Stoward
Ah, you're finally awake
[OVERVIEW]
* Arceus-Ground is one of the best Arceus formes in the tier, as it is able to efficiently run both offensive and defensive sets, thus making it quite easy to fit on teams.
* Offensively, Arceus-Ground has a lot to offer, as Ground-type attacks are only resisted by Bug- and Grass-types, and, although Flying-type Pokemon are immune to Arceus-Ground's attacks, it is able to run Rock-type and Ice-type coverage moves to deal heavy amounts of damage to them.
* Arceus-Ground has a lot to offer defensively as well thanks to its 120 / 120 / 120 bulk and access to brilliant utility moves such as Stealth Rock, Defog, Recover, and Toxic. Furthermore, Pokemon that can hit Arceus-Ground with super effective STAB damage are rare, with Primal Kyogre, Arceus-Water, and Ferrothorn being the only common Pokemon in the tier capable of doing so.
* Arceus-Ground has a notable drawback regardless of what set it runs. Offensive sets can find themselves revenge killed by other offensive threats, while support sets are vulnerable to being trapped and removed from the field by Shadow Tag users. Also, Toxic is capable of wearing down any set that Arceus-Ground uses.
* Despite the fact that Arceus-Ground has a good offensive matchup against Primal Groudon, it struggles to switch into the common Overheat, and it also has to be cautious of being worn down by Toxic, which is run on defensive sets.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Stone Edge
move 4: Substitute / Recover
item: Groundium Z / Earth Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance boosts Arceus-Ground's Attack by two stages, allowing it to OHKO common threats such as Necrozma-DM, Yveltal, Xerneas, Mega Salamence, and offensive Primal Kyogre after a single boost.
* STAB Earthquake hits most of the tier for neutral damage and can do heavy amounts of damage when combined with Swords Dance and Groundium Z.
* Stone Edge provides Arceus-Ground with a means of hitting a number of viable Flying-type Pokemon in the tier for super effective damage, OHKOing Ho-Oh, doing a minimum of 64% to Rayquaza, and 2HKOing Mega Salamence and Arceus-Flying after Stealth Rock damage.
* Substitute prevents Arceus-Ground from being hit by status moves, phazed by Dragon Tail, and afflicted by Leech Seed and makes foes such as Celesteela, Giratina, and Ferrothorn sets lacking Power Whip into setup fodder.
* Recover increases Arceus-Ground's longevity, making it harder for bulkier teams to wear it down. It also improves Arceus-Ground's matchup against Primal Groudon, as it is able to reliably switch in and recover off any damage from Overheat.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack and Speed investment combined with a Jolly nature allows Arceus-Ground to take advantage of its base 120 Speed tier and maximize damage output.
* Groundium Z when combined with Earthquake allows Arceus-Ground to have a single-turn 180-Base Power Tectonic Rage, guaranteeing an OHKO on offensive Necrozma-DM sets, giving it a chance to OHKO Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre after Stealth Rock damage, and doing a minimum of 70% to Xerneas without a single boost from Swords Dance.
* An Earth Plate can be used in place of Groundium Z if a different team member has already been assigned with a Z-Move or if you prefer consistent power over a single-use move, guaranteeing, for example, a 2HKO on Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Kyogre.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Ground is typically used to sweep late-game after its checks have been removed or to weaken foes so another team member can clean up.
* Avoid setting up with Swords Dance when Foul Play users such as Yveltal are still healthy, as they can OHKO Arceus Ground once it's at +2 Attack.
* It is best to use Swords Dance on Pokemon that Arceus-Ground typically forces out such as Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, Magearna, Toxapex, and Mega Diancie.
* Substitute is also best used in front of Pokemon that Arceus-Ground typically forces out, slower Pokemon that try to afflict it with status moves, and Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Zygarde-C, Lugia, and both Giratina formes. Substitute is especially useful against Zygarde-C and both Giratina formes, as it prevents Arceus-Ground from being forced out by Dragon Tail.
* Arceus-Ground doesn't appreciate status; Toxic poison wears it down rather quickly, preventing it from effectively sweeping; burns cut its Attack in half, removing its offensive presence almost entirely; and, although immune to Thunder Wave, it can still be paralyzed by Glare, which makes it easier to revenge kill. If Arceus-Ground is facing a bulkier team that relies on status in order to beat opposing Pokemon, make sure to keep clerics such as Xerneas alive as long as possible.
* Try to bring in Arceus-Ground by pivoting with U-turn from teammates such as Yveltal or by sacrificing a weakened teammate, as Swords Dance Arceus-Ground doesn't run any bulk and doesn't always run Recover, so it can be worn down rather easily.
* Although Arceus-Ground is meant to have a good matchup against Primal Groudon, it should be cautious when switching into Primal Groudon's attacks, as it is heavily worn down if it switches into a full-powered Overheat.
Team Options
========
* Arceus-Ground tends to prefer to be on offensive teams, as using this set removes the option of running a support Arceus forme, which are quite commonly found on more passive playstyles such as balance and stall.
* Entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S, Shuckle, Cloyster, and Excadrill make brilliant partners, as entry hazards wear down just about every viable Pokemon in the tier that switches in, thus making it easier for Arceus-Ground to sweep. Shuckle is an especially useful partner, as Marshadow becomes slower than Arceus-Ground if Sticky Web is on Marshadow's side of the field, thus making it unable to revenge kill Arceus-Ground.
* Xerneas appreciates Arceus-Ground's ability to deal with Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh, making it easier for it to sweep. Choice Scarf Xerneas is an especially noteworthy partner,as it can cure Arceus-Ground from any status condition with Aromatherapy. Xerneas is also good for dealing with Marshadow, which Arceus-Ground dislikes dealing with because it can steal Arceus-Ground's boosts and knock it out with Spectral Thief.
* Ferrothorn can deal with Primal Kyogre and Arceus-Water, provide the team with a Toxic immunity, and set up Spikes, which punishes any grounded foe that switches in, making it easier for Arceus-Ground to sweep.
* Primal Groudon deals with Xerneas and can set Stealth Rock, punishing any Pokemon that switches in.
* Yveltal makes a good partner, as it threatens Marshadow and Mega Gengar, which Arceus-Ground tends to find rather threatening, since Marshadow can steal Arceus-Ground's boosts with Spectral Thief, and Mega Gengar can potentially trap Arceus-Ground and trade KOs with Destiny Bond. In return, Yveltal can switch in easily on Foul Play from opposing Yveltal and proceed to deal heavy damage with Oblivion Wing, and it can OHKO Mega Gengar with Dark Pulse. Sets with U-turn also make it easier to bring in Arceus-Ground, as it doesn't really appreciate taking unnecessary damage.
* Mega Gengar is a great partner for Arceus-Ground, as it is able to trap and remove Pokemon that wall Arceus-Ground, such as Lugia, support Arceus formes, and Celesteela.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Defog / Stealth Rock
item: Earth Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* STAB Judgment hits a significant amount of the tier for neutral or supereffective damage.
* Recover restores Arceus-Ground's health by 50%, increasing its longevity and making it a lot harder to take down.
* Ice Beam hits Flying-types such as Mega Salamence, Yveltal, and Rayquaza for super effective damage as well as some other foes such as Giratina-O and Zygarde-C.
* Defog removes entry hazards, which prevents teammates from taking damage every time they switch in.
* Stealth Rock is mandatory on just about any competitive team, punishing any foe that switches in. Running Stealth Rock on Arceus-Ground also means that other teammates such as Primal Groudon doesn't don't have to run it, thus making them free to run more offensive sets.
* Toxic is a useful option to run on this set, as it allows Arceus-Ground to not be completely walled by Ho-Oh, and it also helps wear down other foes that commonly switch into Arceus-Ground's attacks such as Arceus-Water, Giratina-O, and Lugia.
Set Details
========
* Earth Plate is used to turn Arceus into Arceus-Ground turn Judgment into a Ground-type move, and boost the power of Judgment.
* 192 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allows allow Arceus-Ground to outspeed Mega Lucario, Adamant Mega Salamence, and Mega Diancie.
* The rest of the EVs are placed into HP and Defense, so Arceus-Ground is able to deal with physical threats such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Swords Dance Necrozma-DM, and Mega Salamence as effectively as possible.
Usage Tips
========
* Avoid switching Arceus-Ground in too liberally against teams with Gothitelle until the opposing Stealth Rock setter has been removed from the battlefield, as Gothitelle can trap Arceus-Ground and eliminate it, thus allowing the opponent to either their keep entry hazards on the field or prevent Arceus-Ground from setting hazards for the remainder of the game.
* Try to use Toxic to deal with foes that tend to switch in on Arceus-Ground's attacks relatively easily such as Ho-Oh, Lugia, Buzzwole, Giratina-O, and Yveltal, as it wears all of them down and makes it easier for Arceus-Ground or another teammate to deal with them.
* Recover should be used whenever Arceus-Ground's health is running low. It can often be crucial for Arceus-Ground to use Recover in order for it to actually have a favorable matchup against a foe. Primal Groudon is a notable example of this, as it can dish out heavy damage with Overheat, but its Special Attack stat drops each time it uses it, therefore making it a lot harder for Arceus-Ground to be KOed.
* Arceus-Ground is one of the better offensive answers to Primal Groudon in the game, so try to bring it in on any predicted switch into Primal Groudon, as it is annoying for even support Arceus-Ground to switch into, and this gives you a lot of momentum every time Primal Groudon is brought in.
* Avoid letting Arceus-Ground be afflicted with Toxic, as it tends not to have the space in its moveslots to run Refresh, and it gets worn down rather quickly by Toxic.
Team Options
========
* Arceus-Ground's typing combined with its coverage moves makes it very hard to switch into, which gives it a decent amount of offensive pressure and can allow it to be ran on basically any archetype, ranging from bulky offense to stall.
* Pursuit users such as Marshadow and Tyranitar make brilliant partners for Arceus-Ground, as they are able to take care of Gothitelle and Mega Gengar, which are both able to trap Arceus-Ground and remove it from the field.
* Primal Kyogre is a useful partner, as it is immune to Primal Groudon's Overheat and can easily threaten Pokemon that support Arceus-Ground struggles to take down such as defensive Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Celesteela. Physical sets in particular are useful for Arceus-Ground, as they are able to break through special walls such as Chansey, Blissey, and Lugia.
* Primal Groudon pairs brilliantly with Arceus-Ground because it can set up Stealth Rock, hit Ho-Oh for super effective damage with Rock-type moves, and hit non-grounded Steel-type Pokemon such as Celesteela and Skarmory and Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn and Arceus-Grass with super effective Fire-type moves. It also provides teams with a solid answer to Xerneas and Primal Kyogre's rain.
* Ho-Oh makes a brilliant partner for support Arceus-Ground, as it is able to threaten many of Arceus-Ground's checks such as Buzzwole, Celesteela, Skarmory, Chansey, and Blissey.
* Choice Scarf Yveltal pairs well with Arceus-Ground, as it is able to threaten Gothitelle and Mega Gengar, which can easily trap Arceus-Ground. Choice Scarf Yveltal also outspeeds Necrozma-DM and Ultra Necrozma and can revenge KO them both with Foul Play, which Arceus-Ground appreciates immensely, as Necrozma-DM takes little damage from Judgment thanks to its ability, Prism Armor, and Ultra Necrozma outspeeds Arceus-Ground and can dish out heavy damage to it with Light That Burns the Sky.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgement
move 3: Ice Beam / Thunder
move 4: Recover
item: Earth Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Calm Mind boosts Arceus-Ground's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage, making it hit harder and making it harder to KO.
* STAB Judgment hits a lot of the tier for neutral damage.
* Ice Beam hits Flying-type Pokemon such as Yveltal, Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and Lugia, which are immune to Arceus-Ground's STAB Judgment. It also hits Zygarde-C and Giratina-O for super effective damage. It should be noted, however, that Ice Beam does minimal damage to Ho-Oh, Celesteela, and Skarmory.
* Thunder allows Arceus-Ground to still hit common Flying-type Pokemon in the tier for supereffective damage but also hit Ho-Oh, Celesteela, and Skarmory, as well as hitting Primal Kyogre for more damage than Judgment would. However, it forces Arceus-Ground to run a 70% accurate move and means that it is only hitting Mega Salamence and Rayquaza for neutral damage, dishing out minimal damage to Giratina-O, and doing significantly less damage to Zygarde-C.
* Recover increases Arceus-Ground's longevity, making it harder for foes to KO it.
Set Details
========
* 192 Speed EVs allow Arceus-Ground to outpace Mega Lucario and Adamant Mega Salamence, as well as Speed tying with other support Arceus formes
* 252 HP EVs combined with 64 Defense EVs allow Arceus-Ground to always survive Searing Sunraze Smash and +2 Sunsteel Strike from Necrozma-DM after Stealth Rock damage and OHKO it in return with +1 Judgment after Stealth Rock damage. The bulk investment also gives Arceus-Ground the best possible matchup against Primal Groudon, and even without any investment in Special Attack, Arceus-Ground is able to 2HKO Gothitelle with +1 Judgment after Stealth Rock damage
* If you wish to have an improved matchup against Gothitelle, Speed tie with Jolly Mega Salamence, and have slightly more offensive presence, a more simple EV spread of 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe can be run. However, this sacrifices necessary bulk and worsens matchups against foes such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Necrozma-DM.
Usage Tips
========
* Calm Mind Arceus-Ground should be played similarly to support Arceus-Ground sets early- to mid-game and should typically be used to force out foes such as Primal Groudon, only revealing Calm Mind late-game after common checks such as Ho-Oh, Celesteela, Lugia, Skarmory, Chansey, and Blissey have been KOed or worn down so that they're in range of being KOed by Arceus-Ground's attacks.
* Avoid letting Calm Mind Arceus-Ground get statused, as it significantly hinders its ability to set up and sweep.
* Try to set up with Calm Mind against foes that Arceus-Ground takes little damage from or normally forces out, such as Primal Groudon, Excadrill, and Choice Scarf Yveltal.
* Be careful using Arceus-Ground while Gothitelle is still healthy, as it still invalidates Arceus-Ground's role as a Calm Mind sweeper due to the fact that it lowers Arceus-Ground's Special Attack with Confide, which also has the same amount of PP as Calm Mind. Mega Gengar is also still an annoying threat for Arceus-Ground, as it can play mind games with Taunt + Destiny Bond.
Team Options
========
* Calm Mind Arceus-Ground tends to fit on offensive teams with plenty of wallbreakers, as it struggles to break through foes with a high Special Defense stat such as Chansey, Blissey, Giratina, Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Primal Kyogre.
* Clerics such as Xerneas make good partners, as Arceus-Ground is worn down quite easily by status.
* Primal Groudon makes a brilliant partner for Calm Mind Arceus-Ground because it is able to deal massive damage to Celesteela, Skarmory, and Buzzwole with Fire-type attacks and Ho-Oh with Rock-type attacks, as well as dealing massive amounts of damage to Chansey and Blissey with any physical attack that it opts to run. Primal Groudon also appreciates Arceus-Ground's ability to deal with opposing Primal Groudon.
* Pursuit users such as Marshadow and Tyranitar are useful for dealing with Shadow Tag users, and they can also deal heavy amounts of damage to Chansey and Blissey, which otherwise wall Arceus-Ground and can stall it out with Toxic, Recover, and Confide.
* Mega Diancie is a nice partner for Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, as it is able to bounce back any status moves with Magic Bounce as well as potentially act as a cleric with Heal Bell. It also threatens Ho-Oh and Blissey with Diamond Storm and threatens both Giratina formes with Moonblast. Mega Diancie also appreciates the fact that Calm Mind Arceus-Ground can threaten most common Ground- and Steel-type Pokemon that threaten it such as Primal Groudon, Excadrill, and defensive Necrozma-DM.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Stone Edge can be used on support sets with a Naive or Hasty nature to specifically lure in and KO Ho-Oh, as it 2HKOes defensive sets and OHKOes offensive sets.
* Extreme Speed can be run on offensive sets, as it allows Arceus-Ground to revenge kill faster weakened foes that could otherwise potentially revenge kill it in return.
* Roar can be used on support sets to potentially prevent Arceus-Ground from being trapped by Gothitelle; however, Arceus-Ground is still susceptible to Taunt, which prevents it from using the move. Roar also prevents it from running other crucial moves in its moveset such as Ice Beam and Toxic and ultimately only ends up being useful for preventing Necrozma-DM from sweeping.
* Refresh can be used instead of Ice Beam on Calm Mind sets to prevent Arceus-Ground from being worn down by Toxic; however, this prevents it from hitting any Flying-type Pokemon and Giratina-O and means that it does significantly less damage to Zygarde-C.
* Gravity can be used on Swords Dance sets so Arceus-Ground can hit Ho-Oh, Celesteela, and Skarmory for super effective damage. However, it mostly appreciates using Stone Edge so it can deal with other Flying-type threats such as Yveltal, Mega Salamence, and Lugia.
* Substitute can be used on Calm Mind sets to prevent status, but Arceus-Ground doesn't really have the moveslot for it.
* Will-O-Wisp can be used on support sets to shut down Necrozma-DM, but in most cases Arceus-Ground prefers to run Toxic, as it wears down common threats such as Arceus-Water, both Giratina formes, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh.
* Groundium Z can be used on Calm Mind sets, running Earth Power instead of Judgment in order for Arceus-Ground to use a one-time 175-Base Power Tectonic Rage, which can OHKO Necrozma-DM prior to boosting. However, running Groundium Z instead of Earth plate results in Arceus-Ground having quite poor damage output, even at +1, and becoming quite susceptible to being trapped by Gothitelle.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Lugia**: Lugia is able to survive any boosted hit from Swords Dance or Calm Mind Arceus-Ground thanks to Multiscale and phaze it with Whirlwind. However, it doesn't appreciate Toxic from support sets, and it is much less efficient at checking Arceus-Ground if Stealth Rock is on the field.
**Celesteela and Skarmory**: Both Celesteela and Skarmory take minimal damage from any of Arceus-Ground's attacks, are immune to Toxic, and can annoy Arceus-Ground with Toxic. Celesteela can further annoy Arceus-Ground with Leech Seed, and Skarmory can recover off any damage taken with Roost. Skarmory can also phaze any setup Arceus-Ground set with Whirlwind. It should be noted though that Celesteela can just become setup fodder for Substitute Arceus-Ground sets, as Heavy Slam never breaks Arceus-Ground's Substitute without a decent amount of Attack investment.
**Arceus-Water**: Arceus-Water takes minimal damage from most of Arceus-Ground's attacks and can dish out heavy damage with STAB Judgment. However, it can only really soft check (RH) Swords Dance Arceus-Ground if it hasn't used its Z-Move, as it is OHKOed by +2 Tectonic Rage.
**Giratina and Giratina-O**: Giratina-O is immune to Ground-type attacks, takes less than 50% from +2 Stone Edge from physical variants and minimal damage from Ice Beam from support sets and can inflict status on all of them, phaze them with Dragon Tail, or deal a decent amount of damage with Shadow Force or Draco Meteor. Despite the fact that Giratina lack a Ground immunity, it takes minimal damage from any of Arceus-Ground's attacks, even being able to survive +2 Tectonic Rage from Swords Dance variants, and can easily Rest off any of the damage it takes and proceed to inflict status on Arceus-Ground or phaze it with Dragon Tail.
**Gothitelle**: Although it doesn't appreciate dealing with Swords Dance variants or taking boosted hits from Calm Mind Arceus-Ground, Gothitelle can PP stall any support set as well as potentially stall out Calm Mind variants as long as Arceus-Ground hasn't already started boosting.
**Marshadow**: Marshadow is a solid offensive answer to Arceus-Ground invalidating Swords Dance sets because it can steal boosts with Spectral Thief and reverse sweep. Life Orb sets can also 2HKO any Arceus-Ground set after Stealth Rock damage, and although it is less common, Bulk Up Marshadium Z sets are able to OHKO any Arceus-Ground set with an unboosted Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike.
**Ho-Oh**: Although it's not a fan of physical Arceus-Ground sets, Ho-Oh takes minimal damage from support Arceus-Ground's coverage moves, can remove Arceus-Ground's Stealth Rock with Defog, and is only really bothered by Calm Mind variants if they opt to run Thunder.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Both Chansey and Blissey wall any special attacking Arceus-Ground variant due to their high HP and Special Defense stats and can proceed to wear it down with Toxic and Recover off any damage that Arceus-Ground dishes out.
**Grass-types**: Grass-types naturally resist Ground-type moves and can do heavy damage with their STAB moves. However, Ferrothorn, due to its Steel typing, takes neutral damage from Judgment, and Arceus Grass and Shaymin-S do not appreciate taking Ice Beam, especially from Calm Mind sets.
**Buzzwole**: Buzzwole resists Ground, has enough natural bulk to not be fazed by Ice Beam and is only really worried about boosted Stone Edge. It can also lower Arceus-Ground's Attack with Lunge and wear it down with Toxic + Roost.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre takes minimal damage from support Arceus-Ground sets and has enough natural bulk to survive a Z-Move from offensive sets and +2 Judgment from Calm Mind variants and OHKO them in return with rain-boosted STAB attacks.
**Revenge Killers**: Swords Dance Arceus-Ground sets dislike dealing with Pokemon that outspeed it such as Choice Scarf Yveltal, Marshadow, and Ultra Necrozma. Choice Scarf Yveltal is immune to Arceus-Ground's STAB attacks and can revenge KO a +2 Arceus-Ground with Foul Play. Marshadow also poses a major threat to Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, as it can steal its boosts with Spectral Thief and proceed to KO it, and Ultra Necrozma can potentially OHKO Arceus-Ground after Stealth Rock damage.
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