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Xatu (BW2 Revamp) [QC 3/3]

superbadd

[Overview]
It's just a revamp, so a lot of the old analysis will be included with some minor tweaking here and there.
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Xatu

  • Excellent ability in Magic Bounce allows it to ward off non attacking move such as stealth rock making it act like a pseudo-spinner
  • Great support move pool allows xatu to take full advantage of its ability and utilize its strengths
  • Acceptable typing, giving it 4x resistance to fighting attacks makes xatu a decent check to choiced fighting type attackers
  • Decent speed and attacking stats makes sure xatu isn't complete set up and can dish out a little bit of damage
  • Reliable healing move in roost allows xatu to maintain longevity throughout the match
  • Quite frail even with investment 65/70/70 is awful and even with max investment it has a hard time taking repeated attacks
  • Often competes with espeon for a team slot, as espeon is a more offensive alternative
  • Pursuit weakness is awful. Tyranitar and scizor can come in and either KO it or trap it.
  • Often used as set up bait, having attack stats doesn't stop bulky substitute mons from doing a number on it

[SET]
name: Totem Pole (Standard)
move 1: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 2: U-turn
move 3: Roost
move 4: Heat Wave / Reflect
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD


[SET COMMENTS]

  • Standard set, bounce backs hazards, destroy hazards setters, heals and spread status
  • Heatwave destroys common hazard setters such as ferrothorn and forretress but should only be used if xatu is on a sun team
  • Roost provides reliable healing through out the match and insures xatu does its job
  • U-turn allows xatu to maintain momentum for its team and can escape a pursuit mon
  • Toxic breaks down walls that can't do shit to xatu
  • Thunder wave cripples speedy sweepers attempting to set up on it
  • Reflect allows xatu to escape from tyranitar's or scizor's pursuit


[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

  • Ev's more focused on defense
  • Focus on defense becuase that's were xatu's best resistances comes in
  • Bold nature for a more powerful heatwave
  • Toss up between status moves depends on what your team needs most
  • Offensive moves fall in the same category as above
  • Ninetails is a great partner as it allows a more powerful heatwave
  • Fits well on sun team in general
  • Works well in conjunction with terrakion
  • Heatran doesn't give a shit about any of it's moves
  • Night shade can be used to provide consistent damage through out the match
  • Xatu can invest 56 speed evs in order to outrun Adamant breloom if your team is desperate for a counter

[OTHER OPTIONS]
  • Xatu can run a dual screens set with reflect/light screen/u-turn/tailwind. It's the only viable DS user with tailwind giving it a niche but it's
    generally outclassed and faces stiff competition with other psychic types like azelf, gothitelle, espeon, or deoxys-d
  • Xatu can use HP fire for more accuracy, but the power level is just so off putting.
  • HP fighting could be used to dent tyranitar and heatran but those are two things you wouldn't want to stay into, to begin with
  • Wish could help teammates but with only a 65 base HP it's not gonna help out too much
  • Foul play and giga drain are two alternative attacking options, but there generally isn't room for either
  • Feather dance could be used to weaken physical attackers, but it's a gimmick at best
  • Haze allows xatu to nullify stat boost making it a great option
  • A scarf or specs set can be used with trick for the surprise factory but generally has no use outside of that
  • Finally swagger and confuse ray can be used in conjunction with T-wave to be extra annoying
[CHECKS AND COUNTERS]
  • Tyranitar can take anything xatu attempts and either destroy it with stab attacks or pursuit trap it
  • Alternatively, scizor can do the same hing but must watch out for heat wave
  • Thunderus-T is immune to t-wave and can set up on xatu or destroy it
  • Landorus-T just like thunderus can set up and kill it, but it has to watch out for toxic.
  • If xatu lacks heat wave steel types make pretty good counters
  • Most notable steel type is heatran who's immune to heat wave and can wear xatu out.
 
This analysis is incomplete.

Reflect, Roost, and U-turn are staples on the main Magic Bounce set, imo. Reflect + Roost to survive hits from weakTar. U-turn to bring in other team players safely. The fourth slot should have Night Shade for constant damage, imo.

I am not sure if this set needs any Speed EVs tbh; Xatu should probably all of its EVs into defenses.

I dunno why anyone would use Xatu as a Dual Screener when Espeon is available in the same tier. If it ends up staying though, it should go Max Speed; it has deceptively high base Speed of 95 to set up Reflect before most of the hard hitters slower than Volcarona can land a hit. max HP / max Spe Timid Nature would be ideal.

It should also play to its strengths, which distinguishes it from Espeon. Tailwind is a big one and should be a staple. Remove Roost and slash U-turn before Haze instead.

Remove Leftovers; Dual Screens need Light Clay.
 
I've tested the Dual Screens and I feel as though it is outclassed by Espeon. Not only are you slower but you are now weak to both Bolt and Beam, and more weaknesses doesn't help. You can't flee with Baton Pass due to legality issues like Espeon can and you're a sitting duck versus Pursuit. I personally think it's OO Material.

I think the main set should look like this:

name: Totem Pole (Standard)
move 1: Toxic / Thunder Wave
move 2: Roost
move 3: Reflect / Heat Wave
move 4: Night Shade / U-turn
item: Leftovers
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD

The Speed EV's are very irrelevant considering no one uses max speed Tyranitar without a Choice Scarf and Xatu is frail as hell so you want maximum defensive investment. 0 Attack IV's isn't worth mentioning really since no one common in OU uses Foul Play, and it still can't 2HKO Xatu (Sableye), so mentioning it isn't necessary. 0 Attack IV's nerfs the slight power U-turn has anyways and it could be crucial when versus a Celebi or Exeggutor (lol). Stress Toxic's superiority over Thunder Wave so you can hit ground types that are common hazard setters like Landorus-T and Hippowdon which you can't beat with Thunder Wave. Heat Wave and U-turn is an option, only really recommended in Sun (put that) if you want momentum and the ability to hit Ferrothorn and Forretress.
 
Has anyone tried a Choice set yet? Xatu gained Heat Wave + Trick along with Magic Bounce, so something such as Psychic/Psyshock / Heat Wave / HP Ground / U-turn or Trick can work. Wanted to see if anyone had success using it
 
Did I ever say anything about a Choice Scarf? I just said if anyone had success with a Choice set in general, as its the one Pokemon that can come in on say Ferrothorn and put pressure with its attacks. I know it probably doesn't deserve a set, but OO at least.
 
Okay, finally did the changes, sorry about the wait. I removed the DS set b/c it just sucks right now due to the high speed nature of the current metagame. Besides tailwind, it doesn't have a niche outside of that to secure the set.
 
[qc]1/3[/qc]

Provided the below are carried out

Thunder Wave first slash over Toxic

U-Turn on its own in the 4th slot, you really need it.

EDIT

Heat Wave in first slot over Reflect tyvm
 
Agreeing with ginga.

On the same conditions

[qc]2/3[/qc]

edit: ok with the heat wave thing; I did say on irc that it seemed odd not to have a proper attacking move there somewhere as primary slash
 
Adding to what my fellow QCs have said, U-turn should be the 2nd move option, followed by Roost and then
Heat Wave / Reflect, with Night Shade in AC. Oh and 56 speed evs in AC to outrun adamant Breloom.

[qc]3/3[/qc]
 
I really believe that Heat Wave should go first and then Reflect. Considering that Heat Wave kills any Scizor that would Pursuit you, Reflect exists solely for Ttar, from which you can already U-turn out on the switch while also doing ok damage.

In the other hand without Heat Wave you must resort in a stall war in order to force the opposing steel type hazard setters out, and some times you can even lose (if you have T-Wave and the opposing Ferrothorn / Skarmory gets paralyzed too often). Also standard Forretress can actually set-up on Reflect Xatu as it will pp stall it, because SR and Rapid Spin combined have 104 pps, which is more than the pps of Reflect / status move / Roost ( 64 with Toxic, 80 with T-Wave), and if you use U-turn you lost the war, as Forretress is slower and will set-up SR.

So definitely put Heat Wave first.
 
Yea either Night Shade or Heat Wave needs to be primary-slashed or otherwise Xatu is a sitting duck against Spikers. With U-turn its sole damaging move, Spikers can set up hazards on the U-turn.
 
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