Deer Hunt - Xerneas Checks Through Generations

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Introduction

Old generations of Ubers were filled with Hoenn Legendaries and loads of Dragon-types that were introduced in DPP and BW. If you have ever watched tournament games of ADV / DPP / BW Ubers, you'll notice that the aforementioned Pokémon are very common. In fact, Dragons and their countermeasures dominated Ubers until the start of XY, when the Life Pokémon, Xerneas, was introduced. As a new Legendary Fairy-type threat, it had a significant impact on the viability of almost all Dragon-type Pokémon in the tier. In addition, its infamous Geomancy set was incredibly powerful, and still requires a good amount of preparation to beat, even today.

The Geomancy set, in particular, was what made Xerneas such a big threat. After just a single turn with Power Herb, Xerneas outsped the entire tier, could OHKO most neutral targets apart from Chansey, Blissey, and Lugia with an obscenely strong +2 Moonblast, and could survive many forms of retaliation thanks to the Special Defense boost. With other coverage moves like Focus Blast, Grass Knot, Thunder, Hidden Power Fire, and Psyshock, very few Pokémon were able to survive an attack from a boosted Xerneas until better checks were introduced in ORAS and SM, and with Substitute, not even counterplays that involved status could defeat it. Even in the current generation, very few Pokémon are qualified as reliable and consistent Xerneas checks, and the rare yet relevant Z-Geomancy Xerneas is able to reverse matchups against some of its checks. Due to this, Geomancy Xerneas is commonly considered 'banworthy', 'broken', and 'unhealthy' to many users who are brand-new to the tier, and even to certain players who are sufficiently experienced with Ubers.

However, currently, with ORAS introducing the best Pokémon in Ubers, Primal Groudon, SM bringing in Magearna, and USM giving Ubers an extra layer of protection from Xerneas with Necrozma-DM, which is considered one of the best checks to Xerneas both offensively and defensively, Ubers has a sufficient amount of Pokémon that can keep Xerneas in check. However, Xerneas still remains as one of the best Pokémon in the tier today due to its offensive prowess, nearly exclusive utility options it can provide its team, and multiple viable sets. In other words, it is still a threat to be reckoned with, despite the increase in counterplay options available, and requires careful team preparation to defeat.

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Mini Tier List for Xerneas Checks

Below are little tier lists of Xerneas checks that summarize their viability as a Xerneas check between XY and USM Ubers. Note that these only take into account a given Pokémon's ability to check Xerneas and do not reflect the Viability Rankings.

XY

ORAS

SM

USM

'Top' ranked checks are capable of consistently switching into Xerneas due to their access to recovery moves, can take on Geomancy-boosted Xerneas, cannot be easily circumvented by specialized sets, and have a good way to threaten back or completely invalidate Xerneas in the match. This makes certain Arceus formes that can set up Calm Mind on Xerneas and Steel-types with reliable recovery great checks. Though Mega Scizor has to be wary of Hidden Power Fire, it is a relatively rare coverage move on Xerneas, and Scizor can still land a heavy blow on Xerneas with Bullet Punch before going down.

'High' ranked checks can effectively combat Geomancy Xerneas but can be taken down by a coverage move or are hindered by a certain field condition or a lack of reliable recovery. In other words, these Pokémon are checks that can handle conventional Xerneas sets but can be a little shaky depending on the situation. For example, Blissey may struggle to check Geomancy Xerneas after some prior damage and has to watch out for Psyshock and, in XY, Close Combat as well. Lugia and Ho-Oh are great defensive checks, but they can be vulnerable to a boosted Thunder and are hindered by Stealth Rock. Aegislash can combat all Xerneas variants and is not hit hard by any coverage move, but it lacks recovery outside Leftovers and thus can be taken down with repeated attacks. Mega Venusaur is a great defensive check to Xerneas lacking the rare Psychic-type moves, but it lacks consistency due to the limited PP of Synthesis. Primal Groudon is on almost every competitive team, can effectively pivot against any Xerneas variant, always has enough bulk to survive an attack from +2 Xerneas, and can retaliate with a powerful Precipice Blades, but it completely lacks recovery. Lastly, Mega Gengar is an exceptional case. Despite its frailty preventing it from directly checking Xerneas, it can limit Xerneas's activity after Mega Evolving, easily disposing of trapped Xerneas.

'Mid' ranked checks are Pokémon that can combat Geomancy Xerneas and threaten it in some way but lack reliable recovery and consistency, or are not necessarily dedicated to check Xerneas but can do so by being able to naturally survive an attack and respond with some form of retaliation. Steel-types like Bronzong, Metagross, and Mega Mawile were able to survive an attack from Geomancy Xerneas and hit back hard with their attacks, but they lacked reliable recovery and fell to a boosted Focus Blast after some chip damage. Klefki could pivot into Moonblast, but it was rather frail as a Steel-type Xerneas check and usually ended up paralyzing Xerneas instead of taking it down itself. Finally, Ferrothorn was a good check to Xerneas, but only if it lacked Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire, and Lugia, Kyogre, and Clefable in XY were more so used to check threats other than Xerneas but could still deal with Xerneas if they had to, though they did not resist Moonblast and could be taken down after prior damage.

'Low' ranked checks can at best blanket check Xerneas by pivoting into Moonblast or can only revenge kill Xerneas after being given a safe switch. Tentacruel can pivot into Moonblast, but it doesn't threaten Xerneas in return and falls to Thunder. Excadrill outspeeds Geomancy-boosted Xerneas under sandstorm and can revenge kill it with Iron Head, Genesect can revenge kill Xerneas assuming it hasn't taken any prior damage, and Mega Lucario can revenge kill Xerneas with Bullet Punch but, unlike Mega Scizor, they can't make a safe switch into Xerneas at all.

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XY

Klefki

Klefki was a high-ranking Pokémon in XY Ubers and a top-tier support Pokémon, status spreader, and Spikes setter. This was because of Klefki's ability, Prankster, which gave it priority on Spikes as well as status-inducing moves like Toxic and Thunder Wave. In addition to all of this, Klefki also emerged as a very prevalent Xerneas check. Klefki's Steel / Fairy typing allowed it to switch into Xerneas's Moonblast and be hit only neutrally by Focus Blast. Once in, Klefki could easily paralyze Xerneas, particularly Geomancy Xerneas sets, with Prankster Thunder Wave before Xerneas could even attack, immediately preventing it from sweeping. Klefki was also one of the few Pokémon that could neutralize a boosted Geomancy Xerneas after it had already set up. Furthermore, due to Xerneas's Fairy Aura, Klefki's Play Rough was powerful enough to break Xerneas's Substitute. Klefki could also neutralize any other faster setup sweeper in the tier as well as Pokémon like Mewtwo, and could easily punish Ground-types, support Arceus formes, and both Giratina formes with Toxic. Klefki also easily distinguished itself from other Xerneas checks, as its typing allowed it to check Xerneas, Yveltal, Darkrai, and Deoxys-A all in one teamslot, and, combined with Klefki's immense Prankster utility for spreading status and setting hazards, it offered a ton of role compression. However, Klefki lacked reliable recovery and had very low base stats, meaning it could easily be worn down and taken out by only a few attacks. Furthermore, Klefki was weak to common Ground- and Fire-types like Groudon, Landorus-T, and Mega Blaziken. Lastly, Klefki could only really paralyze Xerneas for the most part, since it wasn’t great at handling Xerneas defensively despite its typing and had little damage output.

While Klefki sits in a lower rank in USM than in XY, it still functions the same exact way, both for supporting its team and for checking Xerneas. However, now there are a few extra targets like Marshadow and Mega Salamence it can check with Prankster Thunder Wave.

Scizor and Mega Scizor

Both Scizor and Mega Scizor were very strong offensive Xerneas checks in XY, being ranked in A- along with Arceus-Poison. This was due to Scizor's access to a very powerful Technician-boosted STAB Bullet Punch which allowed it to 2HKO even bulky Geomancy Xerneas sets. However, unlike other offensive Xerneas checks, Mega Scizor was also able to switch into Xerneas without Hidden Power Fire decently well thanks to its great bulk, immunity to Toxic, and reliable recovery in Roost. Mega Scizor was easily able to differentiate itself from other Steel-type Xerneas checks thanks to the combination of U-turn and Roost, allowing it to pivot and generate momentum and granting it good longevity and consistency in switching into threats. Specifically, its access to U-turn made it one of the few Xerneas checks that wasn't vulnerable to Mega Gengar, as it could just U-turn out or even threaten Mega Gengar with a strong Bullet Punch. Furthermore, Mega Scizor was a good Pursuit user, being able to Pursuit trap foes like Mega Gengar and Deoxys-A, and its access to Superpower also enabled it to check Extreme Killer Arceus. Choice Band Scizor in XY was similar to Mega Scizor, but it was a more offensive Pokémon. It did much more damage with Bullet Punch, taking away around 75% of Xerneas's HP with the move. It also had room to run Knock Off without sacrificing other options, giving it more utility options than Mega Scizor in that regard. Scizor also didn't take up a Mega slot, which allowed the use of another Mega Pokémon on the team; a particular potent combination was regular Scizor and either Mega Mewtwo Y or Mega Mewtwo X. However, Mega Scizor was much better at switching into Xerneas than regular Scizor due to its increased bulk and freedom to run Roost.

Despite all this, Scizor still had weaknesses in both formes. Its 4x weakness to Fire made it susceptible to common threats like Mega Blaziken and Ho-Oh as well as certain coverage moves, particularly Mewtwo's Fire Blast, Mega Gengar’s Hidden Power Fire, and Xerneas's Hidden Power Fire; if an opposing Xerneas was revealed to have Hidden Power Fire, then Mega Scizor could only revenge kill it, similar to Genesect.

Now, in USM, Mega Scizor is still a very good Xerneas check. It commonly opts for a fully specially defensive set, making it more of a defensive answer to Xerneas than an offensive one like in XY. Its bulk allows it to survive even +2 Focus Blast from Geomancy Xerneas and revenge kill it with Bullet Punch, though its Bullet Punch is weaker than that of XY Scizor. Furthermore, Toxic is much more common on Mega Scizor, allowing it to easily check support Arceus formes reliant on Toxic. It can also utilize Swords Dance to combat Z-Geomancy Xerneas sets.

Aegislash

While most remember Aegislash as a powerful attacker that was banned from OU, in Ubers, Aegislash utilized a fully specially defensive set that served as a great defensive switch-in to Xerneas. Utilizing its Shield forme, great bulk, and Steel / Ghost typing, Aegislash was easily able to switch into all Xerneas variants, taking negligible damage from Moonblast and very little from Thunder, and could hit Xerneas with a powerful Gyro Ball, 2HKOing it after a Geomancy boost. Aegislash also had a few perks that differentiated itself from other Steel-type Xerneas checks. Firstly, Aegislash was the only Steel-type Xerneas switch-in that wasn't 2HKOed by any of Xerneas's common moves, including Moonblast, Hidden Power Fire, and Thunder, and was also immune to Focus Blast. Furthermore, Aegislash had unique traits in King's Shield and Shield Stance, which allowed it to hit relatively hard for a defensive Pokémon with Blade forme's increased offensive stats while easily going back into Shield forme to tank hits. King's Shield also let Aegislash punish physical attackers and play mind games with the opponent. Lastly, Aegislash was the only defensive Steel-type Xerneas switch-in that also served as an excellent check to Mega Lucario with Shadow Ball, giving it a clear and useful niche. In general, Aegislash was also capable of checking Deoxys-A and non-Fire Blast Mewtwo, and due to its part-Ghost typing, it could not be trapped by Mega Gengar, Gothitelle, or Dugtrio. Aegislash was also immune to Toxic and was able to poison switch-ins like Primal Groudon, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh with its own Toxic. However, Aegislash lacked a reliable recovery move, making it easy to wear down and overwhelm. Transforming into Blade forme at a bad time could also easily leave Aegislash vulnerable to attacks or setup, as Blade forme's weaker defenses often forced it to switch out or use King's Shield, forfeiting all offensive momentum. It also was vulnerable to Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and physical Arceus-Ground, and it faced competition from Klefki and Mega Scizor for a teamslot.

Aegislash's niche of checking Xerneas and Mega Lucario today is essentially the same as it was in XY, though Aegislash has arguably gotten worse due to the prevalence of powerful physical attackers that were not in XY Ubers, such as Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, Marshadow, Ultra Necrozma, and physical Primal Kyogre.

Arceus-Fire

Arceus-Fire received a boost in viability from BW to XY due to the introduction of Xerneas. Thanks to its great bulk and Fire typing, Arceus-Fire was able to not only check all Xerneas sets but also Arceus-Fairy and, more importantly, Steel-type Xerneas checks that also saw increases in usage. Arceus-Fire was easily able to switch into every Xerneas variant and Steel-types and use them as setup fodder with Calm Mind, and it was able to effectively and consistently check Xerneas due to reliable recovery in Recover. The standard Calm Mind Arceus-Fire set ran a decent amount of special bulk in order to better check Xerneas, but it could also run maximum investment in special bulk along with Roar to further check Xerneas and phaze Geomancy sets. However, Arceus-Fire was very weak to Stealth Rock. Furthermore, Arceus-Fire was vulnerable to common Water- and Ground-types like Kyogre, Palkia, Arceus-Water, Landorus-T, and Groudon. Moreover, Arceus-Fire had a poor defensive typing and could not really handle any other powerful threats like other Xerneas checks could. Despite these flaws, and even though Arceus-Fire was a relatively low-ranked Pokémon in XY, it was one of the most effective Pokémon for strictly checking Xerneas, with the added bonus of being able to threaten a lot of Xerneas's other Steel-type checks.

Sadly, that's really it as far as Arceus-Fire's viability went; Primal Groudon's introduction completely destroyed its niche, and it is no longer a viable Pokémon in USM Ubers.

Arceus-Steel

Arceus-Steel's great bulk and Steel typing made it one of the few Arceus formes that was able to check Xerneas. It was extremely similar to Arceus-Fire, as both were Calm Mind Arceus formes and both could utilize Roar. However, it had a few traits that differentiated it from Arceus-Fire. For one, its Steel typing made it immune to Toxic and Toxic Spikes and resistant, rather than weak, to Stealth Rock, allowing it to switch in and set up much more easily than Arceus-Fire. In addition, its Steel typing made it better against other Arceus formes like Arceus-Water, Arceus-Poison, and Arceus-Fairy and against prevalent Dragon-types like Giratina-O when compared to Arceus-Fire. It was able to hit Xerneas super effectively with its Steel-type Judgment, which Arceus-Fire could not do. Moreover, Arceus-Steel was able to utilize a Swords Dance set that Arceus-Fire was not able to pull off, giving it more general versatility than Arceus-Fire. However, that is not to say that Arceus-Steel was the superior Arceus forme over Arceus-Fire for the focus of this article. While Arceus-Fire was vulnerable to Water-types like Kyogre and Palkia, Arceus-Steel was vulnerable to very common Fire-types like Mega Blaziken and Ho-Oh. More importantly, Arceus-Steel generally ran less bulk compared to Arceus-Fire, and Arceus-Steel was hit super effectively by Xerneas's Focus Blast (though if running Roar, Arceus-Steel could survive a +2 Focus Blast and phaze Geomancy Xerneas). Therefore, Arceus-Fire was technically a better defensive switch-in to Xerneas than Arceus-Steel was.

Unfortunately, Arceus-Steel met the same fate as Arceus-Fire in terms of a drop in viability, though Arceus-Steel got the better end of the stick; it is the fastest Steel-type in the tier and can justify using a Swords Dance set with Earthquake, allowing it to differentiate itself in a more viable way than Arceus-Fire can.

Arceus-Poison

Much like the other Arceus formes discussed above, Arceus-Poison was able to check Xerneas due to its great bulk and Poison typing giving it a resistance to Fairy-type attacks. However, Arceus-Poison was the Arceus forme that was best able to check Xerneas, being ranked A- and outclassing both Arceus-Fire and Arceus-Steel. This was due to several factors. First off, Arceus-Poison offered more general utility compared to Arceus-Fire and Arceus-Steel; it was able to utilize a Calm Mind set and a support set, which others could not afford to do. Secondly, and more importantly, Arceus-Poison's typing was superior to that of Arceus-Fire and Arceus-Steel's with respect to fulfilling the niche of defensively checking Xerneas. Arceus-Poison's typing made it immune to Toxic and Toxic Spikes and neutral to Stealth Rock, unlike Arceus-Fire, and it was not hit super effectively by Xerneas's coverage moves, unlike Arceus-Steel. Arceus-Poison was easily able to switch into all Xerneas variants and use them as setup fodder for Calm Mind, and its access to Recover allowed it to consistently switch in. Arceus-Poison's Defog support set was also very proficient due to it being immune to Toxic Spikes. It also utilized Poison Jab to ignore Geomancy Special Defense boosts and always 2HKO any Xerneas set, while its Thunder Wave crippled Xerneas as well as Mewtwo on the switch. Despite Arceus-Poison being weak to common Psychic-types like Mewtwo and Deoxys-A, its weaknesses could be easily covered.

Arceus-Poison has experienced a massive drop in viability over generations, similarly to Arceus-Fire and Arceus-Steel, only really being used as a niche Calm Mind Arceus forme that can handle both Xerneas and Marshadow today.

Thundurus

Thundurus was able to function as a check to Xerneas in XY due to its Prankster-boosted Thunder Wave, paralyzing Xerneas before it could set up or even after it had set up to stop its sweep cold. Thundurus's Prankster-boosted Thunder Wave was also useful for stopping many common Speed-reliant threats in Ubers, including the Mega Mewtwo formes, Kyogre, Arceus, Arceus-Ghost, Darkrai, Deoxys-A, and Ho-Oh. Another contributing factor to Thundurus's potency was Prankster-boosted Taunt. This allowed Thundurus to prevent setup sweepers as well as anti-lead non-Magic Coat Deoxys-S from setting up. With the combination of Thunder Wave and Taunt, it was ideally almost impossible for Xerneas to set up and sweep if Thundurus was kept around. Thundurus's access to Volt Switch as well as its high base 111 Speed enabled it to be a fast pivot and switch to a teammate after crippling a foe with Thunder Wave or Taunt. Thundurus was also able to hit a decent amount of threatening Pokémon, including Kyogre, Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Groudon, for super effective damage with Volt Switch and Grass Knot. It was also immune to all hazards except Stealth Rock. That said, while Thundurus could easily cripple Xerneas, it could not offensively threaten it with super effective attacks, and didn't have the bulk to switch in directly, so it could really only come in after a teammate was KOed.

Thundurus is not seen in USM Ubers simply because it is too niche to be considered using when compared to most of the other Pokémon that check Xerneas.

Whimsicott

Similar to Thundurus, Whimsicott was a great Prankster user that was able to check Xerneas. It had many moves in its arsenal that, when combined, allowed it to stop Xerneas. Prankster-boosted Encore was capable of locking Xerneas into Geomancy which gave Whimsicott's teammates opportunities to threaten Xerneas. Whimsicott also made use of Prankster Substitute + Leech Seed, which could easily stall out and rack up Leech Seed damage on Pokémon like Xerneas after it had locked them into their setup move. Whimsicott had a few other options it could viably run in the last moveslot. Prankster-boosted Stun Spore worked in the same way as Thunder Wave, crippling Xerneas and other Speed-reliant Pokémon. Taunt prevented Xerneas and other sweepers from using their setup moves before they could move, and even Tailwind was an option. However, much like Klefki and Thundurus, Whimsicott could not offensively threaten or defensively handle Xerneas; it could only incapacitate it. Compared to Thundurus, Whimsicott was bulkier and could lock Xerneas into Geomancy with Encore. However, Thundurus was immune to more entry hazards and, more importantly, had a more reliable way of checking Xerneas in Thunder Wave, as opposed to Stun Spore.

Still, much like Thundurus, Whimsicott is not seen in USM due to the competition it faces from other better Xerneas checks.

Heatran

in XY, Heatran was a very viable defensive Steel-type that was capable of checking Xerneas, able to switch into its Moonblast and most other coverage moves and threaten it with Toxic. Furthermore, Heatran had the option of carrying Taunt, preventing Geomancy Xerneas from setting up, as well as Roar, which phazed Geomancy Xerneas sets, provided they didn't use Ingrain. The main things Heatran had going for it were its ability to run Stealth Rock and beat almost all Defoggers, particularly support Arceus formes, with Toxic and Taunt, as well as its typing, which gave it an immunity to Toxic and Will-O-Wisp. Other than Xerneas, Heatran's defenses and typing allowed it to wall other Pokémon like Dialga, Rayquaza, and Ho-Oh. Moreover, Lava Plume was a tool that allowed Heatran to stand out from the rest of the defensive Steel-type Xerneas checks. With Lava Plume's burn chance, Heatran was able to deter physical threats from switching in while simultaneously checking Xerneas, which gave it valuable utility. That said, unlike many Steel-type Xerneas checks, Heatran couldn't hit Xerneas super effectively due to it not having a room to run Flash Cannon, meaning it couldn't deal that much damage, and instead checked Xerneas by statusing it or preventing setup. Even then, Heatran was still unreliable, being OHKOed by a +2 Focus Blast. Its part-Fire typing gave it additional weaknesses to Pokémon such as Palkia and Arceus-Water, and made it 4x weak to Ground, which especially hurt considering how common Earthquake was. Lastly, despite Heatran's ability to check Xerneas, it was not used specifically to check Xerneas; rather, it was used for the role compression it provided in the form of its utility, entry hazards, and ability to check several Pokémon.

Heatran is not viable in USM. As with a lot of Pokémon, Heatran became instantly outclassed with the arrival of Primal Groudon, which has a Fire typing and can do anything Heatran can, but better.

Chansey and Blissey

Blissey (Chansey wasn't regarded as viable during XY Ubers, though it could have done the same things Blissey did in theory) emerged as a great check to Xerneas for defensive teams on account of its colossal special bulk, allowing it to easily switch into unboosted Geomancy Xerneas with impunity. Blissey's bulk set itself apart from other Xerneas checks at the time, since it could not only switch into Xerneas but could deal with other powerful special attackers such as Palkia and Darkrai as well, offering solid role compression. Blissey's access to reliable recovery allowed it to consistently switch into Xerneas throughout the match and wear it down with Toxic and Seismic Toss. However, Blissey was only really effective against Geomancy Xerneas (though this was easily the most common set) and some variants of Choice Scarf Xerneas; Blissey couldn't really threaten defensive Xerneas, and was 2HKOed by any set with Close Combat.

Now, during USM, Blissey and Chansey are one of the best non-Steel-type Xerneas checks the tier has to offer, with Chansey being bulkier and Blissey carrying Shed Shell to avoid being trapped. They check Xerneas now in essentially the same way through their immense bulk. Blissey and Chansey have started using Confide to better deal with Geomancy and Z-Geomancy Xerneas sets.

Ho-Oh

Ho-Oh is one of the few Pokémon in the tier that could check Xerneas both offensively and defensively. Ho-Oh's naturally high bulk and part-Fire typing allowed it to switch into Xerneas's Moonblast relatively well and threaten it back, while Regenerator and the option of Roost enabled it to consistently switch into battle. Offensive sets could still switch into Moonblast and threaten to 2HKO Xerneas with Sacred Fire or Brave Bird, while defensive sets were able to switch in more easily and threaten Xerneas with Toxic or a STAB move or phaze Xerneas with Whirlwind. Lastly, Ho-Oh was a very good secondary Xerneas check that could deal with a paralyzed Xerneas after a check like Klefki paralyzed it. However, Ho-Oh had several flaws in XY as a Xerneas check. For one, Ho-Oh was extremely weak to Stealth Rock, which heavily limited its switching into Xerneas. Furthermore, Ho-Oh could easily fall to Xerneas's coverage moves; Thunder nailed it, while any Rock-type coverage move could take Ho-Oh out. Lastly, defensive Ho-Oh sets invested heavily in Defense rather than Special Defense, meaning both offensive and defensive Ho-Oh could be overwhelmed by Xerneas when taking into account Ho-Oh's Stealth Rock weakness and vulnerability to coverage moves.

With that said, in USM, Ho-Oh is arguably a better Xerneas check. The standard defensive Ho-Oh set invests in enough special bulk to specifically not be OHKOed by +2 Geomancy Xerneas's Thunder. Moreover, Xerneas much more commonly runs Choice Scarf, making it way easier for Ho-Oh to handle due to it not being able to set up, as well as its tendency to use Moonblast as the only attacking move.

Amoonguss

Amoonguss served as a niche defensive check to Xerneas thanks to a few qualities. Amoonguss's decent bulk, furthered by Assault Vest, along with its Grass / Poison typing allowed it to switch into almost all Xerneas sets due to it resisting Moonblast and common coverage options like Focus Blast and Thunder. Furthermore, its ability Regenerator gave it reliable recovery to continually switch in to consistently check Xerneas. Furthermore, it was one of the few Xerneas answers that was also able to check Kyogre, giving Amoonguss decent and unique role compression. Its typing also made it immune to Toxic and Toxic Spikes. Offensively, Amoonguss used Clear Smog to remove setup sweepers' boosts, particularly from Geomancy Xerneas, and had Sludge Bomb and Grass Knot to hit Xerneas and Kyogre super effectively. However, Amoonguss's bulk was only decent, making it easier to wear down when compared to other Xerneas checks that had reliable recovery like Ho-Oh and the Arceus formes. Moreover, Amoonguss's typing left it weak to common types in Psychic, Fire, and Flying, meaning common threats like Mewtwo, Deoxys-A, Ho-Oh, and Yveltal easily threatened it.

Amoonguss is currently unviable in USM Ubers. With Pokémon like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM in the tier and Primal Kyogre now mostly running a physical set, Amoonguss's niche cannot make up for its many weaknesses.

Mega Gengar

Mega Gengar quickly became one of the most dominant Pokémon in the XY metagame because of its ability to pick its matchups and trap and remove key threats in the tier, including Xerneas. Mega Gengar was able to trap and eliminate almost all Xerneas sets with Sludge Wave, fearing only boosted Geomancy Xerneas with Psyshock. Mega Gengar was an extremely unique Xerneas check compared to the rest due to its trapping capabilities, offering it exclusive utility that no other Xerneas check was able to offer. However, Mega Gengar could not switch into Xerneas due to its poor bulk, so could only be a check to Xerneas when coming in to revenge kill it. Furthermore, Gengar could only trap and remove Xerneas if it was already Mega Evolved. Lastly, Mega Gengar didn't always have the room to run a Poison STAB move for Xerneas over other moves like Shadow Ball, making it susceptible to being set up on and overpowered unless it used Destiny Bond or Perish Song, which were unreliable. Because of these qualities, Mega Gengar wasn’t a very secure Xerneas answer.

Mega Gengar is still an extremely potent threat in USM Ubers for its trapping capabilities, and is probably an even better Xerneas check when compared to XY as it now tends to run a Poison-type STAB move on most of its sets. In addition, since SM, Mega Gengar could outspeed Xerneas on the turn it Mega Evolves.

Jirachi

In XY, Jirachi's niche in the tier was checking Fairy-types, most notably Xerneas, both offensively and defensively. Jirachi's Steel / Psychic typing allowed it to be a very reliable switch-in to almost all Xerneas sets, as it resisted Moonblast and was hit only neutrally by Xerneas's common coverage moves like Close Combat, Thunder, and Focus Blast, only really fearing Hidden Power Fire. Specially defensive Jirachi invested in as much special bulk as possible to more easily switch into Xerneas, while Wish gave it reliable recovery and Thunder Wave and Iron Head allowed it to cripple and beat Geomancy Xerneas. Choice Scarf Jirachi, on the other hand, could easily revenge kill Xerneas and 2HKO it with Iron Head, and was still bulky enough to switch into Moonblast. However, Jirachi was easily threatened by a lot of top-tier threats such as Arceus-Ghost, Mega Blaziken, Darkrai, Mega Gengar, Yveltal, Giratina-O, and Ho-Oh due to its typing, and it faced competition as a Wish user from Clefable and Blissey and as a Steel-type Xerneas check from many other Pokémon in the tier, such as Aegislash.

Unfortunately, Jirachi is not seen in USM Ubers. Many top-tier Pokémon in XY, like Yveltal, Mega Gengar, Ho-Oh, and Giratina-O, are still extremely prevalent, and with so many other great Pokémon added after XY that can beat Jirachi, notably Primal Groudon, Marshadow, Zygarde-C, and Lunala, there is simply too much opportunity cost in using Jirachi when compared to other Steel-type Xerneas checks like Necrozma-DM.

Lugia

While Lugia was more so used as a check to physical threats like Mega Blaziken, Mega Mewtwo X, Groudon, and Extreme Killer Arceus in XY, it could still be used as an emergency stop to Xerneas. This was due to its sheer bulk in combination with Multiscale, letting it always tank one hit from even a boosted Geomancy Xerneas if Multiscale was intact. Lugia could then phaze Geomancy Xerneas in a pinch with Whirlwind or threaten non-boosting Xerneas sets with Toxic. Lugia did have to watch out for Thunder, though, and was an altogether shaky check. As aforementioned, Lugia was really used to check physical threats and therefore didn't invest in Special Defense. This meant that Lugia was easily overwhelmed, especially if its Multiscale was broken. This meant it was not a reliable and consistent switch-in like some other Xerneas checks.

Lugia's role in USM is essentially the same as it was in XY, and it can still be used to check Xerneas in a pinch, probably even better than in XY due to it now investing in enough Speed to outspeed standard Geomancy sets.

Kyogre

While Kyogre is mostly recognized as a strong wallbreaker, one of its successful sets in XY was a specially defensive RestTalk set that was capable of checking Xerneas. It was able to comfortably deal with all Xerneas sets; specially defensive Kyogre could survive even a +2 Thunder from Geomancy Xerneas and then phaze it with Roar, while it could switch into other offensive Xerneas sets and threaten it with a decently powerful STAB Scald. Furthermore, unlike other Xerneas checks, Kyogre had both reliable recovery and an offensive presence through the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk. Kyogre could also utilize an offensive set with Thunder Wave, which was able to switch in before Xerneas set up and then neutralize it. However, running defensive Kyogre to specifically check Xerneas wasn't always ideal, as this set was supposed to be a catch-all check to many special threats like Yveltal, special Arceus-Ghost, support Arceus formes, Darkrai, and Giratina-O, and not necessarily just a "Xerneas check." Furthermore, Kyogre did not resist Moonblast and was dented by Thunder.

Regular Kyogre barely sees any viable use in USM, but Primal Kyogre is a very potent threat. It is usually seen running a physical set or a Calm Mind set, though defensive sets do not run Roar anymore, meaning its performance as a check to Xerneas can no longer be seen.

Tornadus

In XY, Tornadus was a very niche supportive Geomancy Xerneas check. Tornadus's main niche was being able to use Prankster-boosted Tailwind before the foe could react, which allowed teammates to come in and outspeed Xerneas after Tornadus got KOed. Tornadus could use it on the turn Xerneas set up Geomancy, and could also come in after Xerneas had set up and sacrifice itself to use Tailwind. Furthermore, Tornadus had a good base 111 Speed, which enabled it to outspeed all of the base 90 and 100 Speed Pokémon in Ubers. This paired well with U-turn, which allowed Tornadus to be a fast pivot and potentially pivot out into a sweeper after using Tailwind. Tornadus was also capable of using Prankster-boosted Taunt to prevent Xerneas and other setup sweepers from setting up before they could react. Tornadus was decently powerful; its STAB Hurricane hit hard, and it was able to hit Groudon and Kyogre super effectively with Grass Knot. Lastly, Tornadus's Flying typing gave it an immunity to Earthquake, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes. However, Tornadus could only come in to use Tailwind or Taunt against Xerneas, preferably before it set up. Tornadus lacked the bulk to be a defensive switch-in, and it couldn't hit Xerneas hard enough after boosts to be a reliable offensive answer to it. Tornadus was thus similar to Klefki, Thundurus, and Whimsicott in this regard; however, it faced competition from all of these, as they all had ways to put Xerneas out of commission with Thunder Wave or Stun Spore; Tornadus only had Tailwind.

For the most part, Tornadus isn't seen in USM Ubers for the same reasons as Thundurus.

Bronzong

Bronzong was a decent but niche Xerneas check in XY that had several things going for it. Bronzong's typing and ability Levitate justified its use as a Steel-type Xerneas check that was able to simultaneously check Arceus-Ground. Furthermore, due to its immunity to Toxic, Toxic Spikes, and Spikes and a resistance to Stealth Rock, Bronzong was easily able to pivot into foes like Arceus-Water and Lugia and set up Stealth Rock. Similarly to Jirachi, Bronzong's part-Psychic typing meant that it was only hit neutrally by Xerneas's common coverage moves barring Hidden Power Fire. However, Bronzong lacked reliable recovery, was easy to wear down, and was also somewhat passive. Despite this, Bronzong was a good pick for its role compression as a Stealth Rock setter and as a Xerneas and Arceus-Ground check.

This also applies somewhat nowadays in USM, though Bronzong is additionally able to deal with non-Fire-type move Primal Groudon. Bronzong can also utilize Earthquake to threaten Mega Gengar as well as Trick Room and Skill Swap for specific purposes, but its glaring flaws are still present.

Mawile-Mega

Mega Mawile was a decent Xerneas check in XY that was able to handle Xerneas both offensively and defensively. Thanks to Huge Power combined with a strong STAB Iron Head, Mega Mawile was able to deal 96% minimum to Geomancy Xerneas, and it invested heavily in HP and Special Defense to always tank at least one boosted move. Mega Mawile also set itself apart from other Steel-type Xerneas checks thanks to its typing, which gave it an immunity to Toxic and a neutrality to Focus Blast and allowed it to handle Xerneas, Yveltal, and Darkrai all in one team slot, which no other offensive Xerneas check could offer. However, Mega Mawile lacked a reliable recovery move, with its best option being Pain Split, meaning it was easy to wear down and was often eventually overwhelmed. Furthermore, Mega Mawile wasn't a very good standalone Pokémon in the metagame, being ranked C+, so it came with an opportunity cost of using it over another Mega Evolution like Mega Gengar or Mega Scizor.

Mega Mawile is not a viable Pokémon nowadays in USM due to the aforementioned opportunity cost as well as the prevalence of Necrozma-DM.

Metagross

In XY Ubers, Metagross saw use as an offensive Xerneas check that was able to switch in due to its Steel typing, good bulk, and Assault Vest and then threaten Xerneas with strong STAB attacks. Specifically, Metagross was able to KO all Xerneas sets barring full physically defensive ones with the combination of Meteor Mash into Bullet Punch. Metagross also beat other Arceus formes like Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Rock and was able to stop Deoxys-A in its tracks thanks to Bullet Punch, which was something very few Xerneas checks could do. Metagross also shared the trait of not being hit super effectively by most of Xerneas's coverage moves. However, Metagross lacked reliable recovery and was easily worn down and overwhelmed. This made it suffer from extreme competition from almost all other Steel-type Xerneas checks. Furthermore, for an offensive Pokémon, it matched up very poorly against essentially every other top-tier threat in the metagame that wasn't Xerneas.

Regular Metagross is unviable in USM, but Mega Metagross sees limited usage and will be covered later in this article.

Ferrothorn

Ferrothorn was a highly ranked Pokémon in BW Ubers for being a great switch-in to Kyogre, Groudon, Palkia, and Zekrom. With the coming of XY, Ferrothorn gained new utility in being able to check Xerneas, as its good bulk and Steel typing allowed it to switch into and 2HKO unboosted Xerneas with Gyro Ball. Ferrothorn had several traits that made it stand out from other Xerneas checks as well. Ferrothorn was one of the few Xerneas checks that was also able to handle Kyogre and Palkia, giving it good role compression, and its Steel typing allowed it to switch into Toxic-reliant Pokémon. Furthermore, it was able to set entry hazards like Stealth Rock and Spikes. Ferrothorn was also able to wear down its switch-ins with Toxic and Leech Seed, and Leech Seed gave it semi-reliable recovery. Lastly, Ferrothorn was one of the few Xerneas checks that was not threatened by Mega Gengar, as it 2HKOed Mega Gengar with Gyro Ball. However, Ferrothorn wasn't the sturdiest check to Xerneas; it didn't have a reliable recovery move like Recover or Roost, meaning it was relatively easy to wear down. Moreover, Ferrothorn was hit hard by Xerneas's coverage moves like Focus Blast and Hidden Power Fire, and it wasn't able to handle a boosted Geomancy Xerneas due to it easily being KOed by said coverage.

Ferrothorn still sees a lot of use in USM, as it is still a good check to both Kyogre and Xerneas, while also handling many support Arceus formes and setting entry hazards.

Clefable

Clefable was a decent cleric support Pokémon in XY Ubers that also served as an emergency check to Geomancy Xerneas thanks to its ability Unaware. This allowed it to pivot into Xerneas, avoid being 2HKOed if Stealth Rock wasn't present or if Xerneas wasn't holding a Life Orb, and then threaten Xerneas with Seismic Toss or Toxic. Seismic Toss also allowed Clefable to deal with Spikes setters such as Klefki and Skarmory. However, Clefable's bulk wasn't the best and Life Orb Xerneas sets could 2HKO it, while Geomancy Xerneas could still overpower Clefable if it had taken prior damage. Furthermore, some Clefable were invested in Defense to deal with Extreme Killer Arceus, and then could not deal with Xerneas.

In USM, Clefable has seen a decent drop in usage due to Xerneas and Magearna being better Fairy-type clerics.

Tentacruel

Tentacruel had been used in Ubers before XY as a supportive specially defensive Pokémon, since it was capable of healing a lot of health with Rain Dish due to BW's permanent weather mechanics, and was a justifiable candidate as a Xerneas check when XY came along. Tentacruel had several unique but niche things going for it. It was one of the few Pokémon in the tier that both set up hazards (in the form of Toxic Spikes) and removed hazards with Rapid Spin. Furthermore, its decent special bulk, ability Rain Dish, and Water / Poison typing allowed it to pivot into Fairy-types, including non-boosting Xerneas, as well as other Pokémon like Kyogre and defensive Palkia. With that said, Tentacruel lacked a reliable recovery move and had only decent special bulk at best, meaning it was worn down and could be overwhelmed easily. Tentacruel was also victim to some of Xerneas's common coverage moves, such as Thunder and Psyshock. Furthermore, Tentacruel had very little offensive presence; its only way to even threaten Xerneas was Scald or its Toxic Spikes that had to be set before Xerneas switched in. Tentacruel seemed to owe most of its usage in XY to how good it was in BW.

Now, Tentacruel is almost nonexistent in USM Ubers except as a niche pick for stall teams; it really has lost its footing with the introduction of more Pokémon in Ubers every generation.

Arceus

Arceus was a top-tier Pokémon in XY due to its ability to easily set up and sweep teams late-game with its prominent Extreme Killer set, which could strike with +2 priority when sweeping and revenge killing. Also, with great coverage options like Earthquake, Shadow Claw, Overheat, and Stone Edge, it was able to pick and choose what Pokémon it beat. As an extension of this, Arceus was an offensive Xerneas check that was able to revenge kill any weakened offensive Xerneas set with Extreme Speed. Furthermore, +2 Moonblast did not always OHKO Arceus, meaning that it was able to potentially set up a Swords Dance and then reverse sweep Xerneas's team. However, this was the best Arceus could do, as it could not switch into Moonblast more than once. Lastly, much like other Pokémon in this article, Arceus was not used on teams specifically to check Xerneas. It was used because of its great offensive capabilities, and it could only check Xerneas in an emergency.

Arceus still functions relatively the same in USM, being a good revenge killer and sweeper against weakened teams due to its good bulk and Swords Dance + Extreme Speed. It can also still revenge kill Xerneas if it has to. However, Arceus took a bit hit in viability with the introduction of Marshadow, which is one of Arceus's best counters. It now commonly uses Chople Berry instead of Life Orb, meaning its Extreme Speed became weaker when compared to previous generations.

Excadrill

Excadrill's main purpose was not to specifically check Xerneas, but it was one of the few Pokémon that could offensively do so. Under sand, Sand Rush Excadrill was able to outspeed +2 Geomancy Xerneas and revenge kill it with a super effective Iron Head. However, this was only a perk to using Excadrill on a team. Its main utility came from being a powerful Rapid Spin user that was able to sweep teams, and its typing made it resilient to the hazards it removed, being immune to Toxic Spikes and resisting Stealth Rock, and also gave it immunities to Toxic and paralysis, letting it easily get rid of entry hazards without worrying about its longevity. As stated before, though, Excadrill's main purpose was not to check Xerneas, so Genesect and Mega Lucario were better options in that regard. Furthermore, Excadrill was reliant on weather and by extension another Pokémon like Tyranitar or Hippowdon to check Xerneas, as without sand, +2 Xerneas could outspeed Excadrill and KO it.

Excadrill is still viable in USM Ubers and some players rarely run Sand Rush set that can revenge kill Xerneas when under sand, though it is more commonly seen using a Mold Breaker suicide lead set with Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin, which does not check Xerneas at all and suffers from being less viable when compared to other suicide leads like Cloyster.

Genesect

Genesect was one of the best Choice Scarf users in XY Ubers, being able to revenge kill many threats such as Mewtwo, Darkrai, and Choice Scarf Kyogre with extensive coverage and generate momentum and wear down its switch-ins with U-turn. Genesect was also able to offensively threaten Xerneas thanks to a strong STAB Iron Head, allowing it to come in and either revenge kill Xerneas or threaten it out. Assuming correct predictions, Genesect could easily threaten out Xerneas and generate momentum for its team with U-turn. Genesect also separated itself from other offensive Xerneas answers thanks to very extensive coverage options such as Ice Beam and Blaze Kick, which allowed it to handle Dragon-, Ground-, and Steel-types, as well as access to a fast Extreme Speed when accounting for Choice Scarf. However, Genesect's power was relatively underwhelming; +1 Iron Head from Genesect (after a Download boost) wasn't even a guaranteed OHKO on standard Geomancy Xerneas, meaning Genesect needed some chip damage in order to check Xerneas or risk being KOed in return. Furthermore, Genesect was slower than +2 Geomancy Xerneas even with Choice Scarf, meaning it could only revenge kill a very weakened boosted Xerneas with Extreme Speed. Moreover, Genesect could not switch into Xerneas due to its lacking bulk, so Genesect could only be used as a revenge killer to it.

Nowadays in USM, Genesect is essentially unviable. While it can utilize a Choice Band, Choice Specs, and Choice Scarf set, they are all pretty bad due to Genesect's lacking power even with Download and its four-moveslot syndrome, meaning it can't utilize the full extent of its coverage.

Lucario-Mega

Mega Lucario was an offensive powerhouse due to its high offensive stats, good Speed tier, and strong Adaptability-boosted STAB moves. Its STAB moves allowed it to deal with Dark-types like Darkrai and Arceus-Dark and Fairy-types like Xerneas. Specifically, Mega Lucario served as an offensive check to Xerneas, being able to outspeed it (when unboosted) and OHKO even defensive sets with Iron Tail. Furthermore, Mega Lucario's Bullet Punch 2HKOed Geomancy Xerneas, allowing it to revenge kill even a decently healthy boosted Xerneas. Mega Lucario also had access to coverage moves like Stone Edge and Ice Punch, allowing it to hit Ho-Oh and Dragon-types. Because of these qualities, Mega Lucario was probably the second-best offensive Xerneas check after Mega Scizor, as Mega Lucario offensively checked Xerneas more consistently than Excadrill and was a more committed Xerneas check than Genesect. However, unlike Mega Scizor, Mega Lucario did not have reliable recovery and could not switch into Xerneas. Once Xerneas set up a Geomancy, Mega Lucario could only revenge kill it with Bullet Punch once Xerneas was past the health threshold.

In USM, Mega Lucario is still a very powerful offensive threat, utilizing Swords Dance to sweep teams while still being able to threaten Xerneas with STAB Bullet Punch, though it faces competition from Necrozma-DM as an offensive Xerneas check that is able to sweep teams.

Venusaur-Mega

Venusaur saw very minimal usage in BW as a Chlorophyll sun sweeper when weather was permanent. However, even though Venusaur gained its Mega Evolution in Generation 6, it was not used in XY Ubers. In fact, Mega Venusaur has only been seeing use recently in USM, specifically on balance teams. Mega Venusaur's niche comes from the fact that it is a good blanket check to many threats in the tier, such as Marshadow, physical Primal Kyogre, support Arceus formes, and Xerneas, thanks to its typing, good bulk, and ability Thick Fat. This gives it solid role compression and decent general utility. Mega Venusaur also has access to recovery options in Synthesis and Leech Seed, and its perfectly accurate Toxic can combine with Leech Seed to easily wear down switch-ins. Specifically, Mega Venusaur is one of the few Xerneas checks (along with Ferrothorn, as well as Tentacruel and Amoonguss when they were used in XY) that could also handle Kyogre. Mega Venusaur's typing and ability Thick Fat allows it to switch into Kyogre's Liquidation easily and be hit only neutrally by its other coverage moves. In regards to checking Xerneas, Mega Venusaur's typing and ability enables it to resist STAB Moonblast, resist common coverage moves like Focus Blast and Thunder, and be hit only neutrally by Hidden Power Fire, something that Ferrothorn cannot do. Despite these positives, Mega Venusaur is a low-ranking Pokémon. It is very passive, which makes it vulnerable to common setup sweepers, and it is vulnerable to other common Pokémon like Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Ultra Necrozma. Mega Venusaur can also be easily overwhelmed due to Synthesis's low 8 PP as well as powerful attacks in the tier, such as Choice Specs Kyogre's Water Spout, which 2HKOes it. Lastly, using Mega Venusaur comes with a large opportunity cost of forgoing another, better Mega Pokémon for balance teams.

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ORAS

Most checks to Xerneas prior to ORAS were unreliable and some of them were passive to the point where they forfeited momentum and made defensive cores more vulnerable to Mega Gengar. This meant some defensive checks to Xerneas struggled to find their place in many archetypes outside of defensive teams where there was more room for teammates to patch up each others' defensive flaws. Thus, many other teams forfeited security against Xerneas in favor of protection against other common threats. Teams that did use the more viable checks required plenty of support for them to be effective, such as Ho-Oh needing strong anti-hazard support, Mega Gengar only being able to trap unboosted Xerneas, and the likes of Lugia and Jirachi having to be near full HP to stop boosted Xerneas and be wary of Mega Gengar.

However, ORAS introduced a Pokémon that checked Xerneas offensively and defensively, stood as one of the only safe switch-ins to the threatening Primal Kyogre, and had almost nonexistent opportunity cost to employ in any competitive Ubers team due to its insane level of role compression: Primal Groudon. Groudon gained a Fire typing with its newfound access to Primal Reversion, becoming one of the few viable Pokémon that resisted Moonblast. While Primal Groudon's lack of reliable recovery and somewhat lacking special bulk may have made its effectiveness as a check to Xerneas questionable, Primal Groudon had the flexibility to always run EV investment that allowed it to survive any attack from Geomancy-boosted Xerneas after Stealth Rock due to its ability to threaten almost the entire tier with varying movesets. This made Primal Groudon one of the few threats that could take a hit from Xerneas and respond with a phazing move, status, or retaliation without being overly passive. Even fully specially defensive Primal Groudon, which was a common variant in ORAS, was powerful enough to weaken Geomancy Xerneas to the range of its teammate's priority moves with uninvested Precipice Blades after Stealth Rock damage.

Mega Metagross was introduced in ORAS and was technically a check to Xerneas. Much like other Steel-types, Mega Metagross resisted Moonblast and did not easily fall prey to other moves like Focus Blast and Thunder with some investment in bulk. Unfortunately, it was not too viable due to the opportunity cost coming from using a Mega Pokémon that struggled to do much against common threats in the tier. Many players in ORAS typically preferred having defensive Primal Groudon, Klefki, and priority move users to keep Xerneas in check instead. As better checks to Xerneas and more useful Steel-types were introduced, Mega Metagross progressively declined in usage.

SM

Pokémon Sun's cover legendary Pokémon, Solgaleo, made its debut to Ubers in SM. Solgaleo had enough bulk to check a boosted Geomancy Xerneas even when running offensive sets, but despite this, it wasn't the most popular pick as a check to Xerneas due to its vulnerability to Mega Gengar, Yveltal, and Marshadow. Lack of boosting options and poor offensive typing further undermined Solgaleo's effectiveness against the majority of the tier.

On the other hand, SM shortly introduced Magearna, a Steel-type Pokémon that remains as one of the most reliable pivots and checks to Xerneas even today. Magearna's typing prevented it from getting blown away by a boosted Xerneas's coverage moves and enabled it to check other threatening Pokémon like Yveltal and Deoxys-A, and, combined with Volt Switch, kept it from falling prey to Shadow Tag trapping and losing momentum against other Steel-types. Magearna could also keep itself healthy in certain matchups thanks to its pseudo-recovery in Pain Split. On top of this, Magearna's access to Heart Swap meant it could immediately shut down Geomancy Xerneas and threaten to OHKO back with Fairy Aura-boosted +2 Fleur Cannon next turn. What made these traits so valuable was that it was the only Steel-type that had semi-reliable recovery, could immediately shut down Xerneas, and did not suffer from ineffectiveness against the rest of the tier.

USM

USM brought Necrozma-DM to Ubers. It is widely known that Necrozma-DM is one of the biggest threats in the tier and is one of the first Pokémon that comes to mind when looking for a Xerneas check in teambuilding. Unlike Solgaleo, Necrozma-DM is much harder to take advantage of due to its significantly better offensive presence and Prism Armor weakening super effective coverage moves. Necrozma-DM's versatility and the large number of Pokémon it can blanket check apart from Xerneas makes it one of the best and thus one of the most common Pokémon in the tier. Necrozma-DM also has enough natural bulk to survive a boosted attack from Geomancy Xerneas and retaliate by OHKOing back with Sunsteel Strike at worst after Stealth Rock damage. Specially defensive Necrozma-DM is essentially impossible for Xerneas to surmount and it can still immediately take out Xerneas if holding Solganium Z. Many teams today can now keep Xerneas in check more easily, as they now have another very splashable Xerneas check apart from Primal Groudon.

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Checks that are still viable

Despite the large number of Pokémon mentioned, a majority of them are currently unviable in the tier. A large number of Steel-types took a hit in viability as Primal Groudon was introduced in ORAS, while support Arceus formes like Arceus-Fire, Arceus-Poison, and Arceus-Steel's viability were significantly reduced. Mega Gengar's continued prevalence meant that some checks to Xerneas were a burden to the rest of the team and often ended up forcing a backup check. The introduction of Magearna followed by Necrozma-DM essentially made most other Steel-types questionable choices as Xerneas checks, as both are the most effective at that role, are not necessarily helpless against Mega Gengar, and can provide numerous other utility options.

Chansey, Blissey, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Mega Venusaur, Magearna, and Necrozma-DM packing Morning Sun remain as Pokémon that can check Xerneas by virtue of their bulk, typing, or both. Offensive checks like Primal Groudon, various priority move users, and Steel-types like Aegislash and Mega Scizor still remain viable, though Primal Groudon and Aegislash are vulnerable to repeated attacks while Mega Scizor has to watch out for Hidden Power Fire. Niche checks like Arcus-Poison, Klefki, and Assault Vest Alolan Muk also remain relevant in Ubers, though they often struggle to fit in teams. Ferrothorn, Toxapex, Celesteela, and Arceus-Steel are less capable checks that can pivot into Choice Scarf Xerneas depending on its moveset. From SM, due to a change in the mechanics of Mega Evolution, Mega Gengar can justify Poison-type moves more easily in its moveset in lieu of Protect, and thus has become another foe that Xerneas has to be wary about.

How have these Pokémon affected playing with Xerneas?

Many Xerneas teams employed Mega Gengar in XY, as many checks like Chansey, Amoonguss, Clefable, and various passive foes were vulnerable to it. Mega Gengar also had the option to use other strategies to narrow Xerneas's counterplay, including by forcing a Destiny Bond trade with a Xerneas check and by trapping and weakening Mega Scizor with Hidden Power Fire. Checks to Xerneas were also easy to exploit by various physical attackers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Zekrom. Mega Scizor was another Mega Stone user that could justify its place as Xerneas's teammate, as it shared decent offensive synergy with Xerneas, could potentially weaken checks like Lugia and Aegislash with Pursuit, and generated valuable momentum with U-turn. Xerneas also employed some of its own countermeasures on some of its sets: some variants used Substitute to block status moves from overly passive Pokémon and mess with Aegislash by threatening to retaliate when it was in its Blade forme, and coverage moves like Close Combat and Rock Slide were used on Choiced or attacking sets to surprise Steel-types, Chansey, Blissey, and Ho-Oh.

With Primal Groudon being in almost every competitive team, Xerneas could be offensively checked more easily in ORAS, though revenge killing it with priority moves and defensively walling it were still common ways to beat it. Nearly every Primal Groudon was invested to survive any attack from +2 Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage, and defensive variants required more than just some entry hazard damage to be weakened enough to be taken out by a boosted Xerneas. Primal Groudon's presence alone made Hidden Power Ground one of the viable coverage moves on Geomancy sets during ORAS. However, at the same time, Primal Groudon's prevalence made many Steel-types that checked Xerneas much easier to pressure, and depending on its moveset, Primal Groudon also helped keep Ho-Oh and Lugia in line with Stealth Rock. Offensive threats that could pressure bulkier foes, such as Mega Gengar and Darkrai, were also common partners that Xerneas benefited from. Paralysis continued to be a way to shut down Xerneas by removing its Speed advantage over Pokémon with similar base Speed.

SM's introduction of Magearna gave Ubers extra security against Xerneas, as Magearna required an excessive amount of prior damage to be taken down by +2 Xerneas, could pivot in and punish Xerneas by pivoting out with Volt Switch, and could immediately render Geomancy-boosted Xerneas powerless by using Heart Swap. Paralysis's nerf and the introduction of a new variant of Xerneas in Z-Geomancy naturally made players inclined to check Xerneas offensively. The continuation of Ho-Oh's prevalence made some Xerneas use Hidden Power Rock as well, as +2 Thunder did not KO a defensive Ho-Oh from full health. USM brought Xerneas a worse enemy in Necrozma-DM, another Pokémon that can effectively combat Xerneas and is very commonly seen. However, at the same time, move tutors in USM enabled Xerneas to learn Defog, making it much better as a utility Pokémon. In addition to this, as threats like Ultra Necrozma and Marshadow have become very prevalent, Choice Scarf has become the most common Xerneas variant, though Geomancy sets are always accounted for in teambuilding and seen in offensive teams fairly often.

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Conclusion

The first Fairy-type legendary Pokémon brought a significant change to Ubers, making some niche Pokémon viable due to their ability to check Xerneas and worsening the viability of most pre-existing Dragon-types. Many sets were experimented on from XY due to Xerneas's excellent stat distributions and movepool, allowing it to pull out various tricks, and a good number of sets remain viable today. Though the Life Pokémon is now much easier to keep in control with various new Pokémon introduced throughout the generations, Geomancy, Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, defensive, and even Z-Geomancy sets are still useful in their own right, so Xerneas forces players to react very defensively until its set is fully revealed. The amount of pressure Xerneas exerts on every team also makes Geomancy one of the topics that are commonly brought up when there are questions about possible banworthy elements of the metagame. Clearly, the hunting of the most versatile, threatening, and viable Fairy-type in Ubers, Xerneas, still continues today.

Puzzle Page »

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Puzzle Page

Welcome back, all our beloved puzzlers, to the 17th edition of the Flying Press's Puzzle Page! It's indeed been a while since our last Puzzle Page, but it seems that the wait has given our solvers ample time to tackle the harder puzzle variations we presented last round—congratulations to Dot Agumon, Knuckstrike, Meicoo and SadisticMystic for submitting perfect answers for the 16th edition of the puzzle page, and thanks to everyone else who sent in their answers. As always, the user leading the leaderboard after 6 pages will get a shiny banner, so now's not the time to falter! Once again, huge thanks to all of the members of the puzzle team who helped out with the puzzles in this edition, including lovemathboy, Level 51, and Lyd!

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Parameters

By using the /dexsearch command on Pokémon Showdown, find out which parameters match only the Pokémon listed. For example, say you are given these Pokémon: Bibarel, Bidoof, Pachirisu, Patrat, Raticate, Rattata, Smeargle, and Watchog. Even though all of them learn both Protect and Substitute, there are many other Pokémon that can as well, so the trick is to try to narrow down your options as much as possible. Parameters may include moves, abilities, tiers, generations, colors, and so on.

1. Altaria, Dragalge, Drampa | 2 Params
2. Farfetch'd, Gallade, Smeargle | 1 Param, 1 Exclusion
3. Buneary, Lopunny, Mesprit, Mime Jr., Mr. Mime | 1 Param, 1 Exclusion

Pokémon Countdown

For each of the given words or phrases below, use as many letters as possible to make a Pokémon-related term, including Pokémon, abilities, moves, items, locations, and so forth. The letters can be arranged in any order, and each letter should only be used once. Note that you may only use each letter in the phrase or word once—for example, if the word is "Recreations", "Encore" is a valid answer but "Sea Incense" is not, since it uses the 'e' 3 times when there are only 2, and the 'n' and 's' twice when there is only one of each.

1. PENALTY KICK
2. ISOLATED PAWN
3. PLAUSIBLE CITYSCAPE

PokéBoggle

In each of the grids below, start at any tile and spell out a Pokémon name by moving one tile at a time in any of the 8 directions. Find as many Pokémon names as you can! Note that a tile cannot be used twice within the same name.

PokéBoggle 1 (6 Pokémon)

PokéBoggle 2 (14 Pokémon)

Pokémon Link

In this puzzle, you must create a path from one Pokémon to the other identical Pokémon by drawing a continuous line. Each line must be either horizontal or vertical but can change directions wherever applicable. Every square in the grid must be filled, and lines cannot pass through other filled boxes or boxes with icons in them. Keep in mind that lines may not be created diagonally and boxes can't be filled without being part of the continuous line.

Cryptic Crossword

This puzzle is a cryptic crossword and has several clues listed below that will fit within the boxes of the crossword grid. Once you have filled in the grid completely, take a screenshot of it as proof of your triumph. The answers will consist of several Pokémon-related terms, whether they be Pokémon, moves, abilities, etc.

If you don't know what is a "cryptic crossword" or how to solve "cryptic clues", the Wikipedia article titled "Cryptic crossword" is a great place to start with.

Note: Click the hint to go to the corresponding line.

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Closing Remarks

The answers to the previous issue's puzzles will be posted here, and answers for this issue will be posted with the next issue. As usual, once you've completed one, some, or even all of the puzzles that this page has to offer, send your answers via a private message to Smogon's Flying Press on the forums (a Smogon account is required), with its title as "Puzzle Page: Volume 17". The deadline for answers will be 4 weeks. Good luck to all who dare to participate, and we'll see you again sometime!

1. Dot Agumon, Knuckstrike: 75 points (+25)
3. Meicoo: 50 points (+25)
4. Bartimaeus: 48 points
5. ScarfWynaut: 46 points
6. Calm: 41 points (+10)
7. SadisticMystic: 25 points (+25)
8. CryoGyro: 24 points
9. Okamu: 21 points
11. Aalbaniaa: 10 points
12. Leki: 9 points (+9)
13. Ragmatho: 7 points (+2)
14. Max. Optimizer: 2

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