rubsomeyveltalonit
[OVERVIEW]
One of the more underrated defensive choices the Balanced Hackmons metagame has to offer, Yveltal stands out as one of the best checks to Mega Gengar and other Ghost-type Judgment users in the metagame due to its unique typing. Yveltal also functions as an excellent stallbreaker thanks to its great Speed tier, allowing it to outspeed common uninvested base 90 and 95 Speed Pokemon in the metagame and Taunt them. In addition, Yveltal's relatively high offensive stats for a wall mean it isn't as passive as most other walls, and its Dark STAB type makes Yveltal one of the few walls that can take advantage of Knock Off as both a primary attack and a utility move in addition to being able to absorb it as well. However, while Yveltal's bulk is not terrible, it isn't exceptional either, meaning Yveltal must more often than not rely on its typing in order to wall foes. Due to this downside, which means that it can only wall specific Pokemon, Yveltal isn't an ideal choice on most offensive teams as a wall, and it is better used with a defensive core on more defensively oriented teams. In addition, a weakness to Rock-type moves means Yveltal cannot perform as well when Stealth Rock is on the field, and weaknesses to Electric, Ice, and Fairy-type moves mean it cannot stand up to most Protean, Refrigerate, and Pixilate users.
[SET]
name: Poison Heal
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Spiky Shield / King's Shield / Recover
move 4: Taunt / Leech Seed / Swords Dance
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Poison Heal
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Knock Off is Yveltal's STAB move of choice, simultaneously giving Yveltal an offensive presence and the utility of item removal. Will-O-Wisp allows Yveltal to cripple physical attackers and burden Pokemon without Magic Bounce or Poison Heal with passive damage. Spiky Shield and King's Shield accomplish the same purpose of shielding Yveltal so that it can rack up Poison Heal recovery, but the choice comes down to which of the moves' effects is preferred. Spiky Shield is generally the superior choice, as it also shields Yveltal from status moves that Poison Heal does not block, such as Leech Seed and Entrainment, but King's Shield's secondary effect of halving the foe's Attack stat is arguably more useful than dealing chip damage. Should a more reliable method of recovery be desired, Recover is also an option in this slot; however, because Yveltal is usually fine without direct recovery, this isn't usually needed. Taunt is the move of choice in the last slot to allow Yveltal to also perform the role of a stallbreaker and turns Yveltal into a gigantic pain for defensive teams to handle. In tandem with King's Shield, it also allows Yveltal to stall out physical Poison Heal users to an extent. Leech Seed is another option in the last slot to better take on opposing attackers and defeat Shedinja more reliably, though it leaves Yveltal unable to do much to Magic Bounce and Poison Heal Pokemon. It also allows Yveltal to defeat Imposter users more easily. If Leech Seed is chosen, it is recommended not to use Recover in the third slot, as Leech Seed offers Yveltal more than enough recovery. Swords Dance may seem like a strange choice for a defensive Pokemon, especially because Yveltal has only one attacking move, but it allows Yveltal to better punish opposing Magic Bounce and Poison Heal users, which will usually switch into Yveltal in order to block Will-O-Wisp.
Set Details
========
Yveltal's EVs and nature allow it to always survive Timid Mega Gengar's Sludge Wave after a Tail Glow and KO it in return with Knock Off while simultaneously giving Yveltal a usable Defense stat in order to both stand up to physical attackers and burn them with Will-O-Wisp and take Secret Sword with ease. Poison Heal gives Yveltal both an immunity to status and substantial recovery after its Toxic Orb activates, considerably prolonging its longevity on the battlefield and allowing it to function as a great status absorber.
Usage Tips
========
Yveltal should mainly be used to combat Ghost-types that run Spooky Plate Judgment, which often give defensive teams trouble due to their resiliency to Imposter users. It is crucial not to let Yveltal's Toxic Orb be removed before it is activated, as without being poisoned Yveltal becomes nearly useless, especially if it is not using Recover. Using Spiky Shield and slow pivots to get Yveltal into play are the best ways of activating its Toxic Orb safely. King's Shield also works, but you must watch out for Trick and status moves such as Will-O-Wisp. In addition, if you plan to use Aromatherapy later on in the match, it's advisable not to let Yveltal's Toxic Orb get removed at all, as Yveltal will otherwise not be able to restore its poison. If Aromatherapy is not used on your team, however, it is encouraged to switch Yveltal into Knock Off users, as it functions as a great Knock Off absorber. For the same reasons Yveltal fears having its own Toxic Orb removed by Knock Off, Knock Off should be used against opposing Poison Heal users if you know the enemy team uses Aromatherapy, as this will greatly increase the effect of Will-O-Wisp on the opponent's Pokemon by discouraging Aromatherapy support. Yveltal can defeat Imposter users courtesy of their vulnerability to burns and remove their Eviolites as well, but it should be noted that they're able to Knock Off Yveltal's Toxic Orb despite crippling themselves in the process. Don't be afraid to use Spiky Shield or King's Shield liberally, as Yveltal needs to be at high health to function at its best. Both of these moves can also be used to scout the opposing team for dangerous moves and thus give you an idea of what teammate is best suited to handle your foe. Try not to let Stealth Rock reside on your side of the field for too long, as it diminishes Yveltal's ability to heal off damage due to the damage it takes when switching in. Taunt should be used against the opponent's walls in order to prevent them from accomplishing most of their intended tasks and allows Yveltal to function as a great stallbreaker. Finally, use Swords Dance if you expect a Magic Bounce or Poison Heal user to switch in, as most of them do not appreciate a Swords Dance-boosted Knock Off.
Team Options
========
Users of Defog are highly recommended alongside Yveltal to increase its overall performance. Because Yveltal forces many switches, entry hazards in the form of Stealth Rock and possibly Spikes greatly aid Yveltal. Registeel and Aegislash are examples of Pokemon that can both utilize Defog and set up hazards effectively. Physically bulky Fur Coat users such as Giratina and Mega Audino work very well alongside Yveltal to absorb the stronger physical hits thrown its way. Both of these Pokemon are also notable in that they can absorb Knock Off for Yveltal on teams using Aromatherapy courtesy of Griseous Orb and Audinite, respectively. -Ate ability switch-ins, such as Aegislash, Registeel, and Fur Coat Chansey, pair very well with Yveltal due to its vulnerability to Refrigerate and Pixilate users. Non-Imposter Chansey also makes for a great partner to take the special attacks that Yveltal cannot, courtesy of its gargantuan special bulk. Finally, Entrainment users are highly useful alongside Yveltal due to their ability to handle Poison Heal users. While any defensive Pokemon without Poison Heal itself can make use of the move, Mega Audino and Giratina are notable due to their excellent mixed bulk.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Aerilate and Gale Wings are options on Yveltal for both physically and specially offensive sets considering its Flying STAB type and decent attacking stats, but Mega Rayquaza often does this a lot better than Yveltal thanks to its considerably higher damage output, despite lacking STAB on Knock Off. RegenVest may seem like a better alternative to Poison Heal to allow Yveltal to take on special attackers even better than it already can, but the inability to use status moves and Yveltal's newly acquired weakness to sleep-inducing moves without Poison Heal usually make it an inferior option. Other status moves, namely Spore and Nuzzle, can be used over Will-O-Wisp, but these moves are not as effective on Yveltal as Will-O-Wisp is due to the move's ability to cripple physical attackers and cause passive damage. Foul Play can be used to heavily dent physical attackers, Sucker Punch is an option to outprioritize and heavily damage Mega Mewtwo Y and defeat Mega Gengar without taking damage, and Pursuit can be used to trap and KO Mega Gengar, but all of these Dark-type moves are rather redundant with Knock Off, which is too valuable for Yveltal to pass up on. Shift Gear and Coil can both be used over Swords Dance, with Coil having the useful side effect of increasing Will-O-Wisp's accuracy, but the direct power boost from Swords Dance is generally more useful than the Speed and Defense boosts. Oblivion Wing can be used due to its ability to simultaneously pose an offensive threat and heal Yveltal, but the additional coverage doesn't allow Yveltal to beat any additional notable Pokemon. Finally, various other support options such as Stealth Rock, Topsy-Turvy, Defog, U-turn, Circle Throw, Thousand Waves, Sacred Fire, and Worry Seed are all plausible choices in the final slot, but their utility is usually inferior to the utility granted by the moves listed on the main set.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Poison Heal Users**: The threat of a Swords Dance-boosted Knock Off does scare away some Poison Heal users, but the ones that don't mind taking a Knock Off, such as Mega Tyranitar, Mega Gyarados, Arceus, and Regigigas, have very little to fear from Yveltal thanks to their immunity to Will-O-Wisp and lack of use for their item after being poisoned. In return, they can overwhelm Yveltal with their STAB attacks and coverage moves.
**Magic Bounce Users**: While the loss of their item can be annoying, Magic Bounce users such as Registeel and Mega Audino completely wall Leech Seed and Taunt variants of Yveltal, and with moves such as Topsy-Turvy and Haze, they can take on Swords Dance variants as well. Alternatively, they can use a slow Baton Pass or U-turn to safely pivot in a strong attacker to pummel Yveltal, gaining momentum for their team and putting them in a favorable situation.
**Fire-types**: Due to their immunity to burns, Fire-types such as Ho-Oh, Reshiram, and Mega Blaziken can come in on Will-O-Wisp and threaten Yveltal with their Fire-type moves, though losing their item to Knock Off may be unideal. With Contrary, they can also smack Yveltal without fearing King's Shield and use it as setup fodder.
**-Ate Ability Users**: While they don't appreciate switching into Knock Off or Will-O-Wisp, when brought it via a bulky teammate with Baton Pass or U-turn or after a teammate has fainted, -ate ability users such as Mega Rayquaza and Mega Diancie can force out Yveltal under the threat of their powerful Boomburst.
**Protean Users**: In a similar manner to -ate users, Protean users don't like to directly switch in, but Bolt Strike from physically oriented Protean users and Moonblast from specially oriented Protean users can easily put Yveltal out of commission. Physically based Protean users must watch out for Yveltal's King's Shield, however.
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