Originally written by icecream. I rewrote some sections and wrote the remaining bullets from scratch. Again, sorry for getting this up late, I had college orientation the entire week :x
@Treecko changed the nature to Modest and put Timid in AC for SS set
[Overview]
<p>With two great abilities in Chlorophyll and Harvest, a bountiful movepool, and a good stat spread, Exeggutor has established itself as a very capable offensive and defensive powerhouse. Due to these traits, Exeggutor is one of the most unpredictable and powerful Grass-types in NU. However, Exeggutor's sluggish Speed stat holds it back, as even with Chlorophyll doubling Exeggutor's Speed in the sun, it simply isn't fast enough to outpace some of the key Choice Scarf users: Jynx, Primeape, and Charizard. Moreover, Exeggutor's low Special Defense and weakness to Bug-, Ice-, Dark-, and Flying-type moves make it an open target for many of NU's powerful attackers. Braviary, Charizard, Scolipede, Jynx, and Skuntank all give Exeggutor varying degrees of trouble due to its shortcomings.</p>
[SET]
name: LumRest
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Powder
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Psychic
item: Lum Berry
ability: Harvest
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 176 SpA / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of all of Exeggutor's best qualities: Harvest, good bulk, and exceptional power. Lum Berry coupled with Harvest essentially makes Exeggutor impervious to status afflictions, as the combination allows Exeggutor to fully heal itself in one turn with Rest. Exeggutor's recovery and stats make it a good counter to many walls such as Alomomola, Tangela, and Seismitoad. Sleep Powder makes Exeggutor even more annoying to deal with by enabling it to cripple incoming Pokemon that can actually deal with its stalling ordeals, such as Scolipede or Mandibuzz. Giga Drain is the preferred STAB move because of its respectable power and ability to regain copious amounts of HP from the likes of Alomomola. Lastly, Psychic is a great secondary STAB option and hits many Grass-type resists.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread listed above allows Exeggutor to survive Choice Band Sawk's Ice Punch, Life Orb Samurott's Ice Beam, Choice Scarf Primeape's U-turn, and also allows Exeggutor to outspeed the likes of Alomomola, effectively countering it. While Alomomola has no business staying in on Exeggutor, this prevents things such as last minute Wish passing as Exeggutor can Giga Drain before Alomomola gets a chance to do anything.</p>
<p>Exeggutor works well with Pokemon that struggle to beat cores consisting of Alomomola or Seismitoad paired with Tangela or Roselia. For example, Carracosta, Golurk, Kangaskhan, and Samurott are all rather threatening sweepers that appreciate Exeggutor's ability to take down all variants of this core and can provide teams with an imminent sweeping force once the core is eliminated. Probopass is also an excellent choice to partner with Exeggutor because it can set up Stealth Rock and trap opposing Metang with Magnet Pull. Overall, Exeggutor's ability to apply offensive pressure to teams with bulky Water-types make it a great partner alongside any sweeper in need of some extra wallbreaking support.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Sleep Powder / Giga Drain
item: Choice Specs
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Modest
evs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Exeggutor has the capability of 2HKOing the entire tier, barring Mandibuzz, when running a Choice Specs set. Leaf Storm barrels through nearly everything, including Pokemon that resist it, such as Skuntank. Psychic gives Exeggutor a consistent, hard-hitting move that also heavily damages many Pokemon that can switch into Grass-type attacks, such as Roselia, Scolipede, Charizard, and Sap Sipper Sawsbuck and Miltank. Hidden Power Ground is used to target bulky Pokemon that resist both of Exeggutor's STAB moves, such as Metang. As for the last slot, Sleep Powder might seem odd on a Choice Specs set, but it gives Exeggutor more of an offensive presence as it guarantees that there will be no safe switch-ins to Exeggutor. When using Choice Specs Exeggutor, one must be wary that the Special Attack drop from Leaf Storm makes it setup fodder for many common threats such as Charizard and Scolipede; therefore, Giga Drain can also be considered as a reliable backup STAB move to Leaf Storm that can keep Exeggutor healthy over the course of a battle.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs allow Exeggutor to outspeed max Speed Golem and either put it to sleep or OHKO it. However, max Speed with a Timid nature is also viable if one wishes to outspeed uninvested Misdreavus and other various Pokemon that try to Speed creep slower versions of Exeggutor. However, a Modest nature is generally preferred so Exeggutor can hit as hard as possible and break holes in an opponent's team.</p>
<p>Choice Specs Exeggutor forces switches extremely well, so Stealth Rock support is highly recommended, especially as many common switch-ins to Leaf Storm—most notably Charizard, Braviary, and Scolipede—are weak to Steath Rock. Regirock and Carracosta work well alongside Exeggutor as it resists Ground-, Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-type moves and they can provide Exeggutor with the entry hazards it needs to truly put pressure on the opponent. Probopass has access to Stealth Rock as well and also provides trapping capabilities and a slow Volt Switch to bring Exeggutor in safely. Offensive Seismitoad also pairs well with Exeggutor as the two cover each other's weaknesses quite well while maintaining offensive synergy. Choice Scarf Fighting-types such as Sawk and Primeape make good partners as well because they can sweep through teams easily after Exeggutor is done weakening the opponent's team with repeated hits. For the same reasons, faster threats such as Swellow benefit from Exeggutor's ability to weaken opposing threats, as they often lack the power needed to completely sweep an opponent's team.</p>
[SET]
name: SubSeed
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Protect / Sleep Powder
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Harvest
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>SubSeed is Exeggutor's most annoying set and has the potential to stall out an opponent's team thanks to Harvest. Harvest makes this set possible, as it gives Exeggutor back its Sitrus Berry 50% of the time, allowing it to continually stall out its opponent. Substitute and Leech Seed help keep Exeggutor afloat while whittling down the opponent's health, and Psychic is Exeggutor's best STAB to deal with Grass-types immune to Leech Seed such as Sawsbuck and Roselia. Protect can be used to further stall for Leech Seed recovery and even scout for moves, while Sleep Powder gives Exeggutor a free turn to set up and incapacitates one of the few Pokemon that can deal with this set, Mandibuzz. If given the opportunity, Exeggutor has the potential to outstall Pokemon that would normally beat it, such as Jynx, Charizard, Scolipede, and Skuntank.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The physically defensive spread is best used to capitalize on Exeggutor's great bulk and resistances, and the 84 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed uninvested base 65 Speed Pokemon such as Roselia and Alomomola. By investing in Defense, Exeggutor can take hits from Pokemon such as Sawk and Primeape especially well and begin to set up accordingly.</p>
<p>Paralysis and Toxic Spikes support are very helpful when using SubSeed Exeggutor. Paralysis allows for Exeggutor to get a Leech Seed in easily, while Toxic Spikes support helps stack the damage accumulated by Leech Seed stalling. Scolipede and Garbodor are the best partners to help set Toxic Spikes up, and both also provide Toxic Spikes absorption to keep Exeggutor healthy. Liepard and Rotom-S are good choices to provide paralysis support and have decent synergy alongside Exeggutor. There are also defensive partners to Exeggutor such as Alomomola and Metang, which appreciate Exeggutor's ability to take on Electric- and Ground-type attacks respectively. Alomomola in particular can help take on Scolipede, which is a common response and threat to many teams packing Exeggutor. Lastly, Heal Bell support in the form of Audino or Lickilicky can help as a random Scald burn can greatly hinder Exeggutor's ability to stall effectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Sun Sweeper
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: SolarBeam
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Sleep Powder / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Exeggutor has rather abysmal Speed, the combination of Sunny Day and Chlorophyll helps alleviate this problem and makes it a threatening sweeper in the sun. Sunny Day not only doubles Exeggutor's Speed, but also supports Fire-type Pokemon and attacks, thus making Exeggutor a team supporter as well as an established sweeper. SolarBeam is Exeggutor's main attack as it can be used constantly with no drawbacks in the sun, and Psychic nails Pokemon such as Braviary, Charizard, and Scolipede. Sleep Powder is generally preferred so Exeggutor can dodge Sucker Punch from Skuntank, Shiftry, and Kangaskhan, but Hidden Power Fire also has its uses in dealing with Steel-types such as Metang, as well as hitting Grass-types a bit harder when Sunny Day is up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Modest nature is preferred to maximize Exeggutor's offenses, although it fails to ensure Exeggutor outspeeds Choice Scarf Braviary, Sawk, and Rotom-A to name a few. Thus, a Timid nature can be used to outspeed these threats, but most dedicated sun teams carry a faster sun sweeper anyway. On sun teams, Heat Rock is an option over Life Orb for teams that need Exeggutor to be more of a supporter than a sweeper. Giga Drain can also be used over SolarBeam as a more reliable Grass-type STAB when sun is not up. Nature Power can be used to deal with Metang and Skuntank, and also has the added benefit of causing Sucker Punch to fail. Substitute is another option to consider in order to make Exeggutor harder to revenge kill and protect it from priority.</p>
<p>Stealth Rock support is rather important in snagging useful KOs on Pokemon such as Rotom-S with Psychic; Golem, Carracosta, Metang, and Probopass are all great users of Stealth Rock that also have good synergy with Exeggutor. Exeggutor can act as a stand-alone sweeper or can be a part of a dedicated sun team; if it is on a sun team, then Volbeat, Regirock, and Liepard are all great options to set up Sunny Day. Regirock in particular can both set up Stealth Rock and Sunny Day and lures in Pokemon that Exeggutor can switch into, such as Golem and Sawk. Other useful sun teammates include Charizard, which can get past Skuntank and Metang, and Shiftry, which can take out bulkier Psychic-types such as Gardevoir and Musharna more easily.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hidden Power Ice can be used on the Choice Specs set, as Exeggutor can hit Mandibuzz and Zweilous for a 2HKO after Stealth Rock. However, that is the extent to which Hidden Power Ice is useful, as other bulky Flying-types such as Braviary and Altaria are already hit hard with Psychic. A Swords Dance set or a mixed set can also work, but Exeggutor can sweep more easily with its special attacks rather than its physical attacks. However, Wood Hammer can be used in conjunction with a specially defensive spread so that Exeggutor can lure out Jynx and smash her to pieces. A dual screen set can also work given as Exeggutor has access to Sleep Powder and Explosion, but Exeggutor's low Speed tends to get in the way of such an option. Exeggutor can run a Choice Scarf set, which can catch many potential revenge killers or faster threats off guard despite being very gimmicky. Trick Room is another alternative, which can exploit teams that run fast and frail sweepers to deal with Exeggutor. Exeggutor also has the ability to slow down its opponents with Stun Spore, which can give a slow wallbreaker such as Eelektross plenty of opportunities to obliterate the opposing team; unfortunately, Exeggutor has difficulty finding room for it. Wish can be used for team support, but Exeggutor's HP stat simply isn't high enough to make the best use of this move. Pinch Berries such as Salac and Petaya can be used alongside Harvest, as can type-resist Berries such as Occa, but Lum and Sitrus remain Exeggutor's best options with Harvest due to status blocking and recovery, respectively. Lastly, Power Swap + Leaf Storm is another fun option; once Exeggutor uses Leaf Storm, it can pass the -2 Special Attack drops to its opponent. This not only allows Exeggutor to whip out another full power Leaf Storm but, by weakening the opponent, potentially enables it to survive a super effective special attack.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Any Pokemon with high-octane offenses, versatility, and access to a sleep-inducing move is essentially without counters. When dealing with Exeggutor, it is imperative that one flushes out Sleep Powder so Exeggutor loses its main way of dealing with Pokemon it has trouble with. Once Sleep Powder is out of the way, Mandibuzz can switch in safely, take nearly anything from Exeggutor, and easily Roost off the damage. However, Mandibuzz takes a lot of damage from Choice Specs boosted Hidden Power Ice, so a little caution must be taken. Specially defensive Zweilous is the next best counter because it can easily sponge Exeggutor's attacks; however, it will be stalled out by with a combination of Substitute and Leech Seed and might be 2HKOed by an uncommon yet existent Choice Specs Hidden Power Ice after Stealth Rock. Zweilous can also use Sleep Talk to take a Sleep Powder from Exeggutor, as RestTalk Zweilous is useful outside of this to tank hits and status.</p>
<p>While Skuntank is easily 2HKOed by a Choice Specs Leaf Storm, it is the second most reliable response to Exeggutor, as it can easily retaliate with a powerful Crunch or Pursuit trap a fleeing Exeggutor. Additionally, Lum Berry variants will be able to switch in once on a Sleep Powder and revenge kill accordingly. Regice and Articuno are also great responses thanks to their fantastic defenses, though both of them are quite easy to wear down because of their crippling Stealth Rock weaknesses. With Stealth Rock up, Regice can still be 2HKOed by Leaf Storm and Articuno can be OHKOed by Psychic. Altaria and Lickilicky can also check Exeggutor, though they risk being outstalled with Leech Seed or torn apart by a powerful Psychic. Metang can also take on Exeggutor, though a Choice Specs Leaf Storm still does a sizable amount of damage. Sap Sipper Pokemon don't care about Exeggutor's Leaf Storm; because of its overall great defenses and access to reliable recovery, Miltank specifically is a decent response to Exeggutor, though just like Regice and Articuno, it can be 2HKOed by Choice Specs Psychic after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Fortunately, checking Exeggutor isn't as difficult. Choice Scarf Jynx in particular makes an excellent check as she can outspeed even Sunny Day variants and OHKO with Ice Beam. Charizard can easily switch into Exeggutor's Grass-type moves and OHKO with its powerful Fire-type STABs. Scolipede and Haunter have difficulty switching in, but they can also take Exeggutor down with a Megahorn or Sludge Bomb, respectively. Finally, a Sucker Punch from Kangaskhan, Cacturne, or Shiftry can take out Exeggutor, which is helpful especially if it's a Chlorophyll set. In general, faster Pokemon with strong special attacks are decent checks. Samurott, Shiftry, and Ludicolo all check Exeggutor rather well; Shiftry can switch into a Giga Drain or Psychic and retaliate with Dark Pulse, and Ludicolo and Samurott can use Ice Beam to pick off Exeggutor, and even physical Samurott works rather well against Exeggutor because it has access to Megahorn.</p>
@Treecko changed the nature to Modest and put Timid in AC for SS set
[Overview]
<p>With two great abilities in Chlorophyll and Harvest, a bountiful movepool, and a good stat spread, Exeggutor has established itself as a very capable offensive and defensive powerhouse. Due to these traits, Exeggutor is one of the most unpredictable and powerful Grass-types in NU. However, Exeggutor's sluggish Speed stat holds it back, as even with Chlorophyll doubling Exeggutor's Speed in the sun, it simply isn't fast enough to outpace some of the key Choice Scarf users: Jynx, Primeape, and Charizard. Moreover, Exeggutor's low Special Defense and weakness to Bug-, Ice-, Dark-, and Flying-type moves make it an open target for many of NU's powerful attackers. Braviary, Charizard, Scolipede, Jynx, and Skuntank all give Exeggutor varying degrees of trouble due to its shortcomings.</p>
[SET]
name: LumRest
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Powder
move 3: Giga Drain
move 4: Psychic
item: Lum Berry
ability: Harvest
nature: Modest
evs: 248 HP / 176 SpA / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set takes advantage of all of Exeggutor's best qualities: Harvest, good bulk, and exceptional power. Lum Berry coupled with Harvest essentially makes Exeggutor impervious to status afflictions, as the combination allows Exeggutor to fully heal itself in one turn with Rest. Exeggutor's recovery and stats make it a good counter to many walls such as Alomomola, Tangela, and Seismitoad. Sleep Powder makes Exeggutor even more annoying to deal with by enabling it to cripple incoming Pokemon that can actually deal with its stalling ordeals, such as Scolipede or Mandibuzz. Giga Drain is the preferred STAB move because of its respectable power and ability to regain copious amounts of HP from the likes of Alomomola. Lastly, Psychic is a great secondary STAB option and hits many Grass-type resists.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread listed above allows Exeggutor to survive Choice Band Sawk's Ice Punch, Life Orb Samurott's Ice Beam, Choice Scarf Primeape's U-turn, and also allows Exeggutor to outspeed the likes of Alomomola, effectively countering it. While Alomomola has no business staying in on Exeggutor, this prevents things such as last minute Wish passing as Exeggutor can Giga Drain before Alomomola gets a chance to do anything.</p>
<p>Exeggutor works well with Pokemon that struggle to beat cores consisting of Alomomola or Seismitoad paired with Tangela or Roselia. For example, Carracosta, Golurk, Kangaskhan, and Samurott are all rather threatening sweepers that appreciate Exeggutor's ability to take down all variants of this core and can provide teams with an imminent sweeping force once the core is eliminated. Probopass is also an excellent choice to partner with Exeggutor because it can set up Stealth Rock and trap opposing Metang with Magnet Pull. Overall, Exeggutor's ability to apply offensive pressure to teams with bulky Water-types make it a great partner alongside any sweeper in need of some extra wallbreaking support.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Leaf Storm
move 2: Psychic
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Sleep Powder / Giga Drain
item: Choice Specs
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Modest
evs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Exeggutor has the capability of 2HKOing the entire tier, barring Mandibuzz, when running a Choice Specs set. Leaf Storm barrels through nearly everything, including Pokemon that resist it, such as Skuntank. Psychic gives Exeggutor a consistent, hard-hitting move that also heavily damages many Pokemon that can switch into Grass-type attacks, such as Roselia, Scolipede, Charizard, and Sap Sipper Sawsbuck and Miltank. Hidden Power Ground is used to target bulky Pokemon that resist both of Exeggutor's STAB moves, such as Metang. As for the last slot, Sleep Powder might seem odd on a Choice Specs set, but it gives Exeggutor more of an offensive presence as it guarantees that there will be no safe switch-ins to Exeggutor. When using Choice Specs Exeggutor, one must be wary that the Special Attack drop from Leaf Storm makes it setup fodder for many common threats such as Charizard and Scolipede; therefore, Giga Drain can also be considered as a reliable backup STAB move to Leaf Storm that can keep Exeggutor healthy over the course of a battle.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Speed EVs allow Exeggutor to outspeed max Speed Golem and either put it to sleep or OHKO it. However, max Speed with a Timid nature is also viable if one wishes to outspeed uninvested Misdreavus and other various Pokemon that try to Speed creep slower versions of Exeggutor. However, a Modest nature is generally preferred so Exeggutor can hit as hard as possible and break holes in an opponent's team.</p>
<p>Choice Specs Exeggutor forces switches extremely well, so Stealth Rock support is highly recommended, especially as many common switch-ins to Leaf Storm—most notably Charizard, Braviary, and Scolipede—are weak to Steath Rock. Regirock and Carracosta work well alongside Exeggutor as it resists Ground-, Water-, Grass-, and Fighting-type moves and they can provide Exeggutor with the entry hazards it needs to truly put pressure on the opponent. Probopass has access to Stealth Rock as well and also provides trapping capabilities and a slow Volt Switch to bring Exeggutor in safely. Offensive Seismitoad also pairs well with Exeggutor as the two cover each other's weaknesses quite well while maintaining offensive synergy. Choice Scarf Fighting-types such as Sawk and Primeape make good partners as well because they can sweep through teams easily after Exeggutor is done weakening the opponent's team with repeated hits. For the same reasons, faster threats such as Swellow benefit from Exeggutor's ability to weaken opposing threats, as they often lack the power needed to completely sweep an opponent's team.</p>
[SET]
name: SubSeed
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Leech Seed
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Protect / Sleep Powder
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Harvest
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 176 Def / 84 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>SubSeed is Exeggutor's most annoying set and has the potential to stall out an opponent's team thanks to Harvest. Harvest makes this set possible, as it gives Exeggutor back its Sitrus Berry 50% of the time, allowing it to continually stall out its opponent. Substitute and Leech Seed help keep Exeggutor afloat while whittling down the opponent's health, and Psychic is Exeggutor's best STAB to deal with Grass-types immune to Leech Seed such as Sawsbuck and Roselia. Protect can be used to further stall for Leech Seed recovery and even scout for moves, while Sleep Powder gives Exeggutor a free turn to set up and incapacitates one of the few Pokemon that can deal with this set, Mandibuzz. If given the opportunity, Exeggutor has the potential to outstall Pokemon that would normally beat it, such as Jynx, Charizard, Scolipede, and Skuntank.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The physically defensive spread is best used to capitalize on Exeggutor's great bulk and resistances, and the 84 Speed EVs allow it to outspeed uninvested base 65 Speed Pokemon such as Roselia and Alomomola. By investing in Defense, Exeggutor can take hits from Pokemon such as Sawk and Primeape especially well and begin to set up accordingly.</p>
<p>Paralysis and Toxic Spikes support are very helpful when using SubSeed Exeggutor. Paralysis allows for Exeggutor to get a Leech Seed in easily, while Toxic Spikes support helps stack the damage accumulated by Leech Seed stalling. Scolipede and Garbodor are the best partners to help set Toxic Spikes up, and both also provide Toxic Spikes absorption to keep Exeggutor healthy. Liepard and Rotom-S are good choices to provide paralysis support and have decent synergy alongside Exeggutor. There are also defensive partners to Exeggutor such as Alomomola and Metang, which appreciate Exeggutor's ability to take on Electric- and Ground-type attacks respectively. Alomomola in particular can help take on Scolipede, which is a common response and threat to many teams packing Exeggutor. Lastly, Heal Bell support in the form of Audino or Lickilicky can help as a random Scald burn can greatly hinder Exeggutor's ability to stall effectively.</p>
[SET]
name: Sun Sweeper
move 1: Sunny Day
move 2: SolarBeam
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Sleep Powder / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
ability: Chlorophyll
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>While Exeggutor has rather abysmal Speed, the combination of Sunny Day and Chlorophyll helps alleviate this problem and makes it a threatening sweeper in the sun. Sunny Day not only doubles Exeggutor's Speed, but also supports Fire-type Pokemon and attacks, thus making Exeggutor a team supporter as well as an established sweeper. SolarBeam is Exeggutor's main attack as it can be used constantly with no drawbacks in the sun, and Psychic nails Pokemon such as Braviary, Charizard, and Scolipede. Sleep Powder is generally preferred so Exeggutor can dodge Sucker Punch from Skuntank, Shiftry, and Kangaskhan, but Hidden Power Fire also has its uses in dealing with Steel-types such as Metang, as well as hitting Grass-types a bit harder when Sunny Day is up.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>A Modest nature is preferred to maximize Exeggutor's offenses, although it fails to ensure Exeggutor outspeeds Choice Scarf Braviary, Sawk, and Rotom-A to name a few. Thus, a Timid nature can be used to outspeed these threats, but most dedicated sun teams carry a faster sun sweeper anyway. On sun teams, Heat Rock is an option over Life Orb for teams that need Exeggutor to be more of a supporter than a sweeper. Giga Drain can also be used over SolarBeam as a more reliable Grass-type STAB when sun is not up. Nature Power can be used to deal with Metang and Skuntank, and also has the added benefit of causing Sucker Punch to fail. Substitute is another option to consider in order to make Exeggutor harder to revenge kill and protect it from priority.</p>
<p>Stealth Rock support is rather important in snagging useful KOs on Pokemon such as Rotom-S with Psychic; Golem, Carracosta, Metang, and Probopass are all great users of Stealth Rock that also have good synergy with Exeggutor. Exeggutor can act as a stand-alone sweeper or can be a part of a dedicated sun team; if it is on a sun team, then Volbeat, Regirock, and Liepard are all great options to set up Sunny Day. Regirock in particular can both set up Stealth Rock and Sunny Day and lures in Pokemon that Exeggutor can switch into, such as Golem and Sawk. Other useful sun teammates include Charizard, which can get past Skuntank and Metang, and Shiftry, which can take out bulkier Psychic-types such as Gardevoir and Musharna more easily.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Hidden Power Ice can be used on the Choice Specs set, as Exeggutor can hit Mandibuzz and Zweilous for a 2HKO after Stealth Rock. However, that is the extent to which Hidden Power Ice is useful, as other bulky Flying-types such as Braviary and Altaria are already hit hard with Psychic. A Swords Dance set or a mixed set can also work, but Exeggutor can sweep more easily with its special attacks rather than its physical attacks. However, Wood Hammer can be used in conjunction with a specially defensive spread so that Exeggutor can lure out Jynx and smash her to pieces. A dual screen set can also work given as Exeggutor has access to Sleep Powder and Explosion, but Exeggutor's low Speed tends to get in the way of such an option. Exeggutor can run a Choice Scarf set, which can catch many potential revenge killers or faster threats off guard despite being very gimmicky. Trick Room is another alternative, which can exploit teams that run fast and frail sweepers to deal with Exeggutor. Exeggutor also has the ability to slow down its opponents with Stun Spore, which can give a slow wallbreaker such as Eelektross plenty of opportunities to obliterate the opposing team; unfortunately, Exeggutor has difficulty finding room for it. Wish can be used for team support, but Exeggutor's HP stat simply isn't high enough to make the best use of this move. Pinch Berries such as Salac and Petaya can be used alongside Harvest, as can type-resist Berries such as Occa, but Lum and Sitrus remain Exeggutor's best options with Harvest due to status blocking and recovery, respectively. Lastly, Power Swap + Leaf Storm is another fun option; once Exeggutor uses Leaf Storm, it can pass the -2 Special Attack drops to its opponent. This not only allows Exeggutor to whip out another full power Leaf Storm but, by weakening the opponent, potentially enables it to survive a super effective special attack.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Any Pokemon with high-octane offenses, versatility, and access to a sleep-inducing move is essentially without counters. When dealing with Exeggutor, it is imperative that one flushes out Sleep Powder so Exeggutor loses its main way of dealing with Pokemon it has trouble with. Once Sleep Powder is out of the way, Mandibuzz can switch in safely, take nearly anything from Exeggutor, and easily Roost off the damage. However, Mandibuzz takes a lot of damage from Choice Specs boosted Hidden Power Ice, so a little caution must be taken. Specially defensive Zweilous is the next best counter because it can easily sponge Exeggutor's attacks; however, it will be stalled out by with a combination of Substitute and Leech Seed and might be 2HKOed by an uncommon yet existent Choice Specs Hidden Power Ice after Stealth Rock. Zweilous can also use Sleep Talk to take a Sleep Powder from Exeggutor, as RestTalk Zweilous is useful outside of this to tank hits and status.</p>
<p>While Skuntank is easily 2HKOed by a Choice Specs Leaf Storm, it is the second most reliable response to Exeggutor, as it can easily retaliate with a powerful Crunch or Pursuit trap a fleeing Exeggutor. Additionally, Lum Berry variants will be able to switch in once on a Sleep Powder and revenge kill accordingly. Regice and Articuno are also great responses thanks to their fantastic defenses, though both of them are quite easy to wear down because of their crippling Stealth Rock weaknesses. With Stealth Rock up, Regice can still be 2HKOed by Leaf Storm and Articuno can be OHKOed by Psychic. Altaria and Lickilicky can also check Exeggutor, though they risk being outstalled with Leech Seed or torn apart by a powerful Psychic. Metang can also take on Exeggutor, though a Choice Specs Leaf Storm still does a sizable amount of damage. Sap Sipper Pokemon don't care about Exeggutor's Leaf Storm; because of its overall great defenses and access to reliable recovery, Miltank specifically is a decent response to Exeggutor, though just like Regice and Articuno, it can be 2HKOed by Choice Specs Psychic after Stealth Rock.</p>
<p>Fortunately, checking Exeggutor isn't as difficult. Choice Scarf Jynx in particular makes an excellent check as she can outspeed even Sunny Day variants and OHKO with Ice Beam. Charizard can easily switch into Exeggutor's Grass-type moves and OHKO with its powerful Fire-type STABs. Scolipede and Haunter have difficulty switching in, but they can also take Exeggutor down with a Megahorn or Sludge Bomb, respectively. Finally, a Sucker Punch from Kangaskhan, Cacturne, or Shiftry can take out Exeggutor, which is helpful especially if it's a Chlorophyll set. In general, faster Pokemon with strong special attacks are decent checks. Samurott, Shiftry, and Ludicolo all check Exeggutor rather well; Shiftry can switch into a Giga Drain or Psychic and retaliate with Dark Pulse, and Ludicolo and Samurott can use Ice Beam to pick off Exeggutor, and even physical Samurott works rather well against Exeggutor because it has access to Megahorn.</p>
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