Loloartsi
Banned deucer.
[OVERVIEW]
* Great all-around stats combined with a pure Dark typing make Arceus-Dark a very capable Pokemon in balanced and defensive teams.
* While Arceus-Dark is somewhat outclassed by other support Arceus formes, it has an unique niche over them in the fact that it threatens trappers like Gothitelle and Mega Gengar, making Arceus-Dark a good user of Defog.
* Resistances to Ghost and Dark with an additional Psychic immunity let Arceus-Dark check a plethora of common threats, such as Yveltal, Ultra Necrozma, Mega Gengar, and Psychic Terrain-based teams.
* Dark has good neutral coverage, hitting notable threats in the tier such as Necrozma-DM and Giratina-O, giving Arceus-Dark good offensive presence and making it one of the better Calm Mind Arceus formes.
* Arceus-Dark suffers from the prevalence of Fairy-types, since it's unable to do anything to them aside from using Toxic and is beaten down easily.
* Fighting-types such as Mega Lucario, while not as common as Fairy-types, are a struggle for Arceus-Dark to overcome.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Defog
item: Dread Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 160 Def / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Judgment is Arceus-Dark's most consistent attack, hitting all types and letting it check Ultra Necrozma, Lugia, and Giratina-O.
* Recover keeps Arceus-Dark alive throughout the game and allows it to check the Pokemon it is supposed to.
* Toxic cripples common switch-ins to Arceus-Dark, such as Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, and Arceus-Fairy, and enables it to defeat Yveltal one-on-one.
* Defog provides entry hazard removal, and Arceus-Dark's sheer bulk and Dark-type Judgment make it an acceptable user of the move.
* Will-O-Wisp can be used over Toxic to cripple Necrozma-DM, Marshadow, and Mega Lucario, but lacking Toxic makes Arceus-Dark unable to punish other switch-ins properly, such as Primal Groudon and Fairy-types.
* Ice Beam can be used to allow Arceus-Dark to consistently check Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, and Zygarde.
Set Details
========
* Dread Plate is required for a Dark-type Judgment and to use Arceus-Dark.
* A Timid nature with 96 Speed EVs enables Arceus-Dark to outspeed everything up to maximum base 100 Speed Pokemon, including notable threats such as Timid Yveltal and Palkia.
* The HP EVs, in tandem with the Defense EVs, maximize Arceus-Dark's physical bulk, notably letting it avoid the OHKO from +1 Adamant Mega Salamence Double-Edge after Stealth Rock and the 2HKO from Life Orb Yveltal's Oblivion Wing.
* An EV spread of 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe with a Timid nature should be used if running Fire Blast or Will-O-Wisp, as it lets Arceus-Dark outspeed Jolly Mega Lucario.
* A bulkier EV spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe with a Bold nature can be used to outspeed neutral-natured base 90 Speed Pokemon and significantly increase Arceus-Dark's physical bulk, allowing it to take a +2 Precipice Blades from Primal Groudon and avoid the 2HKO from a Life Orb Ho-Oh Brave Bird.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Dark should be used as the primary switch-in to Yveltal, Ghost-types such as Giratina-O and Lunala, and finally, Necrozma-DM.
* If using Will-O-Wisp, it is best used as early as possible to cripple its main targets, namely physical attackers and Steel-types such as Marshadow and Necrozma-DM.
* As Arceus-Dark cannot check offensive Primal Groudon sets, it shouldn't be left as the primary Primal Groudon check.
* Use Toxic to pressure possible switch-ins like Fairy- and Fighting-types to prevent them from using Arceus-Dark as setup fodder.
* Sometimes, it is worth to trade Toxic with Pokemon like Primal Groudon and Yveltal, if the opposing team doesn't pack a cleric, but in general, it is best to avoid being hit by Toxic, as this will severely hinder Arceus-Dark's walling capabilities.
Team Options
========
* Arceus-Dark works best on defensive teams that either have strong Primal Groudon checks and need a Pokemon that resists Dark or a Ultra Necrozma switch-in or are severely weak to Shadow Tag users.
* Primal Groudon provides a switch-in to Fairy-types and Primal Kyogre and Stealth Rock support, and if Arceus-Dark is using Stealth Rock, Primal Groudon is free to run a offensive set.
* Necrozma-DM is another great partner, as it heavily pressures Fairy-types, checks most Toxic users in the tier, and can provide Stealth Rock support or, if running an offensive set, pressure most offensive teams in general.
* Ho-Oh immensely benefits from Defog support and handles Fairy- and Fighting-types and Primal Groudon to an extent for Arceus-Dark.
* Marshadow likes Arceus-Dark taking on Yveltal, and in return, Marshadow takes on threats such as Mega Lucario and Tyranitar while also giving an additional Necrozma-DM check.
* Mega Gengar traps and eliminates Fairy-types and provides a Fighting-type immunity.
* Checks to offensive Primal Groudon sets such as Giratina-O, Lugia, and Zygarde to an extent are recommended.
* Bulky Pokemon that appreciate Arceus-Dark's ability to threaten Gothitelle and Mega Gengar and have a good defensive synergy with Arceus-Dark, such as Toxapex, Chansey, and Lugia, make for good partners.
* Other bulky Steel-types such as Ferrothorn, Bronzong, Magearna, and Mega Scizor are helpful for Arceus-Dark to deal with Fairy-types.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Refresh
item: Dread Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Judgment is Arceus-Dark's strongest STAB option with unmatched power and accuracy.
* Calm Mind boosts Arceus-Dark's offensive and defensive capabilities against Pokemon that are unable to do much damage to it, such as Yveltal and any support Arceus forme that isn't Fairy.
* Recover helps Arceus-Dark maintain its HP and accumulate Calm Mind boosts against weaker threats.
* Refresh removes status conditions and allows Arceus-Dark to set up on most walls in the tier, such as Necrozma-DM, Lugia, and Giratina.
Set Details
========
* Dread Plate is required to use Arceus-Dark and boosts the power of Judgment.
* Maximum Speed EVs in tandem with a Timid nature enable Arceus-Dark to Speed tie with Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Ghost and outspeed most support Arceus formes.
* Maximum HP EVs maximize Arceus-Dark's bulk.
* The remainder of the EVs are put in Special Attack to give Arceus-Dark a bit more power.
Usage Tips
========
* As this set is completely walled by common Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Magearna, it is appropriate to weaken them before attempting a Calm Mind sweep.
* Arceus-Dark can set up Calm Mind on Yveltal and most walls that don't carry super effective coverage for it, such as support Arceus formes, Zygarde, and Necrozma-DM, so pivot it on these Pokemon for setup opportunities.
* It's best to not reveal Calm Mind on Arceus-Dark, as if its checks are removed or weakened this set can be a devastating late-game sweeper.
* Because this Arceus-Dark has Refresh and enough longevity and bulk, it can be used as a status absorber and an emergency check for sweepers such as mixed Rock Polish Primal Groudon and Double Dance Necrozma-DM.
Team Options
========
* Necrozma-DM checks Fairy-types and can provide Stealth Rock support for Arceus-Dark. Other Steel-types such as Magearna, Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor are useful to keep Fairy-types at bay.
* Primal Groudon is another Pokemon that can function well with Arceus-Dark, as it can also set up Stealth Rock and threaten Fairy-types while being a great pick for most teams.
* Giratina-O provides Defog support and a Fighting-type immunity and appreciates Arceus-Dark's ability to check Yveltal.
* Zygarde can take on Ho-Oh and Marshadow for Arceus-Dark.
* Other Pokemon that can take on Ho-Oh such as Mega Salamence and Lugia make for good partners, with specifically Mega Salamence appreciating Arceus-Dark's ability to threaten some of its checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A Perish Trap set centered around Whirlpool + Perish Song allows Arceus-Dark to function as a good stallbreaker capable of trapping most defensive Pokemon; however, it is quite ineffective against more offensive teams.
* Stealth Rock can be used alternatively for entry hazard support if the team already has entry hazard removal.
* Fire Blast with an EV spread of 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe and a Timid nature to outspeed Jolly Mega Lucario can be used to net surprise OHKOs on certain Steel-types such as Mega Lucario, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn while also heavily damaging other Steel-types such as Magearna and Celesteela on the switch.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Most Fairy-types, such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, and Magearna, wall Arceus-Dark and KO it with their STAB moves. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy have to be wary of Toxic, though, while Magearna completely shuts down Arceus-Dark and is only 3HKOed by Fire Blast.
**Fighting-types**: Mega Lucario, Marshadow, Blaziken, and Pheromosa can easily take down Arceus-Dark with their STAB Fighting-type attacks. However, due to their frailty, they should avoid switching in on Judgment multiple times and watch out for variants carrying Will-O-Wisp.
**Certain Steel-types**: Bulky Steel-types that aren't weak to Judgment, such as Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Mega Scizor, are immune to Toxic and can punish Arceus-Dark. However, they have to watch out for certain sets carrying Fire Blast.
**Blissey and Chansey**: Blissey and Chansey can shrug off any attack from Arceus-Dark with ease, remove status with Heal Bell or Natural Cure, and cripple Arceus-Dark with Toxic.
**Primal Kyogre**: Offensive Primal Kyogre sets dislike being hit by Toxic but threaten to OHKO Arceus-Dark with +1 Origin Pulse, while defensive variants can wear down Arceus-Dark with the combination of Scald and Toxic and remove status with Rest.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh, with its massive special bulk, easily takes a Judgment from Arceus-Dark and can retaliate with a powerful Sacred Fire or Brave Bird or simply poison it with Toxic. However, Ho-Oh heavily dislikes being hit by Toxic and is threatened to be 2HKOed by Judgment if it switches into Stealth Rock.
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