SS UU Spotlight: Nihilego

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Introduction

Nihilego is one of the premier offensive utility Pokémon in UU. Its fantastic Speed, power, special bulk, and unique typing make it a fantastic way to threaten popular Flying- and Fairy-types like Salamence, Galarian Moltres, Moltres, and Primarina. What makes Nihilego stand out from its peers is its amazing ability to create progress against high-value targets such as Aegislash, Jirachi, and Assault Vest Galarian Slowbro with Knock Off, since they are standard switch-ins to it; furthermore, it can also remove the items of other valuable targets like Chansey and Celesteela.

While its Stealth Rock set is by far its most popular due to fitting on all playstyles from bulky offense to stall, providing key offensive and defensive utility, and having a fantastic matchup against standard Defoggers, Nihilego has a wide movepool that leaves it with plenty of room for exploration. Keep reading this article to learn more about Nihilego's role in UU and some of the more interesting options that have seen occasional usage lately!

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Stealth Rock Nihilego

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Nihilego is one of the best Stealth Rock setters in UU at the moment, boasting a great matchup against common entry hazard removal options like special Salamence, Rotom-W, and Tentacruel. Thanks to its typing, Nihilego can offensively pressure extremely common defensive glue Pokémon like Tangrowth, Primarina, and Amoonguss, which provides it tons of opportunities to set Stealth Rock or wallbreak while keeping threats like Thundurus-T and Galarian Moltres in line throughout the game.

Nihilego fits on pretty much all team compositions from offense to stall. On more offensive teams, it serves as one of the best switch-ins to Pokémon like Moltres and special Salamence. It also opens doors for a range of offensive teammates like Keldeo and Kommo-o with its high-value Knock Off against targets like Assault Vest Galarian Slowbro and specially defensive Aegislash, in addition to pressuring RestTalk Primarina. On more defensive teams, Nihilego provides key defensive utility against stallbreakers like Nasty Plot Togekiss and RestTalk Galarian Moltres and pressures threats like Thundurus-T and Buzzwole with its Speed.

Provided below are two example teams featuring Nihilego, an offense team provided by avarice and a balance team provided by myself, and some brief explanation of its role on these teams!

                   
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On this bulky offense team, Nihilego provides key value as a check to Salamence, which can find a number of opportunities to come in against Tangrowth here through pivots like Zarude and Mienshao. Checking Salamence is highly valued when Rotom-W is running Choice Scarf. Nihilego's ability to pressure entry hazard removers like Rotom-W is greatly appreciated by Mamoswine, while it weakening specially defensive Aegislash and Assault Vest Galarian Slowbro with Knock Off helps Calm Mind Necrozma make more progress. Its Stealth Rock support is also appreciated by Mamoswine and Necrozma to weaken checks like Buzzwole and Celesteela. Nihilego is also valuable for offensively pressuring Primarina, as Celesteela, physically defensive Tangrowth, and Choice Scarf Rotom-W are not reliable answers.

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This is a great example of a more defensive team featuring Nihilego, where it provides key offensive utility against threats like Thundurus-T and Galarian Moltres and can really support its teammates through Knock Off. Starmie greatly appreciates Nihilego wearing down Aegislash, which really struggles to block Rapid Spin once it has been burnt and lost its Leftovers. Nasty Plot Togekiss loves Nihilego checking Thundurus-T, and it can break through Rhyperior and Aegislash more easily when they have lost their items. Nihilego values Tangrowth's and Umbreon's defensive support against its offensive checks like Azumarill, Lycanroc-D, and Azelf, which can threaten it with their Speed or priority moves.

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Meteor Beam Nihilego

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Meteor Beam was once a staple set for Nihilego earlier in DLC2, providing a deadly late-game cleaner that could snowball through teams and deny revenge killing from faster Pokémon like Latias and Choice Scarf Krookodile with Speed boosts from Beast Boost. Unfortunately, this set has seen a massive downturn more recently due to the popularity of Pokémon like specially defensive Aegislash, Jirachi, and Chansey, which walls Nihilego before pivoting into a revenge killer with Teleport.

Meteor Beam Nihilego is nonetheless a cool fit for very offensive teams and appreciates the rise of more offensive Aegislash sets in the current metagame. Teammates like Necrozma and Nasty Plot Thundurus-T can put a lot of pressure on Nihilego's checks so that it can clean late-game, while Spikes from Froslass lets it more easily power through Pokémon like Aegislash. Meteor Beam Nihilego fits especially nicely on Psychic Terrain teams that prevent it from being revenge killed by Pokémon like Lycanroc-D, Shadow Sneak Aegislash, and Azumarill.

Below is an example of a Psychic Terrain offense team by Bandkrook featuring Meteor Beam Nihilego!

                   
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Here, Nihilego provides a powerful late-game wincon that loves Indeedee-F and Necrozma wearing down Steel-types for it. Amoonguss and Zarude really help Nihilego early-game by handling some of the bigger threats to Psychic Terrain offense teams in Lycanroc-D, Aegislash, and Krookodile, while double Healing Wish lets Nihilego and its teammates be played far more recklessly. Rocky Helmet Amoonguss might seem unusual on a very offensive playstyle, but it helps deal with Choice Scarf Jirachi and opens up opportunities for the offensive powerhouses with Spore.

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Nihilego's More Unique Options

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Nihilego usually has issues with Pokémon like specially defensive Aegislash, Wish Jirachi, and Assault Vest Galarian Slowbro even after removing their items with Knock Off, although it can still put a lot of pressure on Aegislash and Galarian Slowbro with entry hazard support. Hex Nihilego is an option that has seen usage lately to combat these foes, as it lets Nihilego comfortably 2HKO all three on the switch. While this set has seen usage with Thunder Wave support from partners like Jirachi to catch Aegislash, Nihilego can see even more standalone success at breaking through these threats by carrying Thunder Wave itself; however, this requires another Pokémon to be the Stealth Rock setter.

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Choice Specs Nihilego is a frightening offensive powerhouse when supported well, able to 2HKO traditional short-term switch-ins like Krookodile and defensive Earthquake Kommo-o with minimal chip damage. Its diverse coverage options let it easily blow through traditional switch-ins like Rhyperior with Grass Knot or certain Jirachi and Aegislash sets with a boosted Hex OHKO. While Assault Vest Galarian Slowbro can still scout this set, Hex can easily KO it if it has been burned by a Pokémon like RestTalk Primarina and isn't at full HP. Be careful when using this set, as it is highly prediction reliant.

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While Toxic Spikes can struggle with the popularity of grounded Poison-types like Amoonguss, opposing Nihilego, and Galarian Slowbro, it becomes dangerous in combination with Pokémon like physical Salamence and Substitute + Protect + Thunder Cage Regieleki, which punish these Poison-types for attempting to absorb Toxic Spikes and benefit from their traditional counters like Rhyperior and Krookodile being unable to switch in.

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Conclusion

Nihilego is one of the most important glue Pokémon for a lot of team structures in UU due to the fantastic value its typing brings defensively and offensively. Its offensive support potential makes it a solid fit on many teams for opening avenues for teammates like Keldeo and Togekiss. As explored in this article, Nihilego also has some unique options that can make it customizable for great success in a ladder or tournament setting!

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