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Gen 6 General XY Ubers Metagame Discussion
- Thread starter MMII
- Start date
Because these moderation commands suck ass Ascension I'm just going to quote your original post here. I wanted a more unbiased OP.
Xerneas is god
ubers beta
| 1 | Xerneas | 60.28144% | 4884 | 52.471% | 3724 | 54.687% |
pokebank ubers
| 1 | Xerneas | 54.56856% | 34224 | 46.206% | 25818 | 46.832% |
ubers beta lead usage
| 1 | Xerneas | 10.36409% | 871 | 9.358% |
pokebank ubers lead usage
| 1 | Xerneas | 8.74380% | 5994 | 8.093% |
1850 stats ubers beta
| 1 | Xerneas | 69.64916% | 4884 | 52.471% | 3724 | 54.687% |
1850 stats pokebank ubers
| 1 | Xerneas | 59.31501% | 34224 | 46.206% | 25818 | 46.832% |
best part?
ubers beta usage stats
| Geomancy 87.828% |
| Power Herb 65.651% |
pokebank ubers usage stats
| Geomancy 92.606% |
| Power Herb 75.811% |
Xerneas reigns supreme. Alongside it's number 1 teammate zygarde. /facepalm
ubers beta
| 1 | Xerneas | 60.28144% | 4884 | 52.471% | 3724 | 54.687% |
pokebank ubers
| 1 | Xerneas | 54.56856% | 34224 | 46.206% | 25818 | 46.832% |
ubers beta lead usage
| 1 | Xerneas | 10.36409% | 871 | 9.358% |
pokebank ubers lead usage
| 1 | Xerneas | 8.74380% | 5994 | 8.093% |
1850 stats ubers beta
| 1 | Xerneas | 69.64916% | 4884 | 52.471% | 3724 | 54.687% |
1850 stats pokebank ubers
| 1 | Xerneas | 59.31501% | 34224 | 46.206% | 25818 | 46.832% |
best part?
ubers beta usage stats
| Geomancy 87.828% |
| Power Herb 65.651% |
pokebank ubers usage stats
| Geomancy 92.606% |
| Power Herb 75.811% |
Xerneas reigns supreme. Alongside it's number 1 teammate zygarde. /facepalm
This alone made me cringe. Apparently, almost 9% of people on the ladder have decided that sending in a 1-time setup sweeper before taking out any potential counters is a good idea.
Also, a note on something from Ascension's post:
I feel like it's worth mentioning that it no longer handles Darkrai quite as well as it used to, as Dark Pulse is a 2hko thanks to the Steel Debuff, mostly preventing it from getting a rather safe switch into Darkrai even if something has been sleep fodder-ed. On the other hand, +1 Iron Head is now a nice way to handle people who, say, lead with Xerneas.
I think the metagame shifted against Gensect. Defog clearing away hazards means that you punish U-turn switchins far less than before. If no SR is up, Ho-Oh (which is common) can easily tank U-turn and is menacing enough to force specific reactions to it that limit the ways you can be punished with the unfavorable matchup. Also, Genesect doesn't revenge kill MMX which is a major offensive threat.
Xerneas is overhyped guys, stop using it. Geomancy set is not good enough to justify having an empty slot til you manage to setup a sweep with it. (at which point you can probably open a sweep up for a lot of things)
Kyogre is still an amazing Pokemon, it's pretty much just Swift Swimmers/Tornadus and Palkia that got boned by the temp rain. (the former is sad but minor while the later is actually good for the metagame)
Xerneas is overhyped guys, stop using it. Geomancy set is not good enough to justify having an empty slot til you manage to setup a sweep with it. (at which point you can probably open a sweep up for a lot of things)
Kyogre is still an amazing Pokemon, it's pretty much just Swift Swimmers/Tornadus and Palkia that got boned by the temp rain. (the former is sad but minor while the later is actually good for the metagame)
25% of Beta and 18% of PB are packing Geomancy w/o Power Herb. Fools gonna get their Xerne-asses kicked. >_<
Just a couple quick thoughts about new things:
- Yveltal is amazing and will probably define a large part of the metagame. It's terrifyingly unpredictable and all of its sets are pretty great and can screw you up in different ways. The lack of good Dark-resists in the metagame makes switching into Yveltal very difficult, and access to Taunt combined with its sick typing and great sustain lets it easily destroy stall teams without Fairy Arceus. Quality Pokemon right here.
- Geomancy Xerneas is overrated but still something you need to prepare for. It's a weird case of a Pokemon that is easy to fight if you have a good check but will totally own you if you don't - not much middle ground here. Xerneas's other sets are cool though, especially Scarf as it can revenge kill a surprisingly high amount of Pokemon.
- Palkia was nerfed due to lack of perma-weather, but this is really a good thing as it only had, like, 2 good switch-ins in Gen 5. Palkia does benefit from being able to outrun Xerneas and Yveltal though. Assault Vest Palkia is fun and is a very good check to Kyogre.
- Rock and Fairy Arceus are being used a fair amount. Ghost-Arceus seems to be rare now. Arceus in general seems to be mostly running support sets with Defog as it is by far the best user of it.
- Ho-Oh is really easy to use now and is still really freaking good. It will likely be a centralizing force in the Gen 6 metagame. It will probably goad many Pokemon into running Rock moves just to deal with it.
- M2X is incredibly deadly. It's harder to revenge than normal Mewtwo and does a lot of damage with STAB Low Kick. Every team needs a way to beat it.
- Aegislash is awesome and will probably be used a lot. It's typing is excellent for Ubers and is not complete Ho-Oh food thanks to access to Rock-type moves.
- Mega Gengar is stupid.
Guys just remember that this meta has literally 0 development and is right after a big release of new Pokemon, it's pretty normal for the statistics to be inflated for the newbies. Additionally we'll be seeing old sets and Pokemon from last gen that don't necessarily translate.
That being said, right now I think the metagame is remarkably balanced; mostly because of the lack of focus on entry hazards. Ubers last gen was notorious for having a huge disparity with Ghosts and Rapid Spinners. Now with Defog being unblockable and on otherwise very useful Pokemon, the tier is much less focused on hazards. This really affects the two extremes Hyper Offense and Stall; now they actually have to have a unique game plan other than a Suicide lead or a Ghost type; Since they cannot rely on hazards to get their primary KO's, expect them to be a lot less seen and harder to create. Offensive teams will love Taunt much more than they did and Stall will rely much more on Toxic and flat out countering Pokemon than the quick and easy damage hazards provides.
Xerneas is definitely a new sweeper that everyone needs to prepare for, while Yveltal is a hugely important mon for the balance of the tier; he has highly sought after Ghost and Dark resists, and is finally a reliable answer to the very dangerous Ghost Arceus.
The one change that I reaaaalllyyy dislike for the tier is Mega Gengar, if only because of the fact that he is THAT fast and powerful with the ability to trap. The thing any tier doesn't need is a very powerful mon who can trap anything just by switching in.
That being said, right now I think the metagame is remarkably balanced; mostly because of the lack of focus on entry hazards. Ubers last gen was notorious for having a huge disparity with Ghosts and Rapid Spinners. Now with Defog being unblockable and on otherwise very useful Pokemon, the tier is much less focused on hazards. This really affects the two extremes Hyper Offense and Stall; now they actually have to have a unique game plan other than a Suicide lead or a Ghost type; Since they cannot rely on hazards to get their primary KO's, expect them to be a lot less seen and harder to create. Offensive teams will love Taunt much more than they did and Stall will rely much more on Toxic and flat out countering Pokemon than the quick and easy damage hazards provides.
Xerneas is definitely a new sweeper that everyone needs to prepare for, while Yveltal is a hugely important mon for the balance of the tier; he has highly sought after Ghost and Dark resists, and is finally a reliable answer to the very dangerous Ghost Arceus.
The one change that I reaaaalllyyy dislike for the tier is Mega Gengar, if only because of the fact that he is THAT fast and powerful with the ability to trap. The thing any tier doesn't need is a very powerful mon who can trap anything just by switching in.
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JS, you're supposed to prepare for every threat in a metagame to succeed. That's not really special for Xerneas. The whole point about it being overhyped is that once you do prepare for it (which is easy) it's not very threatening cause it doesn't do much besides it's one Geomancy. (which is why it sucks)
Also, I disagree with stall being less seen. It's arguably stronger now with Defog, it'll just change from focusing on a strong hazards game to running Toxic on everything. I think HO is going to be more rare, though.
Also, I disagree with stall being less seen. It's arguably stronger now with Defog, it'll just change from focusing on a strong hazards game to running Toxic on everything. I think HO is going to be more rare, though.
I feel like the early meta-game a.k.a the current meta is fairly centralized around the Defog users / Ho-Oh. With hazards being much more easier to remove now I've been seeing a lot more balance teams. Offensive teams are still around of course, the only difference is that the hazard lead + ghost teams have fallen off. I assume offensive teams are just going to carry a more bulky stealth rocker setter such as heatran / dialga and forgo spikes for more additional offense. Lugia got a lot better, probably the best status spreader atm. I see moves like Thunder-Wave / Roar becoming a lot more common, with dangerous set up-sweepers like SD Arceus / Xerneas / Mewtwo X you really need to limit their opportunities by either phazing them or crippling them on the spot.
Dragons also haven't fallen off too much. Steels got nerfed big time and the amount of viable fairy types in ubers is pretty limited, so unfortunately rayquaza / zekrom will still be around to frustrate everyone.
edited: ninja'd by manaphy sort of xD. I agree with MM that stall is still around, instead they'll focus on spreading toxic more. Althrough I think they can still have hazards, its not like every team will have a defog arceus / giratina. Even if they do, it's still possible to wear down the defog user over time. Most teams don't have a heal bell user so if they can't break through your defense then you can probably win.
Dragons also haven't fallen off too much. Steels got nerfed big time and the amount of viable fairy types in ubers is pretty limited, so unfortunately rayquaza / zekrom will still be around to frustrate everyone.
edited: ninja'd by manaphy sort of xD. I agree with MM that stall is still around, instead they'll focus on spreading toxic more. Althrough I think they can still have hazards, its not like every team will have a defog arceus / giratina. Even if they do, it's still possible to wear down the defog user over time. Most teams don't have a heal bell user so if they can't break through your defense then you can probably win.
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Xerneas may be overrated, but it's without a shadow of a doubt the most threatening special sweeper. Anyone that treats this thing as "just another Uber" will lose.
Very true, which is why I'd also like to bring up past threats that will either continue to be major threats or fall into obscurity.
Ferrothorn- It could go both ways with this guy. The rain core very popular in 5th gen (Ferrothorn, Kyogre, and Giratina O), no longer seems to make as much sense because Ferrothorn doesn't resist two weaknesses Giratina O has, and spinblocking seems like a thing of the past because of defog. I think Ferrothorn will struggle to find it's place on most teams this gen.
Garchomp- Melee Mewtwo has made multiple valid arguments that stall has only gotten more viable this generation, and assuming that is the case, having an excellent wallbreaker is useful. Mega Garchomp seems inferior to regular Garchomp, but it boasts mixed offensive stats (170 Atk,120 SpA) and also it has a very good moveset (Dragon STAB, Ground STAB, Fire Coverage, Poison Coverage, Steel Coverage) that can't simply be ignored. Most importantly though is although it's speed has been dropped, it still outspeeds Kyogre, Groudon, Dialga, Ho Oh, Giratina, Zekrom, and Reshiram, but now possibly hitting all of them harder than ever before. After the metagame settles down a bit, I see Garchomp showing a fairly noteworthy amount of usage, especially for sand lovers.
Tyranitar- Dark types are very useful to have this generation, and Tyranitar still only competes with Hippowdon for sand, so I see Tyranitar being a moderately common threat in ubers like it was last gen.
Arceus Ghost- Big drop for this guy, at the moment at least. I need to let the metagame settle down a bit first so I can speculate a little more accurately. It is still the god of all pokemon after all.
Deoxys Forms- I think Deoxys A will show a slight increase in usage or no increase at all due to defog. I don't expect a decrease though. I can't say the same for Deoxys S. I'll be very surprised if it continues to be used as much.
Zekrom- Yveltal is going to be a big threat as soon as players realize the full potential it has. Lugia, Ho Oh, and Yveltal will all be very popular this generation. Zekrom has an extremely powerful physical STAB in the form of 150 atk and bolt strike (which I don't know if the base power has been changed). All things considered, I only see Zekrom's usage rising.
There are other pokemon, but these are the ones I have given some thought.
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Read what I said my negro, I agree with you.
Yeah we kinda said the same thing lol. Zekrom in general is going to be a lot better as that Bolt Strike can basically hit anything hard especially with Groudon and Ferro usage down (speaking of Zekrom I wonder if Reshiram could find a role without that Fairy weakness?).
Toxic is such a nasty move this gen as it wrecks anything bulky and Steels just seem somewhat less common (bulky steels at least).
I just want to make a few notes on this cool new metagame...
Sticky Web + Taunt
Taunt is a better move than ever, as this generation introduced two excellent Taunt users in Yveltal and MegaGengar. Taunt has the ability to block Defog so long you outrun your opponent, and Sticky Web slows down faster Defog users like support Arceus so stuff like Gliscor and Yveltal can outrun and Taunt them before they can clear the field. Naturally, slower powerful attackers like Specs Kyogre, Mixed Zekrom and Life Orb/Band Ho-Oh become ridiculously good with Sticky Web support! Taunt can also keep Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, etc. on your opponent's side of the field. The one caveat of this strategy is that you need at least 3 Taunt users AND offensive pressure, since the key is to prevent your opponent from getting a Defog off. If you can do that, wallbreakers and Toxic stalling become miserable for you opponent to deal with.
Aegislash
This thing is so good. I use the max attack/HP set, though specially defensive is also very viable and checks Mewtwo better. It essentially counters Xerneas and Calm Mind Arceus-Fairy while checking threats like Mewtwo and Latios/Latias (outside of sun). It can also lure in and destroy Ho-Oh with Head Smash or Rock Slide, though you need to be good at prediction for this. The lack of reliable recovery means that Wish support is a good idea if you want to use Aegislash on Stall, as it possesses no reliable recovery. King's Shield bones physical scarfers like Zekrom and can frustrate Choice-reliant teams in general while allowing Aegislash to return to its defensive form. Don't use Swords Dance though; it is Yveltal bait and is not a good sweeper (Remember no Griseous Orb to boost the power of its Shadow Sneaks!) Generally, Toxic/Gyro Ball/King's Shield/Sneak or Rock STAB is its best set in my opinion, but it has a lot of options to suit your team.
Hydro Spam
Even with the Drizzle nerf, Hydro Spam can be obnoxious. Teams typically carry only one Kyogre check (sometimes two), so something like Scarf Kyogre+Lustrous Orb Palkia can easily overwhelm many team once you wear down/kill the Kyogre check. Swift Swimmers are much more difficult to use now, though they are still viable on the ladder. But yeah, if you overload your opponent's Kyogre check with multiple Water pokemon, chances are one of them will be able to clean.
Will-O-Wisp vs. Ekiller
85%>>>>75%, especially when laddering. Will-O-Wisp is simply much more consistent this generation, and is bad news for Swords Dance Arceus which is almost forced to run Lum Berry now, lest it get crippled easily by support Arceus. In a (generally) Spikes-less metagame, EKiller has a really hard time getting OHKO's even at +2 without Life Orb/Silk Scarf. EKiller also gives enemy Skarmory a free turn to either Defog or set up Stealth Rock, unless it carries Overheat. The general reliability of Will-O-Wisp relative to Generation 5 is going to nerf EKiller, and its old checks from Generation 5 -- save for my precious Fossils -- are still around. I think people realize that WoW is going to be a common move though, so this is probably common knowledge.
I also agree with several points already brought up in this thread. Yveltal is awesome, Ho-Oh and MegaGengar are awesome, Genesect isn't as good, etc. Just don't forget about Darkrai! It is still a very good pokemon, and got a little better with the Steel nerf since it can put Fairies to sleep.
Sticky Web + Taunt
Taunt is a better move than ever, as this generation introduced two excellent Taunt users in Yveltal and MegaGengar. Taunt has the ability to block Defog so long you outrun your opponent, and Sticky Web slows down faster Defog users like support Arceus so stuff like Gliscor and Yveltal can outrun and Taunt them before they can clear the field. Naturally, slower powerful attackers like Specs Kyogre, Mixed Zekrom and Life Orb/Band Ho-Oh become ridiculously good with Sticky Web support! Taunt can also keep Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, etc. on your opponent's side of the field. The one caveat of this strategy is that you need at least 3 Taunt users AND offensive pressure, since the key is to prevent your opponent from getting a Defog off. If you can do that, wallbreakers and Toxic stalling become miserable for you opponent to deal with.
Aegislash
This thing is so good. I use the max attack/HP set, though specially defensive is also very viable and checks Mewtwo better. It essentially counters Xerneas and Calm Mind Arceus-Fairy while checking threats like Mewtwo and Latios/Latias (outside of sun). It can also lure in and destroy Ho-Oh with Head Smash or Rock Slide, though you need to be good at prediction for this. The lack of reliable recovery means that Wish support is a good idea if you want to use Aegislash on Stall, as it possesses no reliable recovery. King's Shield bones physical scarfers like Zekrom and can frustrate Choice-reliant teams in general while allowing Aegislash to return to its defensive form. Don't use Swords Dance though; it is Yveltal bait and is not a good sweeper (Remember no Griseous Orb to boost the power of its Shadow Sneaks!) Generally, Toxic/Gyro Ball/King's Shield/Sneak or Rock STAB is its best set in my opinion, but it has a lot of options to suit your team.
Hydro Spam
Even with the Drizzle nerf, Hydro Spam can be obnoxious. Teams typically carry only one Kyogre check (sometimes two), so something like Scarf Kyogre+Lustrous Orb Palkia can easily overwhelm many team once you wear down/kill the Kyogre check. Swift Swimmers are much more difficult to use now, though they are still viable on the ladder. But yeah, if you overload your opponent's Kyogre check with multiple Water pokemon, chances are one of them will be able to clean.
Will-O-Wisp vs. Ekiller
85%>>>>75%, especially when laddering. Will-O-Wisp is simply much more consistent this generation, and is bad news for Swords Dance Arceus which is almost forced to run Lum Berry now, lest it get crippled easily by support Arceus. In a (generally) Spikes-less metagame, EKiller has a really hard time getting OHKO's even at +2 without Life Orb/Silk Scarf. EKiller also gives enemy Skarmory a free turn to either Defog or set up Stealth Rock, unless it carries Overheat. The general reliability of Will-O-Wisp relative to Generation 5 is going to nerf EKiller, and its old checks from Generation 5 -- save for my precious Fossils -- are still around. I think people realize that WoW is going to be a common move though, so this is probably common knowledge.
I also agree with several points already brought up in this thread. Yveltal is awesome, Ho-Oh and MegaGengar are awesome, Genesect isn't as good, etc. Just don't forget about Darkrai! It is still a very good pokemon, and got a little better with the Steel nerf since it can put Fairies to sleep.
I think its worth pointing out that even with all the type chart changes, as far as mons you will see in ubers, Reshiram still has unresisted STAB coverage, which was always its main calling card. The fact that it is specially based is going to limit what it can do as far as sweeping or wall breaking though with Geomancy and Assault Vest around. I'd be curious to see some Blue Flare/DM calcs to some common Assault Vest mons and +0/+2 Xerneas.
This is bugging me. People on these forums keep talking about Sticky Web usage in ubers/OU while somehow glossing over the fact that its only users (unless you REALLY feel like running Smeargle) are absolutely -asking for it- in either of those tiers. I could be missing something. Can someone explain how one actually uses this move (not that I don't love Galvantula) in either of these tiers without wasting a teamslot?
Stone RG
Megas are broke
Tbh i havent played THAT much of ubers in PO or PS, but i pretty much agree with anyone that raises the fact that Xerneas was hyped to all hell, but people forgot its a one time use poke, at least its arguably best set, Geomancy. Now, dont get me, wrong, it is probably the single most threatening special sweeper in the meta right now, and given its fair bulk and superb typing, it isnt that hard to set up for game with him, but im still of the opinion that, if you fuck up, or rather, if your opponent (or the RNG) gives you a surprise, you just wasted a slot.
I also find Ho Oh to be the most probable candidate for this meta's S-rank, Defog just made him so much better, and the fact that we have quality users for it that also sinergize well, makes him one of the most dominant threats in my eyes.
On other mentions, im amazed at the low amount of Arc Ghost, which seems like an excelent set up sweeper currently, and i think DeoS is now a complete waste, given the fact that its so easy to Defog with the resources and characteristics the users have.
I also find Ho Oh to be the most probable candidate for this meta's S-rank, Defog just made him so much better, and the fact that we have quality users for it that also sinergize well, makes him one of the most dominant threats in my eyes.
On other mentions, im amazed at the low amount of Arc Ghost, which seems like an excelent set up sweeper currently, and i think DeoS is now a complete waste, given the fact that its so easy to Defog with the resources and characteristics the users have.
I think its safe to say most mons whose sole purpose was laying hazards or rapid spinning (emphasis on -sole- purpose) are going to see a sharp drop in usage and even tiering with some of them. I'll be shocked if DeoS even pulls OU off, for example.
Focus Sash Smeargle with Sticky Web/SR/Spore/filler is very viable in this meta. I agree that Galvantula isn't very good and isn't worth the teamslot, though 91% accurate Thunders are nice.
you're never going to be able to get up SR and Sticky Web, you also basically have to run magic coat
Xerneas - 54.56856% usage, that is a bit too high in my opinion and I predict it will drop down as the metagame settles, Xerneas is no doubt a dominant force, however, I do not see justifiable reasons for it to be #1 in usage. That said, I have to disagree with the statement that Xerneas is a "one-off" mon. Xerneas is not a one-off mon because it has useful resistance and immunity, namely, Fighting, Dark and Dragon. This allows Xerneas to switch it on the plethora of Dragon types not named Dialga and force a switch. Furthermore, Xerneas check Yveltal nicely and can switch in all day to Darkrai as long as sleep clause is activated. It should be understood that Xerneas can do some work pre-Geomancy as a Fairy Aura boosted Moonblast is a lethal weapon in Uber even without the boost. In the same sense, post-Geomancy (if the opponent actually survive) is still a force to be reckon with despite no longer being able to comfortably sweep, it can still punch major holes. Xerneas's existence has dramatically alter the team building process as well as the metagame. For example, teams are now force to run obscure things that they would not have run if Xerneas didn't exist and the prevalence of Choiced Dragons will see a rapid decline.
MMX,MMY, Rayquaza - These mons are not that good to be honest. MMX and MMY don't make sense and all three of them provide virtually nothing in terms of team synergy. Rayquaza's ability Air Lock is now less useful since of the weather neft and it can no longer sweep with Outrage if Xerneas or Arceus-Fairy is still alive.
Yveltal - A solid mon with access to amazing utility moves are Dark Aura. Foul Play give Yveltal more EV's and Nature freedom.
Arceus-Ghost - I am not surprise that this is not used as much. The opportunity cost of using Arceus-Ghost is at a all time high this generation, given that it previous niche of provide spinblocking is irrelevant now. Furthermore, as people see the dominance of Ho-oh, Arceus-Rock will rise in usual. Also, new threat such as Yveltal and Mega-Gengar will ensure that Arceus-Ghost be kept in check. This is a prime example of an economy-natured metagame.
Arceus-Normal - Still a very dominant force to be reckon with. While will-o-wisp did get buffed and Ekiller is now force to run Lum most of the time, this is actually not a big deal if you think about it. Most things that status ekiller are steel types now ekiller can set up SD, eats it berry and plow the opposition with the no longer resisted Shadow Force. This set:
Arceus @ Lum Berry
~ Sword Dance
~ Extreme Speed
~ Shadow Force
~ Recover / Shadow Claw
Actually beats most of it's former steel types checks including Skarmory. Futhermore, with the neft to weather, Arceus' previous weather reliant checks such as Omastar and Kabutop are no longer reliable. All this adds up to a more threatening Arceus normal then last gen.
Ho-oh - The biggest threat in the metagame at the moment in my opinion, and a top contender for S-rank this generation. Defog means Ho-oh can abuse Regen even better than before and the lack of SR really open up many viable sets including Banded, Physically defensive, Specially defensive and of course Sub-Roost.
MMX,MMY, Rayquaza - These mons are not that good to be honest. MMX and MMY don't make sense and all three of them provide virtually nothing in terms of team synergy. Rayquaza's ability Air Lock is now less useful since of the weather neft and it can no longer sweep with Outrage if Xerneas or Arceus-Fairy is still alive.
Yveltal - A solid mon with access to amazing utility moves are Dark Aura. Foul Play give Yveltal more EV's and Nature freedom.
Arceus-Ghost - I am not surprise that this is not used as much. The opportunity cost of using Arceus-Ghost is at a all time high this generation, given that it previous niche of provide spinblocking is irrelevant now. Furthermore, as people see the dominance of Ho-oh, Arceus-Rock will rise in usual. Also, new threat such as Yveltal and Mega-Gengar will ensure that Arceus-Ghost be kept in check. This is a prime example of an economy-natured metagame.
Arceus-Normal - Still a very dominant force to be reckon with. While will-o-wisp did get buffed and Ekiller is now force to run Lum most of the time, this is actually not a big deal if you think about it. Most things that status ekiller are steel types now ekiller can set up SD, eats it berry and plow the opposition with the no longer resisted Shadow Force. This set:
Arceus @ Lum Berry
~ Sword Dance
~ Extreme Speed
~ Shadow Force
~ Recover / Shadow Claw
Actually beats most of it's former steel types checks including Skarmory. Futhermore, with the neft to weather, Arceus' previous weather reliant checks such as Omastar and Kabutop are no longer reliable. All this adds up to a more threatening Arceus normal then last gen.
Ho-oh - The biggest threat in the metagame at the moment in my opinion, and a top contender for S-rank this generation. Defog means Ho-oh can abuse Regen even better than before and the lack of SR really open up many viable sets including Banded, Physically defensive, Specially defensive and of course Sub-Roost.
Okay, I agree with most of this. Xerneas is great, but imo Geomancy is a waste of its great defensive typing and powerful STAB Fairy, so the Specially Defensive and Choice Scarf sets are better for me. It does centralize by forcing all teams to run a counter to the Geomancy set, but if they have that counter Xerneas is essentially dead weight.
Totally disagree with what you said about MMX. With a simple set of Bulk Up / Drain Punch and either Psycho Cut / Taunt or Stone Edge / EQ it can run ramshod over half the metagame while outspeeding all of it and being very difficult to revenge kill. I basically have to run Aeroblast Lugia on all of my stall teams to stop this guy from totally destroying them.
Yes, people are exaggerating when they say that Geomancy Xerneas is useless outside of its one attempt to sweep, but the point is that it does poorly in any other role. Firstly, Arceus-Fairy does whatever Geomancy Xerneas does outside of a set up sweep far better (in large part thanks to Recover). Secondly, if your opponent has a defensive check to Xerneas and manages to phaze a +2 Xerneas, they should have no trouble walling an unboosted Xerneas indefinitely. It's also something of an exaggeration to say that people are forced to run obscure mons to check it; Amoonguss might not see usage without Xerneas' existence (although it checks most Kyogre sets quite well and is good against Palkia among other things), but Aegislash, Ho-Oh, Lugia, SDef Kyogre, Mega Scizor/Lucario and most of its other checks would surely still be used in Ubers.
I have to agree with superstar on MMX, a fast Taunt is superb in this metagame and after a Bulk Up it becomes quite powerful and hard to revenge kill. I have not tested MMY sufficiently to comment on it. As for Rayquaza, it does lose major utility with no one running weather sweepers anymore, but I think it still has good wallbreaker potential. Even last gen none of its best sets (Mixed/SD) relied significantly or at all on Outrage, and Xerneas does not want to switch into a V-Create.
What would you do with that last moveslot then out of curiosity?
I'm gonna have to disagree with you here. One of the reasons why Xerneas is nice is because it actually has a use before Geomancy; with 99 Speed it can fire off Moonblasts and severely weaken it's counters ala stuf like Scizor and Aegislash. It's really not unreasonable to say, weaken a Scizor enough to where you can Geomancy, tank a BP and sweep. It's too bad everyone who uses it on the ladder is inept.