Xerneas
Fairy
Best attacking moveset: Geomancy and Giga Impact, worth 14.3 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Xerneas can learn 15 combinations. Geomancy with Giga Impact does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Geomancy is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Xerneas you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Zen Headbutt and Giga Impact, worth 12.5 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tackle | Normal | 5 | 0.5s | +5 |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic | 11 | 1.0s | +9 |
| Geomancy Legacy | Fairy | 20 | 1.5s | +14 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close Combat | Fighting | 105 | 2.5s | -100 |
| Giga Impact | Normal | 200 | 4.5s | -100 |
| Megahorn | Bug | 105 | 2.0s | -100 |
| Moonblast | Fairy | 130 | 4.0s | -100 |
| Thunder | Electric | 100 | 2.5s | -100 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Xerneas has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, photobomb.
Numbers
| Max CP | 4,275 at level 50, 3,781 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 2,160 CP at level 20, or 2,701 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 2,073 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 250 attack · 185 defense · 246 stamina |
What it costs
| Second charged move | 100,000 Stardust and 100 Candy |
|---|---|
| Buddy distance | 20 km per Candy |
| Size | 3 m and 215 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Xerneas does not have one best moveset, it has 6. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Fighting, Dragon, Dark.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Fighting | Geomancy + Moonblast | 21.1 |
| Dragon | Geomancy + Moonblast | 21.1 |
| Dark | Geomancy + Moonblast | 21.1 |
| Grass | Geomancy + Megahorn | 15.6 |
| Psychic | Geomancy + Megahorn | 15.6 |
| Poison | Zen Headbutt + Giga Impact | 15.3 |
| Normal | Geomancy + Close Combat | 15.0 |
| Rock | Geomancy + Close Combat | 15.0 |
| Ice | Geomancy + Close Combat | 15.0 |
| Geomancy + Thunder | 14.7 | |
| Water | Geomancy + Thunder | 14.7 |
| Ground | Geomancy + Giga Impact | 14.3 |
| Bug | Geomancy + Giga Impact | 14.3 |
| Electric | Geomancy + Giga Impact | 14.3 |
| Fairy | Geomancy + Giga Impact | 14.3 |
| Ghost | Geomancy + Moonblast | 13.0 |
| Fire | Zen Headbutt + Giga Impact | 12.5 |
| Steel | Geomancy + Close Combat | 12.3 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Xerneas is actually for.
Counters: what beats Xerneas
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Eternatus | PoisonDragon | Poison Jab + Sludge Bomb | 27.4 |
 Metagross | SteelPsychic | Bullet Punch + Meteor Mash Legacy | 26.9 |
 Tinkaton | FairySteel | Fairy Wind + Gigaton Hammer Legacy | 26.2 |
 Naganadel | PoisonDragon | Poison Jab + Sludge Bomb | 26.0 |
 Lucario | FightingSteel | Bullet Punch + Meteor Mash | 24.9 |
 Nihilego | RockPoison | Poison Jab + Sludge Bomb | 24.7 |
 Roserade | GrassPoison | Poison Jab + Sludge Bomb | 24.2 |
 Dialga | SteelDragon | Metal Claw + Iron Head | 23.9 |
 Munkidori | PoisonPsychic | Poison Jab + Sludge Bomb | 23.7 |
 Regigigas | Normal | Hidden Power + Crush Grip Legacy | 23.4 |
Ranked by damage per second against Xerneas's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.