I decided to build around Scarf Lunala for multiple reasons: Firstly due to the fact that it is a relatively uncommon set meaning it is easy to bluff a Tailwind/Z set (more on that later) or a Specs by sending it out at the beginning of the game. This sometimes allows me to KO the foe's Ultra Necrozma, Marshadows trying to Pursuit and more importantly Mega Gengar - a weakness of this team - due to them rightfully assuming that I am not scarf. Secondly due to its ability - Shadow Shield - enabling me to survive almost any attack given that Stealth Rocks aren't present on my side of the field, Lunala becomes a very reliable revenge killer to Mega Rayquaza, Ultra Necrozma, Arceus, Necrozma Dusk Mane. Finally, much like Scarfed Xerneas, it can also run support moves if need be (defog, tailwind, thunder wave etc) which proved vital. A bonus is that Scarfed Lunala + a Xern check pretty much 6-0es Psyspam, which is currently a common archetype. I also wanted to try it out since I've never used it before.
Arceus Ground pressures common Stealth Rockers such as Groudon-Primal, Necrozma Dusk Mane and Arceus Poison and so I chose it as my next teammate for hazard control - vital for keeping Lunala's Shadow Shield intact, and also to allow repeated switch-ins by Rayquaza-Mega. It serves as the team's main physical wall due to Will-O-Wisp.
At this point I realised I was quite weak to stall and so I added Choice Band Rayquaza, which improves my Stall MU considerably (still is generally a hard MU). Rayquaza can easily break bulkier Arceus Formes, Yveltal which both come in quite easily Lunala, making it a good teammate. Lunala and Rayquaza both share counters in Tyranitar making it a threat, however using a predicted Focus Blast/Moonblast from Lunala or Outrage from Rayquaza disposes of it for the rest of the game making it have too low HP to function properly as a check. Rayquaza also greatly appreciates Tailwind support from Lunala, enabling a sweep to occur (unlikely) but more importantly allowing me to deal with Calm Mind Arceus Formes - a large threat to this team.
Ferrothorn synergises surprisingly well with Lunala and Rayquaza in that it can switch into threats to them eg Scarfed Yveltal, Scarf Xerneas, Celesteela. Additionally, Ferrothorn can provide healing to Lunala via Leech Seed which can sometimes allow Lunala to switch into foes even with Stealth Rocks up while keeping Shadow Shield intact (typically bulkier Arceus formes as they have more HP than Lunala). Ferrothorn also provides Spikes support, which is greatly beneficial as with 1 Spike and Stealth Rocks, Tyranitar can no longer switch into Mega Rayquaza. It also provides me with a Primal Kyogre check and a blanket wall to most Arceus Formes.
Arceus-Fairy was my next choice, since it can handle Marshadow, Zygarde and Dark types which would otherwise be a threat, which usually come into Lunala. It also serves as a wincon, and a bulky set with CM Refresh + Recover was chosen to give defensive support to the team, and to be a lasting counter to Zygarde which would otherwise be problematic as I don't run Ice Beam on Arceus Ground.
My final choice was Arceus-Poison, to provide me with a solid Xerneas check. Arceus Poison is given hazards as this is beneficial against stall generally as the foe's pokemon can be pressured with poisons from poison jab, making it easier to break while simultaneously threatening with hazards - meaning they have to generally keep a defogger such as Giratina or Ho-Oh in front of Poisonceus. It also has Perish Song, to deal BP teams.
The Team:
Lunala @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shadow Shield
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moongeist Beam
- Focus Blast
- Ice Beam
- Tailwind
Modest is chosen in order to boost Lunala's damage output in general, and it doesn't miss out on any speed tiers which are too important - only losing out on outspeeding Scarfed Xerneas and Yveltal and the rare Scarfed Timid Kyogre. Moongeist Beam is a powerful spammable STAB which is generally safe to use early game to scout out for any potential Arceus-Dark. Focus Blast notably OHKOes Tyranitar, and 2HKOes Arceus. Ice Beam 2HKOes any Yveltal, punishing the switch in. While an odd choice, Tailwind is extremely useful sometimes as it allows me to outspeed almost any foe even on Webs teams, improving my MU (and often enabling me to fire off a defog), allows Choice Band Rayquaza to potentially sweep faster teams. Most importantly, it allows me to outspeed all CM Arceus formes with Mega Rayquaza, allowing me to revenge kill them nearly always making them less of a threat. Tailwind is chosen over Thunder Wave as it helps me defog against webs more easily and Thunder Wave still left Arceus-Ground threatening my team massively.
Arceus-Ground @ Earth Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 160 Def / 100 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
- Recover
Not much to say here. I opted for Will-O-Wisp over Ice Beam due to the fact that it neuters Choice Band Rayquaza and allows me to defeat it 1-on-1 without being KOed. Defog as mentioned before keeps hazards away for Lunala, and the given EVs above give Arceus-Ground the maximum bulk while outspeeding Adamant MRay. 100 Speed + timid also creeps other 330 speed Arceus.
Rayquaza-Mega @ Choice Band
Ability: Delta Stream
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Ascent
- Extreme Speed
- V-create
- Outrage
Standard choice banded Mega-Rayquaza. Dragon Ascent and V-Create are the basic coverage, Outrage improves the stall match-up killing Giratina with ease and providing an alternative if Dragon Ascent runs out of PP. It also has the added bonus of being able to deal upwards of 70% to Tyranitar, destroying its ability to threaten Mega Rayquaza or Lunala. Extreme Speed is for speed control. Mega-Rayquaza, as said earlier, has a very strong wall-breaking game and if switched in well, can pretty much claim a free KO. Tailwind additionally sometimes lets me clean with this.
Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Leech Seed
- Gyro Ball
- Spikes
- Protect
Ferrothorn acts as the Primal Kyogre check, preventing it from fully drowning my entire team. Spikes support is extremely useful, sometimes enabling Lunala or Rayquaza to be able to break teams by forcing repeated switches until their checks/counters are sufficiently worn down. Leech Seed is for recovery of course, but it also allows recovery for Lunala or Rayquaza sometimes and it annoys switchins a great deal. Gyro Ball is to hit Fairyceus - a common defogger hard, and it also can heavily damage Rayquaza on the switch. Protect is useful for choiced Rayquaza-Megas - letting me scout out the move and switching accordingly.
Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 32 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Refresh
- Recover
- Calm Mind
A wincon of the team, and part of the backbone of the team, providing a solid counter to Zygarde and Marshadow and a check to Rayquaza and Yveltal and also absorbing status. Refresh really is key as it allows setup on other Arceus-Formes and on Primal Groudon, and keeps it healthy to counter Marshadow and Zygarde reliably throughout the match. It also can stop DD MRay in its sweep if it is healthy and Arceus-Ground isn't.
Arceus-Poison @ Poisonium Z
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 HP / 8 Atk / 12 Def / 136 SpD / 100 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Perish Song
- Poison Jab
- Recover
- Stealth Rock
Arceus Poison is a good stealth rock setter which pressures stall by spreading poisons. Perish Song is kind of a must for ladder balances at least imo due to it heavily helping in defeating BP and it also has the ability to force out set up sweeper like CM Arcs or defensive walls, possibly damaging a different pokemon in the process. Arceus Poison acts as a nice check to a variety of mons - Xerneas, Arceus-Poison while also annoying other mons like Ho-Oh, Arceus-Dark by spreading poison or dealing decent damage with Z to Kyogre or Rayquaza. I took the EVs from the AG Analysis as they are pretty much perfect (creeps ada ray, lives psychic/shock from xern at 2+ after SR damage) but took an attack to speed to creep base 330 as it is a common Arceus speed tier.
Threatlist:
Easily the largest threat, this traps Arceus-Fairy and Arceus Poison and Band Rayquaza. My only play against this is to repeatedly double switch while stacking lots of hazards are up or try to bluff scarf on Lunala in order to take it out.
A threat but in the grand scheme of things isn't too bad due to the fact that MRay can take it out via prediction of pursuit as it is a 3HKO (quite safe - they nearly always pursuit), and Lunala can also KO it with predictions. With SRs and a Spike, this can now longer switch into Rayquaza Mega making it far less threatening.
These two Calm Mind Arceus formes in particular are troublesome due to the fact that my only real counterplay is to either force a CM War with Arceus Fairy (for Arceus Ground), PSong Arceus Steel out or use Tailwind which causes considerable damage to my team (sometimes a sack, or a KO, or just heavy dmg to a mon)
While Stall may seem like a good MU, I have had difficulty defeat some stall builds, especially ones which combine Skarmory and Tyranitar.
Importable: https://pokepast.es/7cd21856f986cfd9 Not many replays, unfortunately I forgot to save many.
vs HO, Scarf Lunala put in a lot of work, cleaning at the end https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-948682029
vs a Mega Gengar balance. Scarf Lunala was able to bluff the Specs/Z Move and so managed to pick up the KO on the foe's Gengar changing the course of the battle massively https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-948685493
vs a Calm Mind Arceus Forme; the opponent would have won the match if not for Scarf Lunala's Tailwind https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-949317375
Spikes manages to pressure the opponent's pokemon enough that Lunala manages to break and pick up the win. Also displays CM Refresh Arceus walling off a Zygarde https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-950367518
vs HO, Scarf Lunala put in a lot of work, cleaning at the end https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-948682029
vs a Mega Gengar balance. Scarf Lunala was able to bluff the Specs/Z Move and so managed to pick up the KO on the foe's Gengar changing the course of the battle massively https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-948685493
vs a Calm Mind Arceus Forme; the opponent would have won the match if not for Scarf Lunala's Tailwind https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-949317375
Spikes manages to pressure the opponent's pokemon enough that Lunala manages to break and pick up the win. Also displays CM Refresh Arceus walling off a Zygarde https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7anythinggoes-950367518
Thanks for reading. It took me a while to make this post so uh hope you enjoyed lol
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