[OVERVIEW]
Xatu is the embodiment of Magic Bounce; it is able to keep its team safe from entry hazards and take on the likes of Steelix, Ferroseed, and Miltank outstandingly. In a tier where several top-tier Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock, the role Xatu provides is extremely valuable, supporting Pokemon like Incineroar and Vanilluxe. Access to Roost, U-turn, and a bunch of utility options let Xatu excel at the pivoting role it's known for, and its typing stands out in giving it a 4x resistance to Fighting-type moves. A last valuable trait is Xatu's solid matchup against stall teams, being able to bounce back status moves like Toxic to targets like Pyukumuku. That being said, hazard setters like Rhydon, Diancie, and Piloswine can threaten it out with their STAB moves, making it necessary to win a bunch of mind games just to keep hazards away. Xatu is also prone to getting trapped by Sneasel and Houndoom, which could make it it tough for Xatu's team to fight against hazards. Mold Breaker ignores Xatu's Magic Bounce, allowing Druddigon to set up Stealth Rock against teams that use Xatu as hazard control. Lastly, Xatu's bulk can be rather underwhelming, meaning players have to be very cautious to let it get worn down too fast. Likewise, its typing leaves it vulnerable to common Rock-, Electric-, and Ice-types.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Night Shade
move 2: Roost
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic / Protect
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Night Shade is Xatu's main form of damage, dealing consistent damage to pretty much the entire tier bar Normal-types like Heliolisk and Braviary. Roost is imperative to keep Xatu healthy throughout a match. U-turn lets Xatu be an efficient pivot, allowing it to keep momentum and give its teammates more opportunities to come in. It also lets Xatu not be bait for Pokemon like Incineroar and Heliolisk. Toxic can put opposing walls on a timer as well as help stall opposing Pokemon out. It’s also a great tool to punish Pokemon that would otherwise switch in for free, like Rhydon, Braviary, and Heliolisk. Protect lets Xatu scout for Choice-locked moves, most notably from Heliolisk, Passimian, and Sneasel. Toxic and Protect can also be used together by giving up some of Xatu's mobility with U-turn, letting Protect also serve as a powerful method of Toxic stalling the foe. This lets Xatu beat Pokemon such as Vanilluxe and Guzzlord one-on-one but also lets Heliolisk and Vanilluxe switch in for free due to the lack of U-turn. Defog can be used to remove Stealth Rock from Druddigon as well as from other setters that beat it, like Rhydon and Diancie.
Set Details
========
Xatu's Speed EVs allow it to be faster than Incineroar. 252 HP EVs maximize this stat, and the remainder of EVs are thrown into Defense alongside a Bold nature to better take on physical attackers like Steelix. Magic Bounce is key to let Xatu perform its role as an entry hazard deterrent. It also bounces back status moves like Toxic to severely cripple Slowbro, Milktank, Vaporeon, and opposing Xatu. Lastly, Rocky Helmet puts more pressure on Steelix while still annoying other physical attackers like Passimian or Gallade.
Usage Tips
========
The main point of using Xatu is to keep entry hazards away. It should always pivot on hazard setters it beats, like Steelix, Ferroseed, and Torterra. As for Stealth Rock users that can be a threat, it's important to ponder the risk of sending in Xatu on predicted Stealth Rock or potentially having it drop from a STAB move from Diancie, Rhydon, or Piloswine. If you have a Defog or Rapid Spin user it might be smart to not predict too much, especially if Xatu has any defensive value on the match, such as checking the likes of Passimian and Gallade. Try to keep Xatu healthy with Roost, as it can't switch into many Pokemon it would check if its HP is too low, and full health might be important to make a couple plays when dancing around Stealth Rock setters. However, it might be smart to U-turn out of potential threats to Xatu that would otherwise switch in for free, like Sneasel, Heliolisk, and Vanilluxe. Using Toxic on these is also an option, but be careful of opposing Xatu, as it will bounce Toxic back to your Xatu and severely cripple it. Protect should be used to scout against users of Choice items, like Passimian, Sneasel, and Vanilluxe. Lastly, be very careful around Pursuit users like Sneasel if Xatu lacks Protect, as they can trap and eliminate it, allowing the opponent to set up Stealth Rock. This is especially important when Xatu is your only form of hazard removal.
Team Options
========
Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock are prime partners. Offensive pivots like Incineroar, Vanilluxe, Sneasel, and Heliolisk really appreciate a field clearoff of entry hazards. Xatu can also bring them in reliably with U-turn. Meanwhile, defensive pivots, such as Vaporeon and Mega Audino, also appreciate the hazard prevention to consistently switch in on Pokemon they check. Secondary forms of hazard removal can be useful for balance teams that don’t don't want to immediately lose to setters that beat Xatu. Silvally-Steel and Blastoise are great examples that can remove hazards for Xatu. If your team can't fit a secondary form of hazard control, offensive Pokemon that can pressure Rhydon and Diancie can be useful to keep them in check and punish Stealth Rock. Slowbro, Passimian, Vanilluxe, and Heliolisk are great options for this. Considering how Xatu pretty much nullifies Steelix's presence in a match, partners like Heliolisk and Comfey that struggle with this are great choices. Defensive Pokemon that can cover up Xatu's weaknesses are solid teammates. Steelix, Ferroseed, and Silvally-Steel take on a couple threats to Xatu, such as Vikavolt, Vanilluxe, and Diancie. Likewise, Hariyama and other Fighting-types can cover Xatu's Dark-type weakness, mainly Sneasel, as it can Pursuit trap Xatu.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Offensive moves other than Night Shade are an option as well. Grass Knot takes on Slowbro, Steelix, and Rhydon, the latter of which, Rhydon is especially important to beat as an entry hazard setter. Psychic deals reliable damage against most Pokemon that don't resist it. Most notably, it also lets Xatu hit Garbodor with a lot more strength and handles Fighting-types like Hariyama better. Signal Beam hits mostly opposing Psychic-types, like Slowbro, Slowking, and Malamar. Dazzling Gleam hits Guzzlord and Scrafty while still being able to hit Sneasel. Offensive sets of Xatu aren't bad, but they give up a lot of the reliability in hazard control that defensive variants provide. Furthermore, Xatu will more often than not prefer the constant damage output from Night Shade over other offensive moves because of the consistent damage.
Feather Dance can make Xatu more threatening to setup sweepers like Swords Dance Rhydon and Curse Steelix and avoid becoming bait considering Night Shade's low and predictable damage output. Thunder Wave can catch incoming Sneasel and Braviary and just slow down fast Pokemon in general. Another option is Calm Mind + Stored Power, giving Xatu an excellent matchup against stall, but this gives up some of its ability to deal with more offensive playstyles. There are far better users of this move in the tier, and Xatu is usually better off using the aforementioned moves. Lastly, Xatu can use Reflect and Light Screen alongside a Light Clay to support offensive partners like Weakness Policy Incineroar, Bulk Up Braviary, and Omastar on offensive archetypes.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Select Entry Hazard Setters**: Several Stealth Rock users such as Diancie, Rhydon, and Piloswine can scare away Xatu with super effective STAB moves, severely limiting its role and usefulness. Druddigon also sets Stealth Rock for free on Xatu lacking Defog, because of Mold Breaker.
**Dark-types**: Sneasel and Houndoom can trap Xatu with Pursuit and let teammates set entry hazards without many worries. Xatu can try to avoid being Pursuit trapped with U-turn, but it should be careful of being outplayed and becoming unable to use Roost. That being said, it can still scout with Protect and take these foes down one-on-one if they are locked into Pursuit. Other Dark-types like Guzzlord and Absol, despite not outright trapping Xatu, can be a big threat to it.
**Electric-types**: Heliolisk doesn’t take any damage from Night Shade and is only really scared of U-turn or Toxic. Other Electric-types like Rotom and Vikavolt are also notable despite getting by Night Shade. After coming in on Xatu, all three can safely force it out and grab momentum with Volt Switch or fire a strong STAB-boosted hit.
**Ice-types**: Vanilluxe, Cryogonal, Regice, and Articuno can switch in for free and force Xatu out, but none of them appreciate a Toxic.
**Ghost-types**: In a similar vein, Decidueye, Dhelmise, Haunter, and Mismagius can also force Xatu out and switch in for free. Haunter is also immune to Toxic.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[lyd, 303291]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859], [Eternally, 295647]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Redew, 79332], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Xatu is the embodiment of Magic Bounce; it is able to keep its team safe from entry hazards and take on the likes of Steelix, Ferroseed, and Miltank outstandingly. In a tier where several top-tier Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock, the role Xatu provides is extremely valuable, supporting Pokemon like Incineroar and Vanilluxe. Access to Roost, U-turn, and a bunch of utility options let Xatu excel at the pivoting role it's known for, and its typing stands out in giving it a 4x resistance to Fighting-type moves. A last valuable trait is Xatu's solid matchup against stall teams, being able to bounce back status moves like Toxic to targets like Pyukumuku. That being said, hazard setters like Rhydon, Diancie, and Piloswine can threaten it out with their STAB moves, making it necessary to win a bunch of mind games just to keep hazards away. Xatu is also prone to getting trapped by Sneasel and Houndoom, which could make it it tough for Xatu's team to fight against hazards. Mold Breaker ignores Xatu's Magic Bounce, allowing Druddigon to set up Stealth Rock against teams that use Xatu as hazard control. Lastly, Xatu's bulk can be rather underwhelming, meaning players have to be very cautious to let it get worn down too fast. Likewise, its typing leaves it vulnerable to common Rock-, Electric-, and Ice-types.
[SET]
name: Defensive Pivot
move 1: Night Shade
move 2: Roost
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Toxic / Protect
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Night Shade is Xatu's main form of damage, dealing consistent damage to pretty much the entire tier bar Normal-types like Heliolisk and Braviary. Roost is imperative to keep Xatu healthy throughout a match. U-turn lets Xatu be an efficient pivot, allowing it to keep momentum and give its teammates more opportunities to come in. It also lets Xatu not be bait for Pokemon like Incineroar and Heliolisk. Toxic can put opposing walls on a timer as well as help stall opposing Pokemon out. It’s also a great tool to punish Pokemon that would otherwise switch in for free, like Rhydon, Braviary, and Heliolisk. Protect lets Xatu scout for Choice-locked moves, most notably from Heliolisk, Passimian, and Sneasel. Toxic and Protect can also be used together by giving up some of Xatu's mobility with U-turn, letting Protect also serve as a powerful method of Toxic stalling the foe. This lets Xatu beat Pokemon such as Vanilluxe and Guzzlord one-on-one but also lets Heliolisk and Vanilluxe switch in for free due to the lack of U-turn. Defog can be used to remove Stealth Rock from Druddigon as well as from other setters that beat it, like Rhydon and Diancie.
Set Details
========
Xatu's Speed EVs allow it to be faster than Incineroar. 252 HP EVs maximize this stat, and the remainder of EVs are thrown into Defense alongside a Bold nature to better take on physical attackers like Steelix. Magic Bounce is key to let Xatu perform its role as an entry hazard deterrent. It also bounces back status moves like Toxic to severely cripple Slowbro, Milktank, Vaporeon, and opposing Xatu. Lastly, Rocky Helmet puts more pressure on Steelix while still annoying other physical attackers like Passimian or Gallade.
Usage Tips
========
The main point of using Xatu is to keep entry hazards away. It should always pivot on hazard setters it beats, like Steelix, Ferroseed, and Torterra. As for Stealth Rock users that can be a threat, it's important to ponder the risk of sending in Xatu on predicted Stealth Rock or potentially having it drop from a STAB move from Diancie, Rhydon, or Piloswine. If you have a Defog or Rapid Spin user it might be smart to not predict too much, especially if Xatu has any defensive value on the match, such as checking the likes of Passimian and Gallade. Try to keep Xatu healthy with Roost, as it can't switch into many Pokemon it would check if its HP is too low, and full health might be important to make a couple plays when dancing around Stealth Rock setters. However, it might be smart to U-turn out of potential threats to Xatu that would otherwise switch in for free, like Sneasel, Heliolisk, and Vanilluxe. Using Toxic on these is also an option, but be careful of opposing Xatu, as it will bounce Toxic back to your Xatu and severely cripple it. Protect should be used to scout against users of Choice items, like Passimian, Sneasel, and Vanilluxe. Lastly, be very careful around Pursuit users like Sneasel if Xatu lacks Protect, as they can trap and eliminate it, allowing the opponent to set up Stealth Rock. This is especially important when Xatu is your only form of hazard removal.
Team Options
========
Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock are prime partners. Offensive pivots like Incineroar, Vanilluxe, Sneasel, and Heliolisk really appreciate a field clear
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Offensive moves other than Night Shade are an option as well. Grass Knot takes on Slowbro, Steelix, and Rhydon, the latter of which, Rhydon is especially important to beat as an entry hazard setter. Psychic deals reliable damage against most Pokemon that don't resist it. Most notably, it also lets Xatu hit Garbodor with a lot more strength and handles Fighting-types like Hariyama better. Signal Beam hits mostly opposing Psychic-types, like Slowbro, Slowking, and Malamar. Dazzling Gleam hits Guzzlord and Scrafty while still being able to hit Sneasel. Offensive sets of Xatu aren't bad, but they give up a lot of the reliability in hazard control that defensive variants provide. Furthermore, Xatu will more often than not prefer the constant damage output from Night Shade over other offensive moves because of the consistent damage.
Feather Dance can make Xatu more threatening to setup sweepers like Swords Dance Rhydon and Curse Steelix and avoid becoming bait considering Night Shade's low and predictable damage output. Thunder Wave can catch incoming Sneasel and Braviary and just slow down fast Pokemon in general. Another option is Calm Mind + Stored Power, giving Xatu an excellent matchup against stall, but this gives up some of its ability to deal with more offensive playstyles. There are far better users of this move in the tier, and Xatu is usually better off using the aforementioned moves. Lastly, Xatu can use Reflect and Light Screen alongside a Light Clay to support offensive partners like Weakness Policy Incineroar, Bulk Up Braviary, and Omastar on offensive archetypes.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Select Entry Hazard Setters**: Several Stealth Rock users such as Diancie, Rhydon, and Piloswine can scare away Xatu with super effective STAB moves, severely limiting its role and usefulness. Druddigon also sets Stealth Rock for free on Xatu lacking Defog, because of Mold Breaker.
**Dark-types**: Sneasel and Houndoom can trap Xatu with Pursuit and let teammates set entry hazards without many worries. Xatu can try to avoid being Pursuit trapped with U-turn, but it should be careful of being outplayed and becoming unable to use Roost. That being said, it can still scout with Protect and take these foes down one-on-one if they are locked into Pursuit. Other Dark-types like Guzzlord and Absol, despite not outright trapping Xatu, can be a big threat to it.
**Electric-types**: Heliolisk doesn’t take any damage from Night Shade and is only really scared of U-turn or Toxic. Other Electric-types like Rotom and Vikavolt are also notable despite getting by Night Shade. After coming in on Xatu, all three can safely force it out and grab momentum with Volt Switch or fire a strong STAB-boosted hit.
**Ice-types**: Vanilluxe, Cryogonal, Regice, and Articuno can switch in for free and force Xatu out, but none of them appreciate a Toxic.
**Ghost-types**: In a similar vein, Decidueye, Dhelmise, Haunter, and Mismagius can also force Xatu out and switch in for free. Haunter is also immune to Toxic.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[lyd, 303291]]
- Quality checked by: [[Rabia, 336073], [quziel, 297859], [Eternally, 295647]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Redew, 79332], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Last edited:
, and Silvally-Steel each take on a couple threats to Xatu, such as Vikavolt, Vanilluxe, and Diancie. Likewise, Hariyama and other Fighting-types can cover the Dark-type weakness, mainly Sneasel, as it can pursuit trap Xatu.
