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Major XY OU threats

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    Help your fellow PC battlers by posting any Pokemon that you believe to be major threats in standard play (XY OU)! Preferably add any Pokemon or strategies that may help defeat said threats.

    (Will likely end up editing this post to include everything for easy access.)
     
    One thing is clear, and that is Scizor and Aegislash counters are a must, and here's why.

    Scizor (as we now know) has a mega evolution! That means its bullet punches are now even more deadly. Not only that, but it's also very useful at dispensing those pesky fairy types. It already saw some pretty heavy usage last gen, and it can only see more this gen.

    Aegislash is one heck of a priority sweeper. Not to mention it has one heck of an annoying version of protect with king's shield. With its ability, that 150 defense now becomes its attack stat! With access to swords dance, I'm afraid there isn't much you can do once this behemoth gets up and running.

    However, they can be countered:

    Volcarona does a good job at countering both of them, resisting both of Scizor's STABs and avoiding Aegislash's king's shield. Volcarona can also strike back super-effectively, so that's a nice touch.

    Rotom-W does a great job at stopping Aegislash in its tracks. Trick a choice item and the shutdown is imminent. Aegislash can't power up and is now useless. The bulk also makes sure that Rotom can stick around to use that Trick.
     
    Greninja is going to be big, Protean gives all of it's attacks STAB and with 95/103/122 offenses it can make use of several sets well.

    Because of the nature of protean prediction is a big part of dealing with Greninja, so usually your best hope is to use priority or lure them into a trap

    The best way I have found to deal with them is Goodra. Assault Vest Goodra with no 252 HP and no other bulk investment can eat 2 of them and live from full health, so eat one and return the favor with a fire blast.

    Another good option is Talon Flame, it outspeeds with 126 Base and Priority Brave Bird shuts him down, and if he is coming off an Ice Beam Flare Blitz will finish him off even better.
     
    Mega Luke, Drum Jet Azumarril, Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile seem the scariest things so far. Aegislash too. Also Tyranitar is even more annoying considering it can spam Crunch with gay abandon basically now that steel doesnt resist it. -.-
     
    Just like to add Aegislash is a monster, you have to careful cause of King's Shield and it can grab setup oppurtunities easily if you misplay and the ability to switch between massive tank and massive nuke is insane. Some people think Uber which I don't agree with but a well-played Aegislash could be the difference between winning and losing although the same can be said of any top-tier OU Pokemon.
     
    Aegislash is ridiculous, forces an insane amount of predictions on the opponent. Aside from that I think Mega Gyara might be insanely underrated.
     
    Keep at least one team member with sturdy or focus sash to deal with aegislash. Once your opponent bring it out, immediately switch into your counter. Most aegis players tend to boost their attack or protect during the switch in but be careful of entry hazards
     
    What about Mega Absol?
    It looks like a major OU threat with it's 150/115/115 offensive stats...

    & Magic Bounce will render moves like Will-O-Wisp & Thunder Wave useless
    against it... In fact, if the users aren't Fire-type in the case of Will-O-Wisp
    or Electric or Ground in the case of Thunder Wave, they get burned or paralyzed
    instead!
    & that's not all:
    Taunt can't stop it from setting up with Swords Dance, Roar & Whirlwind can't force it
    out, they can't set up entry hazards, Leech Seed will also reflect back & no other
    status moves will work either.
    Also, they can't use moves like Worry Seed or Entrainment to change it's ability!

    Mega Absol's 115 Sp.Atk isn't as good as it's 150 attack, but it'll allow it to use it's
    plentiful special attack options:
    Flamethrower/Fire Blast vs. Steel types (but Mega Scizor & Mega Lucario may still
    cause problems for it) as well as Bug, Ice & Grass types.
    Ice Beam/Blizzard during Hail vs. the Dragons, Ground, Flying & Grass types
    & Thunderbolt/Thunder during Rain to hit Water & Flying types.

    It even has Calm Mind & Charge Beam to incease the Sp.Atk, but I doubt either will
    be as reliable as Swords Dance. But I see it running a mixed set to beat physically
    defensive threats it couldn't otherwise.

    EDITED IN:
    How could I forget Sucker Punch!?!?
    It may not be as strong as Yveltal's, but it's still stronger than any other priority attack
    in OU. However, I not sure if it'll do much to Mega Scizor, even with Steel no
    longer resisting dark, but it'll at least make sure it doesn't go down without hitting
    the red pest first. & I predict that Mega Lucario with Extremspeed will still
    OHKO Mega Absol before it can do anything...
     
    Last edited:
    What about Mega Absol?
    It looks like a major OU threat with it's 150/115/115 offensive stats...

    Unfortunately Mega abol is another one of those Pokemon who suffers greatly from fairies as it cant really do much to them as they resist its main moves i.e SuckerPunch, SuperPower, Night Slash and Megahorn. :(
     
    Unfortunately Mega abol is another one of those Pokemon who suffers greatly from fairies as it cant really do much to them as they resist its main moves i.e SuckerPunch, SuperPower, Night Slash and Megahorn. :(
    From what I saw, Fairy-types generally have poor defense...
    Won't it be able to hurt them BAD or maybe even OHKO with Stone Edge?
    EDITED IN:
    Actually, I'm sure it can OHKO with Stone Edge, after a Swords Dance.
    (however, the 80% accuracy is unfortunate...)
    Mega Mawile is one Fairy I see causing problems, but Flamethrower/Fire Blast should at
    least make it think twice about coming in...

    EDITED IN:
    Mega Absol is currently unable to have Superpower, unless it's a Egg move...
    & I'm guessing that's what Megahorn is, as I don't see it on serebii's XY pokedex.
     
    Last edited:
    I can't tell how many teams of LEGENDARY Pokemon I have swept with Talonflame only using Acrobatics with no held item.

    This thing will sweep teams, or put you in a great position. Especially in 3-on-3, which is what most WiFi battles are.

    Talonflame paired with Doublade gives you Two Priority Sweepers able to strike hard and fast even when Paralyzed.

    I have also noticed Special Sweepers are More common that Physical Sweepers, So Grab a Vest Goodra / You need a way to kill vest Goodra.
     
    Clefable is going to be an underrated threat i can see that, im running CM Clefable and everyone just underestimates it, but in the end Clefable just swept their whole team
     
    The foe's Aegislash used Swords Dance!
    The foe's Aegislash's Attack sharply rose!
    Mawile used Iron Head!
    It's not very effective... The foe's Aegislash lost 100% of its health!
    The foe's Aegislash fainted!
    Mega Mawlie is disgusting, sets up on most Dragons and you already pack 680 Atk even before SD. Suffers a bit from 4MSS though. This thing is definitely going to be OU in my opinion.
     
    I believe Mega Mawhile is definitely going to be a threat in OU with its amazing attack. However it Dragons carry A fire move, it certainly would help counter it.
    Also, Aegislash is bound to be in OU. IMO King's Shield is OP combined with his ability and the power to setup. Perhaps a counter would be Malamar but idk.
     
    Amongs the new pokes I would have to say these.

    1. Aegislash: Sure it does have some counters but if you let it set up it can sweep your whole team. Also the guessing game with King's Shield can really frustrate the opponent if he does not predict right.

    2. Talonflame: Sorta similar in a way to Aegislash, if you let it set up its really hard to take on and of course the guessing with Roost.

    3. Greninja: Some people are saying this pokemon isn't powerful enough and its too frail to be a threat but I disagree. First of all this pokemon is an offensive tool box, what it lacks in power it makes up for having a STAB boost in all of its attacks with Protean and a diverse movepool. Its speed lets it have a good defense in a way, you can use U-Turn to get out of though situations and with Protean if you have the opportunity you could change to a type that would resist the attack the opponent its going to use and potentially live.

    Honorable Mentions

    1. Barbaracle: I've seen this thing wreck teams after Shell Smash. That tough claws ability just makes this thing deadly if you are not careful. Put it on a Rain Team (even if rain was nerf) and see destroy stuff.
     
    After playing on Showdown for a while, I've seen several Pokemon that are definite threats this generation.

    -Mega Mawile: Like stated multiple times in this thread, this Pokemon is an absolute monster. I haven't gone up against an opposing Mega Mawile, but I use it on one of my teams and it's been able to destroy teams. While Fire types may help against it, Sucker Punch hits very hard when you factor in Huge Power and potentially Swords Dance.

    -Aegislash: This is a pretty nerve wracking Pokemon to go up against. The combination of its ability, King's Shield, Swords Dance, and STAB priority in Shadow Sneak allow it to be a top tier threat. If you let it set up it can devastate you, though a couple Pokemon are able to take it out relatively easily. Volcarona, Garchomp, Salamence (Physical and Mixed sets work due to Earthquake and Fire Blast), and Mamoswine come to mind. I've also seen someone use a Focus Sash Gengar against it - Have the Aegislash Shadow Sneak and go into offensive stance and take it out with Shadow Ball.

    -Mega Lucario: This is very good, certainly a huge offensive threat as of now. Adaptability Close Combat coming off that Attack stat is huge, as is Bullet Punch. It does need to be wary of anything faster, especially if it's using Extremespeed instead of Bullet Punch.

    -Talonflame: I didn't really expect Talonflame to see much usage in OU but with the addition of Gale Wings, it's terrifying to face. Priority Brave Bird, especially after a Swords Dance, gives it huge offensive presence and a lot of pressure on your opponent. Acrobatics also works, though I've seen Brave Bird much more. One thing to watch out for with Talonflame is obviously Stealth Rocks, so be sure to pack a spinner.

    -Trevenant: Speaking of spinners, this is the worst nightmare of one. Trevenant may not seem like such a threat, but when you look closer, it's actually great as a spinblocker. Its typing and bulkiness allows it to stare down spinners and take them out. It can come in against a Starmie's Ice Beam and take another while OHKOing it with Wood Hammer (Though the recoil would kill Trevenant). With Natural Cure, it has access to a great recovery move in the form of Rest, though it obviously has to switch out. If you don't want that, you could grab one with Harvest and equip it with a Sitrus/Lum Berry, which is a great form of recovery. It's obvious that some Pokemon could come in on it and set up, namely special attackers due to Will-O-Wisp, but Trevenant's a great spinblocker that I think will be a defensive threat this generation.

    Noivern: While not particularly strong, Noivern is very fast. Base ~123 is nothing to scoff at, and with the help of Life Orb or Choice Specs it can hit fairly hard. This is also due to Boomburst - A base 140 100% accuracy move is absolutely terrifying. Also, Noivern's abilities are fairly useful - Frisk allows you to scout out an opponent's item to better judge its set while Infiltrator lets you bypass Screen moves and Substitute. Though Noivern has many tools to be successful, it's not without its weaknesses - It doesn't particularly enjoy losing 25% of its health upon switching in and priority moves like Ice Shard and Bullet Punch absolutely wreck it. Bulky Pokemon also do fairly well against it due to Noivern's relatively subpar Special Attack. I still think that it will be a threat, though.
     
    Weakness Policy + Dragon Dance or Agility Dragonite is really dangerous. It usually uses Dragon Claw / Earthquake / Thunder Punch or Extreme Speed for coverage. The best defense against it is Stealth Rock and offensive pressure to prevent the opponent from using Defog or Rapid Spin.
     
    I'm just posting to mention how insane Assault Vest Tyranitar can be, +2 Omastar Surf under rain can still fail to OHKO even after SR. Scarftar is still good and whatnot but I definitely feel this set is a viable alternative. Especially stuff like Gengar-M considering you can't outspeed it even with a Scarf.

    Gengar-M Focus Blast vs Assault Vest Tyranitar - (120 Base Power): 232 - 276 (57.43% - 68.32%) and that's assuming Focus Miss hits.

    Problem is with so much investment into being bulky, he hits fairly weak but nothing some entry hazards/sandstorm/team members can't help with.
     
    Also, another interesting option is Mega Houndoom. This thing in sunlight is a nightmare... 210 base Sp. Atk in sun is no joke. Especially with a sun-boosted STAB Fire Blast. Too bad weather got nerfed... Otherwise, Mega Houndoom, sitting on a real nice 115 Speed, would be on almost every team. The only counters I can think of that stops this beast is Stealth Rocks, Mach Punch users, and Rain. Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot that can outspeed it, and Mega Houndoom has really good coverage with Slugde Bomb and SolarBeam. MegaDoom should be considered for any Sun Team, for sure.
     
    Also, another interesting option is Mega Houndoom. This thing in sunlight is a nightmare... 210 base Sp. Atk in sun is no joke. Especially with a sun-boosted STAB Fire Blast. Too bad weather got nerfed... Otherwise, Mega Houndoom, sitting on a real nice 115 Speed, would be on almost every team. The only counters I can think of that stops this beast is Stealth Rocks, Mach Punch users, and Rain. Otherwise, there isn't a whole lot that can outspeed it, and Mega Houndoom has really good coverage with Slugde Bomb and SolarBeam. MegaDoom should be considered for any Sun Team, for sure.

    That's not how increasing Special Attack under Solar Power works. Mega Houndoom's maximum Special Attack at level 100 is 379 (with Timid) or 416 (with Modest). With Timid, Mega Houndoom's Special Attack is 568; with Modest, it's 624. That's the equivalent of around ~240 Special Attack under Solar Power.
     
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