[5:13 PM] Dr Shrange: ekiller deserves to be D rank right now lol
[5:13 PM] Dr Shrange: Nayrz - Today at 10:10 AM arceus is probably too weak to make real use of it
[OVERVIEW]
* Arceus finds itself a niche on offensive teams thanks to its access to a consistent and strong priority move in Extreme Speed. The move also helps with picking off faster weakened threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and Rock Polish Primal Groudon and preventing them from netting excessive damage on your team.
* Thanks to a lack of weaknesses outside of Fighting and solid bulk, Arceus can act as a blanket check for a good portion of unboosted threats in the tier and easily set up late-game to clean up the opposing team. An immunity to Ghost-type attacks also grants Arceus an opportunity to occasionally switch into the likes of Lunala.
* Unfortunately, Arceus is strapped for moveslots, and depending on what moveset and coverage moves it opts for, it will be easily stopped by common walls in the tier, such as Zygarde-C, Celesteela, both formes of Giratina, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn.
* Arceus is also somewhat vulnerable to revenge killing due to its lack of resistances and the prevalence of many faster threats that are resilient or immune to Extreme Speed, such as Mega Salamence, Ultra Necrozma, Mega Gengar, and the worst, Marshadow.
* Due to Arceus's inconsistent performance that is dependent on matchups, it faces stiff competition from Arceus-Ground, which is more consistent with a stronger STAB move.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Shadow Claw
move 4: Substitute / Earthquake
item: Leftovers / Chople Berry
ability: Multitype
nature: Adamant
evs: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance boosts Arceus's rather mediocre damage output, allowing it to pick off on weakened teams late-game.
* Extreme Speed lets Arceus outpace faster foes and Choice Scarf users and revenge kill the likes of Xerneas, Mega Mewtwo Y, and Naganadel.
* Shadow Claw allows Arceus to hit Ghost-types such as Marshadow, both formes of Giratina, and Lunala super effectively, and this move is indispensable, since Arceus is easily checked by said foes otherwise.
* Substitute allows Arceus to take advantage of passive foes by blocking status moves such as Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, and Leech Seed. In addition, many foes such as Zygarde-C, Giratina, and Celesteela are not strong enough to break Substitute with one hit, allowing Arceus to set up on them while avoiding the aforementioned status moves. Substitute also gives foes a much harder time revenge killing Arceus, especially for Marshadow.
* Earthquake hits various foes that resist Extreme Speed such as Magearna and Tyranitar super effectively and also nets heavy damage on Primal Groudon after a Swords Dance boost. It also notably has a chance to OHKO Mega Lucario on the switch and scores a clean OHKO on Mega Gengar, which Shadow Claw cannot do.
Set Details
========
* Full investment in Attack with an Adamant nature maximizes Arceus's damage output and its ability to revenge kill weakened threats.
* 16 Speed EVs allow Arceus to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
* The rest of the EVs are poured into HP to maximize Arceus' bulk and let it survive Yveltal's Foul Play from full health after a Swords Dance.
* Leftovers provides Arceus with passive recovery and lets it set up Substitute multiple times against passive foes.
* Chople Berry allows Arceus to survive a Fighting-type attack from Marshadow and Mega Lucario, preventing them from easily revenge killing Arceus.
Usage Tips
========
* Despite the fact that Arceus is best used late-game to clean up weakened teams, it can be utilized to KO faster threats, such as Geomancy Xerneas and Rock Polish Primal Groudon, if they have been weakened enough to be taken out by Extreme Speed.
* Thanks to good bulk and investment in HP, Arceus can be used as a blanket check to many threats, as it will mostly survive any unboosted hits.
* Avoid any form of status ailment, as it will significantly hinder Arceus's ability to clean up weakened teams late-game.
* Substitute sets can lure and take advantage of Arceus's common switch-ins such as Celesteela and both formes of Giratina by setting up multiple Swords Dances while avoiding status moves and Dragon Tail behind Substitute. Some Zygarde-C variants can also be set up on, as Thousand Arrows and Dragon Tail both fail to break Substitute in one hit.
* Sets with Chople Berry have a situational use of offensively checking unboosted Marshadow and Mega Lucario in an emergency, although the inability to set up on passive walls leaves Arceus with even fewer things to do. Bear in mind that weakened Arceus will still be KOed by appropriate moves from the aforementioned foes.
* Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain prevents the use of Extreme Speed, so be wary of said foe switching into a predicted Extreme Speed and ensure it is eliminated for Arceus to successfully clean up late-game.
Team Options
========
* Arceus is usually employed on offensive teams that desire a solid revenge killer to take care of weakened setup sweepers and faster threats. It is best for one to consider pairing Arceus with teammates that can weaken or eliminate its checks, since Arceus will mostly depend on prior damage to defeat its foes.
* Defensive Primal Groudon variants can set Stealth Rock for Arceus so it will meet many important benchmarks, while offensive variants do a better job weakening the opposing defensive cores and inflicting heavier damage on Geomancy Xerneas for Arceus to have better chance to pick it off afterwards. Primal Groudon also threatens Steel-types and defeats Marshadow, Mega Lucario, and Mega Gengar.
* Yveltal overwhelms Ghost-types and physically defensive walls with a strong Dark Pulse and shuts down passive walls with Taunt. Choice Scarf variants can take a more offensive approach to check Marshadow and Mega Gengar and bring Arceus in safely with U-turn.
* Mega Salamence excels at putting a dent on many walls like support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, and Steel-types if it opts to use Earthquake and can switch into predicted Fighting-type attacks for Arceus. In return, Arceus can take advantage of certain physical walls that Mega Salamence doesn't have much of a way around otherwise, such as Celesteela and Zygarde-C.
* Mega Gengar has various options to aid Arceus in cleaning up late-game. Taunt variants can trap and remove problematic walls such as Lugia, Skarmory, and, depending on their typing, support Arceus formes. Hex variants can soften Steel-types with Will-O-Wisp and notably turn Ferrothorn and defensive Necrozma-DM into setup fodder for Arceus with Substitute. Lastly, Mega Gengar can use Destiny Bond to force a trade with the likes of defensive Yveltal, which would otherwise prove to be a serious problem for Arceus if left healthy.
* Xerneas is an offensive check to Marshadow, Yveltal, and Mega Salamence. Geomancy variants often carry a coverage move dedicated to hitting Steel-types or Primal Groudon, all of which Arceus struggles to defeat. Xerneas with Hidden Power Fire can potentially lure and either weaken or dispose of Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor early.
* Lastly, Marshadow offensively handles Mega Lucario, Tyranitar, and Steel-types. Life Orb variants are excellent ways to lure and remove Mega Salamence with Hidden Power Ice for Arceus, and they can potentially run Pursuit to eliminate Mega Gengar. Marshadow also tends to heavily pressure support Arceus formes and can switch into Fighting-type move for Arceus.
[SET]
name: Normalium Z
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Refresh
move 4: Shadow Claw
item: Normalium Z
ability: Multitype
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance doubles Arceus's Attack and allows it to OHKO offensive threats such as Yveltal, Primal Kyogre, and Mega Mewtwo Y after Stealth Rock damage.
* Extreme Speed's priority lets Arceus pick off a weakened setup sweeper. With Normalium Z, the move turns into Breakneck Blitz, which can inflict serious damage on or KO a foe.
* Refresh removes status ailments on Arceus. With Normalium Z, Arceus can fully restore its health while getting rid of status.
* Shadow Claw is a vital coverage that hits Ghost-types that are immune to Extreme Speed.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack investment allows Arceus to hit as hard as possible, improving its ability to revenge kill.
* 124 Speed EVs allow Arceus to outspeed fully invested base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. This allows Arceus to set up multiple boosts and attack back after healing itself with Z-Refresh. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to maximize Arceus's bulk.
* If more bulk is desired, an EV spread of 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe is still a viable option, but bear in mind that Arceus will be slower than the likes of Jolly Primal Groudon and Timid Primal Kyogre.
* Normalium Z allows Arceus to either use a powerful Breakneck Blitz to, at +2, OHKO offensive Primal Groudon, support Arceus formes, and defensive variants of Ho-Oh and Yveltal after little or no prior damage or use Z-Refresh to fully restore its own HP and cure itself of status ailments. The Z-Crystal also allows Arceus to defeat Geomancy Xerneas in a one-on-one situation with a combination of Breakneck Blitz and Extreme Speed, preventing Arceus from being set up on.
Usage Tips
========
* Unlike a variant with Substitute, this set can more actively set up Swords Dance without worrying too much about chip damage and status moves, as Z-Refresh can fully restore Arceus and let it retaliate with boosted attacks afterwards.
* Arceus can also opt to preserve Normalium Z for the use of Breakneck Blitz against bulky foes that would otherwise survive a hit and retaliate; because Arceus cannot use both Breakneck Blitz and Z-Refresh, one must carefully consider what to use Normalium Z for.
* If there are foes that rely on status to check Arceus, such as defensive Necrozma-DM and Ho-Oh, support Arceus formes, and Hex variants of Giratina-O, and they cannot be sufficiently dealt with by Arceus's teammates before Arceus can set up for a sweep of its own, it is advised to take advantage of them by boosting Arceus multiple times, surprising them with Z-Refresh, and KOing them back.
* Against more offensive teams, where foes will rely on revenge killing to stop Arceus, it is advised to preserve the use of Normalium Z for Breakneck Blitz, as a foe will most likely send a threat that can survive only a boosted Extreme Speed. The Z-Move is also handy against Mega Salamence, which would otherwise require multiple boosts to take down with Extreme Speed, as +1 Breakneck Blitz OHKOes offensive variants.
* Breakneck Blitz is still powerful in its own right even when unboosted, and it notably gives Arceus an option to use a STAB move under Psychic Terrain. The Z-Move can be used to harshly punish threats like Xerneas that may try to take advantage of Arceus when they assume it can't do much back under Psychic Terrain.
* Refrain from setting up with Arceus when opposing Marshadow is still present, as this set is extremely vulnerable to it.
Team Options
========
* Checks to Marshadow are mandatory, as Arceus has absolutely no way to defeat it on its own; Xerneas and Yveltal are offensive checks to Marshadow that benefit from Arceus taking advantage of passive Pokemon with Z-Refresh.
* Arceus also fails to do well against bulky foes such as Celesteela and Giratina-A that it can otherwise set up on with Substitute. Strong wallbreakers such as Yveltal and Rayquaza can weaken or eliminate them for Arceus. The former is especially helpful, since it can provide better setup opportunities for Arceus by shutting down a passive foe with Taunt or bringing in Arceus safely with U-turn.
* Mega Gengar is an alternative teammate that can handle passive foes, and most of the checks to Arceus, such as Celesteela, Lugia, and Skarmory, are vulnerable to trapping or can be KOed with Destiny Bond. In return, Arceus can remove threats such as Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Primal Groudon with boosted Breakneck Blitz and deal with faster threats that threaten Mega Gengar, such as Deoxys-A and Mewtwo.
* Stealth Rock support allows Arceus to meet various benchmarks on many threats at +2 and OHKO offensive Yveltal and Ho-Oh with +2 Extreme Speed to let it preserve the Z-Crystal for other foes. In offensive teams, Excadrill, Deoxys-S, and Cloyster are fantastic options for entry hazard setters.
* Primal Groudon can aid Arceus in various ways. It can set up Stealth Rock and even use Toxic on Lugia and Giratina-O, letting Arceus break through them more easily. Rock Polish variants can KO faster foes that can otherwise revenge kill Arceus. Swords Dance variants can significantly weaken or eliminate the likes of Zygarde-C, Celesteela, Giratina-O, and other physical walls.
* Ho-Oh threatens Steel-types and cripples physical attackers with burn from Sacred Fire, allowing Arceus to set up with ease. It is also a good check to Xerneas, a threat that Arceus cannot defeat in a one-on-one situation without using Breakneck Blitz.
* Mega Salamence pressures Steel-types and support Arceus formes well and can absorb status moves for Arceus to use boosted Facade.
* Other offensive powerhouses, such as Marshadow and Primal Kyogre, can fit alongside Arceus. The former checks Mega Lucario, which easily revenge kills Arceus, and benefits from Arceus taking advantage of support Arceus formes that Marshadow tends to draw in often. The latter can cause serious damage to defensive cores early-game so Arceus can break through them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Life Orb makes a significant change in Arceus's general damage output and allows it to meet various benchmarks, such as scoring an OHKO on Primal Groudon with +2 Earthquake and on offensive Yveltal and Xerneas with +2 Extreme Speed after Stealth Rock damage. The item also boosts coverage moves; for example, Fire Blast can 2HKO Celesteela on the switch. However, Arceus is usually inclined to attempt to sweep once its checks and counters are gone to set up as reliably as possible and therefore would naturally be trying to defeat weakened foes. In addition, forgoing Substitute or Chople Berry leaves Arceus very vulnerable to the omnipresent Marshadow.
* Stone Edge hits Mega Salamence, OHKOes offensive Mega Salamence and defensive Yveltal at +2 after Stealth Rock and OHKOes offensive Ho-Oh. However, this coverage move is quite hard to fit onto a moveset.
* Ice Beam OHKOes Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock and 2HKOes Zygarde-C with some prior damage. However, Arceus will need significant investment in Speed to hit the former effectively and thus would have to forgo the bulk it would otherwise get from HP investment.
* Fire Blast 2HKOes Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Mega Scizor, and Buzzwole and does a chunk of damage to Celesteela and Magearna. However, these walls are better dealt with by Arceus's teammates in general.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Ghost-types**: Arceus is forced to rely on Shadow Claw to ever damage Ghost-types in a meaningful way due to their immunity to Extreme Speed. Mega Sableye effortlessly walls any Arceus variant thanks to it taking neutral damage from Shadow Claw. As a result, it easily checks Arceus by using Foul Play or a status move. Both formes of Giratina take even boosted Shadow Claw with their great bulk and can either phaze or status Arceus, although they tend to struggle against Substitute variants.
**Offensive Ghost-types**: Marshadow and Mega Gengar both naturally outspeed Arceus and can revenge kill it thanks to their immunity to Extreme Speed. Marshadow can hit it with Close Combat first if given a safe switch in, and any Arceus set without Chople Berry is outright taken out by Life Orb-boosted Close Combat. Mega Gengar can revenge kill Arceus lacking Chople Berry with Focus Blast, burn it with Will-O-Wisp, or force a trade with Destiny Bond.
**Lugia**: Lugia switches into Arcues with impunity most of the time thanks to its massive bulk that is further complemented by Multiscale, which allows it to handle even boosted Shadow Claw. It easily stalls out Arceus with Toxic and phazes it with Whirlwind. Even after Stealth Rock damage, +2 Shadow Claw fails to KO Lugia.
**Zygarde-C**: A healthy Zygarde-C is not 2HKOed by Extreme Speed unless Arceus is fully set up. Coil variants take pathetic damage from even boosted Arceus. However, Zygarde-C is easily disposed of if Arceus opted for Ice Beam, and defensive variants without Coil find themselves being set up on by Arceus with Substitute.
**Steel-types**: Due to their high bulk and resistance to Extreme Speed, Steel-types such as Skarmory, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela prove to be nuisances for Arceus to deal with. Skarmory even checks Arceus behind Substitute by phazing it with Whirlwind. Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, although they have an extreme weakness to Fire Blast, can otherwise take on Arceus without much trouble. Celesteela is not even 2HKOed by Fire Blast but is set up on by Substitute variants of Arceus and eventually overwhelmed by excessive boosted Shadow Claw. Necrozma-DM can survive boosted Shadow Claw or Earthquake thanks to Prism Armor and hit back hard using Sunsteel Strike. Mega Lucario takes boosted Extreme Speed if healthy enough and OHKOes Arceus lacking Chople Berry using Close Combat.
**Fighting-types**: Although they struggle taking boosted Extreme Speed, Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken are good offensive checks to Arceus due to them easily OHKOing it with Low Kick if it lacks Chople Berry. Buzzwole is bulky enough to take multiple boosted hits and can use Hammer Arm a few times or stall Arceus out with Toxic and Roost to cut Arceus's sweep short. Arceus-Fighting has enough bulk to handle boosted attacks and can 2HKO back with Judgment.
**Mega Salamence**: Mega Salamence easily survives even a boosted Extreme Speed thanks to its excellent bulk and Intimidate prior to Mega Evolution and can revenge kill weakened Arceus.
**Rock-types**: Arceus-Rock resists Extreme Speed and can survive a boosted Earthquake after burning Arceus with WIll-O-Wisp. Tyranitar completely walls Arceus without Earthquake, and Choice Band variants can 2HKO in return.
**Yveltal**: Yveltal is bulky enough to take boosted Extreme Speed and OHKOes boosted Arceus with Foul Play after minimal prior damage. Defensive variants are not even close to falling into range of boosted Extreme Speed after Stealth Rock damage.
**Psychic Terrain**: Psychic Terrain from Tapu Lele prevents the use of Extreme Speed, and this is very detrimental to Arceus's sweep.
[5:13 PM] Dr Shrange: Nayrz - Today at 10:10 AM arceus is probably too weak to make real use of it
[OVERVIEW]
* Arceus finds itself a niche on offensive teams thanks to its access to a consistent and strong priority move in Extreme Speed. The move also helps with picking off faster weakened threats such as Geomancy Xerneas and Rock Polish Primal Groudon and preventing them from netting excessive damage on your team.
* Thanks to a lack of weaknesses outside of Fighting and solid bulk, Arceus can act as a blanket check for a good portion of unboosted threats in the tier and easily set up late-game to clean up the opposing team. An immunity to Ghost-type attacks also grants Arceus an opportunity to occasionally switch into the likes of Lunala.
* Unfortunately, Arceus is strapped for moveslots, and depending on what moveset and coverage moves it opts for, it will be easily stopped by common walls in the tier, such as Zygarde-C, Celesteela, both formes of Giratina, Skarmory, and Ferrothorn.
* Arceus is also somewhat vulnerable to revenge killing due to its lack of resistances and the prevalence of many faster threats that are resilient or immune to Extreme Speed, such as Mega Salamence, Ultra Necrozma, Mega Gengar, and the worst, Marshadow.
* Due to Arceus's inconsistent performance that is dependent on matchups, it faces stiff competition from Arceus-Ground, which is more consistent with a stronger STAB move.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Shadow Claw
move 4: Substitute / Earthquake
item: Leftovers / Chople Berry
ability: Multitype
nature: Adamant
evs: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance boosts Arceus's rather mediocre damage output, allowing it to pick off on weakened teams late-game.
* Extreme Speed lets Arceus outpace faster foes and Choice Scarf users and revenge kill the likes of Xerneas, Mega Mewtwo Y, and Naganadel.
* Shadow Claw allows Arceus to hit Ghost-types such as Marshadow, both formes of Giratina, and Lunala super effectively, and this move is indispensable, since Arceus is easily checked by said foes otherwise.
* Substitute allows Arceus to take advantage of passive foes by blocking status moves such as Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, and Leech Seed. In addition, many foes such as Zygarde-C, Giratina, and Celesteela are not strong enough to break Substitute with one hit, allowing Arceus to set up on them while avoiding the aforementioned status moves. Substitute also gives foes a much harder time revenge killing Arceus, especially for Marshadow.
* Earthquake hits various foes that resist Extreme Speed such as Magearna and Tyranitar super effectively and also nets heavy damage on Primal Groudon after a Swords Dance boost. It also notably has a chance to OHKO Mega Lucario on the switch and scores a clean OHKO on Mega Gengar, which Shadow Claw cannot do.
Set Details
========
* Full investment in Attack with an Adamant nature maximizes Arceus's damage output and its ability to revenge kill weakened threats.
* 16 Speed EVs allow Arceus to outpace neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
* The rest of the EVs are poured into HP to maximize Arceus' bulk and let it survive Yveltal's Foul Play from full health after a Swords Dance.
* Leftovers provides Arceus with passive recovery and lets it set up Substitute multiple times against passive foes.
* Chople Berry allows Arceus to survive a Fighting-type attack from Marshadow and Mega Lucario, preventing them from easily revenge killing Arceus.
Usage Tips
========
* Despite the fact that Arceus is best used late-game to clean up weakened teams, it can be utilized to KO faster threats, such as Geomancy Xerneas and Rock Polish Primal Groudon, if they have been weakened enough to be taken out by Extreme Speed.
* Thanks to good bulk and investment in HP, Arceus can be used as a blanket check to many threats, as it will mostly survive any unboosted hits.
* Avoid any form of status ailment, as it will significantly hinder Arceus's ability to clean up weakened teams late-game.
* Substitute sets can lure and take advantage of Arceus's common switch-ins such as Celesteela and both formes of Giratina by setting up multiple Swords Dances while avoiding status moves and Dragon Tail behind Substitute. Some Zygarde-C variants can also be set up on, as Thousand Arrows and Dragon Tail both fail to break Substitute in one hit.
* Sets with Chople Berry have a situational use of offensively checking unboosted Marshadow and Mega Lucario in an emergency, although the inability to set up on passive walls leaves Arceus with even fewer things to do. Bear in mind that weakened Arceus will still be KOed by appropriate moves from the aforementioned foes.
* Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain prevents the use of Extreme Speed, so be wary of said foe switching into a predicted Extreme Speed and ensure it is eliminated for Arceus to successfully clean up late-game.
Team Options
========
* Arceus is usually employed on offensive teams that desire a solid revenge killer to take care of weakened setup sweepers and faster threats. It is best for one to consider pairing Arceus with teammates that can weaken or eliminate its checks, since Arceus will mostly depend on prior damage to defeat its foes.
* Defensive Primal Groudon variants can set Stealth Rock for Arceus so it will meet many important benchmarks, while offensive variants do a better job weakening the opposing defensive cores and inflicting heavier damage on Geomancy Xerneas for Arceus to have better chance to pick it off afterwards. Primal Groudon also threatens Steel-types and defeats Marshadow, Mega Lucario, and Mega Gengar.
* Yveltal overwhelms Ghost-types and physically defensive walls with a strong Dark Pulse and shuts down passive walls with Taunt. Choice Scarf variants can take a more offensive approach to check Marshadow and Mega Gengar and bring Arceus in safely with U-turn.
* Mega Salamence excels at putting a dent on many walls like support Arceus formes, Primal Groudon, and Steel-types if it opts to use Earthquake and can switch into predicted Fighting-type attacks for Arceus. In return, Arceus can take advantage of certain physical walls that Mega Salamence doesn't have much of a way around otherwise, such as Celesteela and Zygarde-C.
* Mega Gengar has various options to aid Arceus in cleaning up late-game. Taunt variants can trap and remove problematic walls such as Lugia, Skarmory, and, depending on their typing, support Arceus formes. Hex variants can soften Steel-types with Will-O-Wisp and notably turn Ferrothorn and defensive Necrozma-DM into setup fodder for Arceus with Substitute. Lastly, Mega Gengar can use Destiny Bond to force a trade with the likes of defensive Yveltal, which would otherwise prove to be a serious problem for Arceus if left healthy.
* Xerneas is an offensive check to Marshadow, Yveltal, and Mega Salamence. Geomancy variants often carry a coverage move dedicated to hitting Steel-types or Primal Groudon, all of which Arceus struggles to defeat. Xerneas with Hidden Power Fire can potentially lure and either weaken or dispose of Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor early.
* Lastly, Marshadow offensively handles Mega Lucario, Tyranitar, and Steel-types. Life Orb variants are excellent ways to lure and remove Mega Salamence with Hidden Power Ice for Arceus, and they can potentially run Pursuit to eliminate Mega Gengar. Marshadow also tends to heavily pressure support Arceus formes and can switch into Fighting-type move for Arceus.
[SET]
name: Normalium Z
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Refresh
move 4: Shadow Claw
item: Normalium Z
ability: Multitype
nature: Adamant
evs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance doubles Arceus's Attack and allows it to OHKO offensive threats such as Yveltal, Primal Kyogre, and Mega Mewtwo Y after Stealth Rock damage.
* Extreme Speed's priority lets Arceus pick off a weakened setup sweeper. With Normalium Z, the move turns into Breakneck Blitz, which can inflict serious damage on or KO a foe.
* Refresh removes status ailments on Arceus. With Normalium Z, Arceus can fully restore its health while getting rid of status.
* Shadow Claw is a vital coverage that hits Ghost-types that are immune to Extreme Speed.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Attack investment allows Arceus to hit as hard as possible, improving its ability to revenge kill.
* 124 Speed EVs allow Arceus to outspeed fully invested base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. This allows Arceus to set up multiple boosts and attack back after healing itself with Z-Refresh. The rest of the EVs are put into HP to maximize Arceus's bulk.
* If more bulk is desired, an EV spread of 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe is still a viable option, but bear in mind that Arceus will be slower than the likes of Jolly Primal Groudon and Timid Primal Kyogre.
* Normalium Z allows Arceus to either use a powerful Breakneck Blitz to, at +2, OHKO offensive Primal Groudon, support Arceus formes, and defensive variants of Ho-Oh and Yveltal after little or no prior damage or use Z-Refresh to fully restore its own HP and cure itself of status ailments. The Z-Crystal also allows Arceus to defeat Geomancy Xerneas in a one-on-one situation with a combination of Breakneck Blitz and Extreme Speed, preventing Arceus from being set up on.
Usage Tips
========
* Unlike a variant with Substitute, this set can more actively set up Swords Dance without worrying too much about chip damage and status moves, as Z-Refresh can fully restore Arceus and let it retaliate with boosted attacks afterwards.
* Arceus can also opt to preserve Normalium Z for the use of Breakneck Blitz against bulky foes that would otherwise survive a hit and retaliate; because Arceus cannot use both Breakneck Blitz and Z-Refresh, one must carefully consider what to use Normalium Z for.
* If there are foes that rely on status to check Arceus, such as defensive Necrozma-DM and Ho-Oh, support Arceus formes, and Hex variants of Giratina-O, and they cannot be sufficiently dealt with by Arceus's teammates before Arceus can set up for a sweep of its own, it is advised to take advantage of them by boosting Arceus multiple times, surprising them with Z-Refresh, and KOing them back.
* Against more offensive teams, where foes will rely on revenge killing to stop Arceus, it is advised to preserve the use of Normalium Z for Breakneck Blitz, as a foe will most likely send a threat that can survive only a boosted Extreme Speed. The Z-Move is also handy against Mega Salamence, which would otherwise require multiple boosts to take down with Extreme Speed, as +1 Breakneck Blitz OHKOes offensive variants.
* Breakneck Blitz is still powerful in its own right even when unboosted, and it notably gives Arceus an option to use a STAB move under Psychic Terrain. The Z-Move can be used to harshly punish threats like Xerneas that may try to take advantage of Arceus when they assume it can't do much back under Psychic Terrain.
* Refrain from setting up with Arceus when opposing Marshadow is still present, as this set is extremely vulnerable to it.
Team Options
========
* Checks to Marshadow are mandatory, as Arceus has absolutely no way to defeat it on its own; Xerneas and Yveltal are offensive checks to Marshadow that benefit from Arceus taking advantage of passive Pokemon with Z-Refresh.
* Arceus also fails to do well against bulky foes such as Celesteela and Giratina-A that it can otherwise set up on with Substitute. Strong wallbreakers such as Yveltal and Rayquaza can weaken or eliminate them for Arceus. The former is especially helpful, since it can provide better setup opportunities for Arceus by shutting down a passive foe with Taunt or bringing in Arceus safely with U-turn.
* Mega Gengar is an alternative teammate that can handle passive foes, and most of the checks to Arceus, such as Celesteela, Lugia, and Skarmory, are vulnerable to trapping or can be KOed with Destiny Bond. In return, Arceus can remove threats such as Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Primal Groudon with boosted Breakneck Blitz and deal with faster threats that threaten Mega Gengar, such as Deoxys-A and Mewtwo.
* Stealth Rock support allows Arceus to meet various benchmarks on many threats at +2 and OHKO offensive Yveltal and Ho-Oh with +2 Extreme Speed to let it preserve the Z-Crystal for other foes. In offensive teams, Excadrill, Deoxys-S, and Cloyster are fantastic options for entry hazard setters.
* Primal Groudon can aid Arceus in various ways. It can set up Stealth Rock and even use Toxic on Lugia and Giratina-O, letting Arceus break through them more easily. Rock Polish variants can KO faster foes that can otherwise revenge kill Arceus. Swords Dance variants can significantly weaken or eliminate the likes of Zygarde-C, Celesteela, Giratina-O, and other physical walls.
* Ho-Oh threatens Steel-types and cripples physical attackers with burn from Sacred Fire, allowing Arceus to set up with ease. It is also a good check to Xerneas, a threat that Arceus cannot defeat in a one-on-one situation without using Breakneck Blitz.
* Mega Salamence pressures Steel-types and support Arceus formes well and can absorb status moves for Arceus to use boosted Facade.
* Other offensive powerhouses, such as Marshadow and Primal Kyogre, can fit alongside Arceus. The former checks Mega Lucario, which easily revenge kills Arceus, and benefits from Arceus taking advantage of support Arceus formes that Marshadow tends to draw in often. The latter can cause serious damage to defensive cores early-game so Arceus can break through them.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Life Orb makes a significant change in Arceus's general damage output and allows it to meet various benchmarks, such as scoring an OHKO on Primal Groudon with +2 Earthquake and on offensive Yveltal and Xerneas with +2 Extreme Speed after Stealth Rock damage. The item also boosts coverage moves; for example, Fire Blast can 2HKO Celesteela on the switch. However, Arceus is usually inclined to attempt to sweep once its checks and counters are gone to set up as reliably as possible and therefore would naturally be trying to defeat weakened foes. In addition, forgoing Substitute or Chople Berry leaves Arceus very vulnerable to the omnipresent Marshadow.
* Stone Edge hits Mega Salamence, OHKOes offensive Mega Salamence and defensive Yveltal at +2 after Stealth Rock and OHKOes offensive Ho-Oh. However, this coverage move is quite hard to fit onto a moveset.
* Ice Beam OHKOes Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock and 2HKOes Zygarde-C with some prior damage. However, Arceus will need significant investment in Speed to hit the former effectively and thus would have to forgo the bulk it would otherwise get from HP investment.
* Fire Blast 2HKOes Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Mega Scizor, and Buzzwole and does a chunk of damage to Celesteela and Magearna. However, these walls are better dealt with by Arceus's teammates in general.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Bulky Ghost-types**: Arceus is forced to rely on Shadow Claw to ever damage Ghost-types in a meaningful way due to their immunity to Extreme Speed. Mega Sableye effortlessly walls any Arceus variant thanks to it taking neutral damage from Shadow Claw. As a result, it easily checks Arceus by using Foul Play or a status move. Both formes of Giratina take even boosted Shadow Claw with their great bulk and can either phaze or status Arceus, although they tend to struggle against Substitute variants.
**Offensive Ghost-types**: Marshadow and Mega Gengar both naturally outspeed Arceus and can revenge kill it thanks to their immunity to Extreme Speed. Marshadow can hit it with Close Combat first if given a safe switch in, and any Arceus set without Chople Berry is outright taken out by Life Orb-boosted Close Combat. Mega Gengar can revenge kill Arceus lacking Chople Berry with Focus Blast, burn it with Will-O-Wisp, or force a trade with Destiny Bond.
**Lugia**: Lugia switches into Arcues with impunity most of the time thanks to its massive bulk that is further complemented by Multiscale, which allows it to handle even boosted Shadow Claw. It easily stalls out Arceus with Toxic and phazes it with Whirlwind. Even after Stealth Rock damage, +2 Shadow Claw fails to KO Lugia.
**Zygarde-C**: A healthy Zygarde-C is not 2HKOed by Extreme Speed unless Arceus is fully set up. Coil variants take pathetic damage from even boosted Arceus. However, Zygarde-C is easily disposed of if Arceus opted for Ice Beam, and defensive variants without Coil find themselves being set up on by Arceus with Substitute.
**Steel-types**: Due to their high bulk and resistance to Extreme Speed, Steel-types such as Skarmory, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Celesteela prove to be nuisances for Arceus to deal with. Skarmory even checks Arceus behind Substitute by phazing it with Whirlwind. Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn, although they have an extreme weakness to Fire Blast, can otherwise take on Arceus without much trouble. Celesteela is not even 2HKOed by Fire Blast but is set up on by Substitute variants of Arceus and eventually overwhelmed by excessive boosted Shadow Claw. Necrozma-DM can survive boosted Shadow Claw or Earthquake thanks to Prism Armor and hit back hard using Sunsteel Strike. Mega Lucario takes boosted Extreme Speed if healthy enough and OHKOes Arceus lacking Chople Berry using Close Combat.
**Fighting-types**: Although they struggle taking boosted Extreme Speed, Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken are good offensive checks to Arceus due to them easily OHKOing it with Low Kick if it lacks Chople Berry. Buzzwole is bulky enough to take multiple boosted hits and can use Hammer Arm a few times or stall Arceus out with Toxic and Roost to cut Arceus's sweep short. Arceus-Fighting has enough bulk to handle boosted attacks and can 2HKO back with Judgment.
**Mega Salamence**: Mega Salamence easily survives even a boosted Extreme Speed thanks to its excellent bulk and Intimidate prior to Mega Evolution and can revenge kill weakened Arceus.
**Rock-types**: Arceus-Rock resists Extreme Speed and can survive a boosted Earthquake after burning Arceus with WIll-O-Wisp. Tyranitar completely walls Arceus without Earthquake, and Choice Band variants can 2HKO in return.
**Yveltal**: Yveltal is bulky enough to take boosted Extreme Speed and OHKOes boosted Arceus with Foul Play after minimal prior damage. Defensive variants are not even close to falling into range of boosted Extreme Speed after Stealth Rock damage.
**Psychic Terrain**: Psychic Terrain from Tapu Lele prevents the use of Extreme Speed, and this is very detrimental to Arceus's sweep.
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