Okay this is my personal opinion so feel free to quote me back but please don't attack me or anything.
I strongly agree with this. Xerneas is still n.1 threat that every team must prepare. If you ask yourselves while building new Ubers team, "what things should I prepare for", I can confidently assume the first two threats will be Primal Groudon and Xerneas (or maybe stuff like Mega Salamence and Marshadow). Geomancy sets have much more counterplay at this point, but as mentioned, there are very few 'mons that are able to simultaneously handle both Geomancy and Z-Geomancy sets, which both of them are very threatening to any teams at their own rights. Also Xerneas is a cleric that actually has some offensive presence unlike stuff like Chansey or Magearna, meaning it is able to support its team in offensive teams other than just sitting on a bench and waiting for its checks to be in range of KO.
Very nice VR we've got here...compliments to the makers. However...there are 2 things I strongly disagree with...Please change the following.
1. Xerneas A+ -----> S beneath Yveltal or between Yveltal and Dusk Mane.
Xerneas is not at the level of Marshadow, Mega Gengar, Mega Salamence or Zygarde. Every decent Uber teambuilder prepares for Pdon and Xerneas. Xerneas alone requires either Dusk Mane, Magearna, Ferrothorn, Celesteela or some form of counter in your team, because not only is it the most dangerous sweeper Pokearth will ever know, but it's also defensive as well. Tell me one Pokemon that switches in on it and OHKO's it and you'll get an applause. Not to be forgotten that Xerneas is still able to 2 OHKO all of them, bar Assault Vest Dusk Mane and Magearna. And that's the deal...Xerneas will always make something faint. This requirement to prepare for it, its versatility (geo, z-geo, scarf) and its surprise factor( tb, thunder, hp ground, grass knot, psyshock, focus blast, aromatherapy , heck even defog) is what separates it from the other mons. It is definitely S-stuff, even with the presence of Dusk Mane.
I personally disagree with both of these statements. I do believe Xerneas is a big threat, but I also believe Xerneas is fine at A+. Yes, it is easily the most powerful A+, and yes, it can be a scarfer and sweeper, I believe that it's niche that it had in its role in SM Meta has been less effective in recent USUM times. We have a few examples here, all very useful and effective examples of why Xerneas should stay A+. Solgaleo-Dusk-Mane has been a new mon released in the USUM meta, and with great bulk and offensive presence, it can handle a +2 HP Ground or Focus Blast and OHKO back with Sunsteel Strike. Another note to this is even bulky Dusk Mane can still 3HKO an Xerneas that has already set up Z-Geomancy, and does so the Majority of the time.
0 Atk Necrozma-Dusk-Mane Sunsteel Strike vs. +1 248 HP / 252+ Def Xerneas: 158-188 (34.7 - 41.3%) -- 68.7% chance to 3HKO after Ingrain recovery
And if you're running the Adamant 76 EVs in Attack set (Which you should for gauranteed OHKO on reg GeoXern)
76+ Atk Necrozma-Dusk-Mane Sunsteel Strike vs. +1 248 HP / 252+ Def Xerneas: 186-218 (40.8 - 47.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Ingrain recovery
And a +3 SpA Z-Geo Xerneas to Dusk Mane-
+3 0 SpA Fairy Aura Xerneas Moonblast vs. 252 HP / 176 SpD Necrozma-Dusk-Mane: 169-199 (42.4 - 50%) -- 0.4% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
This means that SpD Dusk-Mane can freely switch in on any and all Xerneas freely and thus 3HKO or OHKO the Xerneas depending on the set. This pokemon as an S Rank also means it makes appearances on many teams, which brings usually 2 checks to Xerneas on each team if it has this pokemon, assuming the team also has Primal Groudon (which chances are it does). This lowers Xerneas niche as a sweeper a good amount, which is only 1 reason it fell to A+. Not to mention Ultra Necrozma's base form is usually Dusk-Mane, giving it a chance to live a +2 HP Ground and proceed to either Photon Geyser it or use Sunsteel Strike, if it is choosing to run Sunsteel Strike on it's set. The only real reason Xerneas would have gotten better in USUM is because it can beat Yveltal as Yveltals usage has rose dramatically in recent times.
Now with the dramatic rise of Yveltal, there has been one mon that has rose up the ranks to fend off Yveltal, while also fending off Xerneas at the same time. And you know which pokemon this is because there are like 0 mons that do this besides this mon, but it's Magearna. Magearna can counter/check all 4 Xerneas sets, ranging from living a +2 HP Ground or Focus Blast and proceeding to Heart Swap the boosts to Magearna, then defeating the Xerneas. And when handling Z-Geomancy Xerneas, it can switch in on rocks and still live 2 +3 Moonblasts, then Heart Swap the boosts towards Magearna and possibly Pain Split up to get more health or kill the Xerneas. Now yes, Magearna was a thing in the SM meta too and could still do all these things. But in USUM and the rise of Yveltal, Magearna has rose 2 ranks to A-, making it a more used check/counter to Xerneas. After all of these things, I do very strongly believe Xerneas should remain A+.
Very nice VR we've got here...compliments to the makers. However...there are 2 things I strongly disagree with...Please change the following.
Gothitelle A -----> A+ between Zygarde and Megamence
Same goes here. Goth separates itself from Ho-oh, Pogre and Arceus-Ground. Ho-oh is hampered too much in the current balanced meta, where it struggles to break through defensive mons. And with the intro of Dusk Mane, the meta found a very viable stealth rock setter. Pogre gets shut down and taken out by Pdon, which every team posesses. And Arceus-Ground has almost no defensive utility outside taking out Pdon and defog. Ground is not a very good typing for defense. I'm not saying these pokes are bad...not at all. But in the current meta, goth separates itself. It takes out every defensive mon, bar the gimmicky support darkceus and volt-switch Magearna, thus providing invaluable support to the team. And believe me...it is damn good in what is does. Every team uses supportceus and another defensive mon at the mo. Goth therefore is just too good to be just A.
I disagree with this also. Way back when in the SM meta, balance was every where. Many teams had a support Arceus in the SM Meta, letting Gothitelle set up on many teams. However, arguable statement coming, Gothitelle was kind of match-up based. Gothitelle isnt the bulkiest thing in the world, for an Ubers mon it's very frail, actually, and for an Ubers mon built to be bulky, it's very frail. This wasn't a problem when you can set up on every balance team though. And still, in USUM, you can still set up on every balance team, that's why it is A Rank. But in recent USUM, balance is now overshadowed by the overwhelming power of Offense, which many people go for now. Many teams have been opting for Bulky Offense recently, and Gothitelle is just so weak defensively it can not set up on heavily forced Offensive Pokemon, which is many Pokemon recently. This was fine in the SM Meta where Offense teams were less used and overshadowed by Balance, but now Offensive teams are so rapidly thrown out there, they are literally everywhere. And this is the problem with Gothitelle being so match up based, in a time where Balance was every where, this was nearly beneficial, but now when Offense is every where Gothitelle seems to have more problems rising up, because Gothitelle's niche lacks against Offense, not to the point where Gothitelle is unusable, but to the point where Gothitelle's niche is hindered a lot against this type of team, which is a bigger problem now because this type of team is used more. The main reason Gothitelle is A is because it can rip apart certain archetypes, such as Balance. I do believe that it can not be any higher than A Rank until we see the use of Offense die down a bit and see the use of Balance rise up.
Arceus-Flying
