Art by Daylight
All the king’s horses, all the king’s men
Couldn’t put me together again
‘Cause all of my enemies started out friends
Help me hold on to you
[SET]
name: Mold Breaker Sweeper
move 1: Shell Smash
move 2: Judgment
move 3: King's Shield / Steam Eruption
move 4: Spore / King's Shield
item: Pixie Plate
ability: Mold Breaker
nature: Modest
evs: 72 Def / 252 SpA / 184 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
Excellent overall stats and a stellar typing both offensively and defensively make Mold Breaker Xerneas a powerful and resilient sweeper. Additionally, Xerneas's good bulk sets it apart from other Fairy-type Mold Breaker users like Mega Diancie and Mega Gardevoir—whose frailty prevents them from effectively making use of defensive options like King's Shield and Recover. Pixie Plate makes Judgment into a powerful STAB attack, OHKOing targets like standard Mega Gyarados after Stealth Rock and all variants of Mega Rayquaza. After Shell Smash, Judgment also OHKOes Mega Gengar after Stealth Rock, always OHKOes bulky Dialga, and has a high chance to OHKO Wonder Guard Xerneas—guaranteed after Stealth Rock. Additionally, +0 Judgment 2HKOes physically defensive Prankster Giratina. King's Shield makes Xerneas much more resilient versus most common revenge killers—namely -ate Speed users like Mega Abomasnow—as well as forcing out offensive Shadow Tag users like Regigigas and Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X. Alternatively, Steam Eruption OHKOes Primal Groudon and Mega Diancie and gives Xerneas very good neutral coverage, with only extremely specially bulky Pokemon like Blissey and Primal Kyogre able to switch in safely after a Shell Smash. Steam Eruption also allows Xerneas to beat Magic Guard + Toxic Orb Ho-Oh, a niche set that is otherwise very difficult for Xerneas to break. Spore gives Xerneas free turns to set up and is preferred over other disruption moves like Dark Void and Taunt, as alongside Pixie Plate Judgment, it makes Xerneas extremely easy to Imposter-proof with a Safety Goggles Ghost-type teammate like Giratina. However, when supported by teammates like No Guard users and Substitute + Baton Pass users, Xerneas has an easier time setting up without Spore. Consequently, a set with both Steam Eruption for coverage and King's Shield for survivability is viable. The given EV Spread outpaces maximum Speed Adamant Primal Groudon. Alternatively, an EV spread of 180 HP / 252 SpA / 76 Spe can be used to maximize overall bulk while still outpacing Deoxys-S after a Shell Smash.
Mold Breaker Xerneas fits best on balance and bulky offense teams as a late-game wincon. Prankster Giratina is perhaps Xerneas's most notable partner; it provides invaluable counterplay versus opposing Shell Smash sweepers like Primal Groudon and is a blanket check to the many powerful physical attackers of the metagame. More importantly, however, is that Prankster Giratina provides a rock-solid answer to Imposter users impersonating Xerneas, thanks to its Ghost-typing blocking Normal-type Judgement and Safety Goggles blocking Spore. Xerneas appreciates a secondary Mold Breaker teammate, as it is unable to adequately pressure most Wonder Guard Pokemon before a boost. Choice Band Mold Breaker Primal Groudon and Mega Rayquaza are particularly notable teammates, as they pressure most of Xerneas's defensive checks, such as Blissey and Ho-Oh. Huge Power Mega Gyarados, Choice Scarf Imposter Chansey, and Refrigerate Mega Abomasnow are also all excellent teammates for their ability to revenge kill a wide variety of threats, but especially Primal Groudon. Xerneas also appreciates teammates that give it opportunities to set up, such as Substitute + Baton Pass users like Mega Manectric, Mega Swampert, and Wonder Guard Xerneas, as well as No Guard teammates like Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Aerodactyl. Shadow Tag users like Choice Band Mega Mewtwo X and Choice Scarf Primal Groudon are also excellent teammates for their ability to trap and KO Xerneas's checks, especially opposing Primal Groudon. Xerneas sets using Pixie Plate Judgment as their sole attack especially appreciate Shadow Tag users's ability to clear the way for its sweep. Finally, support Wonder Guard users are essential teammates for Xerneas, keeping the field clear of hazards and their team free of status. Additionally, because Xerneas usually lacks recovery, those same teammates can provide it with valuable Wish support, extending its survivability throughout longer games.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Mold Breaker Xerneas can effectively make use of Dark Void or Taunt as alternatives to Spore on sets with Pixie Plate Judgment as their only attack. However, they make Imposter-proofing more difficult; the former requires a Ghost-type teammate with Flame Orb— such as Level 2 Wonder Guard Sableye—while the latter requires an all out attacking Ghost-type teammate. Xerneas can also make use of Earth Power over Steam Eruption for mostly similar neutral coverage, letting it 2HKO Registeel and OHKO Primal Groudon after Shell Smash at the cost of failing to OHKO Primal Groudon before Shell Smash and greater difficulty breaking through Ho-Oh. Xerneas can similarly make use of Fire coverage like Searing Shot or Blue Flare to hit defensive Steel- and Poison-types like Registeel and Mega Venusaur, but such threats are uncommon and doing so leaves Xerneas walled by Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon and without either the additional survivability of King’s Shield or the utility of Spore. Secret Sword is an option that OHKOes Blissey at +0 and 2HKOes Eviolite Chansey and Registeel at +2—all of which can switch into Mold Breaker Xerneas and can force it out with Whirlwind or deprive it of its Pixie Plate with Knock Off—but has limited utility otherwise. Recover and Substitute are alternatives to King's Shield that similarly augment Xerneas's survivability; the former allows for Mold Breaker Xerneas to potentially set up multiple times during a game, while the latter preemptively protects Xerneas against both status and revenge killers. Stealth Rock and other entry hazards are decent options on single attack sets. Volt Switch and U-turn are options over King's Shield or Steam Eruption that take advantage of Mold Breaker to maintain momentum. Sets utilizing Moonblast over Pixie Plate Judgment allow Xerneas to make use of items like Leftovers, Lum Berry, Mental Herb, Shed Shell, and Safety Goggles. However, the loss in power is noticeable and forgoing Judgment makes Xerneas more difficult to Imposter-proof.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Shadow Tag Users**: Mbouchon’s section on Wonder Guard Xerneas already covers all the relevant information.
**Item Removal**: Most Mold Breaker Xerneas sets are extremely reliant on Pixie Plate and item removal in the form of either Trick or Knock Off is nearly akin to KOing Xerneas.
**Special Walls**: Extremely specially bulky Pokemon like Blissey, Eviolite Chansey, Registeel, and the rare RegenVest Primal Kyogre can stomach even boosted Judgments from Mold Breaker Xerneas and force it out with Whirlwind or remove its Pixie Plate with Knock Off. Niche Poison Heal + Toxic Orb variants of such Pokemon are even more problematic for Mold Breaker Xerneas, as it can't make use of sleep luck to break past them. Magic Guard + Toxic Orb Ho-Oh is probably the most effective stop to Mold Breaker Xerneas sets that forgo Steam Eruption; its excellent natural special bulk, resistance to Fairy, and immunity to sleep thanks to Toxic Orb means Xerneas needs at least four turns to break Ho-Oh, giving it ample time to force Xerneas out with Whirlwind or Perish Song. Although extremely niche, Mega Venusaur can similarly put a stop to all but rare Fire coverage sets thanks to its good bulk, resistance to both Fairy and Water, and its immunity to Spore.
**Plate Imposter Users**: Though extremely niche, Iron Plate, Spooky Plate, and Pixie Plate Imposter users directly counter the most common methods of Imposter-proofing Mold Breaker Xerneas.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Daylight, 562267]]
- Quality checked by: [[NToTheN, 569731], [berry, 226455]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Sulo, 528036], [UT, 523866]]
How’s one to know?
I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones
In a faith forgotten land
In from the snow
Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow
Tarnished but so grand
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