[OVERVIEW]
Yveltal is blessed by its incredible typing and stat spread, [ac] as they that give it amazing versatility. Dark Aura adds to this versatility by giving it a boost to its already powerful Dark-type STAB attacks. Yveltal's bulk, typing, access to recovery, and power make it a decent check to Primal Groudon [I don't know how to word it but say why it's one of the best Ghost Arceus switch-ins here]. It is one of the best users of Life Orb in Ubers thanks to its strong signature move: Oblivion Wing; while it is also able to pull off a dangerous bulky set due to its access to Roost and Dark Aura-boosted Foul Play. This is rounded out by Yveltal also has access to having the strongest priority move in the game, [ac] in Dark Aura-boosted Sucker Punch. Although its typing isn't bad defensively, it doesn't offer many resistances, and it leaves Yveltal weak to Stealth Rock as well as Fairy- and Rock-type attacks while, [rc] and its two immunities are voided by common coverage moves. Its Speed is enough to get it past passed the horde of Pokemon with Speed stats in between base 90 and 95 in the base 90 to base 95 Speed tier, but it is still rather slow when compared to quite a few threats in Ubers. Yveltal also got hit hard due to its lack of strong niche [but at the end you say "it retains its nice of being one of the best Ghost Arceus switch-ins"?] and is very hard to fit on a team because of it. Its weakness to Stealth Rock is rather annoying, due to one of its niches being longevity and bulk for switching onto Ghost Arceus. Its venerability to Fairy-types and Rock-types also leave it high and dry at times. But, while the metagame is getting stronger, bulkier, and faster, Yveltal still retains its niche of being one of the best all around switch ins to Ghost Arceus there is in Ubers.
[SET]
name: Strong Bird
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Oblivion Wing
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Heat Wave / Focus Blast
ability: Dark Aura
item: Life Orb / Black Glasses
evs: 132 HP / 28 Atk / 252 SpA / 96 Spe
nature: Rash
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dark Pulse is an amazing STAB move that is not only the strongest Dark-type move in the game when boosted by Dark Aura, but it can also cause flinches to help ease sticky situations. It is very useful for getting chip damage off against Fairy-types, and anything else really. Oblivion Wing is Yveltal's other STAB move with the amazing side-[remove hyphen] effect of leeching 75% of the damage done to the foe, [ac] giving opponent in order to give Yveltal some longevity. It also 2HKOes most Xerneas with the slightest amount of chip damage. Sucker Punch helps Yveltal overcome with its average Speed. [remove period] It and is also the strongest priority move in the game due to Yveltal's Attack stat and the Dark Aura boost when coming off of Yveltal's Attack, and when boosted by Dark Aura. It will maim just about any Uber that doesn't resist it. You can also use it t pick of opponents that have taken on of Yveltal's moves on switch in. Heat Wave does about 80% to Klefki, forcing it to use a last-ditch status move or Spikes. Either way, if you hit it on the switch, it severely limits Klefki's playability due to its lack of recovery. Focus Blast is an option to hit Tyranitar, but is generally inferior to the other moves Yveltal runs. Taunt can be is used to cripple Klefki as they switch ins. It works very well alongside Sucker Punch due to also, along with how hard it is to switch into offensive Yveltal. I can also potentially stop Stealth Rock from Primal Groudon or Dialga if you are feeling lucky. U-Turn can be used alongside Mega Gengar to help it trap Fairy-types that Yveltal draws in like flypaper.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack investment allows Yveltal's Dark Pulse and Oblivion Wing to hit be hitting as hard as possible. 92 Speed EVs allow Yveltal outruns no Speed Lugia that don't have any Speed investment and. It will also outrun the most common Geomancy Xerneas sets due to the amount of Defense they like to run. 132 HP EVs gives Yveltal respectable bulk and the ability to survive live Mega Salamence's Return after only taking Stealth Rock damage should no other damage be taken. It will be taken out due to its own Life Orb unless Oblivion Wing is used though. The rest of the EVs are put into used in Attack to power up Sucker Punch and U-turn if carried. A Rash nature is used instead of Mild in order to make Yveltal take less damage from Extreme Speed and Primal Groudon's Stone Edge or Fire Punch while also taking Extreme Speed from other Pokemon better. Mild can be used if Mewtwo is the bigger concern, [ac] though. Black Glasses should only be used with U-turn so that Yveltal takes less chip damage when switching in, though without Life Orb as Oblivion Wing's power is significantly reduced most noticeably versus Primal Groudon and, [rc] Xerneas when Yveltal is not using Life Orb and many other lesser mentions. Use U-Turn with Black Glasses since Life Orb damage from U-Turn and taking 1/4 HP from Stealth Rock is never fun.
Usage Tips
========
Yveltal's two immunities are its best tool for switching it getting in. Be aware that common coverage moves such as like Stone Edge from Ground-types and Ice Beam from Mewtwo hurt a lot, though. When facing down Groudon, it is best to use Oblivion Wing first. Dark Pulse KOes Groudon after Oblivion Wing damage but will never OHKO a healthy Primal Groudon from full, or near full. It is better to be at some health after eating a Stone Edge than hardly any health at all. Use Oblivion Wing whenever a free turn presents itself, [ac] such as when Yveltal forces a switch or outspeeds a foe, [ac] and when Yveltal's health is starting to dwindle; Examples being when you will outspeed and KO a Pokemon or when you are forcing a switch etc. Never let switch Yveltal out against be forced out by dangerous setup sweepers, [comma > period] as its power is great enough that it can KO most of these very easy should they try and set up on it recklessly. Damaging Damage on these Pokemon can mean the difference between a win and a loss Yvetal's team being clean swept, and still having a salvageable game to play. Yveltal's defensive presence is pretty minuscule, so letting it go shouldn't be too hard in most situations. This set can be used to cripple and weaken Klefki and prevent it from setting up Spikes, [ac] and it can punish Defog users such as Giratina-O, [ac] Latios, [ac] and Latias. is put into a large predicament when deciding to switch into Yveltal due to Heat Wave doing tons of damage to it, effectively crippling it if Spikes are up or in the rare instance Heat Wave burns Klefki. If you choose to run Focus Blast, [ac] use it to OHKO is a rare move on Yveltal, but it makes it a very formidable weapon against sand teams. OHKOing Tyranitar to help out a can be very huge for another Flying-type partner, such as Ho-Oh, so make sure to keep your opponent from expecting something is up; but don't switch Yveltal bring in Focus Blast Yveltal into Tyranitar on a free switch, as this will likely alert give your opponent as to what is going on a big red flag as to what is up. Yveltal can also heavily punish Defog from Giratina-O or the Eon Twins which is another plus. Use this slight form of hazard control to your advantage. [Attributes of Yveltal should go in front of the options for slashed moves]
Team Options
========
Xerneas greatly enjoys the pressure Yveltal puts on Klefki and, [ac] if Yveltal lands a Heat Wave on the switch, the two will begin to wreak havoc for the rest of the game. Yveltal also soft checks Primal Groudon, [ac] which eases using Xerneas tremendously. Yveltal is very difficult to fit on a team due to its lack of defensive utility, but some offensive builds like its unparalleled ability to deal massive damage to Xerneas checks. Threats such as like the aforementioned Xerneas, Ho-Oh, Electric Arceus, Klefki, Mega Diancie, and Mega Metagross etc are all very good partners with it depending on the team structure. Mega Gengar and Yveltal form a neat Shadow Tag and U-turn "trap-turn" core should Yveltal use U-Turn and Gengar carry Sludge Wave. Trapping the Fairy-types Yveltal brings in with Mega Gengar gives Yveltal an amazing window to begin doing damage. Fairy-type switch-ins are almost mandatory, with Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, Klefki, Aegislash, and Jirachi being some of the best.
[SET]
name: Tough Bird (Flying Tank)
move 1: Foul Play
move 2: Roost
move 3: Toxic / Sucker Punch
move 4: Taunt
ability: Dark Aura
item: Leftovers
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
nature: Bold / Impish
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dark Aura-boosted STAB Foul Play prevents any boosting physical attacker from setting up and, [rc] let alone staying in on Yveltal. Roost is Yveltal's form of reliable recovery that also removes its Flying-[remove hyphen] type for the turn, meaning slower Rock-, Electric-, and Ice-type attacks will no longer be super effective the turn this move is used. Toxic helps Yveltal deal with other walls and helps punish a lot of its switch-ins, [comma > semi] namely Xerneas. Taunt is primarily used to cripple Klefki so it can't use Yveltal as Spikes or status fodder. It also prevents Calm Mind and support Arceus formes from setting up or using Recover after they have been badly poisoned by Toxic. Its only other function is toying with Ferrothorn, Forretress, and other slower support Pokemon. Sucker Punch gives Yveltal the ability to check Mewtwo as well as pick off other weakened dedicated attackers. Alternatively, [ac] Heat Wave 2HKOes Klefki and also allows Yveltal to cook Ferrothorn and Scizor if it can find the window to. It makes Yveltal nearly useless versus stall teams because since it must be run over Taunt in order to be used effectively. Make sure to have solid ways of dealing with stall teams when using Heat Wave.
Set Details
========
Running maximum Defense investment allows Yveltal to take strong physical attacks. The HP investment nearly maximizes Yveltal's ability to take physical hits while minimizing the amount of damage it takes from Stealth Rock. A Bold nature and 0 Attack IVs are preferred when using Toxic in order to minimize the damage Yveltal takes from opposing Foul Play users and confusion damage. Foul Play does not use Yveltal's IVs or nature. If Yveltal has Sucker Punch on its set, then use an Impish nature to maximize Sucker Punch's damage with no Attack investment. Dread Plate can be used to boost the power of Foul Play and Sucker Punch if it's necessary, [comma > period] and it notably allows Foul Play to OHKO +2 Attack Extreme Killer Arceus without help from Stealth Rock or its own Life Orb. Use a Bold nature when using Heat Wave.
Usage Tips
========
Keep in mind Yveltal is a physical tank that is both weak to Stealth Rock, [rc] and sometimes doesn't hold Leftovers. It will be forced to Roost at some point, so make sure you have solid ways of dealing with its switch-ins. Be careful around Extreme Killer Arceus if the opposing its team suggests it carries Stone Edge, because if it does, Yveltal cannot effectively check it. The tell-tale signs of Stone Edge Arceus are it being on a hyper offense team with little to no Mega Salamence checks, [ac] with Arceus being the only Pokemon that Salamance easily sets up on. Many of Yveltal's switch-ins such as Fairy-types and bulky Arceus formes hate Toxic, so it will be the move you use most on switches. Fairy-types, and bulky Arceus formes all hate it. Yveltal can come in on almost any physical attacker in the Ubers metagame and proceed to KO it with a Foul Play or two. Ho-Oh is a very troublesome physical attacker due to Sacred Fire's extremely high burn probability. Burn does affect Foul Play's damage, so staying in on Ho-Oh is not advisable in most situations. On a similar note, Primal Groudon's Lava Plume also has a nasty burn rate and does very good damage to Yveltal. Other than that, it is a relatively straightforward Pokemon to use.
Team Options
========
A couple solid switch-ins to Xerneas are required when using defensive Yveltal. Specially defensive Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Klefki are good examples of these. On the other hand, this Yveltal is one of the best switch-ins to Primal Groudon there is, so a partnering it with Xerneas, [ac] Klefki, [ac] or Primal Kyogre is also not a bad idea. Other threats that appreciate this ability, such as Klefki, Primal Kyogre etc. Softer checks to Extreme Killer Arceus such as Swords Dance Ghost Arceus-Ghost are useful in case it has will be good to take on Arceus should Stone Edge make Yveltal useless against it. Defog and Rapid Spin users are also very welcome partners for Yveltal, [ac] with the most notable being Latios and Latias due to there sheer reliability.
[SET]
name: Fashionable Bird (Choice Scarf)
move 1: Foul Play
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Oblivion Wing
ability: Dark Aura
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 32 HP / 4 Def / 248 SpA / 224 Spe
nature: Modest
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Foul Play is Yveltal's weapon against Extreme Killer Arceus E-Killer, Mega Mewtwo Y, Swords Dance Ground and Ghost Arceus-Ground and -Ghost, and Rayquaza. Dark Pulse is Yveltal's reliable STAB move. It has phenomenal neutral coverage and, with Yveltal's Choice Scarf, allows it to revenge kill many potent threats such as Mega Gengar and, [ac] with some prior damage, [ac] Mewtwo, Latios, and Latias, with some prior damage, and Mega Gengar. Oblivion Wing is Yveltal's way of recovering after a couple Stealth Rock switch-ins and. It allows it Yveltal to revenge kill Mega Mewtwo X, check Blaziken, and steal a bit of health off of anything in Oblivion Wing's KO range. U-turn is for switch initiative, [rc] and for scouting for a less obvious Dark or Fairy Arceus-Dark or Arceus-Fairy.
Set Details
========
32 HP and 4 Defense EVs allow Yveltal to always survive a +2 Extreme Speed from standard Extreme Killer Arceus and in order to KO it with Foul Play after recoil from its own Life Orb. This also leaves Yveltal with an odd HP number to help minimize Stealth Rock damage. The Speed EVs conveniently allows Yveltal to outspeed the rare but extremely dangerous +1 Adamant Dragon Dance Rayquaza and Modest Choice Scarf Kyurem-W. 248 Special Attack EVs SpA is using what is leftover to power up Dark Pulse and Oblivion Wing. A Modest nature must be is used, as otherwise Dark Pulse misses out on quite a few key KOs, such as the 2HKO on offensive including always 2HKOing Offensive Primal Groudon.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Yveltal should be used primarily as a revenge killer, but as demonstrated with the Extreme-Killer Arceus scenario, [rc] it can also tank a hit and deal very good damage and possibly KO in return, if not KO, back. Using U-turn to scout for Fairy or Dark Arceus-Dark or -Fairy early is a very good way to gain information on the opposing team's Yveltal's opponent's team structure early. This is particularly useful if your team has trouble with these two. Remember that this is not the strongest Yveltal set out there, so use very clear discretion when picking what move to lock yourself into, or risk becoming set up bait for quite a few extremely dangerous Pokemon in Ubers. If you wish at all to use this as an Extreme Killer Arceus check, you must not let Stealth Rock be set up when Arceus comes in, otherwise you give it two turns to Swords Dance while you use Defog, or Yveltal falls to +2 Extreme Speed after Stealth Rock.
Team Options
========
This Yveltal needs extremely solid checks to Geomancy Xerneas on its team, no questions asked. Klefki and specially defensive Primal Groudon are among the best. Because it can't switch moves and has less power than other sets, [ac] Choice Scarf Yveltal works better on more balanced builds that can run solid switch-ins to Fairy-types, [rc] and other special attackers. Its inability to switch moves and slightly disappointing power are what cause this. These builds also carry Defog users to help Yveltal out with its Stealth Rock weakness. Latias, Latios, Water Arceus, Rock Arceus, and Giratina-O are all good examples of Defog users. Magic Bounce users alongside Defog users is also a nice prospect just to preserve Yveltal's ability to smack around +2 Arceus.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Substitute + Disable set is definitely possible. Yveltal It is a bit slow for trying and pull this off, but it can deal a lot of damage with spreads Dark Pulse and hazard damage quickly once it gets going. Hurricane has similar power to Dark Aura-boosted Dark Pulse, and is an interesting option for Choice Scarf Yveltal. but with all of the Flying-type resistances and Primal Groudon being very prevalent, it usually isn't worth the slot. Knock Off is an interesting option on the Life Orb set, but with all of the items that are "immune" to it, it is a rather subpar option. It would be used to hit Ho-Oh, Blissey, and Fairy-types holding Leftovers. Note that only the Life Orb set should even think about running this. The Choice Scarf set becomes would become setup fodder for Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, while the defensive set can't fit it anywhere. A physical set of Hone Claws, Sky Attack, Knock Off, and Sucker Punch can be used with Power Herb as an item. This set destroys Xerneas and Clefable switch-ins to Yveltal, but the set itself is rather unreliable in terms of how well it will do during a game.
Checks & Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Fairy Arceus, Diancie, Klefki, and Xerneas all force Yveltal out. Klefki needs to watch out for Heat Wave, and the rest need to watch out for the Trap-Turn strategy with Mega Gengar. Xerneas is 2HKOed by Life Orb Oblivion Wing after Stealth Rock, which is something to watch out for.
**Dark-types**: Dark Arceus and Tyranitar are both good examples of Dark-types that check Yveltal. However, [ac] Be aware that Tyranitar has a bit of trouble with the defensive set and has to watch out for a rogue Focus Blast.
**Rock, Ice, and Electric Arceus**: Rock, [ac] Ice, [ac] and Electric Arceus They can take any Life Orb-boosted hit from Yveltal, albeit not well, [they can't take a hit well but they're still mentioned?] and proceed to KO it with Judgment.
**Zekrom**: Zekrom forces Yveltal out but hates coming in on a Dark Pulse or Foul Play.
**Kyurem-W**: Kyurem-W cannot come in on offensive Yveltal at all, but can force out defensive Yveltal with Ice Beam.
**Status**: Letting Yveltal get burned makes using it much trickier, [ac] as this cuts the power of Yveltal's physical moves in half and deals more residual damage, [ac] which is especially troublesome on the Life Orb set. The Life Orb set hates the extra residual damage and having Sucker Punch's damage cut in half. The Scarf and Defensive sets both hate having Foul Play's damage cut in half also. Toxic ruins the defensive set.
