Base Stats
HP: 126
Attack: 131
Defense: 95
Special Attack: 131
Special Defense: 98
Speed: 99
Abilities
Dark Aura: Powers up each Pokémon's Dark-type moves.
Did anyone else see Yveltal during the first Pokémon X/Y leaks and immediately want to get Y? I know I did. I definitely would have, too, if they didn’t showcase Mega Charizard-X, too. I once read a story about how the three legendaries of X/Y are based off of Norse mythology, with Xerneas portraying Midgard (the mortal realm), Yveltal portraying Asgard (the heavenly realm), and Zygarde portraying Niflheim, where Hel is located, deep underground. Not only is Yveltal epic-looking and cool-sounding, but it also has the stats and movepool it needs to back its awesomeness.
When you first look at Yveltal’s base stats, you’ll notice that it doesn’t particularly excel in one or two particular stats, like Groudon, Kyogre, or other Ubers threats do. Instead, it has a bunch of strange, obscure numbers assigned to each stat, and the result is… interesting. With identical 131 Attack and Special Attack stats, Yveltal is just begging to be used as a mixed attacker/sweeper. It has the bulk to play a little more defensively if it wishes to, with 126 HP, 95 Defense, and 98 Special Defense. But perhaps the most important of its strange stat distribution is its unique 99 base Speed, which puts it in a unique Speed tier that outspeeds most other dangerous Ubers Pokémon under normal circumstances (Groudon, Kyogre, Ho-oh, Rayquaza, Dialga, Palkia, Reshiram, Zekrom… the list goes on).
Yveltal’s typing is also a huge blessing, giving it an immunity to the common Ground-type attacks and less-common Psychic-type attacks that plague the Ubers tier. However, the real strength lies in its amazing dual STABs and access to a great ability in Dark Aura, giving its Dark-type attacks a 33.3% boost in power. Its signature move, Oblivion Wing (while sounding freaking awesome) also has a great added ability of letting Yveltal recover 75 percent of the damage inflicted to its own HP - a great boon, considering that it is weak to Stealth Rock and often wields a Life Orb for the extra power boost. It also has access to a strong, STAB-boosted priority in Sucker Punch, making Yveltal fairly difficult to take down.
However, even the Destruction Pokémon can meet its match. In this case, it happens to be Xerneas, who seems to be outrageously well-equipped to fight the wyvern. Even worse, it has a Stealth Rock weakness that can be exploited, and many Pokémon in Ubers carry Ice-type attacks to deal with the crazy amount of dragons infesting the tier. What is Yveltal’s best chance at making an impact? Probably a mixed attacking set:
Mixed Oblivion
Yveltal
Hold Item: Life Orb
Nature: Mild/Hasty
EVs: 224 Speed, 252 Special Attack, 32 Attack
Dark Pulse
Oblivion Wing
Sucker Punch
Roost/U-turn
Thanks to Yveltal’s wonderful mixed sweeping stats and great STAB options, it is capable of running a mixed attacking set with few opponents standing in its way. When it comes to nature, you either want Mild (increases Special Attack) or Hasty(increases Speed). It comes down to preference, but either way, Yveltal should outspeed most threats that try to come in on it by investing only 224 EVs into its Speed stat, thanks to its niche Speed tier of 99. The rest of the EVs go into Attack to make Sucker Punch hit harder.
Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch, while both being STAB attacks that get a boost from Dark Aura, have different functions on this set. Dark Pulse is the harder-hitting of the two on this set, thanks to the Special Attack investment, while Sucker Punch is primarily used for priority. Oblivion Wing is a strong Special Flying-type attack that helps Yveltal heal off Life Orb recoil and has great neutral coverage. The last move depends on what you want Yveltal to do - if you want a bulkier harbinger of doom, run Roost, but U-Turn lets you scout for the opponent’s Yveltal counter and hopefully eliminate it, as even the Destruction Pokémon has its equals.
Yveltal’s biggest nemeses in the current metagame are the plethora of Fairy-types introduced in X/Y. Xerneas itself resists Yveltal’s STAB Dark-type moves and can set up with Geomancy right in the Destruction Pokémon’s face, OHKOing with an insanely powerful Moonblast. Another Pokémon to look out for is Zekrom. While normally outsped by Yveltal, it commonly carries a Choice Scarf, letting Zekrom get the jump on it and effectively OHKO with Bolt Strike. Ho-oh can also switch in on any of Yveltal’s special attacks and set up with Flame Charge, or hit back hard with a powerful Sacred Fire.
Another option for taking out Yveltal is Assault Vest Tyranitar or, honestly, any specially defensive variant (even Mega) who can tank any of Yveltal’s STAB moves and hit back with STAB Stone Edge, though it must be wary of U-Turn and the odd Focus Blast.
Doom Delivered on Fell Wings
Yveltal
Choice Specs
Nature: Modest/Timid
EVs: 252 Special Attack, 224 Speed, 32 HP
Hurricane/Oblivion Wing
Dark Pulse
Focus Blast
U-turn
This set aims to deal as much damage as possible before going down utilizing the fantastic coverage offered by its STAB attacks and Focus Blast. The EV spread is optimized to outspeed any relevant un-Scarfed threat and hit them with Specs-boosted special attacks, or scout with U-Turn.
The choice between Hurricane and Oblivion Wing is a tough one, but it should be noted that Hurricane is far stronger than Oblivion Wing, albeit far less accurate. Yveltal’s signature attack also lets it hit most of the Ubers tier neutrally for a ton of damage, and grants it more staying power than the average Choice Specs sweeper. The rest of its movepool is straightforward - Dark Pulse for a super-strong STAB and Focus Blast for additional coverage on Dialga, Tyranitar, and other Pokémon who would normally put a stop to the Destruction Pokémon’s shenanigans.
Since Yveltal will be switching out a lot with this set, hazard removal from Rapid Spin and Defog is appreciated. Good users in the Ubers tier are Excadrill, who can threaten all Pokémon bar Ho-oh who will try to take out Yveltal, though it should fear Xerneas’s wrath after it has used Geomancy.
You can tell when Yveltal is using Choice Specs easily enough. A dedicated special wall is able to switch into its attacks fairly easily, and can then scout with Protect for a U-Turn. If it is a basic switch-out, you know that you’re dealing with a much more predictable Choice Specs set.
Overall, Yveltal is definitely a worthy new foe in the Ubers tier. It can threaten a lot of Pokémon with its powerful STAB Dark-type attacks, and has valuable staying power with its high HP and great STAB recovery in Oblivion Wing. Be sure to let us know how you like to use Yveltal in the comments or on the forums!
- J.
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