Stoward
Ah, you're finally awake
[OVERVIEW]
* Solgaleo has an unfortunate place in the Ubers metagame, as it boasts a mediocre offensive typing, a rather average movepool, and an ability that's only really useful against Sticky Web teams and the occasional Intimidate.
* While it has reasonable enough stats and moves to be able to use multiple sets, the presence of Necrozma-DM means that most of those sets are utterly outclassed by it, thus making it hard to justify using Solgaleo in the tier.
* Solgaleo does, however, boast a greater Speed stat than Necrozma-DM that is decent enough to utilize a Choice Scarf, allowing it to become a reasonable offensive check to Xerneas. This paired with its ability Full Metal Body also allows Solgaleo to retain its Speed against Sticky Webs teams.
* With a Choice Scarf, Solgaleo is also a decent answer to cores that try to utilize Psychic Terrain such as Tapu Lele with Deoxys-A or Ultra Necrozma, as it resists both of Tapu Lele's STAB moves, is able to outpace both Deoxys-A and Ultra Necrozma, and OHKOes Deoxys-A and 2HKOes Ultra Necrozma with Sunsteel Strike.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sunsteel Strike
move 2: Flare Blitz
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Wild Charge / Toxic
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Full Metal Body
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Sunsteel Strike is Solgaleo's most powerful STAB move, allowing it to dish out heavy damage to common Fairy-type Pokemon such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy.
* Flare Blitz is used to damage Steel-types that resist Solgaleo's STAB combination. Most notably, Flare Blitz OHKOes Ferrothorn and Mega Lucario and 2HKOes Necrozma-DM and Magearna.
* Earthquake is Solgaleo's most effective way of dishing out damage to Primal Groudon and Mega Gengar, which is otherwise able to trap Solgaleo and remove it from the field. It also helps punish Steel-types without having the drawbacks of recoil damage.
* Stone Edge allows Solgaleo deal with Ho-Oh, even having a 25% chance to OHKO defensive sets. It also pairs well with Earthquake.
* Alternatively, Wild Charge allows Solgaleo to dish out heavy damage to Primal Kyogre while still hitting Ho-Oh for supereffective damage.
* Toxic hits a lot of neutral targets and is Solgaleo's most reliable means of punishing support Arceus formes, which can otherwise be problematic.
Set Details
========
* Choice Scarf Solgaleo is best run with a standard offensive EV spread with maximum Attack and Speed.
* A Jolly nature is used to take advantage of Solgaleo's decent Speed tier, allowing it to outpace Modest Choice Scarf Yveltal and Xerneas.
Usage Tips
========
* Solgaleo tends to be used best as a revenge killer and an offensive check to Xerneas. Make sure to keep it healthy until Xerneas has been removed from the field, as it can take up to 90% from a +2 Focus Blast. Therefore, it is best used late-game, as it's only really useful for revenge killing Xerneas and Psychic Terrain cores.
* If you're facing less offensive teams that aren't using Xerneas, Solgaleo can be used as a decent answer to Arceus-Fairy, Magearna, and Mega Diancie. It can also be used to scout for Toxic.
* While it's primarily a revenge killer, it's important to consider what moves you lock Solgaleo into, as Solgaleo can end up becoming setup fodder for Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre or utterly walled by foes such as Ho-Oh if it's locked into the wrong move.
Team Options
========
* Primal Groudon makes a useful partner for Solgaleo, as Solgaleo's presence allows Primal Groudon to run more offensive sets. It also deals with common Pokemon that threaten Solgaleo such as Mega Gengar, and its immunity to burns and Thunder Wave combined with Solgaleo's immunity to poison means that they can both help prevent each other from being crippled by status. Solgaleo also appreciates the offensive pressure that Primal Groudon generates, especially against threatening foes such as support Arceus formes, opposing Primal Groudon, Mega Gengar, and Yveltal.
* Yveltal is a nice partner for Solgaleo, as it is able to threaten Mega Gengar and Marshadow. It provides the team with a Ground(space)immunity, which Solgaleo greatly appreciates, and in return, it appreciates Solgaleo's ability to threaten Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy, which otherwise wall Yveltal.
* Both Swords Dance and support Arceus-Ground sets make for brilliant partners for Solgaleo, as they're both able to threaten Primal Groudon and Mega Gengar. Swords Dance sets are also especially useful for threatening Ho-Oh, and support sets are useful to deal with Zygarde-C, which otherwise walls Solgaleo and can use it as setup fodder, cripple it with Glare, or dish out heavy damage with Thousand Arrows. Support sets can also remove entry hazards for Solgaleo, preventing it from potentially being worn down and losing its ability to check Xerneas.
* Marshadow deals with many of the Pokemon that threaten Solgaleo, such as Mega Gengar and Arceus-Dark. It also provides the team with some priority, allowing it to easily revenge kill.
* Xerneas is a great partner for Solgaleo, as it threatens the common Dark-type Pokemon that Solgaleo dislikes such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark. It also appreciates Solgaleo's ability to deal with Magearna.
* Ho-Oh makes for a useful partner for Solgaleo, as it resists the Fire- and Ground-type attacks that threaten Solgaleo.
* Mega Salamence and Rayquaza are also useful partners for Solgaleo, since they provide teams with key Fire-type resistances and Ground(space)immunities. Both of them also appreciate Solagleo's ability to check Xerneas, making it easier for Mega Salamence and Rayquaza to sweep.
* Primal Kyogre is a nice partner for Solgaleo, as it's able to threaten the Fire- and Ground-type Pokemon that threaten Solgaleo, such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Arceus-Ground.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A set running Z-Splash with Flame Charge and a filler move can be used to boost Solgaleo's Attack by three stages. This set is best used on Sticky Web hyper offense teams. However, this is outclassed by Necrozma-DM, which finds it easier to set up and can rely on Swords Dance and Rock Polish rather than a single-use Z-Move.
* A bulkier set with Toxic + Morning Sun can be used, but this is set is also outclassed by Necrozma-DM.
* A Calm Mind set can take advantage of Solgaleo's reasonable Special Attack stat, though this is still outclassed by Necrozma-DM.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Almost all of the Ground-types in the Ubers tier have enough natural bulk to survive any of Solgaleo's attacks and can OHKO it with their STAB moves. Primal Groudon is able to OHKO Solgaleo with any of its STAB moves and has enough natural bulk to survive Earthquakes from Solgaleo. Arceus-Ground is able to dish out heavy damage with STAB moves. Support sets are also able to recover off any damage that Solgaleo dishes out. Zygarde-C is completely unfazed by Solgaleo's attacks, as none of them even break its Substitute, allowing it to easily set up in front of Solgaleo and OHKO it with Thousand Arrows.
**Ghost-types**: Mega Gengar is one of the biggest threats to Solgaleo, as it is able to trap Solgaleo and remove it from the field. However, it is OHKOed by Earthquake and 2HKOed by any of Solgaleo's attacks, so it isn't able to switch in to any of Solgaleo's attacks. Marshadow is able to OHKO Solgaleo with Spectral Thief and 2HKO it with Close Combat or Shadow Sneak. Arceus-Ghost is able to survive any of Solgaleo's attacks and OHKO it with STAB moves, and Giratina-O is able to OHKO it with Shadow Force, cripple it with Will-O-Wisp, or OHKO it with Hex if Solgaleo is statused.
**Dark-types**: Yveltal survives any hit and OHKOes with Dark Pulse, and Arceus-Dark survives any hit, can recover off any damage, can cripple it with Will-O-Wisp, and dishes out heavy damage to Solgaleo with Judgement.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh is completely unfazed by most of Solgaleo's attacks. It does have to be careful to avoid Solgaleo if it is locked into Stone Edge, however.
** Primal Kyogre**: All l Primal Kyogre sets beat Solgaleo one-on-one, as physical ones 2HKO it with Liquidation and Earthquake, Calm Mind sets have a chance to OHKO Solgaleo after Stealth Rock with Origin Pulse, and defensive sets are able to 2HKO Solgaleo with Scald, potentially burn Solgaleo, and recover off any of the damage that Solgaleo dishes out with Rest.
**Status**: Although Solgaleo is immune to Toxic, it is heavily crippled by burns, as they remove any offensive presence. Its Speed is cut in half by paralysis, meaning it can't effectively revenge kill foes.
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