Exeggutor (Revamp) [QC 3/2] [GP 2/2]

Jorgen

World's Strongest Fairy
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Champion
[Overview]

<p>Exeggutor is a bit of a mixed bag. Defensively, it has resistances to Ground-, Electric-, Water-, and Fighting-type attacks that allow it to check a wide variety of threats, including Marowak, Vaporeon, and Machamp. However, its low Special Defense and weaknesses to Ice-, Fire-, Dark-, and Bug-type attacks leave Exeggutor vulnerable to being Pursuit-trapped or being hit hard by a surprise Hidden Power Bug, Ice Beam, or Fire Blast from one of the threats it is supposed to check. On the offense side of things, it gets access to Sleep Powder, Explosion, Stun Spore, and Leech Seed in addition to a high Special Attack stat off of which to run a strong STAB Psychic. However, it usually needs to choose between using either Giga Drain or Hidden Power Fire for coverage, which tends to leave it stuck against either Skarmory or Tyranitar, both of which resist Exeggutor's other attacks, including Explosion. While it has its limitations, Exeggutor can be a nightmare to deal with if one is not well-prepared for it, and it usually ends up taking at least one opposing Pokemon out of the game.</p>

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Sleep Powder / Stun Spore
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Psychic is Exeggutor's main attacking move that allows it to punish opponents that try to over-predict against Exeggutor, since the dual-threat of Explosion and Sleep Powder can force a lot of switches. Running off 348 Special Attack, Exeggutor can do heavy damage to Pokemon that are not named Snorlax or resistant to it. Unfortunately, Psychic is resisted by quite a lot of Pokemon, including Skarmory and Tyranitar, the latter being immune to it. Furthermore, these foes also resist Exeggutor's Explosion, and to top it off Exeggutor cannot cover both of these threats with just one coverage move. Giga Drain is typically chosen to deal with Tyranitar since it is immune to Psychic and can Pursuit Exeggutor to death, although Hidden Power Fire can be used to deal heavy damage to Skarmory and Forretress instead. Giga Drain is chosen over Hidden Power Grass for dealing with Tyranitar because, although Hidden Power Grass is stronger, both moves 3HKO Tyranitar while Giga Drain heals Exeggutor to avoid the guaranteed 2HKO at the hands of Crunch or Fire Blast. However, thanks to Sleep Powder, even though Exeggutor can't have enough attacks to damage everything it wants to, it can still threaten to incapacitate what it can't outright attack. Exeggutor can also use Stun Spore to spread status more readily without having to worry about Sleep Clause. This works best if your team already has another Pokemon with a sleep-inducing move. Finally, with Explosion, Exeggutor can take out a special wall such as Snorlax, or a RestTalk user—such as Zapdos or Raikou—that can avoid being 3HKOed by Psychic and absorb sleep to boot.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because of Exeggutor's ability to instantly take something out of the game, it's usually best to pair it with Pokemon that appreciate having specific targets removed for them. The threat of Exeggutor's Sleep Powder tends to draw Sleep Talk using Electric-types into the fray, which Exeggutor can take advantage of and Explode on them, so pairing Exeggutor with Vaporeon can allow for a potential Growth sweep undeterred by Zapdos or Raikou. Exeggutor tends to bait Umbreon switch-ins and put them to sleep or Explode on them, so Pokemon such as Curse Snorlax and Mixed Tyranitar, who otherwise struggle to get past Charm Umbreon, can be paired effectively with Exeggutor. Giga Drain Exeggutor can put Skarmory to sleep, so it can allow Belly Drum Snorlax to set up a sweep while its main counter snoozes. Hidden Power Fire Exeggutor tends to put Tyranitar to sleep, so pairing this set with something else that struggles with Tyranitar, such as Gengar, would allow you to get past it. In addition, if Exeggutor uses Stun Spore over Sleep Powder, Pokemon such as Vaporeon and Belly Drum Snorlax have a good chance of beating Zapdos and Skarmory, respectively, if they are paralyzed.</p>

<p>On the defensive side, Exeggutor tends to synergize very well with many teams. Several difficult-to-counter threats, such as Marowak, Machamp, and Vaporeon, are all checked thanks to Exeggutor's typing. Giga Drain Exeggutor in particular is good defensively, as it can 3HKO Vaporeon with the STAB Grass move, can fight back against Tyranitar Pursuit attempts, can keep its health up with the healing Giga Drain provides, and doesn't suffer the significant HP reduction that the Hidden Power Fire variant does. However, Exeggutor must watch out to avoid taking an unexpected Hidden Power Bug or Fire Blast from Marowak and Machamp on the switch, or an Ice Beam from Vaporeon. Exeggutor therefore works best as a secondary check to these threats rather than as a team's main defensive switch-in to them.</p>

<p>Exeggutor must be very wary of status. If Exeggutor ends up taking a Toxic, it simply gets worn down as it switches in, which forces it to rush into using Sleep Powder or Explosion. Paralysis, on the other hand, can prevent Exeggutor from Exploding or putting a foe to sleep after taking a big hit, or can prevent Exeggutor from checking foes it should be able to outspeed and threaten, such as Marowak, post-Curse Machamp, and Snorlax. Because of this, it is a good idea to pair Exeggutor with something to absorb status, such as RestTalk Zapdos or Raikou. Both are also great at forcing Skarmory to switch out, and appreciate Exeggutor's ability to put Tyranitar to sleep. Raikou in particular also defends against opposing RestTalk Electric-types that are bound to switch into Exeggutor. In this same vein, Heal Bell and Rapid Spin support might also seem like good ideas to heal Exeggutor of status and to prevent Exeggutor from being worn down by Spikes damage, respectively. However, Exeggutor tends to find itself on relatively fast-paced teams, and using these support options tend to slow a team down, so think of these more as conveniences rather than necessary support for Exeggutor.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exeggutor has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve. You could use both Sleep Powder and Stun Spore for a double powder set, although this leaves Exeggutor without a coverage move for either Tyranitar or Skarmory. In addition, Leech Seed is an interesting option for forcing even more switches, as the residual damage and healing can turn otherwise poor match-ups for Exeggutor into winning ones. Leech Seed is often used with Stun Spore and Substitute on a SubSeed set, and it is effective at forcing switches and spreading status throughout the team. SubSeed is especially effective if Spikes are down to punish the inevitable switching the opponent is bound to do. Exeggutor could also ditch the status move on the standard set and instead run an all-out attacking set with Psychic, Giga Drain, Hidden Power Fire, and Explosion. The power of this set is that it ensures that Exeggutor will be able to damage Normal-resistors enough to pull off a relevant Explosion. The downside, of course, is that Exeggutor tends to thrive off its ability to threaten status and punish the switches that result from this threat. Synthesis and Moonlight are options to give Exeggutor a reliable recovery option, but Exeggutor is less a tank and more an instant offensive threat, so giving up an offensive move for healing is not recommended. Exeggutor also gets access to Reflect, which can assist a Leech Seed set in tanking Snorlax, but in general Exeggutor wants to be attacking and inflicting status, not setting up screens.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Sleep Talk Zapdos and Raikou are the most common counters to Exeggutor, as they absorb sleep and can threaten Exeggutor out with Hidden Power Ice. In addition, other Sleep Talk users such as Snorlax, Suicune, and Vaporeon can all absorb sleep and take Exeggutor's attacks well, although the Sleep Talk using Water-types should be wary of Giga Drain's potential 3HKO, even if Exeggutor can be easily stalled out of Giga Drain's meager 8 PP. Sleep Talk Vaporeon is a particularly shaky switch-in because it needs to set up multiple Growths before it can force Exeggutor out, although if you predict a Sleep Powder, Vaporeon can take it with the best of them. Note that Exeggutor also has the power to Explode on all of these threats, so even though they can absorb sleep and take its hits, Exeggutor is looking precisely for these match-ups so it can Explode to take these Pokemon down.</p>

<p>Skarmory and Forretress are incapacitated by sleep, but otherwise resist Explosion, threaten Exeggutor with their STABs, and resist both Psychic and Giga Drain. However, Hidden Power Fire variants can spell trouble for them, especially in the case of Forretress. Tyranitar, on the other hand, is also vulnerable to sleep, but is immune to Psychic, resists Explosion, and can threaten Exeggutor with Fire Blast and Crunch while nailing it with Pursuit if it switches out. However, Exeggutor can threaten with Giga Drain, which not only 3HKOes Tyranitar but also heals Exeggutor enough to prevent even Fire Blast and Crunch from guaranteeing a 2HKO, so Tyranitar generally cannot just switch into Exeggutor and spam Pursuit to defeat it. Some more complete counters include Umbreon and Houndoom. These Pokemon can take Psychic, Giga Drain, and Hidden Power Fire. Umbreon can outspeed and use Charm to render Exeggutor's Explosion useless, use Toxic to cripple it, and use Pursuit to do 43-50% to it if it switches out. Houndoom, on the other hand, simply outspeeds and is likely to OHKO with Fire Blast or do 62-73% with Pursuit if Exeggutor switches out. However, these counters are vulnerable to being hit by Sleep Powder or Explosion on the switch.</p>

<p>Other checks to Exeggutor include Starmie and other Exeggutor. Starmie can check Hidden Power Fire variants or even attempt to use Recover to stall out Giga Drain's 8 PP, and is usually the best sleep bait available on a defensive team without Sleep Talk. However, losing Starmie to sleep, Explosion, or a critical hit Giga Drain will leave Cloyster open to set Spikes up. Furthermore, your own Exeggutor can switch into an opposing Exeggutor to threaten it in return with Explosion, Sleep Powder, or potentially even Hidden Power Fire. However, keep in mind that your own Exeggutor works best against Giga Drain Exeggutor, and that furthermore the opposing Exeggutor will also have all of these tools to use against you. There are also Pokemon that threaten Exeggutor but cannot wall it or switch in on it easily. Charizard does not want to take status or 35-42% damage from Psychic on the switch, but is likely to OHKO with Fire Blast or set up Belly Drum if Exeggutor chooses to switch out. Additionally, Heracross cannot switch into 65-77% damage from Psychic, but it often runs Sleep Talk to absorb sleep and forces Exeggutor to switch out with the threat of a guaranteed Megahorn OHKO.</p>
 

Pocket

be the upgraded version of me
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Awesome skelly, Jorgen - I very much appreciated your elaboration on teammates and strategies depending on Giga Drain / HP Fire, and how to time sleep and Explosion - kudos.

SubSeed doesn't deserve its own set? If anything, it's quite annoying for Skarmory / Tyranitar that switches into Exeggutor with impunity.

•Typing grants it multiple key resistances
•Typing also gives it some glaring weaknesses that are easily abused
I'd expand about these resistances and exploitable weaknesses in the overview. Namely its Ground- Water-, Electric-, and Fighting- resistances allowing Exeggutor to be a solid check to the likes of Marowak, Growtheon (w/o Ice Beam), HP Water Raikou, and Machamp. In the flip side its mediocre special defense, quad bug weakness, and other unpleasant weaknesses brought forth by its Psychic- and Grass-typing mean that Marowak or Machamp can lure and cripple Exeggutor with a well-timed HP Bug or Fire Blast or that Tyranitar / Houndoom / Umbreon can Pursuit-trap it for significant damage.

As for OO, I'd certainly suggest an all-out attacking Exeggutor that gives up on Sleep Powder for both HP Fire and Giga Drain. This way, neither Skarmory or Tyranitar will be able to switch in on Exeggutor with impunity, allowing Exeggutor to better target ST Electrics or special sponges (although Umbreon and Houndoom are still annoying).
 

Pocket

be the upgraded version of me
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
THis was an enjoyable read! Just one thing that I would add in Checks & Counters: it's noteworthy that after Exeggutor puts something to sleep Charizard can put Eggy user in a difficult situation - the opponent can either switch out and be threatened by Belly Drum sweep, while stay in and risk his Exeggutor get roasted by Fire Blast. Charizard can tank a STAB Psychic (35-42%) even after Belly Drum, so the only safe option would be to Explode or switch.

Charizard is not a counter (especially if it wants to stay healthy for that BDrum sweep), but it can certainly put Eggy in a checkpoint position.

QC Approved (1/2)
 

Jorgen

World's Strongest Fairy
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Champion
Added the suggestions to C&C and made sure to note that Fire Blasts from Houndoom/Charizard are likely, rather than guaranteed, OHKOs.
 
I think Stun Spore isn't an OO quality move as much as it is a standard. Think about the stuff egg paralyzes... Zapdos? That means Vap becomes the FAVORITE with HP instantly. Same-ish with Raikou. Umbreon? No longer stopping curselax, not to mention you have the upperhand when it comes to exploding and don't have to fear the charm. Skarm isn't a fan of para either, so lets you run DE over the shittier BS on snorlax in some cases. Charizard definitely isn't coming into stun spore.

Tyranitar is actually an iffy one. For one, you get permanent status on something that generally lacks rest. However, egg being slower makes the crunch/giga drain trade feasible, whereas if you're attacking first, the giga drain isn't going to get any HP back (assuming you started off at full).

Also, iirc egg gets Reflect as well?
 

Pocket

be the upgraded version of me
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Hmm, yea, Stun Spore may deserve more than an OO mention - possibly bring it up to AC? Borat, if you're proposing Stun Spore to be slashed in the main set, where would it go?
 

Jorgen

World's Strongest Fairy
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Champion
Slashed Stun Spore because I agree, it's a step above anything that could be mentioned in OO. Technically, Leech Seed seems like it's being given unfair treatment in OO as well. However, status powders are generally better on the standard set, so no slash there, and I'm uncertain if SubSeed should get its own set because, even though it can be annoying to face, the standard from my experience is much more dangerous and less dependent on support. And just adding move options to AC seems weird if they're not slashed but are instead done to "upgrade" them from OO. I mostly just made an exception for the GSC Ttar analysis because I had to avoid slashitis somehow.
 
[Overview]

<p>Exeggutor is a bit of a mixed bag. Defensively, it has resistances to Ground-, Electric-, Water-, and Fighting-type attacks that allow it to check a wide variety of threats, including Marowak, Vaporeon, and Machamp. However, its low Special Defense and weaknesses to Ice-, Fire-, Dark-, and Bug-type attacks leave Exeggutor vulnerable to being Pursuit-trapped or being hit hard by a surprise Hidden Power Bug, Ice Beam, or Fire Blast from one of the threats it is supposed to check. On the offense side of things, it gets access to Sleep Powder, Explosion, Stun Spore, and Leech Seed in addition to a high Special Attack stat off of which to run a strong STAB Psychic. However, it usually needs to choose between using either Giga Drain or Hidden Power Fire for coverage, which tends to leave it stuck against either Skarmory or Tyranitar, both of which resist Exeggutor's other attacks, including Explosion. While it has its limitations, Exeggutor can be a nightmare to deal with if one is not well-prepared for it, and it usually ends up taking at least one opposing Pokemon out of the game.</p>

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Sleep Powder / Stun Spore
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Psychic is Exeggutor's main attacking move that allows it to punish opponents that try to overpredict against Exeggutor, since the dual threats of Explosion and Sleep Powder can force a lot of switches. Running off 348 Special Attack, Exeggutor can do heavy damage to Pokemon that are not named Snorlax or resistant to it. Unfortunately, Psychic is resisted by quite a lot of Pokemon, including Skarmory and Tyranitar. Furthermore, these foes also resist Exeggutor's Explosion, and to top it off Exeggutor cannot cover both of these threats with just one coverage move. Giga Drain is typically chosen to deal with Tyranitar since it is actually immune to Psychic and can Pursuit Exeggutor to death, although Hidden Power Fire can be used to deal heavy damage to Skarmory and Forretress instead. Giga Drain is chosen over Hidden Power Grass for dealing with Tyranitar because, although Hidden Power Grass is stronger, both moves 3HKO Tyranitar while Giga Drain actually heals Exeggutor to avoid the guaranteed 2HKO at the hands of Crunch or Fire Blast. However, thanks to Sleep Powder, even though Exeggutor can't have enough attacks to damage everything it wants to, it can still threaten to incapacitate what it can't outright attack. Exeggutor can also use Stun Spore to spread status more readily without having to worry about Sleep Clause. This works best if your team already has another Pokemon with a sleep-inducing move. Finally, with Explosion, Exeggutor can take out a special wall such as Snorlax or a RestTalkersuch as Zapdos or Raikouthat can avoid being 3HKOed by Psychic and absorb sleep to boot.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because of Exeggutor's ability to instantly take something out of the game, it's usually best to pair it with Pokemon that appreciate having specific targets removed for them. Exeggutor's sleep threat tends to draw Sleep Talk Electrics into the fray to take an Explosion, so pairing Exeggutor with Vaporeon can allow for a potential Growth sweep undeterred by Zapdos or Raikou. Exeggutor tends to bait Umbreon switch-ins and put them to sleep or Explode on them, so Pokemon such as Curse Snorlax and Mixed Tyranitar, who otherwise struggle to get past Charm Umbreon, can be paired effectively with Exeggutor. Giga Drain Exeggutor can put Skarmory to sleep, so it can allow Belly Drum Snorlax to set up a sweep while its main counter snoozes. Hidden Power Fire Exeggutor tends to put Tyranitar to sleep, so pairing this set with something else that struggles with Tyranitar, such as Gengar, would allow you to get past it. In addition, if Exeggutor uses Stun Spore over Sleep Powder, Pokemon such as Vaporeon and Belly Drum Snorlax have a good chance of beating Zapdos and Skarmory, respectively, if they are paralyzed.</p>

<p>On the defensive side, Exeggutor tends to synergize very well with a team. Several difficult-to-counter threats, such as Marowak, Machamp, and Vaporeon, are all checked thanks to Exeggutor's typing. Giga Drain Exeggutor in particular is good defensively, as it can 3HKO Vaporeon with the STAB Grass move, can fight back against Tyranitar Pursuit attempts, can keep its health up with the healing Giga Drain provides, and doesn't suffer the significant HP reduction that the Hidden Power Fire variant does. However, Exeggutor must watch out to avoid taking an unexpected Hidden Power Bug or Fire Blast from Marowak and Machamp on the switch, or an Ice Beam from Vaporeon. Exeggutor therefore works best as a secondary check to these threats rather than as a team's main defensive switch-in to them.</p>

<p>Exeggutor must be very wary of status. If Exeggutor ends up taking a Toxic, it simply gets worn down as it switches in, which forces it to rush into using Sleep Powder or Explosion. Paralysis, on the other hand, can prevent Exeggutor from Exploding or sleeping a foe after taking a big hit, or can prevent Exeggutor from checking foes it should be able to outspeed and threaten, such as Marowak, post-Curse Machamp, and Snorlax. Because of this, it is a good idea to pair Exeggutor with something to absorb status, such as RestTalk Zapdos or Raikou. Both RestTalking Electrics are also great at forcing Skarmory to switch out and appreciate Exeggutor's ability to put Tyranitar to sleep. Raikou in particular also defends against opposing RestTalk Electric-types that are bound to switch into Exeggutor. In this same vein, Heal Bell and Rapid Spin support might also seem like good ideas to heal Exeggutor of status and to prevent Exeggutor from being worn down by Spikes damage, respectively. However, Exeggutor tends to find itself on faster-paced teams, and using these support options tend to slow a team down, so think of these more as conveniences rather than necessary support for Exeggutor.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exeggutor has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve. You could use both Sleep Powder and Stun Spore for a double powder set, although this leaves you without a coverage move for either Tyranitar or Skarmory. In addition, Leech Seed is an interesting option for forcing even more switches with Exeggutor, as the residual damage and healing can turn otherwise-poor match-ups for Exeggutor into winning ones. Leech Seed is often used with Stun Spore and Substitute on a SubSeed set, and it is effective at forcing switches and spreading status throughout the team. SubSeed is especially effective if Spikes are down to punish the inevitable switching the opponent is bound to do. Exeggutor could also ditch the status move on the Standard set and instead run an all-out attacking set with Psychic, Giga Drain, Hidden Power Fire and Explosion. The power of this set is that it ensures that Exeggutor will be able to damage Normal-resistors enough to pull off a relevant Explosion. The downside, of course, is that Exeggutor tends to thrive off its ability to threaten status and punish the switches that result from this threat. Synthesis and Moonlight are options to give Exeggutor a reliable recovery option, but Exeggutor is less a tank and more an instant offensive threat, so giving up an offensive move for healing is not recommended. Exeggutor also gets access to Reflect, which can assist a Leech Seed set in tanking Snorlax, but in general Exeggutor wants to be attacking and inflicting status, not setting up screens.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Sleep Talk Zapdos and Raikou are the most common counters to Exeggutor, as they absorb sleep and can threaten Exeggutor out with Hidden Power Ice. In addition, other Sleep Talkers such as Snorlax, Suicune, and Vaporeon can all absorb sleep and take Exeggutor's attacks well, although the Sleep Talking Water-types should be wary of Giga Drain's potential 3HKO, even if Exeggutor can be easily stalled out of Giga Drain's meager 8 PP. Sleep Talk Vaporeon is a particularly shaky switch-in because it needs to set up multiple Growths before it can force Exeggutor out, although if you predict a Sleep Powder, Vaporeon can take it with the best of them. Note that Exeggutor also has the power to Explode on all of these threats, so even though they can absorb sleep and take its hits, Exeggutor is probably looking precisely for these match-ups so it can explode to take these Pokemon down.</p>

<p>Skarmory and Forretress are incapacitated by sleep, but otherwise resist Explosion, threaten Exeggutor with their STABs, and resist both Psychic and Giga Drain. However, Hidden Power Fire variants can spell trouble for them, especially Forretress. Tyranitar, on the other hand, is also vulnerable to sleep, but is immune to Psychic, resists Explosion, and can threaten Exeggutor with Fire Blast and Crunch while nailing it with Pursuit if it switches out. However, Exeggutor can threaten with Giga Drain, which not only 3HKOes Tyranitar but also heals Exeggutor enough to prevent even Fire Blast and Crunch from guaranteeing a 2HKO, so Tyranitar generally cannot just switch into Exeggutor and spam Pursuit to defeat it. Some more complete counters include Umbreon and Houndoom. These Pokemon can take all of Psychic, Giga Drain, and Hidden Power Fire. Umbreon can outspeed and Charm Exeggutor to render its Explosion useless, use Toxic to cripple Exeggutor, and use Pursuit to do 43-50% to Exeggutor if it switches out. Houndoom, on the other hand, simply outspeeds and is likely to OHKO with Fire Blast or do 62-73% with Pursuit if Exeggutor switches out. However, these counters are vulnerable to being hit by Sleep Powder or Explosion on the switch.</p>

<p>Other checks to Exeggutor include Starmie and other Exeggutor. Starmie can check Hidden Power Fire variants or even attempt to use Recover to stall out Giga Drain's 8 PP, and is usually the best sleep bait available on a defensive team without Sleep Talk. However, losing Starmie to sleep, Explosion, or a critical hit Giga Drain will leave Cloyster open to set Spikes up. Furthermore, your own Exeggutor can switch into an opposing Exeggutor to threaten it in return with Explosion, Sleep Powder, or potentially even Hidden Power Fire. However, keep in mind that your own Exeggutor works best against Giga Drain Exeggutor, and that furthermore the opposing Exeggutor will also have all these tools to use against you. There are also Pokemon that threaten Exeggutor but cannot wall it or switch in easily. Charizard does not want to take status or 35-42% damage from Psychic on the switch, but is likely to OHKO with Fire Blast or set up Belly Drum if Exeggutor chooses to switch out. Additionally, Heracross cannot switch into 65-77% damage from Psychic but runs Sleep Talk to absorb sleep and forces Exeggutor to switch out with the threat of a guaranteed Megahorn OHKO.</p>
1/2
 
This is very well written and was actually quite enjoyable to read. Great job! I made an amateur GP check.

Additions
Deletions

[Overview]

<p>Exeggutor is a bit of a mixed bag. Defensively, it has resistances to Ground-, Electric-, Water-, and Fighting-type attacks that allow it to check a wide variety of threats, including Marowak, Vaporeon, and Machamp. However, its low Special Defense and weaknesses to Ice-, Fire-, Dark-, and Bug-type attacks leave Exeggutor vulnerable to being Pursuit-trapped or being hit hard by a surprise Hidden Power Bug, Ice Beam, or Fire Blast from one of the threats it is supposed to check. On the offense side of things, it gets access to Sleep Powder, Explosion, Stun Spore, and Leech Seed in addition to a high Special Attack stat off of which to run a strong STAB Psychic. However, it usually needs to choose between using either Giga Drain or Hidden Power Fire for coverage, which tends to leave it stuck against either Skarmory or Tyranitar, both of which resist Exeggutor's other attacks, including Explosion. While it has its limitations, Exeggutor can be a nightmare to deal with if one is not well-prepared for it, and it usually ends up taking at least one opposing Pokemon out of the game.</p>

[SET]
name: Standard
move 1: Psychic
move 2: Giga Drain / Hidden Power Fire
move 3: Sleep Powder / Stun Spore
move 4: Explosion
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Psychic is Exeggutor's main attacking move that allows it to punish opponents that try to over-predict against Exeggutor, since the dual-threats of Explosion and Sleep Powder can force a lot of switches. Running off 348 Special Attack, Exeggutor can do heavy damage to Pokemon that are not named Snorlax or resistant to it. Unfortunately, Psychic is resisted by quite a lot of Pokemon, including Skarmory and Tyranitar, the latter being immune to it. Furthermore, these foes also resist Exeggutor's Explosion, and to top it off Exeggutor cannot cover both of these threats with just one coverage move. Giga Drain is typically chosen to deal with Tyranitar since it is actually immune to Psychic and can Pursuit Exeggutor to death, although Hidden Power Fire can be used to deal heavy damage to Skarmory and Forretress instead. Giga Drain is chosen over Hidden Power Grass for dealing with Tyranitar because, although Hidden Power Grass is stronger, both moves 3HKO Tyranitar while Giga Drain actually heals Exeggutor to avoid the guaranteed 2HKO at the hands of Crunch or Fire Blast. However, thanks to Sleep Powder, even though Exeggutor can't have enough attacks to damage everything it wants to, it can still threaten to incapacitate what it can't outright attack. Exeggutor can also use Stun Spore to spread status more readily without having to worry about Sleep Clause. This works best if your team already has another Pokemon with a sleep-inducing move. Finally, with Explosion, Exeggutor can take out a special wall such as Snorlax, or a RestTalker—such as Zapdos or Raikou—that can avoid being 3HKOed by Psychic and absorb sleep to boot.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Because of Exeggutor's ability to instantly take something out of the game, it's usually best to pair it with Pokemon that appreciate having specific targets removed for them. Exeggutor's sleep threat tends to draw Sleep Talk Electrics into the fray to take an Explosion, so pairing Exeggutor with Vaporeon can allow for a potential Growth sweep undeterred by Zapdos or Raikou. Exeggutor tends to bait Umbreon switch-ins and put them to sleep or Explode on them, so Pokemon such as Curse Snorlax and Mixed Tyranitar, who otherwise struggle to get past Charm Umbreon, can be paired effectively with Exeggutor. Giga Drain Exeggutor can put Skarmory to sleep, so it can allow Belly Drum Snorlax to set up a sweep while its main counter snoozes. Hidden Power Fire Exeggutor tends to put Tyranitar to sleep, so pairing this set with something else that struggles with Tyranitar, such as Gengar, would allow you to get past it. In addition, if Exeggutor uses Stun Spore over Sleep Powder, Pokemon such as Vaporeon and Belly Drum Snorlax have a good chance of beating Zapdos and Skarmory, respectively, if they are paralyzed.</p>

<p>On the defensive side, Exeggutor tends to synergize very well with a many teams. Several difficult-to-counter threats, such as Marowak, Machamp, and Vaporeon, are all checked thanks to Exeggutor's typing. Giga Drain Exeggutor in particular is good defensively, as it can 3HKO Vaporeon with the STAB Grass move, can fight back against Tyranitar Pursuit attempts, can keep its health up with the healing Giga Drain provides, and doesn't suffer the significant HP reduction that the Hidden Power Fire variant does. However, Exeggutor must watch out to avoid taking an unexpected Hidden Power Bug or Fire Blast from Marowak and Machamp on the switch, or an Ice Beam from Vaporeon. Exeggutor therefore works best as a secondary check to these threats rather than as a team's main defensive switch-in to them.</p>

<p>Exeggutor must be very wary of status. If Exeggutor ends up taking a Toxic, it simply gets worn down as it switches in, which forces it to rush into using Sleep Powder or Explosion. Paralysis, on the other hand, can prevent Exeggutor from Exploding or putting sleeping a foe to sleep after taking a big hit, or can prevent Exeggutor from checking foes it should be able to outspeed and threaten, such as Marowak, post-Curse Machamp, and Snorlax. Because of this, it is a good idea to pair Exeggutor with something to absorb status, such as RestTalk Zapdos or Raikou. Both RestTalking Electrics are also great at forcing Skarmory to switch out, and appreciate Exeggutor's ability to put Tyranitar to sleep. Raikou in particular also defends against opposing RestTalk Electric-types that are bound to switch into Exeggutor. In this same vein, Heal Bell and Rapid Spin support might also seem like good ideas to heal Exeggutor of status and to prevent Exeggutor from being worn down by Spikes damage, respectively. However, Exeggutor tends to find itself on relatively faster-paced teams, and using these support options tend to slow a team down, so think of these more as conveniences rather than necessary support for Exeggutor.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Exeggutor has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve. You could use both Sleep Powder and Stun Spore for a double powder set, although this leaves you without a coverage move for either Tyranitar or Skarmory. In addition, Leech Seed is an interesting option for forcing even more switches with Exeggutor, as the residual damage and healing can turn otherwise-poor match-ups for Exeggutor into winning ones. Leech Seed is often used with Stun Spore and Substitute on a SubSeed set, and it is effective at forcing switches and spreading status throughout the team. SubSeed is especially effective if Spikes are down to punish the inevitable switching the opponent is bound to do. Exeggutor could also ditch the status move on the Standard set and instead run an all-out attacking set with Psychic, Giga Drain, Hidden Power Fire and Explosion. The power of this set is that it ensures that Exeggutor will be able to damage Normal-resistors enough to pull off a relevant Explosion. The downside, of course, is that Exeggutor tends to thrive off its ability to threaten status and punish the switches that result from this threat. Synthesis and Moonlight are options to give Exeggutor a reliable recovery option, but Exeggutor is less a tank and more an instant offensive threat, so giving up an offensive move for healing is not recommended. Exeggutor also gets access to Reflect, which can assist a Leech Seed set in tanking Snorlax, but in general Exeggutor wants to be attacking and inflicting status, not setting up screens.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Sleep Talk Zapdos and Raikou are the most common counters to Exeggutor, as they absorb sleep and can threaten Exeggutor out with Hidden Power Ice. In addition, other Sleep Talkers such as Snorlax, Suicune, and Vaporeon can all absorb sleep and take Exeggutor's attacks well, although the Sleep Talking Water-types should be wary of Giga Drain's potential 3HKO, even if Exeggutor can be easily stalled out of Giga Drain's meager 8 PP. Sleep Talk Vaporeon is a particularly shaky switch-in because it needs to set up multiple Growths before it can force Exeggutor out, although if you predict a Sleep Powder, Vaporeon can take it with the best of them. Note that Exeggutor also has the power to Explode on all of these threats, so even though they can absorb sleep and take its hits, Exeggutor is probably looking precisely for these match-ups so it can explode to take these Pokemon down.</p>

<p>Skarmory and Forretress are incapacitated by sleep, but otherwise resist Explosion, threaten Exeggutor with their STABs, and resist both Psychic and Giga Drain. However, Hidden Power Fire variants can spell trouble for them, especially in the case of Forretress. Tyranitar, on the other hand, is also vulnerable to sleep, but is immune to Psychic, resists Explosion, and can threaten Exeggutor with Fire Blast and Crunch while nailing it with Pursuit if it switches out. However, Exeggutor can threaten with Giga Drain, which not only 3HKOes Tyranitar but also heals Exeggutor enough to prevent even Fire Blast and Crunch from guaranteeing a 2HKO, so Tyranitar generally cannot just switch into Exeggutor and spam Pursuit to defeat it. Some more complete counters include Umbreon and Houndoom. These Pokemon can take all of Psychic, Giga Drain, and Hidden Power Fire. Umbreon can outspeed and Charm Exeggutor to render its Explosion useless, use Toxic to cripple Exeggutor, and use Pursuit to do 43-50% to Exeggutor if it switches out. Houndoom, on the other hand, simply outspeeds and is likely to OHKO with Fire Blast or do 62-73% with Pursuit if Exeggutor switches out. However, these counters are vulnerable to being hit by Sleep Powder or Explosion on the switch.</p>

<p>Other checks to Exeggutor include Starmie and other Exeggutor. Starmie can check Hidden Power Fire variants or even attempt to use Recover to stall out Giga Drain's 8 PP, and is usually the best sleep bait available on a defensive team without Sleep Talk. However, losing Starmie to sleep, Explosion, or a critical hit Giga Drain will leave Cloyster open to set Spikes up. Furthermore, your own Exeggutor can switch into an opposing Exeggutor to threaten it in return with Explosion, Sleep Powder, or potentially even Hidden Power Fire. However, keep in mind that your own Exeggutor works best against Giga Drain Exeggutor, and that furthermore the opposing Exeggutor will also have all of these tools to use against you. There are also Pokemon that threaten Exeggutor but cannot wall it or switch in on it easily. Charizard does not want to take status or 35-42% damage from Psychic on the switch, but is likely to OHKO with Fire Blast or set up Belly Drum if Exeggutor chooses to switch out. Additionally, Heracross cannot switch into 65-77% damage from Psychic but runs Sleep Talk to absorb sleep and forces Exeggutor to switch out with the threat of a guaranteed Megahorn OHKO.</p>
 

Nix_Hex

Uangaana kasuttortunga!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
One slight note on GCSChris's check
If Exeggutor ends up taking a Toxic, it simply gets worn down as it switches in, which forces it to rush into using Sleep Powder or Explosion. Paralysis, on the other hand, can prevent Exeggutor from Exploding or sleeping a foe after taking a big hit,
Just keep this the same. The lingo of RBY/GSC/ADV is quite different than the standards we have now, and phrases like "sleeping a foe" are common-place and generally accepted.

Regardless, nice read and nice check!

[gp]2/2[/gp]
 

Jorgen

World's Strongest Fairy
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Champion
Implemented the last check, this should be good to go barring any last-minute objections.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top