QC: [][][]
GP: [][]
Overview
########
• One of the few viable users of Magic Bounce
• Of the three, has greatest utility value with instant recovery and Thunder Wave.
• Fares much better against physical attackers than Espeon or Mega Absol, and is good at preserving momentum with U-turn.
• However, in stopping hazards, faces intense competition from Defog users or spinners
• Average attacking stats and speed hold it back from attacking, a role that Espeon does better
• Low defensive stats and bad typing (5 weaknesses to extremely common attacking types) hold it back from walling or tanking
Utility
########
name: Utility
move 1: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Night Shade / Heat Wave
ability: Magic Bounce
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Moves
========
• Thunder Wave cripples many of the offensive Pokemon Xatu tends to attract.
• However, Toxic works too for teams that appreciate the residual damage, and allows Sableye to be beat much more easily, as well as hurting the Rotom formes.
• Roost keeps Xatu healthy, especially after Stealth Rock damage, and lets it stall out Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball and Klefki or Sableye's Foul Play.
• U-turn lets Xatu keep momentum in a battle, as it forces many switches.
• Night Shade is Xatu's most reliable source of damage output, and breaks the substitutes of most Pokemon should they try to set up on Xatu.
• Heat Wave hits Klefki and Ferrothorn for super effective damage, as well as Genesect, a common switch-in.
Set Details
========
• Maximum defensive investment and a Bold nature due to the prevalence of Knock Off, Foul Play, Gyro Ball, U-turn, and Pursuit, all commonly targeted at Xatu.
• 0 Attack IVs lets Xatu take minimum damage from Foul Play.
• Leftovers provides consistent passive recovery, taking pressure off of Roost.
• However, Rocky Helmet punishes physical attackers, and works well in tandem with a physically defensive spread and Roost.
• Rocky Helmet has the added benefit of preventing Rapid Spin should a spinner die to recoil damage after their hazards are reflected.
Usage Tips
========
• Xatu finds itself at home on teams in need of an answer to defensive or status-reliant Pokemon.
• Xatu can be sent out against almost any defensive Pokemon lacking a STAB super effective move, such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, or Ferrothorn.
• Status-reliant Pokemon, such as Togekiss or Jirachi with Thunder Wave or Sableye with Will-O-Wisp, are also easy to switch in on, often becoming crippled by their own status.
• Xatu can consistently switch in on a predicted Taunt or status move and either switch or U-turn out, provided Stealth Rock is off the field.
Team Options
========
• Pokemon that absolutely require entry hazards to be off the field, such as Volcarona or Talonflame, love Xatu's support.
• Pokemon crippled by Prankster users are good teammates, as Xatu deals with them easily.
• Because it cannot be conventionally beat through status, Xatu will attract lots of super effective attacks from its 5 common weaknesses. Having teammates that can easily receive a U-turn into Pokemon of these attacking types will increase your momentum significantly.
Other Options
########
• A parafusion set with Substitute, Thunder Wave, Swagger, and Foul Play is possible; however, Prankster users tend to be much better at utilizing such sets.
• Tailwind, Wish, and Haze are all usable moves for Xatu. However, like parafusion, it is generally outclassed and performed better by other Pokemon.
• Trick can be utilized with a detrimental item such as Flame Orb, Iron Ball, or Lagging Tail. However, this requires that Xatu forfeit a moveslot for a likely one-time use move, detrimental towards a utility Pokemon.
• Although an attacking set can be used with Xatu's usable 95 Special Attack and 95 Speed, it is vastly outclassed by Espeon, who possesses the same ability, a very similar typing, and far better attacking stats and offensive movepool.
• Xatu has access to two very appealing moves in Baton Pass and Defog. Unfortunately, this requires that Xatu forfeit Magic Bounce, at which point it becomes outclassed by Mew and Espeon, among others.
Checks & Counters
########
• Powerful attackers can easily muscle their way through Xatu's paltry defensive stats, even if Xatu fully invests in defense.
• Pursuit users such as Scizor and Tyranitar can trap and KO Xatu as it flees.
• Although rare, users of Mold Breaker that carry status attacks will be able to bypass Magic Bounce, such as Excadrill with Stealth Rock.
• The Rotom formes can switch into any set lacking Toxic and immediately threaten with Volt Switch.
• Aegislash can easily take a Heat Wave in Shield Form and retaliate with a super effective STAB Ghost-type attack.
• Xatu cannot touch most setup sweepers, especially if they avoid status through the use of Substitute.
• Poison Heal Gliscor is not threatened by Xatu. Although rare, Fling sets will be able to bypass Magic Bounce and badly poison Xatu.
GP: [][]
Overview
########
• One of the few viable users of Magic Bounce
• Of the three, has greatest utility value with instant recovery and Thunder Wave.
• Fares much better against physical attackers than Espeon or Mega Absol, and is good at preserving momentum with U-turn.
• However, in stopping hazards, faces intense competition from Defog users or spinners
• Average attacking stats and speed hold it back from attacking, a role that Espeon does better
• Low defensive stats and bad typing (5 weaknesses to extremely common attacking types) hold it back from walling or tanking
Utility
########
name: Utility
move 1: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 2: Roost
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Night Shade / Heat Wave
ability: Magic Bounce
item: Leftovers / Rocky Helmet
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Moves
========
• Thunder Wave cripples many of the offensive Pokemon Xatu tends to attract.
• However, Toxic works too for teams that appreciate the residual damage, and allows Sableye to be beat much more easily, as well as hurting the Rotom formes.
• Roost keeps Xatu healthy, especially after Stealth Rock damage, and lets it stall out Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball and Klefki or Sableye's Foul Play.
• U-turn lets Xatu keep momentum in a battle, as it forces many switches.
• Night Shade is Xatu's most reliable source of damage output, and breaks the substitutes of most Pokemon should they try to set up on Xatu.
• Heat Wave hits Klefki and Ferrothorn for super effective damage, as well as Genesect, a common switch-in.
Set Details
========
• Maximum defensive investment and a Bold nature due to the prevalence of Knock Off, Foul Play, Gyro Ball, U-turn, and Pursuit, all commonly targeted at Xatu.
• 0 Attack IVs lets Xatu take minimum damage from Foul Play.
• Leftovers provides consistent passive recovery, taking pressure off of Roost.
• However, Rocky Helmet punishes physical attackers, and works well in tandem with a physically defensive spread and Roost.
• Rocky Helmet has the added benefit of preventing Rapid Spin should a spinner die to recoil damage after their hazards are reflected.
Usage Tips
========
• Xatu finds itself at home on teams in need of an answer to defensive or status-reliant Pokemon.
• Xatu can be sent out against almost any defensive Pokemon lacking a STAB super effective move, such as Hippowdon, Skarmory, or Ferrothorn.
• Status-reliant Pokemon, such as Togekiss or Jirachi with Thunder Wave or Sableye with Will-O-Wisp, are also easy to switch in on, often becoming crippled by their own status.
• Xatu can consistently switch in on a predicted Taunt or status move and either switch or U-turn out, provided Stealth Rock is off the field.
Team Options
========
• Pokemon that absolutely require entry hazards to be off the field, such as Volcarona or Talonflame, love Xatu's support.
• Pokemon crippled by Prankster users are good teammates, as Xatu deals with them easily.
• Because it cannot be conventionally beat through status, Xatu will attract lots of super effective attacks from its 5 common weaknesses. Having teammates that can easily receive a U-turn into Pokemon of these attacking types will increase your momentum significantly.
Other Options
########
• A parafusion set with Substitute, Thunder Wave, Swagger, and Foul Play is possible; however, Prankster users tend to be much better at utilizing such sets.
• Tailwind, Wish, and Haze are all usable moves for Xatu. However, like parafusion, it is generally outclassed and performed better by other Pokemon.
• Trick can be utilized with a detrimental item such as Flame Orb, Iron Ball, or Lagging Tail. However, this requires that Xatu forfeit a moveslot for a likely one-time use move, detrimental towards a utility Pokemon.
• Although an attacking set can be used with Xatu's usable 95 Special Attack and 95 Speed, it is vastly outclassed by Espeon, who possesses the same ability, a very similar typing, and far better attacking stats and offensive movepool.
• Xatu has access to two very appealing moves in Baton Pass and Defog. Unfortunately, this requires that Xatu forfeit Magic Bounce, at which point it becomes outclassed by Mew and Espeon, among others.
Checks & Counters
########
• Powerful attackers can easily muscle their way through Xatu's paltry defensive stats, even if Xatu fully invests in defense.
• Pursuit users such as Scizor and Tyranitar can trap and KO Xatu as it flees.
• Although rare, users of Mold Breaker that carry status attacks will be able to bypass Magic Bounce, such as Excadrill with Stealth Rock.
• The Rotom formes can switch into any set lacking Toxic and immediately threaten with Volt Switch.
• Aegislash can easily take a Heat Wave in Shield Form and retaliate with a super effective STAB Ghost-type attack.
• Xatu cannot touch most setup sweepers, especially if they avoid status through the use of Substitute.
• Poison Heal Gliscor is not threatened by Xatu. Although rare, Fling sets will be able to bypass Magic Bounce and badly poison Xatu.
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