Totemic-looking pokemon. One of my faves. Its up there with Murkrow on my list of fun to own people with.

Pros:
+ EQ RESIST + Giga Drain = a Swampert Counter
+ One-turn Rest
+ Synchronize

Cons:
- Swampert owns with Ice Beam so you have to be sure to KO
- Low defenses
- Not a large movepool
- You need good prediction to use it successfully

This bird's base stats remind me of Jynx. EQ resist is always nice.

General Counters: ROCK SLIDE and SHADOW BALL. Anything that can outspeed it and has some attack that is neutral to flying. All 3 Regis, Zapdos, Articuno, and Raikou own this poor bird.

Xatu (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Synchronize / Early Bird
EVs: 132 HP / 252 Spd / 126 SAtk
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Calm Mind
- Giga Drain
- Psychic
- Rest / HP Ice / Electric

Sweeps. Like Jynx minus the sleeping. Obviously, with rest comes early bird. After one CM, Swampert's IB will do ~50%.

W/o Rest, Blissey likes to love this pokemon to death. Synchronize is fun as long as you can keep removing status from the bird..don't waste a slot on refresh though.

Xatu (M) @ Choice Band
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Drill Peck
- Quick Attack / HP Fight / Rock
- Shadow Ball
- Steel Wing / HP Fight / Rock

Its Attack isn't that bad. Quick Attack isn't needed so much if you plan to throw this into some OU play. Drill Peck 3HKOs Max HP and Def Swampy.

I wonder what stops a CB Pokemon. The general counters stop this set cold along with Forrey and Skarm.

I wouldn't go w/choice band it's far too slow.

Xatu (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Synchronize
EVs: Not enough time to make them up atm.
Nature: Depends on the first slot
-Psychic/Drill Peck
-Thunder Wave
-Confuse Ray
-Substitute

Subparafusion omg luv

Xatu is one of my favorite pokemon (if you haven't guessed yet... it's all over my sigs), so I've tried using it on NB a few times. The problem is that its defenses are too low for it to do much. Switch it out against something it's good against and BAM its faced with something it will phail to hell against. There's just too much that can own this thing for it to be effective.

The whole Early Bird strategy sounds damn cool, maybe if I ever feel like dabbling in UU play I'll try it out.

289 Spd is the same as Modest Houndoom, iirc.

289 is fast enough to be useful. Believe me.