Xerneas [GP: 2/2]

Jio

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[OVERVIEW]

Xerneas graces the battlefield as one of the most devastating setup sweepers ever to be allowed in VGC. Geomancy is Xerneas's signature move and its most formidable set, as Xerneas is more than capable of sweeping through a team after the boosts. Not only does Xerneas sport a solid 131 base Special Attack, but it also possesses respectable HP and defensive stats that allow it to take most hits very well. Base 99 Speed is also a handy in a format where the majority of the restricted Pokemon are sitting between base 90 and 95 Speed. Furthermore, Xerneas's ability, Fairy Aura, grants it decent offensive pressure, which is especially handy when you find yourself not able to set up a Geomancy. Unfortunately, while it possesses a number of strengths, it also has to deal with a number of flaws. Xerneas doesn't have many viable options against Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types besides throwing boosted Fairy-type moves at them. While base 99 Speed is nice, Xerneas can still be outsped by faster Pokemon such as Mega Kangaskhan. Also, the threat of Geomancy makes it very vulnerable to countermeasures such as Taunt, Encore, Gyro Ball, Thunder Wave, and Trick Room. While Xerneas isn't a deciding factor for using these moves, their existence makes Geomancy a bit less effective. Despite these flaws, Xerneas remains as a top threat in the VGC '16 format and should be respected as such.

[SET]
name: Xerneas & Herb
move 1: Geomancy
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Moonblast / Grass Knot
move 4: Protect
item: Power Herb
ability: Fairy Aura
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Geomancy is Xerneas's signature move and can turn Xerneas into a fast and destructive sweeper that is capable of wiping the opposing team in an instant. Moonblast is Xerneas's strongest STAB move and, when boosted by Geomancy, hits absurdly hard. Dazzling Gleam is a second STAB move and is recommended for its ability to threaten two Pokemon at once. Protect is there to save Xerneas from harm for that turn and give its partner a chance to take out any threats to Xerneas. Xerneas doesn't have many other viable coverage options, but +2 Grass Knot is capable of 2HKOing even the bulkiest Primal Groudon imaginable and OHKOing 4 HP / 0 SpD Primal Kyogre. Hidden Power Ground is also nice for threatening Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types, barring those with an immunity such as Crobat, Gengar, Talonflame, and Ho-Oh.

Set Details
========

Power Herb is the only viable option, as it grants Xerneas an instant Geomancy boost. This simple EV spread allows Xerneas to hit hard as possible and, without a Geomancy boost, to outspeed a number of threats. A Modest nature can be used for more raw power, but then Xerneas risks being slower than Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Kyurem that are running a positive Speed nature. A bulkier spread consisting of 44 Def / 212 SpA / 252 Spe allows Xerneas to tank a Life Orb Dragon Ascent from Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========

Instead of mindlessly clicking Geomancy on the first turn versus an opposing lead dedicated to messing up Xerneas, you're often better off preserving your wincon until later in the game. Don't be trigger happy with Geomancy as there are plenty of tools that work against it. Xerneas's STAB moves are plenty strong to soften up enemies, which can allow for other partners to clean up. If you can, try to prevent Xerneas from taking too much damage as there are plenty of priority users in the format waiting to pick off a weakened Xerneas.

Team Options
========

Primal Groudon is by far the best teammate Xerneas could ask for. Primal Groudon's typing allows it to eliminate troublesome Poison- and Steel-types that exist to ruin Xerneas's sweep. Additionally, Kangaskhan is a solid teammate since it has access to Fake Out, which can grant Xerneas a free turn to set up Geomancy. Kangaskhan is also really good at punching holes through opposing teams, allowing Xerneas to clean up without the use of Geomancy at times. Smeargle is another interesting partner for Xerneas since it not only possesses Fake Out, but also has plenty of other tricks. Smeargle can utilize Follow Me to redirect single target moves or Dark Void to put both opponents to sleep. Both of these grant Xerneas extra free turns to do whatever it pleases. Other redirection users such as Amoonguss and Togekiss make fantastic partners for Xerneas, as they're able to redirect single target attacks to keep Xerneas from harm. Salamence is another solid partner for Xerneas since it checks Primal Groudon pretty well and also has Intimidate to buffer physical attacks against Xerneas, making it slightly easier to set up Geomancy. Primal Kyogre also checks Primal Groudon, and can even abuse Xerneas's Geomancy with a Psych Up.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Psyshock or Psychic is there if you want a coverage option against Crobat, Amoonguss, Gengar, and any other relevant Poison-types. If you want an offensive set without Geomancy, you can use Life Orb or Choice Specs as a way for Xerneas to just dish out massive damage from the get go. However, keep in mind that the Geomancy set is infinitely better than every other offensive option Xerneas has. If you want to use a more supportive set, then Thunder Wave, Gravity, and Heal Pulse are options. Misty Terrain can be utilized to keep Xerneas and its grounded teammates safe from status moves such as Dark Void, but is hardly worth the moveslot. Thunder is an interesting move if you have a Kyogre on your team, as it hits Talonflame and Ho-Oh harder than Moonblast. Thunder also nails Crobat and opposing Kyogre.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Steel-Types**: Ferrothorn, Aegislash, and Scizor all give Xerneas a hard time. Ferrothorn and Aegislash are able to OHKO Xerneas after a Geomancy boost with Gyro Ball and take a boosted Moonblast pretty well. Scizor can also OHKO Xerneas with a Swords Dance-boosted Bullet Punch before Xerneas can do anything.

**Poison-Types**: Amoonguss, Crobat, and Gengar all do a good job of punishing Xerneas. Amoonguss can easily tank most of Xerneas's hits and Spore it or even Clear Smog away a Geomancy boost. Crobat can Taunt Xerneas and prevent a Geomancy from happening or Whirlwind it away. Gengar can deal tons of damage with a Sludge Bomb before Xerneas can Geomancy and is then guaranteed to take a hit after that with its Focus Sash.

**Primal Groudon**: Groudon's typing and bulk allow it to take on Xerneas's STAB moves quite well. Groudon can then retaliate with its own STAB moves to deal massive damage back to Xerneas. Groudon can even Roar Xerneas out as it uses Geomancy.

**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh possesses massive HP and Special Defense, which allow it to shrug off Xerneas's attacks with ease, and can heal off the damage whenever with Recover. Ho-Oh can also 2HKO Xerneas with Brave Bird or inflict a burn with Sacred Fire and hinder its chance to sweep.

**Disruption**: Because Xerneas relies on Geomancy a lot, disruption moves such as Fake Out, Encore, Taunt, Whirlwind, and Haze really mess up Xerneas's gameplan since they prevent Geomancy that turn or nullify it altogether.
 
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Serapis

Losing my way to Victory
Uh, not a QC (I'll do one later tonight), but +2 Modest Xerneas Hidden Power Ground won't always OHKO Primal Groudon, let alone Timid. In fact, odds are pretty good that it won't KO.
 
Okay lets have a look at this.

  • In the overview where you mention the 99 Speed, also mention that it also is kinda bad to be outspeed barely by Kang
  • For Steel, Poison, Fire-types mention that HP Ground is an option
  • For team options, mention redirecters, since it is kinda nice to have
  • Thunder for OO for when you pair it with Primal Kyogre
  • For C&C I'd love to see a seperate point for general support moves such as Taunt, Encore, Fake Out, etc., since they all help prevent Geomancy setup
I'll stamp this once its implemented :)
 

Jibaku

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Groudon is far from the best partner for Xerneas. It's the best offensive partner but doesn't do a whole lot to facilitate its setup.
 

Serapis

Losing my way to Victory
Alright, just a few things.

1.) How is Ho-Oh not an Xerneas counter? That really needs to be mentioned in the Checks and Counters section.

2.) I'd also give Thunder Wave a mention wherever you have Trick Room because the two forms of speed control function similarly and both give Xerneas a bad time.

3.) If you're going to mention the LO set, I'm just going to throw out there that Modest Specs Xerneas gets the OHKO on Mega-Kangaskhan with Moonblast. Ofc Modest Specs Xerneas is bad, but then again after having tested both it and supportive Thunder Wave Gravity Xerneas I can confidently say that every non-Geo Xern is bad. So. . . mention the Specs if you want, but be sure that you emphasize that Xerneas really does need to be running a Geomancy set to be viable.

Yeah, that's about it. I'll stamp it after you make the edits.
 
I'm not QC, but there's a couple things which should probably be addressed.

First and foremost, I don't like the recommended EV spread, the only reason you'd ever want to run max Speed + Timid is 1v1 speed-ties with other GeoXern with no Speed Control on either side (i.e. Tailwind, TWave, etc.), which is such a rare and extraneous scenario that I can't see ever happening (unless you're extremely ballsy, or backed into a corner with no better possible alternatives). There's a few alternative spreads listed in this thread - I don't remember all the specific benchmarks they hit. Serapis Carbonific Haruno Draconid997 Thoughts?

Timid is also bad, Xern needs to run Modest, since its SpAtk isn't all that great, especially compared to other specially offensive restricted legendaries (which could also be addressed in the Overview btw). With a Modest nature, you only need 164 Speed EVs to outrun Jolly Smeargle pre-Geo or 188 for neutral Primals.

In Team Options, Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir should be added, a Pixilate + STAB + Fairy Aura-boosted Hyper Voice rips through Subs and bulkier teams like a hot knife through butter, and both Psyshock and HP Ground (or Focus Blast on MegaGarde) keep Fairy-resists at bay.

Speaking of which, Psyshock can be added to OO as a blanket coverage move on Poison-types. You should also mention Crobat and opposing POgre (and Lugia if anyone uses that) as Thunder targets. Choice Scarf could probably be mentioned alongside LO and Specs.
 
Jio I forgot to stamp the first check forgive me please :( QC 2/2

I'm not QC, but there's a couple things which should probably be addressed.

First and foremost, I don't like the recommended EV spread, the only reason you'd ever want to run max Speed + Timid is 1v1 speed-ties with other GeoXern with no Speed Control on either side (i.e. Tailwind, TWave, etc.), which is such a rare and extraneous scenario that I can't see ever happening (unless you're extremely ballsy, or backed into a corner with no better possible alternatives). There's a few alternative spreads listed in this thread - I don't remember all the specific benchmarks they hit. Serapis Carbonific Haruno Draconid997 Thoughts?

Timid is also bad, Xern needs to run Modest, since its SpAtk isn't all that great, especially compared to other specially offensive restricted legendaries (which could also be addressed in the Overview btw). With a Modest nature, you only need 164 Speed EVs to outrun Jolly Smeargle pre-Geo or 188 for neutral Primals.

In Team Options, Sylveon and Mega Gardevoir should be added, a Pixilate + STAB + Fairy Aura-boosted Hyper Voice rips through Subs and bulkier teams like a hot knife through butter, and both Psyshock and HP Ground (or Focus Blast on MegaGarde) keep Fairy-resists at bay.

Speaking of which, Psyshock can be added to OO as a blanket coverage move on Poison-types. You should also mention Crobat and opposing POgre (and Lugia if anyone uses that) as Thunder targets. Choice Scarf could probably be mentioned alongside LO and Specs.
Why are you tagging people who are not QC and have not posted in this thread? I won't comment on all of what you said, but Timid is the best nature for Xerneas. It has plenty of power after a Geomancy boost with Timid, and while PS usage stats aren't super reliable, I just checked them and Timid was used more by a huge margin. I don't know how its statistics in live events are, but i would assume you would find roughly the same results there. Sylveon and Mega Garde should not be added because they are so bad in VGC 16 in general.
 
Timid is the better default nature for Xerneas. Modest should only be used if you're seeking more bulk than you'd otherwise reasonably be able to obtain going for max Speed Timid. If nothing else, Speed tying with what is easily one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame is not something I'd consider a "rare and extraneous scenario".

Honestly, the analysis looks pretty good as it is. If I had to nitpick:
  1. Changing the move order to Geomancy, Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, Protect could make it clearer that Moonblast should be the move you're dropping if you decide to go with Grass Knot or Hidden Power.
  2. The bulkier EV spread in Set Details can gain an extra point in Special Attack by only investing into three stats (44 Def / 212 SpA / 252 Spe) instead of five.
    • 252 Atk Life Orb Mega Rayquaza Dragon Ascent vs. 0 HP / 44 Def Xerneas: 169-200 (84 - 99.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
 

Jio

God is Good
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
I'm bad with responsibility \o/

Also I've written it up so now the GP people can do their work
 
Not sure what to do about second voice. Left unchanged.

I'm here, I'm deer and I'd like to say hello!

[OVERVIEW]

Xerneas graces the battlefield as one of the most devastating set-up [Set-up or setup? Not sure, but I've seen mostly the latter.] sweepers ever to be allowed in VGC. Geomancy is Xerneas's signature move and its most formidable set as Xerneas is more than capable of sweeping through a team after a Geomancy. [replace 'a geomancy' with 'a single boost'. Also you refer here to Geomancy as a set, yet the set name is 'Xerneas & Herb'. Consider fixing.] Not only does Xerneas sport a solid 131 base Special Attack, but [missing a pronoun here, Xerneas from previous clause doesn't carry over. add 'it'] also possesses respectable HP and defensive stats which allows it to take most hits very well. 99 Speed is also godsend in a format where the majority of the restricted Pokemon are sitting between 90 and 95 base Speed. Xerneas's ability, Fairy Aura, also grants it decent offensive pressure [comma here to separate distinct ideas] which is especially handy when you find yourself not able to set up a Geomancy. Unfortunately while it posseses a number of strengths [comma here, comma after 'unfortunately. Fix 'possesses'] it also has to deal with a number of flaws. Xerneas doesn't have much [many] viable options against Poison-, Steel-, and Fire- types besides throwing boosted Fairy moves at them. While 99 Base Speed is nice, it makes it vulnerable to being [Multiple pronouns to different nouns, 'being', recommend this to be changed to 'is nice, Xerneas can be outsped by...'] outspeed by faster Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan. Also [comma after transitional lead] the threat of Geomancy [currently unclear as to who geomancy is threatening and what the pronoun 'it' leads to. I recommend "Due to its fearsome power, many teams stack countermeasures to Xerneas, such as...] makes it very vulnerable to countermeasures such as Taunt, Encore, Gyro Ball, Thunder Wave, and Trick Room. Despite these flaws Xerneas remains as a top threat in the VGC 16' format and should be respected as such.

[SET]
name: Xerneas & Herb
move 1: Geomancy
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Moonblast / Grass Knot
move 4: Protect
item: Power Herb
ability: Fairy Aura
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Geomancy is Xerneas's signature move and can turn it into a fast and destructive sweeper that is capable of wiping through [Either sweeping, sweeping through, or wiping. Wiping through is something you do after a shit] the opposing team in an instant. Moonblast is Xerneas's strongest STAB move and, when boosted by Geomancy, allows it to hit [Ambiguous it pronoun, and since the noun here is Moonblast you can just write 'Geomancy, hits absurdly hard.'] absurdly hard. Dazzling Gleam is your second STAB move and recommended for its ability to threaten two Pokemon at once. Protect is there to save Xerneas from harm for that turn and give its partner a chance to take out any threats to Xerneas. Xerneas doesn't have much else ['many other viable', much else is grammatically incorrect] viable coverage options, but Grass Knot is capable of getting the 2HKO on even the most bulky Primal Groudon imaginable after a Geomancy. It [Recommend concatenation, 'after a Geomancy, also securing a OHKO on 4 HP/...'] also OHKOs 4 HP / 0 SpDef Primal Kyogre. [Not sure if correct abrv is SpDef or SpD] Hidden Power Ground is also nice for being able to threaten ['threatening' over 'being able to threaten'] Poison-, Steel-, and Fire- [add 'types'] in general. Of course this is ineffective on the aforementioned types that are also immune to Ground moves such as Crobat, Gengar, Talonflame, and Ho-oh. [I believe it's capitalized Ho-Oh. I also think these two sentences can be made less clunky by writing 'for threatening Poison-, Steel-, and Fire- types, barring those with an immunity such as Crobat, Gengar, Talonflame, and Ho-Oh.]

Set Details
========

Power Herb is by far the item of choice as it grants Xerneas an instant Geomancy boost. [assume mistaken line skip here.]
This simple EV spread allows Xerneas to hit hard as possible while also outspeeding a number of threats without a Geomancy boost. A Modest nature can be used to be given ['for' over 'to be given'] more raw power, but Xerneas risks being slower than Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Kyurem with a positive speed nature. [Who has the positive speed nature here? If it's the list of threats, recommend 'risks being outsped by some threats with positive speed natures, such as Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Kyurem.'] A bulkier spread consisting of 44 Def / 212 SpA / 252 Spe allows Xerneas to tank a Life Orb Dragon Ascent from Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========

Instead of mindlessly clicking Geomancy on the first turn vs an opposing lead dedicated to messing up Xerneas [comma here, 'vs' to 'against', 'messing up' to 'countering'] you're often better off preserving your win condition until later in the game. Don't be trigger happy with Geomancy as there are plenty of tools that work against it. [Should these tools be elaborated on with a 'such as' at the conclusion of that sentence? Just a thought.] Xerneas's STAB moves are plenty strong to soften up the enemies defenses [comma here] which can allow for other partners to clean up. If you can, try to prevent Xerneas from taking too much damage as there are plenty of priority moves in the format that are [Moves don't wait. Revise to 'plenty of priority move users in the format waiting to pick...'] waiting to pick off a weakened Xerneas

Team Options
========

Primal Groudon is by far the best teammate Xerneas could ask for. Primal Groudon's typing allows it to eliminate troublesome Poison- and Steel- types that exist to ruin Xerneas's sweep. [Needs transition, recommend 'Additionally,' here] Kangaskhan is a solid teammate as it has access to Fake Out which can grant Xerneas a free turn to set up Geomancy. Kangaskhan is also really good at punching holes through opposing teams allowing Xerneas to clean up without the use of Geomancy at times. Smeargle is another interesting partner for Xerneas as it also possesses Fake Out, but has plenty of other tricks. Smeargle can utilize Follow Me to redirect single target moves or Dark Void to put both opponents to sleep. Both of these grant Xerneas extra free turns to do whatever it pleases. Other redirection users such as Amoonguss and Togekiss make fantastic partners for Xerneas as they're able to redirect single target attacks to keep Xerneas from harm. Salamence is a solid partner for Xerneas as it checks Primal Groudon pretty well and also has Intimidate which buffers physical attacks against Xerneas, making it slightly easier to set up Geomancy. Primal Kyogre is a neat partner for Xerneas as it checks Primal Groudon, and can even abuse Xerneas's Geomancy with a Psych Up.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Psyshock or Psychic is there if you want a coverage option against Crobat, Amoonguss, Gengar, and any other relevant Poison- types. If you want an offensive set without Geomancy you can use Life Orb or Choice Specs as a way for Xerneas to just dish out massive damage from the get go. Keep in mind that the Geomancy set is infinitely better than every other offensive option Xerneas has. If you want to use a more supportive set then Thunder Wave, Gravity, and Heal Pulse are options. Misty Terrain can be utilized to keep Xerneas and it's [possessive, not concat. Remove apostrophe.] grounded teammates from status moves such as Dark Void, but is hardly worth the moveslot. Thunder is an interesting move if you have a Kyogre on your team as it hits Talonflame and Ho-oh harder than Moonblast. Thunder also nails Crobat and opposing Kyogre.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Insert Threat Here**: [insert witty comment here]

**Steel-Types**: Ferrothorn, Aegislash, Scizor all give Xerneas a hard time. Ferrothorn and Aegislash are able to OHKO Xerneas after a Geomancy boost with Gyro Ball while also taking boosted Moonblast pretty well. Scizor can also OHKO Xerneas with a Swords Dance boosted Bullet Punch before Xerneas can do anything.

**Poison-Types**: Amoonguss, Crobat, Gengar all do a good job of punishing Xerneas. Amoonguss can easily tank most of Xerneas's hits and Spore it or even Clear Smog away a Geomancy boost. Crobat can Taunt Xerneas and prevent a Geomancy from happening or Whirlwind it away. Gengar can deal tons of damage with a Sludge Bomb before Xerneas can Geomancy and is then guaranteed to take a hit after that with its Focus Sash.

**Primal Groudon**: Groudon's typing and bulk allows it to take on Xerneas's STAB moves quite well. Groudon can then retaliate with its own STAB moves to deal massive damage back to Xerneas. Groudon can even Roar Xerneas out as it uses Geomancy if it wants to.

**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh possess massive HP and Special Defense which will allow it to shrug off Xerneas's attacks with ease, and heal off the damage whenever. Ho-Oh can also inflict a burn on Xerneas with Sacred Fire and hinder its chance to sweep.

**Disruption**: Because Xerneas relies on Geomancy a lot [comma here to indicate transition, if you want to avoid starting a sentence with 'Because' (which is often perfectly OK I might add), 'Xerneas' dependency on Geomancy can be supported by disruptive moves...' Also not sure if the correct term is disruption moves or disruptive, but I prefer the latter] disruption moves like Fake Out, Encore, Taunt, Whirlwind, Haze really mess up Xerneas's gameplan as they prevent Geomancy that turn or nullifies it altogether.
 
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Lemonade

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[OVERVIEW]

Xerneas graces the battlefield as one of the most devastating set-up [Set-up or setup? Not sure, but I've seen mostly the latter.] (set up as the verb) sweepers ever to be allowed in VGC. Geomancy is Xerneas's signature move and its most formidable set set, as Xerneas is more than capable of sweeping through a team after the boosts. a Geomancy. [replace 'a geomancy' with 'a single boost'. Also you refer here to Geomancy as a set, yet the set name is 'Xerneas & Herb'. Consider fixing.] (Comment: "a single boost" could be misleadng ) Not only does Xerneas sport a solid 131 base Special Attack, but it [missing a pronoun here, Xerneas from previous clause doesn't carry over. add 'it'] also possesses respectable HP and defensive stats which that allow allows it to take most hits very well. 99 Speed is also godsend in a format where the majority of the restricted Pokemon are sitting between 90 and 95 base Speed. Xerneas's ability, Fairy Aura, also grants it decent offensive pressure, pressure [comma here to separate distinct ideas] which is especially handy when you find yourself not able to set up a Geomancy. Unfortunately Unfortunately, while it posseses possesses a number of strengths [comma here, comma after 'unfortunately. Fix 'possesses'] it also has to deal with a number of flaws. Xerneas doesn't have much many [many] viable options against Poison-, Steel-, and Fire- types besides throwing boosted Fairy moves at them. While 99 Base base 99 Speed is nice, Xerneas can still be outsped it makes it vulnerable to being [Multiple pronouns to different nouns, 'being', recommend this to be changed to 'is nice, Xerneas can be outsped by...'] outspeed (Comment: "can still be" acknowledges that 99 speed is nice a bit more than just "can be" ) by faster Pokemon like Mega Kangaskhan. Also [comma after transitional lead] the threat of Geomancy [currently unclear as to who geomancy is threatening and what the pronoun 'it' leads to. I recommend "Due to its fearsome power, many teams stack countermeasures to Xerneas, such as...] makes it very vulnerable to countermeasures such as Taunt, Encore, Gyro Ball, Thunder Wave, and Trick Room. (Comment: needs some clarification. Is Geomancy such a huge factor in teambuilding that a main reason to use these moves is because of Xern? This is what apricity's changes suggest. Or are these moves all over VGC already and as a result GeoXern is less effective? ) Despite these flaws Xerneas remains as a top threat in the VGC 16' format and should be respected as such.

[SET]
name: Xerneas & Herb
move 1: Geomancy
move 2: Dazzling Gleam
move 3: Moonblast / Grass Knot
move 4: Protect
item: Power Herb
ability: Fairy Aura
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Geomancy is Xerneas's signature move and can turn it Xerneas (Comment: "it" (not possessive) shouldn't be used to refer to Xerneas's (possessive) ) into a fast and destructive sweeper that is capable of wiping through [Either sweeping, sweeping through, or wiping. Wiping through is something you do after a shit] (Comment: lol ) the opposing team in an instant. Moonblast is Xerneas's strongest STAB move and, when boosted by Geomancy, hits allows it to hit [Ambiguous it pronoun, and since the noun here is Moonblast you can just write 'Geomancy, hits absurdly hard.'] absurdly hard. Dazzling Gleam is your a second STAB move and recommended for its ability to threaten two Pokemon at once. Protect is there to save Xerneas from harm for that turn and give its partner a chance to take out any threats to Xerneas. Xerneas doesn't have many other much else ['many other viable', much else is grammatically incorrect] viable coverage options, but +2 Grass Knot is capable of 2HKOing getting the 2HKO on even the most bulky bulkiest Primal Groudon imaginable and OHKOing imaginable after a Geomancy. It [Recommend concatenation, 'after a Geomancy, also securing a OHKO on 4 HP/...'] also OHKOs 4 HP / 0 SpDef SpD Primal Kyogre. [Not sure if correct abrv is SpDef or SpD] (Comment: SpD because it's used in an EV spread. The bare sentence now reads "Grass Knot is capable of 2HKOing Primal Groudon and OHKOing Primal Kyogre" ) Hidden Power Ground is also nice for threatening being able to threaten ['threatening' over 'being able to threaten'] Poison-, Steel-, and Fire-types, barring those with an immunity such as Crobat, Gengar, Talonflame, and Ho-Oh. Fire- [add 'types'] in general. Of course this is ineffective on the aforementioned types that are also immune to Ground moves such as Crobat, Gengar, Talonflame, and Ho-oh Ho-Oh. [I believe it's capitalized Ho-Oh. I also think these two sentences can be made less clunky by writing 'for threatening Poison-, Steel-, and Fire- types, barring those with an immunity such as Crobat, Gengar, Talonflame, and Ho-Oh.] (Comment: otherwise it would have to be "ineffective on Pokemon with the aforementioned types that are also immune" )

Set Details
========

Power Herb is the only viable option, by far the item of choice (Comment: "item of choice" doesn't really have different levels of magnitude imo. may be a little too strong, but I've never heard of non Power Herb GeoXern ) as it grants Xerneas an instant Geomancy boost. [assume mistaken line skip here.]
This simple EV spread allows Xerneas to hit hard as possible and, without a Geomancy boost, to outspeed while also outspeeding a number of threats. threats without a Geomancy boost. A Modest nature can be used for to be given ['for' over 'to be given'] more raw power, but then Xerneas risks being slower than Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Rayquaza, and Kyurem that are running with a positive speed nature. [Who has the positive speed nature here? If it's the list of threats, recommend 'risks being outsped by some threats with positive speed natures, such as Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Kyurem.'] (Comment: since the builder picks natures, I prefer something like "running" or "using". Also, I interpret it as specifically those Pokemon, rather than positive natured mons with them as examples) A bulkier spread consisting of 44 Def / 212 SpA / 252 Spe allows Xerneas to tank a Life Orb Dragon Ascent from Mega Rayquaza.

Usage Tips
========

Instead of mindlessly clicking Geomancy on the first turn vs versus an opposing lead dedicated to messing up Xerneas Xerneas, [comma here, 'vs' to 'against', 'messing up' to 'countering'] (Comment: some personal style is fine imo. Also counter is a bit strong ) you're often better off preserving your win condition wincon (Comment: Pokemon aren't conditions ) until later in the game. Don't be trigger happy with Geomancy as there are plenty of tools that work against it. [Should these tools be elaborated on with a 'such as' at the conclusion of that sentence? Just a thought.] Xerneas's STAB moves are plenty strong to soften up the enemies, enemies defenses (Comment: implies you're lowering their defenses ) [comma here] which can allow for other partners to clean up. If you can, try to prevent Xerneas from taking too much damage as there are plenty of priority users moves in the format that are [Moves don't wait. Revise to 'plenty of priority move users in the format waiting to pick...'] waiting to pick off a weakened Xerneas Xerneas.

Team Options
========

Primal Groudon is by far the best teammate Xerneas could ask for. Primal Groudon's typing allows it to eliminate troublesome Poison- and Steel- types that exist to ruin Xerneas's sweep. [Needs transition, recommend 'Additionally,' here] Additionally, Kangaskhan is a solid teammate as since (Comment: using "as" in this way flows better with a comma, but you need one before "which", which can get messy ) it has access to Fake Out Out, which can grant Xerneas a free turn to set up Geomancy. Kangaskhan is also really good at punching holes through opposing teams teams, allowing Xerneas to clean up without the use of Geomancy at times. Smeargle is another interesting partner for Xerneas as it also since it not only possesses Fake Out, but also has plenty of other tricks. Smeargle can utilize Follow Me to redirect single target moves or Dark Void to put both opponents to sleep. Both of these grant Xerneas extra free turns to do whatever it pleases. Other redirection users such as Amoonguss and Togekiss make fantastic partners for Xerneas Xerneas, as they're able to redirect single target attacks to keep Xerneas from harm. Salamence is a another solid partner for Xerneas as since it checks Primal Groudon pretty well and also has Intimidate which to buffer buffers physical attacks against Xerneas, making it slightly easier to set up Geomancy. Primal Kyogre also is a neat partner for Xerneas as it checks Primal Groudon, and can even abuse Xerneas's Geomancy with a Psych Up.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Psyshock or Psychic is there if you want a coverage option against Crobat, Amoonguss, Gengar, and any other relevant Poison- types. If you want an offensive set without Geomancy you can use Life Orb or Choice Specs as a way for Xerneas to just dish out massive damage from the get go. Keep However, keep in mind that the Geomancy set is infinitely better than every other offensive option Xerneas has. If you want to use a more supportive set then Thunder Wave, Gravity, and Heal Pulse are options. Misty Terrain can be utilized to keep Xerneas and it's its [possessive, not concat. Remove apostrophe.] grounded teammates from status moves such as Dark Void, but is hardly worth the moveslot. Thunder is an interesting move if you have a Kyogre on your team team, as it hits Talonflame and Ho-oh Ho-Oh harder than Moonblast. Thunder also nails Crobat and opposing Kyogre.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Insert Threat Here**: [insert witty comment here]

**Steel-Types**: Ferrothorn, Aegislash, and Scizor all give Xerneas a hard time. Ferrothorn and Aegislash are able to OHKO Xerneas after a Geomancy boost with Gyro Ball and take while also taking boosted Moonblast pretty well. Scizor can also OHKO Xerneas with a Swords Dance boosted Bullet Punch before Xerneas can do anything.

**Poison-Types**: Amoonguss, Crobat, and Gengar all do a good job of punishing Xerneas. Amoonguss can easily tank most of Xerneas's hits and Spore it or even Clear Smog away a Geomancy boost. Crobat can Taunt Xerneas and prevent a Geomancy from happening or Whirlwind it away. Gengar can deal tons of damage with a Sludge Bomb before Xerneas can Geomancy and is then guaranteed to take a hit after that with its Focus Sash.

**Primal Groudon**: Groudon's typing and bulk allows allow it to take on Xerneas's STAB moves quite well. Groudon can then retaliate with its own STAB moves to deal massive damage back to Xerneas. Groudon can even Roar Xerneas out as it uses Geomancy. Geomancy if it wants to.

**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh possess massive HP and Special Defense Defense, which will allow it to shrug off Xerneas's attacks with ease, and heal off the damage whenever. Ho-Oh can also inflict a burn on Xerneas with Sacred Fire and hinder its chance to sweep.

**Disruption**: Because Xerneas relies on Geomancy a lot lot, [comma here to indicate transition, if you want to avoid starting a sentence with 'Because' (which is often perfectly OK I might add), 'Xerneas' dependency on Geomancy can be supported by disruptive moves...' Also not sure if the correct term is disruption moves or disruptive, but I prefer the latter] disruption moves like Fake Out, Encore, Taunt, Whirlwind, and Haze really mess up Xerneas's gameplan as since they prevent Geomancy that turn or nullifies it altogether.
 
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'Disruption moves' over 'disruptive'?

Also confused by your change from win condition to its informal abbreviation because "Pokemon aren't conditions." A pokemon can be a win condition, and win condition AFAIK means the same thing as wincon.
 

Lemonade

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Jio I bolded what apricity commented and implemented his changes for you (as well as my own), hope it's not confusing. Comments about his changes are right after his [stuff]

apricity not a fan of changing things in a quote because it makes everything italic and you can't copy the formatting of the post since you can't reply to quotes. Just remove the tags

I also think it's better to specify the changes (how everyone else does it) because people in general are really good at misinterpreting instructions
 
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Lemonade

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'Disruption moves' over 'disruptive'?

Also confused by your change from win condition to its informal abbreviation because "Pokemon aren't conditions." A pokemon can be a win condition, and win condition AFAIK means the same thing as wincon.
i feel like "disruption" can represent a class of moves so both are correct, in which case I just go with what the author originally had

wincon has become a "coined" term since so many people use "win condition" incorrectly that it would be too hard to stop completely
 
Thanks Lemonade.

Additional to previous questions on your edits, what's the ruling on non-third person style? You changed some uses of the second person, but not others.

e: Going through existing analyses, it appears that set up is two words when used as a verb "to set up", and one word "setup" as a noun in "after setup". Your edit in the first sentence claimed that the use of "set up" is a verb, but in fact it should be an adjective modifying sweeper, in the same vein as physical sweeper (an example for which I've yet to find).

In any case, it should be changed because I've yet to see set-up hyphenated.
 
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Lemonade

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"you" is fine to refer to the trainer, this usually involves some kind of choice I guess. For example,

Instead of mindlessly clicking Geomancy on the first turn vs an opposing lead dedicated to messing up Xerneas you're often better off preserving your win condition until later in the game.

is fine since you're the one making the decisions regarding preserving Xerneas and such.

Xerneas's ability, Fairy Aura, also grants it decent offensive pressure which is especially handy when you find yourself not able to set up a Geomancy.

This is an instance where I probably wouldn't use "you" because Xerneas, not the Trainer, is setting up the Geomancy. Some arguments could be made that you the Trainer are clicking the button etc., but if I didn't change instances like these it's because I wasn't paying attention heh
 
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