Gen 5 Xatu (Revamp) [Done]

[Caetano93]

[OVERVIEW]

Xatu has a niche in the OU metagame as the best Magic Bounce user and one of the best sources of entry hazard control. Xatu is able to completely shut down passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Hippowdon while also being a soft check to most Ground- and Grass-types. However, it has mediocre base stats, a shallow offensive movepool, and an exploitable defensive typing that makes it vulnerable to a lot of the metagame's offensive threats, including very effective Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran, and Jirachi. Once these Pokemon set Stealth Rock, Xatu's Stealth Rock weakness becomes a thorn in its side.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Roost
move 2: Night Shade
move 3: Reflect / Feather Dance
move 4: U-turn / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Impish / Bold
evs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Roost is Xatu's best recovery move and can help it by removing its Volt Switch weakness. Night Shade breaks Substitute and does good damage to the vast majority of the metagame. Reflect and Feather Dance have basically the same function: weaken Tyranitar so it can't Pursuit trap Xatu. They also have the utility of softening physical offensive pressure for Xatu's teammates. Reflect has more PP and helps Xatu's teammates even if the foe switches out, so it's generally superior, but Feather Dance never needs renewal turns and can be stacked, helping Xatu stall out Tyranitar that get Crunch Defense drops or use moves that don't activate Rocky Helmet like Stone Edge and Ice Beam. Feather Dance is also less exploitable by Swords Dance sweepers like Gliscor and Breloom. U-turn is Xatu's best option to keep momentum and avoid being setup fodder, since it is a bit frail and passive, but Toxic can be used to remove a bit of Xatu's passivity if its teammates don't care about the momentum U-turn generates. However, Toxic makes Xatu vulnerable to Reuniclus and Celebi. Rocky Helmet, alongside Reflect or Feather Dance, lets Xatu outstall a Tyranitar that tries to Pursuit trap it, as well punish Landorus-T's U-turn, Breloom's Facade, Skarmory's Brave Bird, and Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball.

Set Details
========
252 HP and 184 Defense EVs let Xatu never be 2HKOed by standard Tyranitar's Crunch, even with sand damage, after Reflect or Feather Dance. 72 Speed EVs make Xatu faster than all Tyranitar. Impish is the prefered nature if U-turn is being used. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 SpD with 30 Speed IVs can be used to underspeed utility Gliscor so it can't set Stealth Rock after Xatu's U-turn, and to never be 2HKOed by Naive Landorus-T's Hidden Power Ice, even with sand up, but this spread makes Xatu susceptible to being trapped by fast offensive Tyranitar.

Usage Tips
========
Xatu's main function is to prevent entry hazards, so don't be afraid of sending Xatu out against hazard setters. Play smart with switches, U-turn, and Night Shade so opposing Pokemon can't grab momentum or use Xatu as setup fodder. Use Roost when Xatu must be active to block a crucial entry hazard that can prevent its teammates from setting up or Choice Scarf cleaning. If facing Tyranitar, use Reflect or Feather Dance as soon as possible to avoid being KOed by Crunch or Pursuit. Be wary of Knock Off users like Ferrothorn and Seismitoad, since they can effectively lure Xatu in and remove its item, allowing it be trapped by Tyranitar.

Team Options
========
Xatu fits best in balance teams. In those structures, it's common to see bulky Water-types or Water-immune Pokemon like Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Slowking as well bulky Steel-types, like Heatran and Ferrothorn. Offensive Ground-types like Excadrill, Gliscor, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Landorus-T use the offensive momentum Xatu can generate with U-turn. Excadrill in particular is an awesome option, as it can use Xatu's Magic Bounce to drop Rapid Spin for a setup move in Substitute or Swords Dance. Pokemon that love having Spikes users neutered, like Hippowdon, Jirachi, Scizor, Amoonguss, and Celebi, are also valuable teammates, since they can cover some of Xatu's type weaknesses. Xatu also finds itself as a central piece of most sun-oriented teams. In those, Pokemon like Ninetales, Cresselia, Chansey, and Blissey are very good defensive partners. More offensively, Pokemon like Victini, Dragonite, Kyurem-B, Kyurem, Salamence, and Ditto love Xatu's hazard control. Xatu's most ingenious partner, however, is Volcarona, which despises Stealth Rock and can use Reflect for more setup opportunites.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Xatu needs Reflect or Feather Dance to stand a chance against Tyranitar, so other moves should only be considered over U-turn or Toxic. Heat Wave is Xatu's best way to damage Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Excadrill, Scizor, and Forretress but has very low utility in general, especially in rain matchups. Hidden Power Ice can better deal with Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T, but it's very weak outside of those targets. Psychic and Air Slash are Xatu's best STAB options, and they can be used as emergency Breloom answers, but they are normally very weak. Protect can be used to scout Choice-locked Pokemon, but it lets Tyranitar easily Pursuit trap Xatu even with Reflect or Feather Dance, so you may as well run it in that moveslot. Skill Swap can be used to defeat any variation of Poison Heal Gliscor and make Xatu an emergency check to Poison Heal Breloom and badly poisoned Reuniclus, but losing Magic Bounce enables the opposing team's entry hazards. Thunder Wave, Light Screen, and Wish are Xatu's other support options for more defensive builds, but Toxic is generally the preferred move in those teams. Leftovers can be used if the extra damage of Rocky Helmet isn't needed, but this turns Xatu into a very passive Pokemon and lets Tyranitar fish for Crunch Defense drops. A set with dual screens, U-turn, and Light Clay is also possible, but this is done better by Espeon because of its base Speed.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Offensive Stealth Rock users**: Xatu's biggest issue is its Stealth Rock weakness, so Stealth Rock users that can KO or threaten it out are problematic. Heatran can heavily damage Xatu with Magma Storm or Lava Plume, effectively defeating it or scaring it away to use Stealth Rock. Terrakion threatens an immediate KO with Stone Edge, letting it freely set up Swords Dance, Substitute, or Stealth Rock. Jirachi can threaten to KO Xatu with Thunder or Iron Head flinches to safely set up Stealth Rock, but sets reliant on the latter must be wary of Reflect + Rocky Helmet. Offensive Ground-types like Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill scare Xatu away with strong attacks or setup moves in order to safely use Stealth Rock. Mold Breaker Excadrill in particular can set up Stealth Rock freely.

**Rain Pokemon**: Politoed loves using Xatu as a way to safely activate Drizzle, and it 2HKOes Xatu with Scald. With rain up, Tentacruel and Starmie can freely use Rapid Spin or their STAB moves with almost no penalty against it. Tornadus threatens Xatu out with Hurricane, so it can grab momentum with Substitute, Tailwind, or U-turn. Keldeo also threatens an immediate KO with its Water-type attacks in rain. Jirachi can freely set up a 101 HP Substitute on Xatu and threaten it with perfect accuracy Thunder.

**Setup Sweepers**: Reuniclus can use Xatu to set up Calm Mind or Trick Room with almost no penalty, and it threatens Xatu with Thunder, Hidden Power Ice, or Shadow Ball; however, chip damage from Night Shade and U-turn can force Reuniclus to spend a turn healing. Volcarona can use Xatu to safely set up Quiver Dance, but it needs to watch out for Toxic if it's lacking Lum Berry. Gliscor can set up Swords Dance on Xatu with almost no penalty, since it can outstall Feather Dance's PP and heal Night Shade damage with Protect + Poison Heal, but it must be wary of the rare Hidden Power Ice or Skill Swap. Poison Heal Breloom can use Xatu to set up Swords Dance or Bulk Up, as it can use Protect + Poison Heal to negate Night Shade damage; however, Xatu wins if sand or hail is up, or if it's carrying Skill Swap or a STAB move.

**Tyranitar**: Choice Scarf Tyranitar can heavily damage Xatu before it can set up Reflect, effectively defeating it. Slower Tyranitar can also defeat Rocky Helmet Xatu by using Ice Beam or Stone Edge, or a non-Rocky Helmet variant with a Crunch Defense drop, opening opportunities to set up Stealth Rock.

**Dragon-types**: Powerful Dragon-types like Latios, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon threaten an immediate KO with their STAB moves. Pokemon like Dragonite, Latias, Kyurem, and Salamence can use Xatu as setup fodder for Substitute, Calm Mind, or Dragon Dance.

**Electric-types**: Rotom-W can heavily damage Xatu with Hydro Pump or steal offensive momentum via slow Volt Switch. Magnezone scares Xatu away immediately with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can force Xatu out to safely set up Substitute or Agility.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Caetano93, 394051]]
- Quality checked by: [[Excal, 456373], [We Three Kings, 246992]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [CryoGiro, 331519]]

 

[DKM]

Hi, I have some feedback for this analysis.

With the ability, and type, to nullify support oriented Pokemon

as well as a bad defensive type,

You mention its type as something useful and then say it's bad defensively. I think this could confuse someone newer to the game. You could remove the first part. Or just better explain that while its typing can be useful, it also leaves it vulnerable to a lot of offensive Pokemon rather than just calling it bad.

[OVERVIEW]

Set Details

Not sure which of these, but in one of them you could mention that Magic Bounce protects Xatu from Will-O-Wisp and Toxic which are pretty relevant in the meta.

Roost is your best recovery move that can also help Xatu by removing its Flying-type for the turn.

I think you should briefly explain how and when this helps since newer players won't understand immediately.

Rocky Helmet is the prefered item as it, alongside Reflect or Feather Dance, let you outstall a Tyranitar that tries to Pursuit trap you, as well punish U-turn from Landorus-T, or a Facade from Breloom

You could mention that it punishes brave bird skarm/gyro ball ferro since they're the two big spike users.

The rest are put into HP and Defense to make you never be 2HKOed from a 88 Attack adamant Tyranitar after Reflect or Feather Dance is used.

This is a rather specific mention and not everyone uses 88+, plus Tyranitar needs almost max Attack to 2HKO Xatu behind Reflect so you might as well say "most Tyranitar sets/variants".
Also you could mention that this spread helps vs some other physical attacking Pokemon rather than only mentioning Tyranitar.

Usage Tips

You should definitely say to use Reflect if the opponent has Tyranitar so you can avoid Pursuit trap.

**Rotom-W**: Rotom-W can heavy damage Xatu with Hydro Pump, or steal the offensive momentum via slow Volt Switch.

**Thundurus-T**: Thundurus-T can use Xatu to safely setup Substitute or Agility, as Xatu can't stay in since it fear a instant KO from Thunder or Thunderbolt.

You could combine these two into a point called "electric-types" and also add Magnezone, considering this list is pretty long.

 

[Caetano93]

You mention its type as something useful and then say it's bad defensively. I think this could confuse someone newer to the game. You could remove the first part. Or just better explain that while its typing can be useful, it also leaves it vulnerable to a lot of offensive Pokemon rather than just calling it bad.

The thing is, even if xatu type let it "check" skarmory, ferrothorn, and landorus-t, it also let it being pursuit weak. Because of this, we must focus it set to soft this weakness.

All other changes i liked and implemented.

 

[Excal]

Because of its Dream World ability, Magic Bounce, Xatu find itself a niche in the OU metagame as the best hazard control of the tier. Due to its ability, Xatu is able to completely shut down passive Pokemon, like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Hippowdon while also being a soft check to Landorus-T, Breloom, Gliscor, Amoonguss, and Celebi, Xatu is a valuable adition to multiple playstyles. However, it have trouble in the form of a very mediocre base stats and shallow offensive movepool, as well as a exploitable defensive typing that make it vulnerable to a lot of the metagame offensive treats.

I think some of the wording here may be misleading. For example, I don't think Xatu is the "best hazard control" of the tier (which should include spinners). Maybe you meant best Magic Bounce Pokemon? "Xatu finds a niche in OU by being the best Magic Bounce Pokemon in the tier" is more so how I imagine it, but I guess you could run that by other QC members. I am not sure if Xatu soft checks Landorus-T, Breloom, Gliscor, or Amoonguss (even Celebi if it's Nasty Plot I suppose). HP Ice from Lando does around 42-50%, and with sand up that mu does not sustain itself for long. Gliscor if it's not SD then I guess it does, but that may just be kinda a stalemate especially if it has Wing Attack. Amoonguss can poison it with Sludge Bomb which it definitely does not want to deal with. And Breloom can set up on Night Shade Xatu with relative ease and it doesn't wanna take Facade. So I'd prolly phrase that more specifically by saying something like ("some variants of" or "non-SD Gliscor" as an example).

The way I see Xatu is that it's much better at preventing Spikes than it is Stealth Rock. None of the spike setters in the tier can really bypass it well, whereas a lot of the common Stealth Rock users (Tyranitar, Landorus, Garchomp, Excadrill, maybe Heatran) can flip a mu where the player relies on xatu to prevent SR very much on its head. I think in this way it's a double-edged sword. Its greatest asset is preventing Spikes very reliably, but it can often have a hard time doing its job because it can have difficulty with some common Stealth Rock setters, and it also isn't mentioned that it's weak to Stealth Rock itself. Of course with other stuff you said on top of that.

Reflect and Feather Dance have basically the same function; weaken a Tyranitar offensive power so it can't Pursuit trap Xatu. It also have the bonus function of soften physical offensive pressure for its team mates. Reflect helps your other Pokemon, even if your opponent switchs out; this being the reason its the superior option.

The way this is worded makes feather dance sound 100% outclassed to the point where it may make a reader unsure why it's even slashed in the first place. Whatever small advantage it may have over Reflect should probably be quickly mentioned.

Maybe add a small note in usage tips about Ferrothorn. I feel so often that Xatu is always getting knocked by ferro which can make things dicey against Tyranitar for example. Maybe a quick note about that very common interaction could be cool.

Xatu most common usage is in control teams to avoid entry hazards, especially Spikes and Stealth Rock. In those structures, its common to see a Seismitoad, Gastrodon, or a Slowking as a partner, as well with bulky Steel-types, like Heatran or Ferrothorn. Good offensive Ground-types, like Excadrill, Gliscor, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Landorus-T are also amazing partners to abuse the offensive momentum Xatu can generate. Excadrill, in particular, is an awesome partner, since it can drop the Rapid Spin for a set up move, like Substitute or Swords Dance. Xatu also find itself as a central piece of most sun oriented teams, so Pokemon like Ninetales, Cresselia, and Chansey are very good defensive options. In a more offensive side, Pokemon like Salamence, Victini, Kyurem, Kyurem-B, and Dragonite loves the field control Xatu provides. It greatest partner, however, is Volcarona, that want to avoid Stealth Rock like the plague, and can use the Reflect support to make a nasty Quiver Dance cleaning.

I think Pokemon that really don't like Ferrothorn/Skarmory like Hippowdon or maybe even Jirachi could be mentioned as nice teammates for Xatu. Scizor, Amoonguss, and especially Celebi are also good teammates for the same reason. If you wanna cite a very obscure teammate option, Ditto also likes Xatu for its hazard prevention and to compensate for its passiveness. I also disagree with Volcarona being its "greatest partner" for a reason I mentioned earlier (that it's not amazing at preventing Stealth Rock consistently over the course of a game). I feel like it's very difficult to make a very sound team with Xatu + Volcarona and I have not seen a lot of success with this core, although it's still definitely worth a mention because the idea on paper is great.

**Tyranitar**: A Tyranitar holding a Choice Scarf can heavily damage Xatu before it can up a Reflect, effectively defeating it. Slower Tyranitar can also defeat Rocky Helmet Xatu using Ice Beam or Stone Edge, or defeat a non-Rocky Helmet variant by fishing a Crunch Defense drop.

**Offensive Stealth Rock users**: Any offensive Pokemon, that is also a Stealth Rock user, can defeat Xatu purpose in a team. Terrakion threaten an imediate KO with Stone Edge, leting it freely set up Swords Dance, Substitute, or Stealth Rock versus it. Offensive Ground-types, like Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill scares Xatu away with a set up move or a strong STAB move in order to safely use Stealth Rock. Excadrill, in particular, can negate Magic Bounce with Mold Breaker, to set up Stealth Rock with no penality.

Whether you wanna mention it in either section, definitely mention Tyranitar as a Stealth Rock user. Also like I mentioned before, Landorus and Heatran should probably be mentioned somewhere too as SR users (even if the Lando mu isn't necessarily a given it's still worth writing a tiny bit about).

Everything else looks great. QC 1/2

 

[Caetano93]

Made the changes sugested and talked about them in the C&C server.

 

[Caetano93]

We Three Kings QC this in my discord pm.

Moving it to GP.

 

[Adeleine]

Add/Fix Remove Comment
(AC)/(RC): Add/Remove Comment

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[OVERVIEW]

Because of its Dream World ability, Xatu find itself Xatu's Dream World ability, Magic Bounce, gives a niche in the OU metagame as the best Magic Bounce user and one of the bests best sources of entry hazard control of the tier. Xatu is able to completely shut down passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Hippowdon while also being a soft check to most Ground- and Grass-types. However, it have trouble in the form of a has mediocre base stats and a shallow offensive movepool, as well as an exploitable defensive typing that makes it vulnerable to a lot of the metagame's offensive threats, including notorious ever-present (alternatively, something like "very effective" "excellent" etc.) Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran, and Jirachi. Once these Pokemon set Stealth Rock, Xatu's Stealth Rock weakness becomes a thorn in its side. (felt this was worth adding bc you say sr is xatu's biggest issue in c/c and it ties into previous sentence)

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Roost
move 2: Night Shade
move 3: Reflect / FeatherDance (<gen6 formatting)
move 4: U-turn / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Impish / Bold
evs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Magic Bounce is the ability that what makes Xatu viable, (AC) as, (AC) alongside protecting the field from entry hazards, (AC) it also blocks incoming Toxic, Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and Taunt that will be problematic for it to deal are problematic for Xatu to deal with. Roost is your Xatu's best recovery move that can also help Xatu it by removing its Flying-type for the turn, (semicolon -> comma) neutralizing the its Volt Switch weakness. Night Shade breaks Substitute and does good damage to the vast majority of the metagame. Reflect and FeatherDance (formatting) have basically the same function: (semicolon -> colon) lower a Tyranitar Attack weaken a Tyranitar so it can't Pursuit trap Xatu. They also have the bonus utility of softening physical offensive pressure for its Xatu's teammates. Reflect have more PPs has more PP and helps Xatu's teammates even if your opponent switch out&mdash;this switches out&mdash;these being the reasons it's (added apostrophe) the superior option, but Feather Dance isn't turns reliant so it can't be stalled away. (question, what prevents Xatu from re-setting Reflect after it expires if ttar stalls it out?) U-turn is Xatu's best option to keep the momentum and to avoid being a set up setup fodder, (AC) since it is a bit frail and passive, but Toxic can be used to remove a bit of it passivenes if Xatu teammates doesn't Xatu's passivity if its teammates don't care about the momentum U-turn generates. However, this Toxic makes Xatu vulnerable to being exploited by Reuniclus and Celebi. Rocky Helmet, alongside Reflect or FeatherDance (formatting), lets Xatu outstall a Tyranitar that tries to Pursuit trap it, as well punish Landorus-T's U-turn, Breloom's Facade, Skarmory's Brave Bird, and Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball.

Set Details
========
252 HP and 184 Defense EVs let Xatu never be 2HKOed from by standard Tyranitar's Crunch, even with sand damage, after Reflect or FeatherDance (formatting) is used. 72 Speed EVs makes Xatu faster than max Speed Tyranitar. Impish is the prefered nature if U-turn is being used. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 SpD with 30 Speed IVs can be used to underspeed utility Gliscor and not let it use so it can't set Stealth Rock after Xatu's U-turn, and to never be 2HKOed from by Naive Landorus-T's Hidden Power Ice, even with sand up, but this spread makes Xatu susceptible to being trapped by fast offensive Tyranitar.

Usage Tips
========
Xatu's main function is to prevent entry hazards, so don't be afraid of sending Xatu to the field if you think the opposing Pokemon will use it. Play smart with Xatu to not let any opposing Pokemon grabing momentum versus it. Use U-turn and Night Shade to avoid being a a hazard move. Play smart with switches, U-turn, and Night Shade so opposing Pokemon can't grab momentum versus Xatu or use it as (assuming this makes sense) setup fodder for moves like Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, or and Substitute. Use Roost when Xatu still needs to be alive to avoid block a crucial entry hazard that can prevent its teammates from doing a setup sweep or a Choice Scarf cleaning. If facing Tyranitar, use Reflect or FeatherDance (formatting) as soon as possible (RC) to avoid being KOed by Crunch or Pursuit. Be wary of Knock Off users like Ferrothorn and Seismitoad, since they can effectively lure Xatu to get it item removed in and remove its item, allowing it be trapped by an opposing Tyranitar, as Xatu can't outstall a Tyranitar if it loses the its Rocky Helmet.

Team Options
========
Xatu fits better in control teams to avoid entry hazards best in entry hazard control teams, (is this the kind of "control" you meant?) especially for blocking Spikes and Stealth Rock. In thoses structures, it's (added apostrophe) common to see bulky Water-types or Water-immune Pokemon like Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Slowking as well bulky Steel-types, like Heatran or and Ferrothorn, as teammates. Offensive Ground-types like Excadrill, Gliscor, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Landorus-T are also amazing partners to use the offensive momentum Xatu can generate with U-turn. Excadrill, in particular, is an awesome option, as it can use Xatu's Magic Bounce to drop Rapid Spin for a setup (was "set up") move (RC) like in Substitute or Swords Dance. Pokemon that loves having opposing Spikes users neutered, like Hippowdon, Jirachi, Scizor, Amoonguss, and Celebi, (AC) are also valuable teammates, (AC) since they can cover some of Xatu defensive Xatu's typing (assuming this is what you meant) weaknesses. Xatu also finds itself as a central piece of most sun-oriented (added hyphen) teams. In thoses, Pokemon like Ninetales, Cresselia, Chansey, and Blissey are very good defensive partners. In a more offensive side More offensively, Pokemon like Victini, Dragonite, Kyurem-B, Kyurem, Salamence, and Ditto loves the field control Xatu provides. It Xatu's most ingenious partner, however, is Volcarona, that want to avoid Stealth Rock like the plague, and can use the anti-hazard strategy that Xatu and its other teammates have alongside the Reflect support to make a nasty Quiver Dance cleaning. which despises Stealth Rock, so Xatu's hazard and Reflect support make it a nasty Quiver Dance cleaner.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Other moves should only be considered over U-turn or Toxic, as Xatu can't drop neither Reflect or Feather Dance, (AC) since, (AC) without those moves, (AC) it is easily defeated by Tyranitar. Heat Wave is Xatu's best way to damage Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Excadrill, Scizor, and Forretres, but hae Forretress but has very low utility in general, especialy if facing a rain match-up especially in a rain matchup. Hidden Power Ice can be used to better deal with Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T, (AC) but it's (added apostrophe) very weak outside of those targets. Psychic and Air Slash are its Xatu's best STAB options, and they can be used as an emergency Breloom answers, but they are normally very weak. Protect can be used to scout Choice-locked Pokemon, but this can let Xatu be an easy Pursuit trap target for Tyranitar it lets Tyranitar easily Pursuit trap Xatu even with Reflect or FeatherDance, so you may as well run it in that moveslot. (assuming this makes sense) Skill Swap can be used to defeat any variation of Poison Heal Gliscor and also let Xatu be an emergency check to Poison Heal Breloom and badly poisoned Reuniclus, but losing Magic Bounce enables the opposing team to freely use entry hazards. Thunder Wave, Light Screen, and Wish are its Xatu's other support options for more defensive builds, but generally Toxic is the preferred move in those teams. Leftovers can be used if the extra damage of Rocky Helmet isn't needed, but this turns Xatu into a very passive Pokemon and lets Tyranitar fish for Crunch Defense drops. (assuming this makes sense) A set with double dual screens, U-turn, and Light Clay is also possible, but this is done better by Espeon because of its base Speed.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Offensive Stealth Rock users**: Xatu's biggest issue is its Stealth Rock weakness; (comma -> semicolon) thus, (AC) Stealth Rock users that can KO or threaten it out are problematic. Heatran can heavily damage Xatu with Magma Storm or Lava Plume, effectively defeating it or scaring it away to use Stealth Rock. Terrakion threatens an immediate KO with Stone Edge, letting it freely set up Swords Dance, Substitute, or Stealth Rock. Jirachi can threaten to KO Xatu with Thunder or Iron Head flinches to safely set up Stealth Rock, but sets reliant on the latter must be wary of Reflect + Rocky Helmet. Offensive Ground-types like Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill scares Xatu away with strong STAB or set up moves in order to safely use Stealth Rock. Excadrill, in particular, can negate Magic Bounce with Mold Breaker, allowing it to set up Stealth Rock with no penality freely.

**Rain Pokemon**: Politoed loves using Xatu as a way to safely set up Drizzle and it 2HKO activate Drizzle, and it 2HKOes Xatu with Scald. With rain up, Tentacruel and Starmie can freely use Rapid Spin or its their STAB moves with almost no penality versus it. Tornadus threatens Xatu out with Hurricane, so it can grab momentum with Substitute, Tailwind, or U-turn. Keldeo also threatens an immediate KO with its STAB Water-type attacks in rain. Jirachi can freely set up a 101 HP Substitute versus Xatu and threaten it with perfect accuracy Thunder.

**Setup Sweepers**: Reuniclus can use Xatu to set up Calm Mind or Trick Room with almost no penality, (AC) and it also threatens Xatu with Thunder, Hidden Power Ice, or Shadow Ball; however, (AC) chip damage from Night Shade and U-turn can forces Reuniclus to lose a turn to heal. Volcarona can use Xatu to safely set up Quiver Dance, but it needs to watch out for Toxic if it's (added apostrophe) lacking a Lum Berry. Gliscor can set up Swords Dance versus Xatu with almost no penality, (AC) since it can outstall Feather Dance's PPs and heal Night Shade damage with Protect + Poison Heal, but it must be wary from of the rare Hidden Power Ice or Skill Swap. Poison Heal Breloom can use Xatu to set up Swords Dance or Bulk Up, (AC) as it can use Protect + Poison Heal to negate Night Shade damage; however, Xatu wins this interaction if sand or hail is up, or if its carring it's carrying Skill Swap or a STAB move.

**Tyranitar**: Choice Scarf Tyranitar can heavily damage Xatu before it can set up Reflect, effectively defeating it. Slower Tyranitar can also defeat Rocky Helmet Xatu using Ice Beam or Stone Edge, or a non-Rocky Helmet variant with a Crunch Defense drop, opening opportunities to set up Stealth Rock.

**Dragon-types**: Powerful Dragon-types like Latios, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon threaten an immediate KO with its their STAB moves. Pokemon like Dragonite, Latias, Kyurem, and Salamence can use Xatu as a set up setup fodder for Substitute, Calm Mind, or Dragon Dance.

**Electric-types**: Rotom-W can heavily damage Xatu with Hydro Pump (RC) or steal the offensive momentum via a slow Volt Switch. Magnezone scares Xatu away imediatly immediately with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can use Xatu to safely set up Substitute or Agility, as Xatu can't stay in, (AC) since it fears an instant KO from Thunder or Thunderbolt.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Caetano93, 394051]]
- Quality checked by: [[Excal, 456373], [We Three Kings, 246992]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

i'll stamp after you answer the question about resetting reflect after it expires

 

[Caetano93]

i'll stamp after you answer the question about resetting reflect after it expires

What prevents Xatu from re-setting Reflect after it expires if ttar stalls it out?
For Tyranitar, especifically, a Crunch Defense drop that turns the mu instantly or if ttar have non-contact moves like Stone Edge, Fire Blast or Ice Beam, as they force Xatu to play a dangerus 50/50 almost every turn with a wrong predict resulting in a KO.
Howerver, the big Reflect stall problem comes with setup sweepers like Gliscor and Breloom (with no sand), who can use Xatu to go +2/4 and normally can time the Reflect end to start grabing more KOs. This situation is where Feather Dance is the better move.

I didn't changed Feather Dance to FeatherDance, since the orientation that I have from other QCers and GPers is that I should use the newer formatting, as this is the one used on ps even for older gens.

 

[Adeleine]

Reflect section

Reflect and Feather Dance have basically the same function: weaken a Tyranitar so it can't Pursuit trap Xatu. They also have the bonus utility of softening physical offensive pressure for Xatu's teammates. Reflect has more PP and helps Xatu's teammates even if your opponent switches out&mdash;these being the reasons it's the superior option, but Feather Dance isn't turns reliant so it can't be stalled away. out, so it's generally superior, but Feather Dance never needs renewal turns and can be stacked, helping Xatu stall out Tyranitar that land Crunch Defense drops or use moves that don't activate Rocky Helmet like Stone Edge and Ice Beam. Feather Dance is also less exploitable by Swords Dance sweepers like Gliscor and Breloom. U-turn is Xatu's best option to keep the momentum and avoid being setup fodder, since it is a bit frail and passive, but Toxic can be used to remove a bit of Xatu's passivity if its teammates don't care about the momentum U-turn generates.

I didn't changed Feather Dance to FeatherDance, since the orientation that I have from other QCers and GPers is that I should use the newer formatting, as this is the one used on ps even for older gens.

fair enough. i did bc rby uses old formatting, but apparently some other older gens don't!

1/2 assuming you're good with what I did for reflect section

 

[Caetano93]

ready for the second gp

 

[CryoGyro]

GP 2/2

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Xatu's Dream World ability, Magic Bounce, gives Xatu has a niche in the OU metagame as the best Magic Bounce user and one of the best sources of entry hazard control. Xatu is able to completely shut down passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Hippowdon while also being a soft check to most Ground- and Grass-types. However, it has mediocre base stats, (comma) and a shallow offensive movepool, as well as and an exploitable defensive typing that makes it vulnerable to a lot of the metagame's offensive threats, including very effective Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran, and Jirachi. Once these Pokemon set Stealth Rock, Xatu's Stealth Rock weakness becomes a thorn in its side.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Roost
move 2: Night Shade
move 3: Reflect / Feather Dance
move 4: U-turn / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Impish / Bold
evs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Magic Bounce is what makes Xatu viable, as, alongside protecting the field from entry hazards, it also blocks incoming Toxic, Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and Taunt that are problematic for Xatu to deal with. (if you need to get explaining what magic bounce does out of your system, you can in overview) Roost is Xatu's best recovery move that and can also help it by removing its Flying-type for the turn, neutralizing its Volt Switch weakness. Night Shade breaks Substitute and does good damage to the vast majority of the metagame. Reflect and Feather Dance have basically the same function: weaken a Tyranitar so it can't Pursuit trap Xatu. They also have the bonus utility of softening physical offensive pressure for Xatu's teammates. Reflect has more PP and helps Xatu's teammates even if your opponent the foe switches out, so it's generally superior, but Feather Dance never needs renewal turns and can be stacked, helping Xatu stall out Tyranitar that land get Crunch Defense drops or use moves that don't activate Rocky Helmet like Stone Edge and Ice Beam. Feather Dance is also less exploitable by Swords Dance sweepers like Gliscor and Breloom. U-turn is Xatu's best option to keep the momentum and avoid being setup fodder, since it is a bit frail and passive, but Toxic can be used to remove a bit of Xatu's passivity if its teammates don't care about the momentum U-turn generates. However, Toxic makes Xatu vulnerable to being exploited by Reuniclus and Celebi. Rocky Helmet, alongside Reflect or Feather Dance, lets Xatu outstall a Tyranitar that tries to Pursuit trap it, as well punish Landorus-T's U-turn, Breloom's Facade, Skarmory's Brave Bird, and Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball.

Set Details
========
252 HP and 184 Defense EVs let Xatu never be 2HKOed by standard Tyranitar's Crunch, even with sand damage, after Reflect or Feather Dance is used. 72 Speed EVs make Xatu faster than max Speed all Tyranitar. Impish is the prefered nature if U-turn is being used. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 SpD with 30 Speed IVs can be used to underspeed utility Gliscor so it can't set Stealth Rock after Xatu's U-turn, and to never be 2HKOed by Naive Landorus-T's Hidden Power Ice, even with sand up, but this spread makes Xatu susceptible to being trapped by fast offensive Tyranitar.

Usage Tips
========
Xatu's main function is to prevent entry hazards, so don't be afraid of sending Xatu to the field if you think the opposing Pokemon will use a hazard move out against hazard setters. Play smart with switches, U-turn, and Night Shade so opposing Pokemon can't grab momentum versus Xatu or use it Xatu as setup fodder for moves like Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, and Substitute. Use Roost when Xatu still needs to be alive to must be active to block a crucial entry hazard that can prevent its teammates from doing a setup sweep setting up or Choice Scarf cleaning. If facing Tyranitar, use Reflect or Feather Dance as soon as possible to avoid being KOed by Crunch or Pursuit. Be wary of Knock Off users like Ferrothorn and Seismitoad, since they can effectively lure Xatu in and remove its item, allowing it be trapped by an opposing Tyranitar, as Xatu can't outstall a Tyranitar if it loses its Rocky Helmet.

Team Options
========
Xatu fits best in entry hazard control teams, (the heck are those? this implies hazard control is a way to win the game on its own) especially for blocking Spikes and Stealth Rock. In those structures, it's common to see bulky Water-types or Water-immune Pokemon like Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Slowking as well bulky Steel-types, like Heatran and Ferrothorn, as teammates. Offensive Ground-types like Excadrill, Gliscor, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Landorus-T are also amazing partners to use the offensive momentum Xatu can generate with U-turn. Excadrill, (comma) in particular, (comma) is an awesome option, as it can use Xatu's Magic Bounce to drop Rapid Spin for a setup move in Substitute or Swords Dance. Pokemon that love having opposing Spikes users neutered, like Hippowdon, Jirachi, Scizor, Amoonguss, and Celebi, are also valuable teammates, since they can cover some of Xatu's typing type weaknesses. Xatu also finds itself as a central piece of most sun-oriented teams. In those, Pokemon like Ninetales, Cresselia, Chansey, and Blissey are very good defensive partners. More offensively, Pokemon like Victini, Dragonite, Kyurem-B, Kyurem, Salamence, and Ditto love the field control Xatu provides Xatu's hazard control. Xatu's most ingenious partner, however, is Volcarona, which despises Stealth Rock, so Xatu's hazard and Reflect support make it a nasty Quiver Dance cleaner and can use Reflect for more setup opportunites.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Xatu needs Reflect or Feather Dance to stand a chance against Tyranitar, so other moves should only be considered over U-turn or Toxic, as Xatu can't drop either Reflect or Feather Dance, since, without those moves, it is easily defeated by Tyranitar. Heat Wave is Xatu's best way to damage Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Excadrill, Scizor, and Forretress but has very low utility in general, especially in a rain matchups. Hidden Power Ice can be used to better deal with Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T, but it's very weak outside of those targets. Psychic and Air Slash are Xatu's best STAB options, and they can be used as emergency Breloom answers, but they are normally very weak. Protect can be used to scout Choice-locked Pokemon, but it lets Tyranitar easily Pursuit trap Xatu even with Reflect or Feather Dance, so you may as well run it in that moveslot. Skill Swap can be used to defeat any variation of Poison Heal Gliscor and also let make Xatu be an emergency check to Poison Heal Breloom and badly poisoned Reuniclus, but losing Magic Bounce enables the opposing team's to freely use entry hazards. Thunder Wave, Light Screen, and Wish are Xatu's other support options for more defensive builds, but generally Toxic is generally the preferred move in those teams. Leftovers can be used if the extra damage of Rocky Helmet isn't needed, but this turns Xatu into a very passive Pokemon and lets Tyranitar fish for Crunch Defense drops. A set with dual screens, U-turn, and Light Clay is also possible, but this is done better by Espeon because of its base Speed.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Offensive Stealth Rock users**: Xatu's biggest issue is its Stealth Rock weakness;, (comma) so thus, Stealth Rock users that can KO or threaten it out are problematic. Heatran can heavily damage Xatu with Magma Storm or Lava Plume, effectively defeating it or scaring it away to use Stealth Rock. Terrakion threatens an immediate KO with Stone Edge, letting it freely set up Swords Dance, Substitute, or Stealth Rock. Jirachi can threaten to KO Xatu with Thunder or Iron Head flinches to safely set up Stealth Rock, but sets reliant on the latter must be wary of Reflect + Rocky Helmet. Offensive Ground-types like Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill scare Xatu away with strong STAB attacks or setup moves in order to safely use Stealth Rock. Excadrill, in particular, can negate Magic Bounce with Mold Breaker, allowing it to Mold Breaker Excadrill in particular can set up Stealth Rock freely.

**Rain Pokemon**: Politoed loves using Xatu as a way to safely activate Drizzle, and it 2HKOes Xatu with Scald. With rain up, Tentacruel and Starmie can freely use Rapid Spin or their STAB moves with almost no penalty versus against it. Tornadus threatens Xatu out with Hurricane, so it can grab momentum with Substitute, Tailwind, or U-turn. Keldeo also threatens an immediate KO with its STAB Water-type attacks in rain. Jirachi can freely set up a 101 HP Substitute versus on Xatu and threaten it with perfect accuracy Thunder.

**Setup Sweepers**: Reuniclus can use Xatu to set up Calm Mind or Trick Room with almost no penalty, and it also threatens Xatu with Thunder, Hidden Power Ice, or Shadow Ball; however, chip damage from Night Shade and U-turn can force Reuniclus to lose a turn to heal spend a turn healing. Volcarona can use Xatu to safely set up Quiver Dance, but it needs to watch out for Toxic if it's lacking a Lum Berry. Gliscor can set up Swords Dance versus on Xatu with almost no penalty, since it can outstall Feather Dance's PP and heal Night Shade damage with Protect + Poison Heal, but it must be wary of the rare Hidden Power Ice or Skill Swap. Poison Heal Breloom can use Xatu to set up Swords Dance or Bulk Up, as it can use Protect + Poison Heal to negate Night Shade damage; however, Xatu wins this interaction if sand or hail is up, or if it's carrying Skill Swap or a STAB move.

**Tyranitar**: Choice Scarf Tyranitar can heavily damage Xatu before it can set up Reflect, effectively defeating it. Slower Tyranitar can also defeat Rocky Helmet Xatu by using Ice Beam or Stone Edge, or a non-Rocky Helmet variant with a Crunch Defense drop, opening opportunities to set up Stealth Rock.

**Dragon-types**: Powerful Dragon-types like Latios, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon threaten an immediate KO with their STAB moves. Pokemon like Dragonite, Latias, Kyurem, and Salamence can use Xatu as setup fodder for Substitute, Calm Mind, or Dragon Dance.

**Electric-types**: Rotom-W can heavily damage Xatu with Hydro Pump or steal the offensive momentum via a slow Volt Switch. Magnezone scares Xatu away immediately with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can use force Xatu out to safely set up Substitute or Agility, as Xatu can't stay in, since it fears an instant KO from Thunder or Thunderbolt.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Caetano93, 394051]]
- Quality checked by: [[Excal, 456373], [We Three Kings, 246992]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

 

[Caetano93]

GP 2/2

Hide

[OVERVIEW]

Xatu's Dream World ability, Magic Bounce, gives Xatu has a niche in the OU metagame as the best Magic Bounce user and one of the best sources of entry hazard control. Xatu is able to completely shut down passive Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Hippowdon while also being a soft check to most Ground- and Grass-types. However, it has mediocre base stats, (comma) and a shallow offensive movepool, as well as and an exploitable defensive typing that makes it vulnerable to a lot of the metagame's offensive threats, including very effective Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Heatran, and Jirachi. Once these Pokemon set Stealth Rock, Xatu's Stealth Rock weakness becomes a thorn in its side.

[SET]
name: Utility
move 1: Roost
move 2: Night Shade
move 3: Reflect / Feather Dance
move 4: U-turn / Toxic
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Magic Bounce
nature: Impish / Bold
evs: 252 HP / 184 Def / 72 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Magic Bounce is what makes Xatu viable, as, alongside protecting the field from entry hazards, it also blocks incoming Toxic, Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and Taunt that are problematic for Xatu to deal with. (if you need to get explaining what magic bounce does out of your system, you can in overview) Roost is Xatu's best recovery move that and can also help it by removing its Flying-type for the turn, neutralizing its Volt Switch weakness. Night Shade breaks Substitute and does good damage to the vast majority of the metagame. Reflect and Feather Dance have basically the same function: weaken a Tyranitar so it can't Pursuit trap Xatu. They also have the bonus utility of softening physical offensive pressure for Xatu's teammates. Reflect has more PP and helps Xatu's teammates even if your opponent the foe switches out, so it's generally superior, but Feather Dance never needs renewal turns and can be stacked, helping Xatu stall out Tyranitar that land get Crunch Defense drops or use moves that don't activate Rocky Helmet like Stone Edge and Ice Beam. Feather Dance is also less exploitable by Swords Dance sweepers like Gliscor and Breloom. U-turn is Xatu's best option to keep the momentum and avoid being setup fodder, since it is a bit frail and passive, but Toxic can be used to remove a bit of Xatu's passivity if its teammates don't care about the momentum U-turn generates. However, Toxic makes Xatu vulnerable to being exploited by Reuniclus and Celebi. Rocky Helmet, alongside Reflect or Feather Dance, lets Xatu outstall a Tyranitar that tries to Pursuit trap it, as well punish Landorus-T's U-turn, Breloom's Facade, Skarmory's Brave Bird, and Ferrothorn's Gyro Ball.

Set Details
========
252 HP and 184 Defense EVs let Xatu never be 2HKOed by standard Tyranitar's Crunch, even with sand damage, after Reflect or Feather Dance is used. 72 Speed EVs make Xatu faster than max Speed all Tyranitar. Impish is the prefered nature if U-turn is being used. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 208 Def / 48 SpD with 30 Speed IVs can be used to underspeed utility Gliscor so it can't set Stealth Rock after Xatu's U-turn, and to never be 2HKOed by Naive Landorus-T's Hidden Power Ice, even with sand up, but this spread makes Xatu susceptible to being trapped by fast offensive Tyranitar.

Usage Tips
========
Xatu's main function is to prevent entry hazards, so don't be afraid of sending Xatu to the field if you think the opposing Pokemon will use a hazard move out against hazard setters. Play smart with switches, U-turn, and Night Shade so opposing Pokemon can't grab momentum versus Xatu or use it Xatu as setup fodder for moves like Dragon Dance, Swords Dance, and Substitute. Use Roost when Xatu still needs to be alive to must be active to block a crucial entry hazard that can prevent its teammates from doing a setup sweep setting up or Choice Scarf cleaning. If facing Tyranitar, use Reflect or Feather Dance as soon as possible to avoid being KOed by Crunch or Pursuit. Be wary of Knock Off users like Ferrothorn and Seismitoad, since they can effectively lure Xatu in and remove its item, allowing it be trapped by an opposing Tyranitar, as Xatu can't outstall a Tyranitar if it loses its Rocky Helmet.

Team Options
========
Xatu fits best in entry hazard control teams, (the heck are those? this implies hazard control is a way to win the game on its own) especially for blocking Spikes and Stealth Rock. In those structures, it's common to see bulky Water-types or Water-immune Pokemon like Seismitoad, Jellicent, and Slowking as well bulky Steel-types, like Heatran and Ferrothorn, as teammates. Offensive Ground-types like Excadrill, Gliscor, Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Landorus-T are also amazing partners to use the offensive momentum Xatu can generate with U-turn. Excadrill, (comma) in particular, (comma) is an awesome option, as it can use Xatu's Magic Bounce to drop Rapid Spin for a setup move in Substitute or Swords Dance. Pokemon that love having opposing Spikes users neutered, like Hippowdon, Jirachi, Scizor, Amoonguss, and Celebi, are also valuable teammates, since they can cover some of Xatu's typing type weaknesses. Xatu also finds itself as a central piece of most sun-oriented teams. In those, Pokemon like Ninetales, Cresselia, Chansey, and Blissey are very good defensive partners. More offensively, Pokemon like Victini, Dragonite, Kyurem-B, Kyurem, Salamence, and Ditto love the field control Xatu provides Xatu's hazard control. Xatu's most ingenious partner, however, is Volcarona, which despises Stealth Rock, so Xatu's hazard and Reflect support make it a nasty Quiver Dance cleaner and can use Reflect for more setup opportunites.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Xatu needs Reflect or Feather Dance to stand a chance against Tyranitar, so other moves should only be considered over U-turn or Toxic, as Xatu can't drop either Reflect or Feather Dance, since, without those moves, it is easily defeated by Tyranitar. Heat Wave is Xatu's best way to damage Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Excadrill, Scizor, and Forretress but has very low utility in general, especially in a rain matchups. Hidden Power Ice can be used to better deal with Gliscor, Garchomp, and Landorus-T, but it's very weak outside of those targets. Psychic and Air Slash are Xatu's best STAB options, and they can be used as emergency Breloom answers, but they are normally very weak. Protect can be used to scout Choice-locked Pokemon, but it lets Tyranitar easily Pursuit trap Xatu even with Reflect or Feather Dance, so you may as well run it in that moveslot. Skill Swap can be used to defeat any variation of Poison Heal Gliscor and also let make Xatu be an emergency check to Poison Heal Breloom and badly poisoned Reuniclus, but losing Magic Bounce enables the opposing team's to freely use entry hazards. Thunder Wave, Light Screen, and Wish are Xatu's other support options for more defensive builds, but generally Toxic is generally the preferred move in those teams. Leftovers can be used if the extra damage of Rocky Helmet isn't needed, but this turns Xatu into a very passive Pokemon and lets Tyranitar fish for Crunch Defense drops. A set with dual screens, U-turn, and Light Clay is also possible, but this is done better by Espeon because of its base Speed.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Offensive Stealth Rock users**: Xatu's biggest issue is its Stealth Rock weakness;, (comma) so thus, Stealth Rock users that can KO or threaten it out are problematic. Heatran can heavily damage Xatu with Magma Storm or Lava Plume, effectively defeating it or scaring it away to use Stealth Rock. Terrakion threatens an immediate KO with Stone Edge, letting it freely set up Swords Dance, Substitute, or Stealth Rock. Jirachi can threaten to KO Xatu with Thunder or Iron Head flinches to safely set up Stealth Rock, but sets reliant on the latter must be wary of Reflect + Rocky Helmet. Offensive Ground-types like Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill scare Xatu away with strong STAB attacks or setup moves in order to safely use Stealth Rock. Excadrill, in particular, can negate Magic Bounce with Mold Breaker, allowing it to Mold Breaker Excadrill in particular can set up Stealth Rock freely.

**Rain Pokemon**: Politoed loves using Xatu as a way to safely activate Drizzle, and it 2HKOes Xatu with Scald. With rain up, Tentacruel and Starmie can freely use Rapid Spin or their STAB moves with almost no penalty versus against it. Tornadus threatens Xatu out with Hurricane, so it can grab momentum with Substitute, Tailwind, or U-turn. Keldeo also threatens an immediate KO with its STAB Water-type attacks in rain. Jirachi can freely set up a 101 HP Substitute versus on Xatu and threaten it with perfect accuracy Thunder.

**Setup Sweepers**: Reuniclus can use Xatu to set up Calm Mind or Trick Room with almost no penalty, and it also threatens Xatu with Thunder, Hidden Power Ice, or Shadow Ball; however, chip damage from Night Shade and U-turn can force Reuniclus to lose a turn to heal spend a turn healing. Volcarona can use Xatu to safely set up Quiver Dance, but it needs to watch out for Toxic if it's lacking a Lum Berry. Gliscor can set up Swords Dance versus on Xatu with almost no penalty, since it can outstall Feather Dance's PP and heal Night Shade damage with Protect + Poison Heal, but it must be wary of the rare Hidden Power Ice or Skill Swap. Poison Heal Breloom can use Xatu to set up Swords Dance or Bulk Up, as it can use Protect + Poison Heal to negate Night Shade damage; however, Xatu wins this interaction if sand or hail is up, or if it's carrying Skill Swap or a STAB move.

**Tyranitar**: Choice Scarf Tyranitar can heavily damage Xatu before it can set up Reflect, effectively defeating it. Slower Tyranitar can also defeat Rocky Helmet Xatu by using Ice Beam or Stone Edge, or a non-Rocky Helmet variant with a Crunch Defense drop, opening opportunities to set up Stealth Rock.

**Dragon-types**: Powerful Dragon-types like Latios, Kyurem-B, and Hydreigon threaten an immediate KO with their STAB moves. Pokemon like Dragonite, Latias, Kyurem, and Salamence can use Xatu as setup fodder for Substitute, Calm Mind, or Dragon Dance.

**Electric-types**: Rotom-W can heavily damage Xatu with Hydro Pump or steal the offensive momentum via a slow Volt Switch. Magnezone scares Xatu away immediately with Thunderbolt or Volt Switch. Thundurus-T can use force Xatu out to safely set up Substitute or Agility, as Xatu can't stay in, since it fears an instant KO from Thunder or Thunderbolt.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Caetano93, 394051]]
- Quality checked by: [[Excal, 456373], [We Three Kings, 246992]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

Ty a lot for the fast reply.
Just a small thing "entry hazard control teams, (the heck are those? this implies hazard control is a way to win the game on its own)"
In BW, in particular, Spikes most of the time can win the game alone. Structures builded to have a perfect control of entry hazards are not uncommon in tours. But since this can cause some confusion, i'm changing it to just "balance teams".