FatFighter2
zacian waifu :flushed:
[Overview]
Magic Bounce, serviceable bulk, reliable recovery in Roost, and a usable defensive typing allow Xatu to counteract and beat common entry hazard setters in Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. Barely staving off Necrozma-DM, the tier's premier Stealth Rock setter, puts it over its Magic Bounce competitors: Hatterene and Espeon. Additionally, Magic Bounce thwarts many common suicide leads such as Shuckle, Slurpuff, and Mew and deters passive Pokemon such as defensive Zygarde, Blissey, and Toxapex from spreading status. Teleport also allows Xatu to safely pivot its hard-hitting teammates in, such as Choice Band Ho-Oh. However, for the Ubers metagame, Xatu's bulk is paper thin, and weaknesses to common offensive types such as Ice, Ghost, Dark, and Electric exacerbate this. It has next to zero defensive utility outside of preventing entry hazards from Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn, which means that Xatu is hard to fit on teams. Additionally, Xatu is unable to prevent entry hazards from other setters such as Groudon, Landorus-T, and Landorus-I.
[SET]
name: Magic Bounce
move 1: Roost
move 2: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 3: Teleport
move 4: Night Shade
item: Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Thunder Wave is the most common status move, allowing Xatu to punish common switch-ins such as Calyrex-S, Eternatus, and Marshadow. Toxic can also be used to cripple more passive defensive Pokemon, such as Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Groudon. Teleport allows Xatu to safely pivot out to its teammates. Finally, Night Shade is Xatu's most reliable attacking option, considering its incredibly mediocre offensive stats by Ubers standards. Xatu requires full investment in defense to safely tank hits from the main Stealth Rock setter, Necrozma-DM, and recover with Roost in order to PP stall its Sunsteel Strike. Rocky Helmet chips it for trying to break through Xatu with Sunsteel Strike. Leftovers is also an option to more easily take hits from Necrozma-DM; however, Rocky Helmet is generally preferred to lessen Xatu's passivity.
Xatu fits on teams that hate Stealth Rock and its most common setter: defensive Necrozma-DM. Xatu's utter lack of defensive utility beyond Magic Bounce makes using Choice Band Ho-Oh nearly mandatory for it to be worthwhile. Otherwise, it's better to use multiple entry hazard removers to patch up any Stealth Rock weakness. Ho-Oh also appreciates Xatu paralyzing defensive Pokemon such as Eternatus and getting it in safely with Teleport. In return, Ho-Oh's wallbreaking ability makes up for Xatu's passivity, and Ho-Oh spreading burns helps with Xatu’s bulk. Because Xatu is unable to stop Stealth Rock from all entry hazard setters, an entry hazard remover such as Defog Yveltal is greatly appreciated. Specially defensive Yveltal also makes for an especially excellent defensive partner, as Xatu is absolutely terrified of Calyrex-S. Xatu also invites opposing Yveltal in, so it appreciates having a Pokemon to absorb Yveltal's Knock Off. Eternatus does a good job in this regard, additionally absorbing Toxic Spikes and acting as a solid Kyogre check.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Foul Play could potentially be used over Night Shade to surprise setup sweepers such as Groudon and Zekrom, as well as catching Calyrex-S off guard. However, Foul Play is a less reliable attacking option against a large portion of the metagame, and it is a contact move. This risks chip damage from Rocky Helmet and Iron Barbs, which Xatu often can't afford to take due to its paltry bulk.
Checks and Counters
====
**Setup Sweepers**: Xatu's immense passivity means that setup sweepers that can avoid its status move can easily use Xatu as setup fodder. Substitute setup sweepers such as Xerneas and Zekrom, Lum Berry users such as Groudon, and sweepers that are immune to Xatu's chosen status, such as Groudon and Zekrom if running Thunder Wave or Meteor Beam Eternatus if running Toxic, are all able to easily exploit Xatu’s presence on the field.
**Less Common Stealth Rock Setters**: Some not as common, but still viable, Stealth Rock setters, such as Groudon, Landorus-T, and Landorus-I, can threaten Xatu with huge damage and prevent it from consistently stopping Stealth Rock. Groudon and Landorus-T's Stone Edge and Landorus-I's Rock Slide all terrify Xatu. Additionally, all three are immune to Thunder Wave. However, because all of these Pokemon lack reliable recovery, in the long term, the Xatu user should be able to keep Stealth Rock off the field.
**Strong Offensive Threats**: Strong offensive threats such as Calyrex-S, Marshadow, and Groudon can all prey on Xatu's weakness-laden typing and lack of bulk to force it out. However, these Pokemon are all terrified of getting statused when trying to switch in. Thus, they can only come in with pivoting or prediction; however, opportunities aren't too difficult to find because Xatu is constantly forced to heal off the damage taken from Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike with Roost.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[FatFighter2, 526363]]
- Quality checked by: [[SiTuM, 274590], [Minority, 222996]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]
Magic Bounce, serviceable bulk, reliable recovery in Roost, and a usable defensive typing allow Xatu to counteract and beat common entry hazard setters in Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn. Barely staving off Necrozma-DM, the tier's premier Stealth Rock setter, puts it over its Magic Bounce competitors: Hatterene and Espeon. Additionally, Magic Bounce thwarts many common suicide leads such as Shuckle, Slurpuff, and Mew and deters passive Pokemon such as defensive Zygarde, Blissey, and Toxapex from spreading status. Teleport also allows Xatu to safely pivot its hard-hitting teammates in, such as Choice Band Ho-Oh. However, for the Ubers metagame, Xatu's bulk is paper thin, and weaknesses to common offensive types such as Ice, Ghost, Dark, and Electric exacerbate this. It has next to zero defensive utility outside of preventing entry hazards from Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn, which means that Xatu is hard to fit on teams. Additionally, Xatu is unable to prevent entry hazards from other setters such as Groudon, Landorus-T, and Landorus-I.
[SET]
name: Magic Bounce
move 1: Roost
move 2: Thunder Wave / Toxic
move 3: Teleport
move 4: Night Shade
item: Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Thunder Wave is the most common status move, allowing Xatu to punish common switch-ins such as Calyrex-S, Eternatus, and Marshadow. Toxic can also be used to cripple more passive defensive Pokemon, such as Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Groudon. Teleport allows Xatu to safely pivot out to its teammates. Finally, Night Shade is Xatu's most reliable attacking option, considering its incredibly mediocre offensive stats by Ubers standards. Xatu requires full investment in defense to safely tank hits from the main Stealth Rock setter, Necrozma-DM, and recover with Roost in order to PP stall its Sunsteel Strike. Rocky Helmet chips it for trying to break through Xatu with Sunsteel Strike. Leftovers is also an option to more easily take hits from Necrozma-DM; however, Rocky Helmet is generally preferred to lessen Xatu's passivity.
Xatu fits on teams that hate Stealth Rock and its most common setter: defensive Necrozma-DM. Xatu's utter lack of defensive utility beyond Magic Bounce makes using Choice Band Ho-Oh nearly mandatory for it to be worthwhile. Otherwise, it's better to use multiple entry hazard removers to patch up any Stealth Rock weakness. Ho-Oh also appreciates Xatu paralyzing defensive Pokemon such as Eternatus and getting it in safely with Teleport. In return, Ho-Oh's wallbreaking ability makes up for Xatu's passivity, and Ho-Oh spreading burns helps with Xatu’s bulk. Because Xatu is unable to stop Stealth Rock from all entry hazard setters, an entry hazard remover such as Defog Yveltal is greatly appreciated. Specially defensive Yveltal also makes for an especially excellent defensive partner, as Xatu is absolutely terrified of Calyrex-S. Xatu also invites opposing Yveltal in, so it appreciates having a Pokemon to absorb Yveltal's Knock Off. Eternatus does a good job in this regard, additionally absorbing Toxic Spikes and acting as a solid Kyogre check.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Foul Play could potentially be used over Night Shade to surprise setup sweepers such as Groudon and Zekrom, as well as catching Calyrex-S off guard. However, Foul Play is a less reliable attacking option against a large portion of the metagame, and it is a contact move. This risks chip damage from Rocky Helmet and Iron Barbs, which Xatu often can't afford to take due to its paltry bulk.
Checks and Counters
====
**Setup Sweepers**: Xatu's immense passivity means that setup sweepers that can avoid its status move can easily use Xatu as setup fodder. Substitute setup sweepers such as Xerneas and Zekrom, Lum Berry users such as Groudon, and sweepers that are immune to Xatu's chosen status, such as Groudon and Zekrom if running Thunder Wave or Meteor Beam Eternatus if running Toxic, are all able to easily exploit Xatu’s presence on the field.
**Less Common Stealth Rock Setters**: Some not as common, but still viable, Stealth Rock setters, such as Groudon, Landorus-T, and Landorus-I, can threaten Xatu with huge damage and prevent it from consistently stopping Stealth Rock. Groudon and Landorus-T's Stone Edge and Landorus-I's Rock Slide all terrify Xatu. Additionally, all three are immune to Thunder Wave. However, because all of these Pokemon lack reliable recovery, in the long term, the Xatu user should be able to keep Stealth Rock off the field.
**Strong Offensive Threats**: Strong offensive threats such as Calyrex-S, Marshadow, and Groudon can all prey on Xatu's weakness-laden typing and lack of bulk to force it out. However, these Pokemon are all terrified of getting statused when trying to switch in. Thus, they can only come in with pivoting or prediction; however, opportunities aren't too difficult to find because Xatu is constantly forced to heal off the damage taken from Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike with Roost.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[FatFighter2, 526363]]
- Quality checked by: [[SiTuM, 274590], [Minority, 222996]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [dex, 277988]]
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