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Taking Gyarados (Defensive) and Politoed (Support).
I kinda feel bad for taking so many in such a short space of time, but w/e.
 

Psywaves

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is a Contributor Alumnus

Gyarados [REJECTED ENTRY]
Type: Water / Flying
Base Stats: 95 HP / 125 Atk / 79 Def / 60 SpA / 100 SpD / 81 Spe
Ability: Intimidate / Moxie

Gyarados looks like the kind of straight-up offensive brute that is good for crushing skulls and nothing else, but it is actually a legitimate defensive threat. Thanks to Intimidate and a great defensive typing that gives it few weaknesses, several valuable resistances and an immunity, Gyarados is capable of checking many physical attackers, especially Fighting-types. Gyarados can prove rather hard to take down when it runs a RestTalk set, for it has recovery, a solid STAB attack in Waterfall, and a phazing move in the last slot that means it won't be setup bait. It is without a doubt that Gyarados has all the tools it needs to perform a defensive role just as well as it would an offensive one.


Politoed
Type: Water
Base Stats: 90 HP / 75 Atk / 75 Def / 90 SpA / 100 SpD / 70 Spe
Ability: Water Absorb / Damp / Drizzle

After enjoying a period of notoriety and omnipresence in last generation's OU, a nerf to weather-summoning abilities has seen Politoed plummet from grace and for the most part, back into obscurity. However, it would be unfair to say that Politoed is without a niche in XY OU; the ability to automatically summon eight turns of rainfall with a Damp Rock means that Politoed can provide valuable support to any team desiring said weather. For allies such as Kingdra and Kabutops, having Politoed around is a real boon - having rain support means that they can reach their full potential as deadly sweepers. This is not all, however; for Politoed is also adept at abusing the rain for itself when the need arises - a rain-boosted STAB Hydro Pump is certainly nothing to scoff at. Even though it is unequivocal that Politoed is one of the Pokemon that the generation shift hasn't been kind to, the unique support that it can provide for a team means that it is still a Pokemon more than capable of pulling its weight.
 
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SparksBlade

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Garchomp
Type : Dragon/Ground
Base Stats : 108 HP/130 Atk/95 Def/80 SpA/85 SpD/102 Spe
Abilities : Sand Veil/Rough Skin

The pseudo-legendary of DPP, this dragon's still a big thing despite the introduction of Fairies. With fantastic Attack and Speed stats, and a Dragon/Ground typing that gives almost perfect coverage in STABs alone, Garchomp can be a deadly set-up sweeper with Swords Dance, or revenge kill with its Scarf set. Great abilities in Sand Veil and Rough Skin are icing on the cake : the former makes it very threatening when paired with Tyranitar/Hippowdon, while the latter punishes the many physical attackers out there. With 3 resistances, 1 immunity, and only 3 weaknesses, combined with the fact that it takes only 6.25% of damage from Stealth Rock, it can switch in and out a lot. It's bulk gives it a chance to set-up against neutral and resisted attacks, and it's wide movepool can help in surprising it's checks. All in all, Garchomp may not be the might it once was, this shark still is a threat for whom preparation is mandatory.



Conkeldurr
Type : Fighting
Base Stats : 105 HP/140 Atk/95 Def/55 SpA/65 SpD/45 Spe
Abilities : Guts/Sheer Force/Iron Fist

Just look at that Attack stat. It's godly. And the bulk. This is the thing that dethroned Machamp as The Bulky Fighting Type. With great physical bulk, it seems Assault Vest was made for this Pokemon, though Life Orb is a good item as well. Attacks coming off base 140 Attack stat, boosted either by Sheer Force or Iron Fist, Conkeldurr takes a big chunk of HP from anything that doesn't resist its attacks. It can also use guts to laugh in the face of Will-o-Wisp and Toxic users. With a decent move pool that gives it the coverage it needs, Conkeldurr itself picks its own checks and counters. It also has STAB priority in the form of Mach Punch, which gets further boosted by Iron Fist. It can also run Bulk Up, which can increase its longevity and raise its Attack to sky levels. This clown is not to be laughed at.
 

Psywaves

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Greninja
Type: Water / Dark
Base Stats: 72 HP / 95 Atk / 67 Def / 103 SpA / 71 SpD / 122 Spe
Ability: Torrent / Protean

Greninja is a unique attacker capable of putting a dent in opponents or doing some late-game cleaning with terrifying ease. This is thanks to blisteringly high Speed, an incredible ability in Protean, and a movepool full of coverage attacks to put the aforementioned ability to great use. Greninja's vast offensive movepool combined with STAB on every attack allows it to dispatch of a wide array of opponents, and it is one of the fastest unboosted Pokemon in OU. Greninja is also capable of scouting and gaining momentum should it run U-turn in its final moveslot. Overall, Greninja's defining traits all add up to make one threatening foe indeed.


Mega Manectric
Type: Electric
Base Stats: 70 HP / 75 Atk / 80 Def / 135 SpA / 80 SpD / 135 Spe
Ability: Intimidate (Static / Lightningrod / Minus)

Mega Manectric stands out as a Pokemon with a number of desirable qualities that allow it to excel in OU. First and foremost is its incredible Speed stat - the only unboosted opponents that outspeed it are Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl. Mega Manectric adopts a hit 'n' run playstyle; using Volt Switch to continually switch in and out of the field, gaining momentum, doing damage, and neutering physical attackers with Intimidate when it switches in. Aditionally, it gets Fire-type coverage to roast Steel-types with in the form of Overheat, which few other Electric-types can lay claims to, and because of the frequent rate at which it switches out, Mega Manectric cares little about the Special Attack drop induced by the aforementioned attack. Overall, this electrified canine makes for one threatening offensive pivot whose lightning-fast assaults will surely come as shocking to anyone unwise enough to underestimate it.
 
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Omastar
Type: Rock / Water
Base Stats: 70 HP / 60 Atk / 125 Def / 115 SpA / 70 SpD / 55 Spe
Abilities: Shell Armor / Swift Swim / Weak Armor

Omastar, thanks to its ability, Swift Swim, is a very powerful Pokemon on rain teams. Swift Swim turns Omastar's mediocre Speed stat into something much more usable by doubling it. This Speed, combined with rain boosting the power of Water-type moves, makes Omastar a very fast and powerful threat. Omastar is usually seen carrying Choice Specs to make the power of Hydro Pump incredibly strong in rain, though a Shell Smash set can be used to boost Omastar's Special Attack and Speed even further.


Latias
Type: Dragon / Psychic
Base Stats: 80 HP / 80 Attack / 90 Def / 110 SpA / 130 SpD / 110 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Latias has a lot of things going for it. With a great Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stat, Latias is a Pokemon that not only hits hard, but can also tank hits from the likes of Mega Charizard Y and Mega Venusaur, too. Latias also has access to Defog, meaning she can support Pokemon such as Charizard, Mega Pinsir, and Talonflame with ease. What separates Latias from Latios, however, is her access to Healing Wish, which allows her to restore sweepers back to full health and cure them of any status conditions when she is no longer needed. Latias is almost always seen running a Life Orb with Defog and Healing Wish, and then a combination of moves such as Draco Meteor, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Hidden Power Fire, and sometimes even Hidden Power Fighting.
 

Psywaves

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Mega Aerodactyl
Type: Rock / Flying
Base Stats: 80 HP / 135 Atk / 85 Def / 70 SpA / 95 SpD / 150 Spe
Ability: Tough Claws (Rock Head / Pressure / Unnerve)

Mega Aerodactyl's claim to fame is its almighty Speed stat - tied with Mega Alakazam, it is the fastest unboosted Pokemon in OU. With an arsenal of coverage attacks boosted by Tough Claws plus a solid STAB in Stone Edge, Mega Aerodactyl is capable of hitting much of the metagame for great damage. Mega Aerodactyl can also put its blistering Speed to good use by employing Taunt or Roost in its last moveslot; granting it the ability to cripple walls or regain lost HP respectively. It is fair to say that Mega Aerodactyl boasts unique attributes which certainly make it a threat worth preparing for.


Azelf
Type: Psychic
Base Stats: 75 HP / 125 Atk / 70 Def / 125 SpA / 70 SpD / 115 Spe
Ability: Levitate

Azelf's combination of high Speed and a movepool absolutely chock-full of utility options means it can function effectively as a team supporter. Azelf has access to the dual screens combination of Light Screen and Reflect, which is greatly appreciated by allied setup sweepers. However, this is not all - it is also capable of feats such as setting up Stealth Rock, depriving the foe of their item with Knock Off, using Taunt to stop opponents setting up or crippling it, or using Explosion to inflict a great amount of damage on a foe and bring in a teammate unscathed. Azelf can run its suicide lead set from DP OU to success; ensuring Stealth Rock has been set up before quite literally going out with a bang. Azelf's support can allow its team to have a significantly easier time going about wreaking havoc, so it is advisable that your team is capable of dealing with the blue pixie.
 
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