Xurkitree Movesets & Competitive Sets

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Moves Thunderbolt is the best choice for a STAB move. Hidden Power Ice is the best Hidden Power type, as it hits most Ground-types super effectively. Energy Ball is for Gastrodon only. If you have Gastrodon dealt with solidly elsewhere, then Discharge is a good idea. Volt Switch is good for pivoting out of bad matchups, but it can be replaced with Discharge if you need spread damage and want Energy Ball. Set Details Maximize Speed and Special Attack because those stats are most important to Xurkitree. Modest is best on the Choice Scarf set since Xurkitree already has enough Speed to beat Tapu Koko and can't outspeed Jolly Pheromosa anyway. Modest Choice Specs Xurkitree is still fast enough to outspeed 134 Speed Gyarados, and it only misses out on positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon. Timid can be used for both sets regardless if you want to outspeed Adamant Pheromosa with a Choice Scarf or positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon with Choice Specs. Usage Tips Focus on hit-and-run attacks, as being locked into one move and lacking Protect makes it hard to use your Beast Boosts. Also make sure that you can remove faster Ground-types and Alolan Marowak. Xurkitree can support itself a bit more than non-Choice sets but still enjoys support from the likes of Tapu Koko. Team Options Tapu Koko is a fantastic partner as it can boost Xurkitree's Electric-type STAB moves by 50%. A Groundium Z user, Gyarados, or anything else that can KO Alolan Marowak is necessary to have. Ground-types make great partners for Discharge Xurkitree, since they don't have to use Protect when Xurkitree uses Discharge. Fire-types make good partners for hitting Grass-types, which resist Xurkitree's main STAB type. Opposing rain, Tailwind, and Trick Room are all bad for Xurkitree, so have Pokemon like Porygon2 that can reverse Trick Room or Assault Vest Kartana that can threaten rain.

Moves Thunderbolt is the best choice for a STAB move. Hidden Power Ice is the best Hidden Power type, as it hits most Ground-types super effectively. Energy Ball is for Gastrodon only. If you have Gastrodon dealt with solidly elsewhere or need spread damage, then Discharge is a good idea. Protect is essential to keeping Xurkitree healthy. Set Details Maximize Speed and Special Attack because those stats are most important to Xurkitree. Electrium Z makes getting that first KO much easier or, if you can pick up a KO before using it, gives Xurkitree a ridiculously powerful nuke. Focus Sash aids Xurkitree's longevity while also allowing it to KO faster threats without being KOed itself. Modest Xurkitree is still fast enough to outspeed 134 Speed Gyarados, and it only misses out on positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon. Usage Tips Focus on getting Xurkitree a KO so that it can KO more foes. Also make sure that you can remove faster Ground-types and Alolan Marowak. Team support is very important to this Xurkitree set, since it lacks Speed or the immediate power of Choice sets. Switching Xurkitree in is not recommended when it has an intact Sash, as that could easily break it. Team Options Tapu Koko is a great partner, since it buffs the power of Xurkitree's Electric-type STAB moves by 50%. Ground-types can take on Lightning Rod Pokemon while being immune to Xurkitree's Discharge. Fire-types can handle Grass-types such as Kartana well, especially Arcanine, which can Intimidate them as well. This set very much appreciates Tailwind support, since it can change moves and doesn't have the boosted Speed from a Scarf.

Moves Z-Hypnosis is what this set revolves around, being able to put the foe to sleep and raise the user's Speed by a stage in one turn. This gives Xurkitree an extra turn to set up Tail Glow, circumventing its mediocre bulk. This threatens passive teams greatly, as a single wrong switch can allow Xurkitree to sweep the entire team. Thunderbolt is its best STAB option and thus a given. Energy Ball is its best coverage move, being able to hit most switch-ins to Thunderbolt such as Ground-types and Lanturn. Energy Ball can, however, be switched out for Dazzling Gleam or Hidden Power Ice, which are equally viable. Dazzling Gleam helps a lot more against Dragon teams, while Hidden Power Ice can be used for pseudo-BoltBeam coverage. Tail Glow is the other essential setup move on this set. It raises Xurkitree's Special Attack by 3 stages, allowing it to become a much more devastating wallbreaker. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed maximize its sweeping potential. A Timid nature allows it to outspeed Choice Scarf Pokemon with base 80 Speed such as Diggersby and Togekiss once Xurkitree has gotten its Speed boost through Z-Hypnosis. Psychium Z allows it to use Z-Hypnosis. Beast Boost raises its Special Attack whenever it gets a KO, making it even more dangerous as the battle goes on. Usage Tips Z-Hypnosis can only be used once per game. Do not set up when a faster revenge killer is still healthy, as Xurkitree will not be able to get the Speed boost again if it switches out. Similarly, setting up while there are still Pokemon that can easily take a hit from boosted Xurkitree is unwise. This Xurkitree set can bluff a Choice Scarf in the early-game. Thus, it is wise to not give away Xurkitree's set early on, as it can sweep much more effectively if you can catch your opponent off guard. Even though Tapu Koko is an amazing partner for Xurkitree, make sure Xurkitree doesn't try to go for Hypnosis while Electric Terrain is up, as it will always fail to put the foe to sleep if grounded. It is unwise to go for Tail Glow unnecessarily. If Xurkitree doesn't need the boost in Special Attack, don't try to risk a one-turn sleep. Most of the time, the boost in Special Attack due to Beast Boost is enough. Try not to go for Z-Hypnosis versus potential users of Lum Berry, as Xurkitree can be KOed very easily if it gives a free turn to the foe. It is unwise to rely too much on Hypnosis's shaky accuracy. Only use it when Xurkitree cannot OHKO the opposing Pokemon or it needs to get the Speed boost to sweep the opponent's team. Due to its thin bulk, it cannot be switched in on strong attacks. As such, slow Volt Switch support is greatly appreciated to bring it in safely. Team Options Even at +1 Speed, Xurkitree fails to outspeed most Choice Scarf users. Sticky Web support provided by Galvantula is very helpful, allowing it to outspeed most Choice Scarf users that it otherwise cannot. Alolan Raichu's wallbreaking potential helps out Xurkitree a ton, making it much easier to set up and sweep. Xurkitree can also wallbreak with Tail Glow, making it much easier for Surge Surfer Alolan Raichu to sweep late-game. Alolan Golem's Stealth Rock support is very important, limiting the foe from constantly switching. It also breaks Focus Sashes, which is very important, as Pokemon with Focus Sash can stop a sweep midway. Magnezone is able to support Xurkitree by removing or weakening most Steel-types that may annoy Xurkitree, making it easier for the latter to sweep. It can trap Choice Scarf Excadrill locked into Rock Slide and KO it, which is amazing for Xurkitree. Tapu Koko's ability to boost Xurkitree's Electric attacks is important. It makes Thunderbolt even more spammable. However, Xurkitree cannot put grounded Pokemon to sleep using Hypnosis in Electric Terrain, so it is a bit counter-intuitive. Rotom-W and Zapdos can switch in on Ground-type attacks, which can threaten Xurkitree greatly. They also provide slow Volt Switch support, which brings Xurkitree in safely to allow it to set up much more freely. Zapdos also has access to Defog, making it easier for Xurkitree to set up without taking too much damage from entry hazards.

Moves Thunderbolt is its best STAB option and can be freely spammed late-game once Pokemon with a resistance or immunity to the move have been knocked out. Energy Ball is its primary coverage move, being able to deal large amounts of damage to Ground-type Pokemon that may switch in on Xurkitree predicting Thunderbolt. It also hits Lanturn, which is the most common switch-in for Electric-type Pokemon on Water teams, for a large amount of damage. Hidden Power Ice gives Xurkitree pseudo-BoltBeam coverage, being able to hit Pokemon immune to Thunderbolt that do not get OHKOed by Energy Ball such as Gliscor, Landorus, Landorus-T, and Garchomp. Volt Switch is its best option for the last slot, allowing Xurkitree to pivot out when it cannot threaten the opposing Pokemon. This is amazing, as it makes sure the team does not lose too much momentum while revenge killing. Dazzling Gleam is another option for the last slot. It allows Xurkitree to have a much better chance at sweeping Dragon teams late-game, which Electric teams really appreciate. It is outclassed, however, by Volt Switch, which can allow Xurkitree to pivot out when picking off foes. Set Details The EVs are self-explanatory. Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs maximize its sweeping potential by letting it become as strong and fast as possible. A Timid nature is preferred over a Modest nature, as even with a Choice Scarf, Xurkitree is not absurdly fast. Furthermore, a Timid nature allows it to outspeed Choice Scarf Pokemon with base 80 Speed such as Diggersby and Togekiss. Choice Scarf lets it become as fast as possible. This is highly appreciated because its mediocre base Speed holds it back in most matchups. Beast Boost raises its Special Attack every time it gets a KO, which is amazing when cleaning up late-game. Usage Tips Xurkitree should be brought in on Pokemon that have already been weakened to get the KO. Although it has an impressive Special Attack, Choice Scarf Xurkitree prefers to get at least one boost in Special Attack before going for the sweep. Faster threats and revenge killers should be removed before Xurkitree is brought in. As its Speed is not very high, it gets outsped by most other Choice Scarf users such as Excadrill and revenge killed very easily due to its poor bulk. It can be used as a revenge killer that can pivot out with Volt Switch to gain momentum for the team. It should not be switched on strong attackers because it does not like being worn down too quickly, being vulnerable to priority thanks to its weak defenses. Before Xurkitree is brought in to clean up late-game, Pokemon that resist the move it plans on spamming should be removed. Not removing them early and having to switch out causes a huge loss of momentum. In these cases, Volt Switch can be useful to pick off a weakened Pokemon and switch out into a more appropriate Pokemon. Team Options Xurkitree's Choice Scarf set forms a great VoltTurn core with most Electric teams, serving as an excellent pivot. Tapu Koko serves as an excellent partner due to is ability to set up Electric Terrain upon switching in. This makes late-game cleaning with Xurkitree much easier, as it boosts the power of Thunderbolt. Furthermore, Tapu Koko can run Nature's Madness or its Z-Move to hinder Ferrothorn and Brave Bird to deal a large amount of damage to Mega Venusaur. Choice Scarf Xurkitree also appreciates the wallbreaking power that Choice Specs Alolan Raichu provides, being able to weaken most teams before Xurkitree can clean up. Alolan Golem is Electric teams' only viable option to set up Stealth Rock and Xurkitree greatly appreciates that. Not only does Xurkitree cause a lot of switches due to its expansive movepool, it also breaks the Focus Sash of Focus Sash users if Stealth Rock is up, making it easier to clean up. Alolan Golem also has the niche of being one of Electric teams' few physical attackers, being able to break specially defensive walls such as Chansey. Even with Choice Scarf, Xurkitree is not fast enough to outspeed most Choice Scarf users. Galvantula's Sticky Web is therefore extremely helpful, letting Xurkitree outspeed certain Choice Scarf users that it otherwise cannot such as Victini. Magnezone's ability to trap and weaken Steel-types benefits Xurkitree greatly, making it easier to pick up the KO. Xurkitree's pure Electric typing leaves it vulnerable to Ground-type attacks. Rotom-W and Zapdos are great switch-ins to Ground-type attacks and can provide support in the form of a slow Volt Switch that helps Xurkitree greatly, as it does not like switching in on most attacks. Zapdos has another benefit in providing Defog, as Xurkitree does not like switching in on Stealth Rock multiple times.

Moves Tail Glow drastically increases Xurkitree's damage output, letting it OHKO a good portion of the metagame after a boost. Thunderbolt is a STAB move that is mandatory on Xurkitree. Hidden Power Ice hits Ground-types and is capable of OHKOing offensive Mega Salamence and Landorus-T without investment, and the HP investment combined with Shuca Berry allows Xurkitree to survive a hit from them and hit back, offensively checking them. Substitute capitalizes on the switches Xurkitree forces or on passive foes like Celesteela and Ferrothorn by protecting Xurkitree from weak attacks and status moves, as well as making it much harder to revenge kill. The move is also useful for easing predictions. Alternatively, Energy Ball hits Ground-types that do not fall to boosted Hidden Power Ice, narrowing defensive counterplay against Xurkitree. Set Details The given EV spread allows Xurkitree to meet various defensive benchmarks. From full HP, it always survives +1 Mega Salamence's Double-Edge, +1 Mega Gyarados's STAB moves, and Tapu Bulu's Horn Leech while also enduring Modest Tapu Lele's Psychic most of the time. The EV spread also prevents Ferrothorn from breaking Substitute with a Gyro Ball. Maximum Speed with Timid nature lets Xurkitree outspeed as many defensive foes as possible to reliably set up Tail Glow or use Substitute against as well as hitting the same Speed as Adamant Mimikyu. However, if Xurkitree is employed on teams using Trick Room, it can opt to shift the EV investment on Speed to Special Attack and use a Quiet nature with 0 Speed IVs to maximize its damage output and move faster than as many foes as possible when Trick Room is up. Electrium Z gives Xurkitree access to a powerful attack, which is especially helpful when Xurkitree is unboosted, as Xurkitree's initial power is rather lower without investment. Electrium Z also aids Xurkitree with breaking through its defensive checks like Chansey and Assault Vest Magnezone along with Tail Glow. Shuca Berry allows Xurkitree to net surprise KOs on Ground-types like Landorus-T and Garchomp; Wiki Berry, on the other hand, provides a sizable amount of recovery in a pinch. Usage Tips This variant of Xurkitree aims to utilize its increased bulk to ease setup or avoid getting revenge killed. Along with Electrium Z, Xurkitree is capable of surviving a hit from the likes of Tapu Lele or other offensive checks and OHKOing in return with Gigavolt Havoc. Increased bulk also allows Xurkitree to offensively check Earthquake users like Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, and Garchomp in an emergency with Shuca Berry intact. Against defensive teams, Xurkitree can take advantage of passive foes like Toxapex and Cresselia with Substitute, as the former's Scald and the latter's Ice Beam fail to break it in a hit. If Xurkitree has Wiki Berry, its item can further improve its setup opportunities against slower foes by allowing it to set up Substitute multiple times or letting it recover a significant portion of its health. While this Xurkitree must be kept in pristine condition to survive hits against offensive teams, it can set up against defensive teams immediately if no foe in particular is capable of reliably revenge killing it. Team Options Despite the fact that this set is considerably bulkier, team support is always appreciated, as Xurkitree still folds to strong attacks from foes like Mega Charizard X and Mega Kangaskhan. Dedicated leads that can improve Xurkitree's setup condition are appreciated. In this regard, teammates that can use screens, Yawn, and Memento, such as Alolan Ninetales and Hippowdon, are appropriate choices. Landorus-T and Pheromosa draw in passive foes and let Xurkitree safely switch in with U-turn. Essentially, most threats that can pick off weakened teams, such as Mimikyu and Mega Blaziken, appreciate the massive havoc that Xurkitree can wreak on defensive teams.

Moves Hypnosis puts a foe to sleep, allowing Xurkitree to safely set up Tail Glow and potentially avoid getting revenge killed by Focus Sash users and Mimikyu. With Psychium Z, Xurkitree can use Z-Hypnosis, which allows it to gain a Speed boost and outspeed most of the unboosted metagame. Tail Glow boosts Xurkitree's already astronomical Special Attack stat to the point where it can rip through foes that resist its moves with brute force. Thunderbolt is Xurkitree's most consistent Electric-type STAB move and deals heavy damage to neutral foes even when unboosted. The fourth move rounds out Xurkitree's coverage by hitting Ground-types. Hidden Power Ice OHKOes the most common Ground-type in Battle Spot Singles in Landorus-T, hits Thundurus-T, and disposes of Assault Vest Tapu Bulu at +3 after Stealth Rock damage. Energy Ball handles Ground-types that are not weak to Hidden Power Ice, such as Mamoswine, Excadrill, and Mega Swampert. Unlike Hidden Power Ice, boosted Energy Ball also guarantees the immediate removal of specially defensive Hippowdon. Set Details The given EV spread is ideal for a special sweeper. A Timid nature is chosen, as Xurkitree's stellar Special Attack stat and access to Tail Glow means it is more beneficial to run a Timid nature over Modest to outspeed Mega Lopunny and neutral-natured Pheromosa and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele after Xurkitree has used Z-Hypnosis. Beast Boost increases Xurkitree's Special Attack upon KOing a foe, making boosted Xurkitree even harder to defensively keep in check. Usage Tips Even if Xurkitree successfully gains +1 Speed from Z-Hypnosis and sets up Tail Glow, its sweep is not necessarily guaranteed, as Choice Scarf users and priority move users can easily revenge kill it, and Xurkitree will have to rely on hitting Hypnosis to bypass Mimikyu and Focus Sash users. This means using Xurkitree is rather a risky move unless there is no other way its team can have the upper hand against the opponent. Xurkitree is best when deployed against defensive or balanced teams, which are sometimes not offensively oriented enough to reliably stop its rampage. Z-Hypnosis is best used against foes that Xurkitree naturally forces out or when Xurkitree needs a boost in Speed to avoid getting revenge killed by faster foes. Especially if Hypnosis was used on the forced switch, Xurkitree will be given a second chance to use Hypnosis in case the move misses or buy more turns to set Tail Glow. Against slower and defensive teams, Xurkitree can aggressively set Tail Glow on passive foes and start obliterating them with boosted attacks while possibly utilizing Hypnosis to shut down problematic foes. Lastly, much like all other setup sweepers, Xurkitree appreciates Stealth Rock, as it breaks Focus Sashes and makes Xurkitree less reliant on hitting Hypnosis to defeat their users reliably. Team Options Offensively inclined teams appreciate the presence of a Pokemon that can both pressure defensive teams and turn the tables of the match with Z-Hypnosis. Essentially most setup sweepers, such as Mega Salamence, Mega Blaziken, Mega Gyarados, and Mimikyu, appreciate the serious damage Xurkitree can cause on defensive cores or even buy a chance to safely set up if Xurkitree has put a foe to sleep. All aforementioned teammates have a good general performance against most other teams by virtue of better Speed, initial power, or unique ability in Mimikyu's case. Since Xurkitree struggles to find a proper setup opportunity against many teams, it also appreciates offensive threats like Mega Salamence and Tapu Lele naturally drawing in walls like Celesteela or Porygon2, which Xurkitree can attempt setting up on. Bringing in Xurkitree with pivoting is also an option to grant it a favorable matchup, and Landorus-T and Pheromosa are capable of fulfilling this job. The former blanket checks Ground-types like Garchomp and opposing Landorus-T, while the latter can generate momentum with ease thanks to the number of switches it naturally causes to draw in foes like Celesteela, Tapu Fini, and Toxapex, all of which Xurkitree can threaten out and buy a turn to set up. Lastly, just like every setup sweeper, Xurkitree appreciates Stealth Rock support so that it can rely less on Tail Glow in some matchups and bypass Focus Sash users. Dedicated leads that can set entry hazards and generate a setup opportunity with Yawn, such as Hippowdon and Swampert, are decent partners in this regard. Dual screens, Aurora Veil, and Memento users also greatly aid Xurkitree, as they give it more room to breathe and possibly let Xurkitree survive a hit which would KO it otherwise, reducing the risk involved from using Hypnosis. Landorus-T can make a lead and not only set Stealth Rock but also set Gravity for Xurkitree, letting it utilize Hypnosis much more reliably.

Moves Thunderbolt dishes out good damage against neutral foes and is the main tool that Xurkitree can utilize to clean up late-game. Volt Switch is a second Electric-type STAB move that generates momentum on forced switches, though one must be wary of Ground-types possibly switching in. Hidden Power Ice harshly punishes Ground-types that attempt to block Volt Switch by OHKOing the likes of Landorus-T and Garchomp. Energy Ball 2HKOes Hippowdon and Excadrill and OHKOes Swampert, all of which would easily check this set and consistently take momentum away from Xurkitree. Set Details Maximized Special Attack and Speed are ideal for a special Choice Scarf user. A Timid nature allows Xurkitree to outspeed neutral-natured Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele and Landorus-T. A Modest nature, on the other hand, slightly improves Xurkitree's damage output, letting it OHKO Tapu Fini most of the time while also granting it a chance to OHKO uninvested Mega Gengar and Mimikyu after Stealth Rock damage and still letting it outspeed base 130 Speed Pokemon. Using Modest does come at the cost of outspeeding a Mega Gyarados after a Dragon Dance, however. Beast Boost allows Xurkitree to effectively clean up late-game by making its attacks progressively harder to handle after it KOes a foe. Usage Tips Choice Scarf Xurkitree can function as a fast pivot that can offensively handle Water-types while generating momentum for its team using Volt Switch. This set also sets itself apart from other Electric-type pivots like Tapu Koko or Rotom formes thanks to its ability to easily clean up weakened teams late-game with Beast Boost. However, both of these strengths can be hindered by Ground-types, which can simply render Xurkitree less effective by forcing it to think twice before using Thunderbolt, though most of them are harshly punished if they switch into a wrong move. Lastly, bear in mind that Xurkitree provides little to no defensive utility to its team, so it shouldn't be directly switched in carelessly. Team Options Despite the fact that Xurkitree can punish Ground-type foes with its coverage moves, switch-ins for them are necessary, as Xurkitree locked into an Electric-type move is immediately forced out. Landorus-T and Celesteela can aid Xurkitree, as the former sets Stealth Rock, which Xurkitree benefits from due to the switches it may force, while the latter checks other Choice Scarf users that outspeed Xurkitree if running maximum Speed, such as Tapu Lele, Garchomp, and opposing Landorus-T. Grass-types like Ferrothorn, Assault Vest Tapu Bulu, and Mega Venusaur prove to be a nuisance for this set. Therefore, Mega Salamence and Mega Blaziken are good offensive partners, as they can break through Grass-types, pressure specially defensive foes, and appreciate Xurkitree threatening Celesteela in the former's case and Tapu Fini and Gyarados in the latter's.