[OVERVIEW]
* Solgaleo is able to counter many Xerneas variants by virtue of its typing and above average defensive stats.
* It has access to reliable recovery via Morning Sun, which is rare among Xerneas answers.
* An above average Attack stat allows Solgaleo to run offensive sets, KOing Xerneas after a bit of prior damage or putting it into range of priority moves.
* Its wide coverage allows it to hit the vast majority of the metagame for decent damage.
* It is able to deal with Deoxys-A well, countering variants that do not carry Knock Off.
* An excellent ability in Full Metal Body allows Solgaleo to avoid Attack and Speed drops from Intimidate and Sticky Web.
* Solgaleo is hindered by its weakness to Ghost-types, which leaves it vulnerable to being revenge killed by Mega Gengar.
* Weaknesses to Ground- and Dark-types, two of the most viable types in the tier, do not help Solgaleo's defensive utility.
* It lacks the power to break through some walls, as Steel / Psychic is not the best offensive typing in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Offensive Utility
move 1: Sunsteel Strike
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Earthquake / Flare Blitz
move 4: Flare Blitz / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Full Metal Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sunsteel Strike is the mandatory STAB move and deals major damage to Fairy- and Rock-types.
* Toxic allows Solgaleo to cripple bulky Arceus formes and offensive Arceus formes with Recover, which otherwise wall it.
* Alternatively, Morning Sun can be used for extra longevity, but it can cause a loss in momentum due to requiring use nearly every time Solgaleo switches in to an attack.
* Earthquake hits the Pokemon that resist Sunsteel Strike, notably including Primal Groudon.
* Flare Blitz can be used to hit the Pokemon that are immune to Toxic and otherwise wall this set, such as Ferrothorn, Bronzong, Magearna, and Mega Scizor.
* Stone Edge hits Ho-Oh, which otherwise walls this set.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature is used to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum Speed allows Solgaleo to outspeed most support Arceus formes as well as neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
* Bring Solgaleo into resisted hits from Pokemon that it can threaten out or that do not threaten it to gain Leftovers recovery and apply pressure.
* Try to catch Pokemon that Solgaleo cannot hit hard with its coverage, such as bulky Arceus formes, with Toxic on the switch in, as Solgaleo generally cannot stay in to tank powerful hits.
* Keep Solgaleo as healthy as possible, as it needs to be at near-full HP to check Geomancy Xerneas.
* Note that unlike the specially defensive set, this set should not switch into unresisted special attacks such as Judgment from Arceus-Water.
* Avoid burns and paralysis, as the former heavily reduce Solgaleo's ability to deal with Fairy-types and the latter takes away its ability to reliably use its coverage options and cripple support Arceus formes.
Team Options
========
* Other Pokemon on offense archetypes, such as Mega Salamence, appreciate Solgaleo's ability to check Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch; Mega Salamence also appreciates Solgaleo's ability to wear down support Arceus formes and other physical walls such as Lugia.
* Yveltal can switch into Primal Groudon and defensive variants can check Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, while Solgaleo deals with the Fairy-types that threaten it such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas.
* Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Fairy can deal with Mega Salamence and Yveltal, the former of which uses Solgaleo as setup fodder if it isn't carrying Toxic.
*Giratina-O and support Arceus formes can remove entry hazards for Solgaleo, which is especially important for this set as a few layers of Spikes will put it in range of +2 Xerneas's attacks; the former also deals with Ground-types that threaten Solgaleo such as Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground.
* Deoxys-A can pressure support Arceus formes as well as Mega Gengar, which can both be frustrating for Solgaleo to deal with.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Sunsteel Strike
move 2: Morning Sun
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Earthquake / Flare Blitz
item: Leftovers
ability: Full Metal Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sunsteel Strike is the mandatory STAB move, allowing Solgaleo to check Xerneas and other Fairy-types as well as dealing decent damage to anything that doesn't resist it.
* Morning Sun provides reliable recovery and allows Solgaleo to continuously switch into resisted hits and recover the damage.
* Toxic allows Solgaleo to put Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and support Arceus formes on a timer, which otherwise switch into Solgaleo with ease.
* Earthquake allows this set to have a shot at OHKOing Mega Gengar and a good chance to do so after Stealth Rock damage, and hits Primal Groudon and opposing Solgaleo for decent damage.
* Flare Blitz hits the Steel-types that otherwise wall Solgaleo, such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Bronzong, and Mega Scizor.
Set Details
========
* The HP and Special Defense investment allows Solgaleo to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Gengar's unboosted Hex.
* The Attack investment with an Adamant nature allows Solgaleo to OHKO Mega Gengar and makes it easier to deal with Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas.
* Alternatively, if not running Earthquake, the Attack investment can be shifted to HP or Defense to allow Solgaleo to tank hits easier.
* Leftovers provides passive recovery.
* 8 EVs could be shifted to Speed to allow Solgaleo to outspeed most Primal Groudon variants.
* A Careful nature can be used to give Solgaleo a better chance to avoid the 2HKO from +2 Xerneas's Hidden Power Ground.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch Solgaleo into resisted hits, such as Xerneas's Moonblast, to fire off an attack or spread status.
* If facing teams built around Psychic Terrain, keep Solgaleo healthy as long as possible, as it does well against such teams, being able to check staple Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Deoxys-A.
* Avoid burns by not switching Solgaleo directly into potential Will-O-Wisps or Scalds, as a burn is highly detrimental to its ability to check Xerneas.
* Be wary of opposing Mega Gengar / Xerneas cores, as getting trapped by the former makes it significantly more difficult to check the latter.
Team Options
========
* Teammates that appreciate this set's ability to easily switch into most Xerneas variants, such as Giratina-O, Yveltal, and bulky Arceus formes, make good partners.
* Likewise, setup sweepers that appreciate Solgaleo's ability to cripple bulky walls such as support Arceus formes and Giratina-O, such as Primal Groudon and Mega Salamence, pair well with it; the former is also able to switch into Primal Kyogre, which completely walls this set, and provides entry hazard support to further wear down walls.
* Zygarde-C is able to cover most of Solgaleo's offensive answers, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Swords Dance Arceus formes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Using Normalium Z as the item and Splash/Sunsteel Strike/Earthquake as the moveset with Flame Charge or another coverage move in the final slot allows Solgaleo to function as a late-game sweeper in some scenarios, with Z-Splash boosting its Attack by 3 stages and Flame Charge giving it a Speed boost and picking off weakened threats at +3. This set functions best with Sticky Web, allowing Solgaleo to run another coverage move instead of Flame Charge.
* A Calm Mind set is an option to take advantage of Solgaleo's decent Special Attack; however, this leaves it unable to deal much damage before a boost and makes it harder for it to deal with Geomancy Xerneas.
* Thunder Wave can be used on the specially defensive set to emergency check Mega Salamence and other setup sweepers.
* Electrium Z with Wild Charge can be used to allow Solgaleo to OHKO Ho-Oh, KO Primal Kyogre and Yveltal after Stealth Rock damage, and 2HKO Arceus-Water, and also allows Solgaleo to run Flare Blitz in the last moveslot for maximum coverage.
* If used with Psychic Terrain support, running a set with Sunsteel Strike/Zen Headbutt/Work Up/coverage move and Psychium Z as the item is a possibility to deal major damage with a Psychic Terrain- and Work Up-boosted Zen Headbutt.
* A Choice Scarf set is an option to allow Solgaleo to revenge kill some Geomancy Xerneas variants as well as Mega Gengar, but is usually a liability, as being locked into a move can cause Solgaleo to become setup fodder.
* Assault Vest can be used to make it easier to take on the likes of Xerneas and Mega Gengar; if it's used, Wild Charge should be in the fourth moveslot.
* Expert Belt can be used to take advantage of Solgaleo's impressive coverage, and should be played similarly to the offensive utility set. However, it becomes setup fodder for the likes of Mega Salamence and Arceus-Ground.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can trap and eliminate specially defensive Solgaleo most of the time if carrying Shadow Ball, while it outright KOs offensive variants; however, it cannot switch directly into an attack.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types, such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, and Mega Sableye, can all take hits from Solgaleo and beat it one-on-one.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types, such as Arceus-Ground, Zygarde-C, and Primal Groudon, can easily take a hit from Solgaleo and proceed to Defog, set up entry hazards, or KO it with their respective STAB moves. However, Primal Groudon should be wary of switching into Earthquake.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types, such as Giratina-O, Lunala, Mega Gengar, and Arceus-Ghost, can all threaten or KO Solgaleo with their respective STAB moves.
**Setup Sweepers**: Setup sweepers are especially a problem for Solgaleo variants without Toxic, as Arceus-Ground and Mega Salamence can easily use them as setup fodder.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh cannot be OHKOed by variants not running Stone Edge, as it takes a Wild Charge, and can proceed to OHKO Solgaleo with Sacred Fire.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre counters Solgaleo that are not running Wild Charge, as it resists Sunsteel Strike, can Rest off Toxic, and can 2HKO Solgaleo with its STAB moves.
* Solgaleo is able to counter many Xerneas variants by virtue of its typing and above average defensive stats.
* It has access to reliable recovery via Morning Sun, which is rare among Xerneas answers.
* An above average Attack stat allows Solgaleo to run offensive sets, KOing Xerneas after a bit of prior damage or putting it into range of priority moves.
* Its wide coverage allows it to hit the vast majority of the metagame for decent damage.
* It is able to deal with Deoxys-A well, countering variants that do not carry Knock Off.
* An excellent ability in Full Metal Body allows Solgaleo to avoid Attack and Speed drops from Intimidate and Sticky Web.
* Solgaleo is hindered by its weakness to Ghost-types, which leaves it vulnerable to being revenge killed by Mega Gengar.
* Weaknesses to Ground- and Dark-types, two of the most viable types in the tier, do not help Solgaleo's defensive utility.
* It lacks the power to break through some walls, as Steel / Psychic is not the best offensive typing in the metagame.
[SET]
name: Offensive Utility
move 1: Sunsteel Strike
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Earthquake / Flare Blitz
move 4: Flare Blitz / Stone Edge
item: Leftovers
ability: Full Metal Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sunsteel Strike is the mandatory STAB move and deals major damage to Fairy- and Rock-types.
* Toxic allows Solgaleo to cripple bulky Arceus formes and offensive Arceus formes with Recover, which otherwise wall it.
* Alternatively, Morning Sun can be used for extra longevity, but it can cause a loss in momentum due to requiring use nearly every time Solgaleo switches in to an attack.
* Earthquake hits the Pokemon that resist Sunsteel Strike, notably including Primal Groudon.
* Flare Blitz can be used to hit the Pokemon that are immune to Toxic and otherwise wall this set, such as Ferrothorn, Bronzong, Magearna, and Mega Scizor.
* Stone Edge hits Ho-Oh, which otherwise walls this set.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature is used to hit as hard as possible.
* Maximum Speed allows Solgaleo to outspeed most support Arceus formes as well as neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
* Bring Solgaleo into resisted hits from Pokemon that it can threaten out or that do not threaten it to gain Leftovers recovery and apply pressure.
* Try to catch Pokemon that Solgaleo cannot hit hard with its coverage, such as bulky Arceus formes, with Toxic on the switch in, as Solgaleo generally cannot stay in to tank powerful hits.
* Keep Solgaleo as healthy as possible, as it needs to be at near-full HP to check Geomancy Xerneas.
* Note that unlike the specially defensive set, this set should not switch into unresisted special attacks such as Judgment from Arceus-Water.
* Avoid burns and paralysis, as the former heavily reduce Solgaleo's ability to deal with Fairy-types and the latter takes away its ability to reliably use its coverage options and cripple support Arceus formes.
Team Options
========
* Other Pokemon on offense archetypes, such as Mega Salamence, appreciate Solgaleo's ability to check Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch; Mega Salamence also appreciates Solgaleo's ability to wear down support Arceus formes and other physical walls such as Lugia.
* Yveltal can switch into Primal Groudon and defensive variants can check Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, while Solgaleo deals with the Fairy-types that threaten it such as Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas.
* Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Fairy can deal with Mega Salamence and Yveltal, the former of which uses Solgaleo as setup fodder if it isn't carrying Toxic.
*Giratina-O and support Arceus formes can remove entry hazards for Solgaleo, which is especially important for this set as a few layers of Spikes will put it in range of +2 Xerneas's attacks; the former also deals with Ground-types that threaten Solgaleo such as Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground.
* Deoxys-A can pressure support Arceus formes as well as Mega Gengar, which can both be frustrating for Solgaleo to deal with.
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Sunsteel Strike
move 2: Morning Sun
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Earthquake / Flare Blitz
item: Leftovers
ability: Full Metal Body
nature: Adamant
evs: 248 HP / 8 Atk / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sunsteel Strike is the mandatory STAB move, allowing Solgaleo to check Xerneas and other Fairy-types as well as dealing decent damage to anything that doesn't resist it.
* Morning Sun provides reliable recovery and allows Solgaleo to continuously switch into resisted hits and recover the damage.
* Toxic allows Solgaleo to put Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, Giratina-O and support Arceus formes on a timer, which otherwise switch into Solgaleo with ease.
* Earthquake allows this set to have a shot at OHKOing Mega Gengar and a good chance to do so after Stealth Rock damage, and hits Primal Groudon and opposing Solgaleo for decent damage.
* Flare Blitz hits the Steel-types that otherwise wall Solgaleo, such as Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Bronzong, and Mega Scizor.
Set Details
========
* The HP and Special Defense investment allows Solgaleo to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Gengar's unboosted Hex.
* The Attack investment with an Adamant nature allows Solgaleo to OHKO Mega Gengar and makes it easier to deal with Ingrain Z-Geomancy Xerneas.
* Alternatively, if not running Earthquake, the Attack investment can be shifted to HP or Defense to allow Solgaleo to tank hits easier.
* Leftovers provides passive recovery.
* 8 EVs could be shifted to Speed to allow Solgaleo to outspeed most Primal Groudon variants.
* A Careful nature can be used to give Solgaleo a better chance to avoid the 2HKO from +2 Xerneas's Hidden Power Ground.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch Solgaleo into resisted hits, such as Xerneas's Moonblast, to fire off an attack or spread status.
* If facing teams built around Psychic Terrain, keep Solgaleo healthy as long as possible, as it does well against such teams, being able to check staple Pokemon such as Tapu Lele and Deoxys-A.
* Avoid burns by not switching Solgaleo directly into potential Will-O-Wisps or Scalds, as a burn is highly detrimental to its ability to check Xerneas.
* Be wary of opposing Mega Gengar / Xerneas cores, as getting trapped by the former makes it significantly more difficult to check the latter.
Team Options
========
* Teammates that appreciate this set's ability to easily switch into most Xerneas variants, such as Giratina-O, Yveltal, and bulky Arceus formes, make good partners.
* Likewise, setup sweepers that appreciate Solgaleo's ability to cripple bulky walls such as support Arceus formes and Giratina-O, such as Primal Groudon and Mega Salamence, pair well with it; the former is also able to switch into Primal Kyogre, which completely walls this set, and provides entry hazard support to further wear down walls.
* Zygarde-C is able to cover most of Solgaleo's offensive answers, such as Primal Groudon, Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Swords Dance Arceus formes.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Using Normalium Z as the item and Splash/Sunsteel Strike/Earthquake as the moveset with Flame Charge or another coverage move in the final slot allows Solgaleo to function as a late-game sweeper in some scenarios, with Z-Splash boosting its Attack by 3 stages and Flame Charge giving it a Speed boost and picking off weakened threats at +3. This set functions best with Sticky Web, allowing Solgaleo to run another coverage move instead of Flame Charge.
* A Calm Mind set is an option to take advantage of Solgaleo's decent Special Attack; however, this leaves it unable to deal much damage before a boost and makes it harder for it to deal with Geomancy Xerneas.
* Thunder Wave can be used on the specially defensive set to emergency check Mega Salamence and other setup sweepers.
* Electrium Z with Wild Charge can be used to allow Solgaleo to OHKO Ho-Oh, KO Primal Kyogre and Yveltal after Stealth Rock damage, and 2HKO Arceus-Water, and also allows Solgaleo to run Flare Blitz in the last moveslot for maximum coverage.
* If used with Psychic Terrain support, running a set with Sunsteel Strike/Zen Headbutt/Work Up/coverage move and Psychium Z as the item is a possibility to deal major damage with a Psychic Terrain- and Work Up-boosted Zen Headbutt.
* A Choice Scarf set is an option to allow Solgaleo to revenge kill some Geomancy Xerneas variants as well as Mega Gengar, but is usually a liability, as being locked into a move can cause Solgaleo to become setup fodder.
* Assault Vest can be used to make it easier to take on the likes of Xerneas and Mega Gengar; if it's used, Wild Charge should be in the fourth moveslot.
* Expert Belt can be used to take advantage of Solgaleo's impressive coverage, and should be played similarly to the offensive utility set. However, it becomes setup fodder for the likes of Mega Salamence and Arceus-Ground.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can trap and eliminate specially defensive Solgaleo most of the time if carrying Shadow Ball, while it outright KOs offensive variants; however, it cannot switch directly into an attack.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types, such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, and Mega Sableye, can all take hits from Solgaleo and beat it one-on-one.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types, such as Arceus-Ground, Zygarde-C, and Primal Groudon, can easily take a hit from Solgaleo and proceed to Defog, set up entry hazards, or KO it with their respective STAB moves. However, Primal Groudon should be wary of switching into Earthquake.
**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types, such as Giratina-O, Lunala, Mega Gengar, and Arceus-Ghost, can all threaten or KO Solgaleo with their respective STAB moves.
**Setup Sweepers**: Setup sweepers are especially a problem for Solgaleo variants without Toxic, as Arceus-Ground and Mega Salamence can easily use them as setup fodder.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh cannot be OHKOed by variants not running Stone Edge, as it takes a Wild Charge, and can proceed to OHKO Solgaleo with Sacred Fire.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre counters Solgaleo that are not running Wild Charge, as it resists Sunsteel Strike, can Rest off Toxic, and can 2HKO Solgaleo with its STAB moves.
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