Hello friends. This is Fireburn, a longtime Ubers player and scourge of barns everywhere, here to present a somewhat old yet pretty fun team of mine. I’ve personally had a lot of fun playing XY Ubers since it started, I know there are a lot of “GenVunners” around who complain a lot about it being worse than BW2 Ubers (it really isn’t tbh) and it being more matchup based (which is true to some extent because of things like Shadow Tag), but I personally enjoy the XY metagame a lot, particularly things like Sticky Web making unusual Pokemon such as Chesnaught viable, the decreased emphasis on Deo-S/A HO spam with Defog, and all the cool and powerful new threats Pokemon XY brought to the table. I suppose it is harder to build a “flawless” team, but to be honest given the nature of Uber Pokemon I don’t think it was possible to build such a team even in DPP or BW2.
Anyway, let’s get back to the team. Some of you may recognize this team as the one I used against Blim in BOTW. Since then, I've made some modifications to cover some holes better and to try and combat some threats that really annoy this team, mainly Klefki, Calm Mind Arceus, and Hidden Power Fire Xerneas (this team was made before those guys became popular). I never laddered too seriously with this team, but it has still been pretty successful. I won with it in BOTW and did well using it in some Weekend Tournaments, and I gave the team to Hack and Steelskitty who had success with it on the ladder.
The goal of the team is to abuse Life Orb Deoxys-A as much as possible by backing it up with a strong VoltTurn core to buy it as many switch-ins as I can so it can start taking souls with obscenely strong attacks. Once the opponent's core has been broken by Deoxys-A, the rest of my team should be able to clean up what is left. I guess you would technically classify this team as balance, but it can actually be played both aggressively and defensively with mindful use of VoltTurn/double switching which makes it pretty flexible. The key to being successful with this team is liberal use of Deoxys-A and knowing when to use your switching moves.
This team gets its name because Deoxys-A is from space and will jam your face through your rear end if you give it a free turn. :]
P.S: All of my EV spreads are also 100% true, I'm not a lying punk like some of those other guys... :P
The Team
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Landorus-T is really popular right now among a lot of Ubers players and for good reason - it's like Groudon except it doesn't make your team weaker to Blaziken. In all seriousness though, Landorus-T's access to U-turn, Ground/Electric immunities, and Stealth Rock are why its on this team. I originally used a defensive set but switched to Earth Plate after a recommendation from my bud Melee Mewtwo and it works much better, still checking most of the stuff the defensive set does well enough while pressuring threats such as Defog Arceus and Specs Kyogre much more effectively.
Landorus-T's main purpose on this team is to set up Stealth Rock to help beat down birds and give switches to Deoxys-A or other team members with U-turn, being the first of three users of U-turn/Volt Switch this team has. It also checks really dangerous things like Groudon, Ho-Oh, Zekrom, and Blaziken who are all really dangerous otherwise. Although U-turn is mostly for buying Deoxys-A chances to come in, its also nice for pivoting out of things like Kyogre and Gengar pre-Mega evolution that think they can try to nab a free switch. In fact, I'll generally use U-turn first if my opponent has these Pokemon so they dont get a free switch on Landorus-T's Stealth Rock - Kyogre in particular is an important target to weaken to help diminish the power of Water Spout, and even getting one small hit on it goes a long way.
I prefer Adamant to Jolly for more power against things like Arceus and Giratina. It also gives me U-turn switch advantage against Jolly Landorus-T, which is just another excuse to bring in Deoxys-A really. I don't feel like I need to explain anything else about the moveset or EVs that wasn't already covered, though I have been consider dropping the Speed investment just to outrun defensive Yveltal since sometimes this set doesn't quite have enough bulk.
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Roost
Mega Scizor is a pretty popular Mega Evolution in Ubers for its ability to act as a solid check to both Xerneas and Extremekiller Arceus. It is not as good at this as it used to be since Hidden Power Fire Xerneas/Overheat Arceus are getting more popular and the rise of Klefki gives it more competition, but it still does its job well enough. It's a solid offensive support Pokemon that checks some top threats and does what it needs to.
Mega Scizor is actually quite a bit bulkier than normal Scizor which is part of the reason why I'm using it, having Skarmory-level Defense and noticeably higher special bulk. It's main job is to switch into Xerneas, Extremekiller, Gengar, and Mega Kangaskhan and either kill them or use U-turn on a predicted switch to allow Deoxys-A to come in and maintain momentum. Mega Scizor doesn't have the best coverage in the world but it is certainly no slouch offensively, boasting a solid base 150 Attack stat and reasonably powerful moves. Bullet Punch and Roost are standard, and U-turn is pretty obvious too given the purpose of the team. Superpower is needed to check Extremekiller and Kangaskhan, and it has the added bonus of stopping Mega Blaziken from setting up on Mega Scizor. I used to run Toxic, but I mostly just U-turned off Ho-Oh and I was having problems with Ferrothorn so I changed it. It also takes a large chunk out of Klefki so it can't just use Mega Scizor as Spikes fodder.
I'd like to run Pursuit on this for more Gengar insurance, but I don't think I can spare a moveslot for it.
I like max Attack + Adamant just for more power against Xerneas and Arceus. Scizor is generally bulky enough with just max HP so I didn't really see a reason not to run max Attack.
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Rash Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Superpower
- ExtremeSpeed
- Knock Off
Deoxys-A beats Pokemon with move.
For the sake of having more than three lines of description per Pokemon, Life Orb Deoxys-A really is a force and is the main reason why this team works. Simply put, there are only like two common Pokemon that can switch into this set without instantly getting murdered - Yveltal and Klefki, and neither of them are completely safe either since Superpower 2HKOes the latter and does like half to the former. It completely destroys most stall cores and is still quite effective against offense due to having priority and base 150 Speed. It does take good prediction skills to use Deoxys-A to the fullest since it literally can't take any hit, but with all the VoltTurn on this team that problem can be compensated for. Deoxys-A ends up being my win condition in a lot of games, but I mostly just use it as a wallbreaker, bringing it in as often as I can.
Psycho Boost OHKOes basically everything without a Psychic-resistance or a huge Special Defense stat. Even bulky Pokemon like Palkia and Xerneas get straight up OHKOed by this move, and 252 HP Arceus takes like 70ish minimum which is dang impressive for an unboosted attack. Superpower is for Blissey and Dark-types, and is better than Low Kick in this metagame to be quite honest since Superpower 2HKOes Klefki. This is important because Klefki can't come in again after taking a Superpower to the face, which limits its ability to check Deoxys-A. Even then, Klefki will lose to Deoxys-A unless it uses Thunder Wave, which I can use either Landorus-T or Zekrom to absorb. Extreme Speed is mostly there to finish off weakened Scarfers/Klefki/Yveltal, though it is also quite useful to pick off weakened Blaziken or Xerneas if needed. Knock Off is amazing since it utterly destroys things like Aegislash, Mewtwo, Jirachi, and Bronzong that would all otherwise be able to tank Deoxys-A. It also gets significant damage on Lugia and Giratina-A while removing their Leftovers, making it harder for them to come back in on Deoxys-A. Knock Off also kills Gengar without me having to resort to Psycho Boost.
I use Rash over Naive for extra wallbreaking power. I don't like playing the nature guessing game with Deoxys-A against the base 90 Scarfers and I still outrun Mewtwo and Mega Gengar so I didn't really see a reason to run Naive.
Zekrom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Lonely Nature
- Bolt Strike
- Outrage
- Draco Meteor
- Volt Switch
Zekrom is pretty much the reason why most Ubers team run Ground-types. Its usefulness has been greatly augmented in a metagame where birds are more prominent and Latias isn't around to help beat up Kyogre, and it also helps to revenge kill Calm Mind Arceus formes and the dangerous Mega Mewtwo Y. Most Ubers teams need a Scarf or some sort of speed control to not get run over by Mewtwo and Darkrai, and Zekrom easily kills them both while also packing Volt Switch to help maintain the momentum and faciliate the goal of getting Deoxys-A into battle. Zekrom is also usually the cleaner, picking up the pieces Deoxys-A left in its wake.
The moves are pretty straightforward - Bolt Strike is the main STAB attack, boasting impressive killing power even with just an attack boosting nature. Outrage is backup STAB for Dragons in case Zekrom needs to clean and the enemy's Fairy is dead. Draco Meteor is a cool option since it gets a big hit off on Groudon, Gliscor, and Landorus-T and kills Dragons without resorting to Outrage. I used to run Dragon Claw, but Draco Meteor accomplishes most of the stuff Dragon Claw does while giving Zekrom a way to pressure its own checks. Volt Switch doesn't really hurt but its important for maintaining momentum and it gives me another way to get a free switch for Deoxys-A.
I have been considering using Toxic over Draco Meteor and switching back to Adamant nature, just because Toxic gives me a last-ditch defense against Calm Mind Arceus-Electric which this team can struggle with. I hate running Toxic on Scarfers but I might have to suck it up since Arceus-Electric really is a big problem to this team.
EVs are standard. I run Lonely since I need the killing power against Mewtwo Y and Calm Mind Arceus, and Lonely doesn't lower the power of Draco Meteor. I also used it over Naughty since it lets Zekrom tank a hit or two from Kyogre if needed.
Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spd
Timid Nature
- Judgment
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
- Recover
Arceus-Water is the glue, basically. This team uses switching moves a lot and hazards are not conducive to that strategy so I needed some form of hazard control. Arceus-Water is also the obligatory Kyogre check - it's not a particularly good one, but between Zekrom, SpD Xerneas, and Earth Plate Landorus/switch move spam to help soften up its Water Spout it's usually adequate. What Arceus-Water does do well, however, is be the glue - it soft-checks tons of Pokemon like EKiller, Ho-Oh, Kyurem-W, Kyogre, Ground-types, and Flash Cannon Dialga, and is probably the most reliable Defogger because of that since it gets a fair amount of opportunities to come in. Not much else to say about it really, it's a support Arceus forme and Waterceus is one of the best ones.
Judgment is the STAB move, chosen over Surf because it does more damage quite simply. Will-O-Wisp is a great move on this thing since Fire-types won't switch in and it lets Arceus-Water act as a backup check to Extremekiller, especially if it has a Fire move. It also gives me a way to check Swords Dance Arceus-Ground which is an entirely different beast of its own. Will-O-Wisp is also important for residual damage on things like other support Arceus, Ferrothorn, and Dialga to make them easier to kill. Defog and Recover should be self-explanatory.
96 Speed EVs outrun Palkia, whereas the rest goes to bulk with a focus on Defense to help against EKiller, Ho-Oh, Groundmons, and Blaziken since I'm not using bulky Landorus-T or Scizor.
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 252 SDef / 248 HP / 8 Spd
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
This used to be a Sylveon, which performs just as well or better than SpD Xerneas in most cases. However, I also felt that Sylveon was accentuating some weaknesses of my team; namely, it was setup fodder for Calm Mind Arceus and Hidden Power Fire Geomancy Xerneas. My team also didn't use Wish support that much in practice, nor did it need Heal Bell so much as something to just switch in on and absorb the status. Sylveon was a great team member, but the weaknesses it was accentuating were too great so I decided to switch to Xerneas.
Xerneas's main role on the team is actually to check Yveltal, who is otherwise a pretty big threat to the rest of my Pokemon and especially Deoxys-A. It does a lot more aside from that though - it also walls Dialga without Flash Cannon and Palkia very nicely, provides me with a status absorber, and gives me a way to soft-check CM Arceus via phazing until I can get it into a good position for me to KO with Deoxys-A or Zekrom. This set can also check other Xerneas as well - my Xerneas always lives +2 Moonblast after SR and phazes it with Roar, neutralizing Geomancy. Xerneas can also act as a backup check to Scarf Kyogre since it isn't 2HKOed by Modest Surf and can stall rain turns or fish for Moonblast SpA drops if necessary. Xerneas doesn't usually come out much if I play correctly, but when it does it performs very well.
Moveset is totally standard save Roar, which I need to phaze Geomancy Xerneas and CM Arceus formes. EVs are also standard SpD Xerneas as well, with the leftovers going into Speed to creep other defensive Xerneas.
Ironically, this slot was originally Unaware Clefable which totally fixed my CM Arceus problem and helped against Xerneas. However, Clefable's stats were too mediocre to reliably check Life Orb Yveltal and Lustrous Orb Palkia, so that prompted me to change it initially to Sylveon, then later to Xerneas.
Threats
Calm Mind Arceus-Electric - Honestly this is the single biggest threat to the team, I lack Toxic and have no quick way of killing it since Landorus-T just dies to Ice Beam. Basically I try to burn it with my Arceus and then phaze it and hope SR + Burn puts it into kill range for Deoxys-A or Zekrom. My team can handle most of the other CM formes well enough I think.
Hidden Power Fire Mega Gengar - Makes me very sad. MGar teams are where you really have to abuse Deo-A as much as possible.
Stall Mewtwo - Don't have a way to quickly kill this aside from Zekrom or Deoxys-A, neither of which enjoy getting burned.
Scarf Kyogre - This team can handle it, but a well-played one can still cause massive damage since I don't have Palkia. Other sets aren't as threatening since they are slow.
Overheat Extremekiller - Forces me to use Arceus-Water to check it which is a pain.
Klefki - It can't stall Arceus-Water as well as it can other support Arceus sets but its still annoying with Prankster Spikes/Thunder Wave. It is very difficult to kill if my opponent uses it right.
Spiritomb - If you use this Pokemon then I can rest easy knowing you resorted to a counterteam. :]
Conclusion
This team has served me well and though its a bit outdated I think it can still perform well. Feel free to use it as you wish, XY Ubers is a fun metagame and I encourage you to get into it! Just don't replace Deoxys-A with Trick Room Victini.
Shoutout to Melee Mewtwo for the Earth Plate Landorus-T suggestion, its a great set. Also to orch for finally convincing me that Dragon Claw on Scarf Zekrom was kind of stupid. :p
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Roost
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Rash Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Superpower
- ExtremeSpeed
- Knock Off
Zekrom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Lonely Nature
- Bolt Strike
- Outrage
- Draco Meteor
- Volt Switch
Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spd
Timid Nature
- Judgment
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
- Recover
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 252 SDef / 248 HP / 8 Spd
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- U-turn
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Adamant Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Roost
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Rash Nature
- Psycho Boost
- Superpower
- ExtremeSpeed
- Knock Off
Zekrom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Lonely Nature
- Bolt Strike
- Outrage
- Draco Meteor
- Volt Switch
Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spd
Timid Nature
- Judgment
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
- Recover
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 252 SDef / 248 HP / 8 Spd
Calm Nature
- Moonblast
- Roar
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
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