Xatu (QC 0/3)

[PISTOLERO]

Xatu

I hate the 6th Gen sprite and I’m not using it

Overview
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• Bounces back hazards and status, the latter of which is very common this generation
• Completely walls many support Pokemon
• Has quite an expansive movepool, which is nice
• Hazard removal is much easier this generation thanks to Defog
• eaten alive by Yveltal
• Gets eaten by Mega Gengar too

Magic Bounce
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name: Magic Bounce
move 1: Heat Wave
move 2: U-Turn
move 3: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 Spe
nature: Bold
Moves
========

• Heat Wave lets Xatu deal SE damage to Steel-Type SR setters
• U-Turn builds momentum
• Toxic or Thunder Wave to spread status
• Roost to keep Xatu at high health

Set Details
========

• Heat Wave lets Xatu deal SE damage to Steel-Type SR setters and has a burn chance for prolonged wars Xatu has to wage, e.g. vs Dialga. It murders Ferrothorn and works Skarmory over. It also eats Scizor which would otherwise trap you
• U-Turn lets you escape from any Shadow Tag Pokemon and builds momentum if the opposing SR setter can do nothing to you, whilst also pivoting out of any incoming Dark-Types. Screw Gothitelle
• Toxic and Thunder Wave stop things setting up on Xatu, cripples opposing hazard setters and can ruin switchins
• Psyshock hits Gengar, preventing it from trapping you so easily
• Dazzling Gleam hits Dark-Types supereffectively as they switch in
• Grass Knot hits Groudon and other Ground SR setters e.g. Hippowdon SE
• HP Ice hits Landorus-Therian very nicely
• Reflect / Light Screen can be set up when Xatu gets free turns

Usage Tips
========

• Meant to switch in on SR users to stop them setting it on your side of the field
• Don’t expect it to last forever, it has more longevity than other bouncers but ways of getting rid of SR setters are needed
• Can also be used to completely wall various defensive Pokemon, e.g. Blissey, support Arceus, Dialga, due to their low damage output
• Cockblocks Deoxys-Speed leads completely
• Can also handle Deoxys-Attack leads that forget Knock Off at home
• Also completely walls any Stalltwo variant for what it’s worth
• Can be used to pivot in and out of status and hazards in general, with smart play it is possible to burn support Arceus, get Palkia to poison itself, or get Deoxys-Speed to taunt itself.
• If you’re a real man you can bounce Darkrai’s Dark Void back at it (i guarantee it’ll miss though)
• You can run both Toxic and Thunder Wave if you like :), but it means you have to drop either your only form of damage output (Heat Wave) or your pivoting/escape move (U-Turn)

Team Options
========

• Things that appreciate SR being gone
• Ho-Oh in particular can wreak havoc, and wins easily against Yveltal/Darkrai if no SR is up. Also murders Scizor and Aegis that try and Pursuit Xatu, and walls CM Ghostceus and Darkceus that try setting up.
• Yveltal can come in more freely
• Kyurem-W / Reshiram can also blow stuff up
• Things to outspeed & KO common SR setters quickly. Kyogre can wipe out Groudon/Landorus/Hippowdon without a second thought, but dowses Ho-Oh’s capabilities
• Palkia checks Kyogre very nicely, as the blue whale can threaten Ho-Oh / Reshiram / etc. It can also blow up Ground-Types with Water moves.
• Groudon to set up your own SR if you don’t bounce it, it can also EQ SR Dialga AND sets up sun for the rest of the team. Also eats Tyranitar / Aegis / Scizor that try to Pursuit Xatu.
• Your own Dark-Types to deal with Ghost-Types
• Anything else I’ve forgotten (it’s very likely)

Other Options
========

• Erm.......
• Calm Mind
• Dual Screens
• That’s it

Checks & Counters
========

• Yveltal
• Darkrai
• Tyranitar
• Arceus-Dark
• Zekrom
• SR Mold Breaker Excadrill
• SR on stupid Pokemon, e.g. SR Ghostceus
• Everything else that’s offensive

P.S. Xatu gets Baton Pass from Pokemon XD or Colosseum (3rd Generation). There’s no way that you can get Baton Pass with Magic Bounce is there? Cause if so, Baton Pass >>>>>> U-Turn. Also calling orch for him to look at this

 

[tutterydiglett]

use the generation 6 sprite you scrub

 

[SylveonIsCute]

For the poll up top, i dont know why people are choosing anything BUT Xatu. It's bulkier than Espeon and has a better movepool and arguably better typing, and Absol takes up a mega slot, so they will miss out on using mega khan or mega blaziken. Xatu is simply the best in Ubers.

 

[semajriah]

I used (and still do) Xatu, with the bounce, has saved me many a time from a dark void and such in Y online

 

[Edgar]

I feel like mentioning running a little more speed in OO might be right just in case you face speedy support Groudon/Lando-T

 

[Haunted Diamond]

I'd use Psychic to hit Mgar.

 

[Mega-Swampert]

If the only place you can get baton pass is Gen 3, then there is now way to have BP+magic bounce on the same set.

 

[SylveonIsCute]

Tested it on showdown, Xatu cannot have baton pass and magic bounce on the same set, it's illegal. So you may want to remove the thing at the bottom.

 

[orch]

cockblocks klefki
emphasize speed creeping
mention sash to troll deo-a lead
u-turn and twave are mandatory, never ever replace them. (pivoting on paralyzed targets is invaluable)
this thing is a team player, so play it as such.
pair xatu with strong fairy for best success.

 

[Sweep]

Xatu was a mediocre (albeit viable) Pokemon last generation and has gotten considerably less useful with the changes generation 6 has brought. As a QC member, it's ultimately my responsibility to playtest shit because sometimes, theorymonning does not tell the whole story. In this case though, Xatu turned out to be as terrible as I expected. Here are some of the reasons why Xatu should not receive an analysis:

1. It CANNOT "anti-lead" Deoxys-Attack, as those commonly carry Knock Off (Knock Off + ESpeed easily 2HKOes Bold Xatu). Example of Knock Off's damage output while playtesting: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/ubers-157550223

2. At first glance, Xatu would appear to menace (or at least annoy) Stall teams thanks to its ability, but sadly for the totem pole bird, it cannot really do that. Stall teams carry clerics and can easily heal off any Toxic's or Will-O-Wisp's Xatu manages to send over. Stall teams also commonly carry slow Pursuit users, such as Mega Scizor and Aegislash, that will slam Xatu for significant damage as it U-Turns out. Good luck dealing any damage with Psychic and U-Turn by the way!

3. As for its matchup vs. Offense...completely overwhelmed. You can try to Thunder Wave something, assuming you are able to get an attack off, but Kyogre / Xerneas / EKiller / Yveltal / SD Ground Arceus / most Mewtwo variants / Ghost Arceus / Darkrai / Mega Gengar / Kangaskhan / etc. all tee off on Xatu. I guess Xatu can fare a little better vs. Balance, particularly since those often use Klefki and/or Stalltwo!

4. Mega Gengar annihilates you, though you escape Goth and Wobb with U-Turn.

5. Its match-up with hazard setters is not as favorable as it was last generation. Ferrothorn is less common and Forretress is almost extinct. Xatu still does not like Dialga. Sticky Web SR users like Terrakion and Earth Plate Lando-T destroy you. Tyranitar destroys you. The rare Diancie destroys you. Most SR Arceus (however rare) will gets Rocks up due to the surprise factor. You wall support Groudon and lead Gliscor, but that is about it. Support Lando can cripple you with a combination of Knock Off and U-Turning on the Roost so that's not really a great match-up, though Xatu will be able to come in at least once.

6. Spikes and TSpikes are much less common this generation for obvious reasons, reducing Xatu's usefulness. I suppose Xatu eats Tentacruel and Chesnaught for lunch, but neither are seen frequently in this metagame. Status is more common, but so are clerics.

7. I'm repeating some of what I said in point 3, but Xatu gets slaughtered by almost every S and A+ threat in the tier, barring one variant of Lando-T and Blaziken that have not set up a Swords Dance...and both of those often carry Knock Off backed up by massive Attack stats.

8. Psychic / Flying is a terrible defensive typing.

With that said, Xatu is still Gen 1 Mewtwo compared to Espeon.


QC rejected 1/3

 

[Fireburn]

I agree with pretty much everything Sweep said, the metagame just sucks for Xatu.

QC Rejected 2/3

 

[Edgar]

I agree with what Sweep said, I actually tried Xatu (I do this with every mon that seems interesting) in a few matches and it did terrible. So yeah, meta sucks for X-atu.

QC Rejected 3/3 :[

 

[Fireburn]

ded