[OVERVIEW]
* Arceus-Dragon can check many powerful threats in the Ubers tier such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Mega Lucario due to a combination of high bulk, Speed, reliable recovery, a key resistance to Fire, a reliable Dragon-type STAB move, and access to status moves and offensive coverage.
* Though it faces heavy competition from Arceus-Water, another support Arceus forme that does most of what Arceus-Dragon does while having a better defensive typing, it differentiates itself with the ability to damage both Primal Groudon and opposing Dragon-types with one move.
* This lets it run Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast to defeat opposing Steel-types such as offensive Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn while retaining the ability to check Primal Groudon, check Dragon-types, and remove entry hazards.
* Being able to directly damage Primal Groudon for a decent amount with Judgment also lets it check Swords Dance Primal Groudon better than Arceus-Water. Against most mixed variants of Primal Groudon, it has a superior matchup than Arceus-Ground and Mega Salamence due to its Fire resistance and lack of a 4x Ice weakness, and it has greater longevity than Giratina-O due to its access to Recover.
* Although Arceus-Dragon can take most offensive attacks from Stealth Rock Primal Groudon, it is troubled by Toxic and Dragon-type coverage, limiting its ability to use Defog against Primal Groudon.
* Arceus-Dragon is unable to keep Stealth Rock off the field against other common Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Fairy.
* Its defensive typing leaves it with common weaknesses to Fairy and Ice and gives it poor defensive synergy with other Dragon-types in the tier.
* Arceus-Dragon is crippled by Toxic, does not carry Toxic of its own, and does little damage to bulky foes with Judgment, leaving it helpless against bulkier foes such as Ho-Oh and opposing support Arceus formes.
* Like most support Arceus formes, Arceus-Dragon is trapped by Gothitelle.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Recover
move 3: Judgment
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Fire Blast
item: Draco Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Defog allows Arceus-Dragon to support its team by removing entry hazards.
* Recover keeps Arceus-Dragon healthy so it can remove hazards and check threats throughout the match.
* Judgment is a decently powerful STAB attack and Arceus-Dragon's main method of punishing the Pokemon it checks. It deals a solid chunk of damage to Primal Groudon, 2HKOing or 3HKOing offensive variants, and OHKOes most Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and offensive Zygarde-C.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples non-Fire-type physical attackers, notably allowing it to check offensive Necrozma-DM and Mega Lucario. It also chips at defensive Steel- and Fairy-types, which take Judgment with ease.
* Fire Blast deals upwards of 70% to Ferrothorn, can OHKO Mega Lucario, and allows Arceus-Dragon to stand up to most other Steel-types in the tier. However, it cannot 2HKO offensive variants of Necrozma-DM, and specially defensive variants easily stall out Fire Blast.
Set Details
========
* Draco Plate grants Arceus-Dragon its typing and turns Judgment into a Dragon-type move.
* 192 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Arceus-Dragon to outspeed Mega Lucario so it can cripple it with a burn or KO it with FIre Blast before it can attack. Arceus-Dragon also outspeeds Adamant Mega Salamence and all unboosted variants of Primal Groudon, Rayquaza, and Yveltal.
* Maximum HP investment grants the most bulk, allowing Arceus-Dragon to take on as many offensive threats as possible.
* The rest of the EVs are placed in Defense to take physical attacks better.
* Maximum Speed investment is a possible option that allows Arceus-Dragon to at worst Speed tie with other Arceus formes and maximum Speed Mega Salamence, giving it a chance to burn Swords Dance Arceus before it can attack as well as KO Jolly Mega Salamence before it can 2HKO with Double-Edge.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch Arceus-Dragon into the Pokemon it checks, such as Primal Groudon and Mega Salamence, to either Defog their entry hazards, force them to switch out, or damage them as they attempt to attack or set up further.
* Use Defog when you want to remove entry hazards and won't be heavily punished for using the turn to do so. Defog may not be best option if the opponent has a Stealth Rock setter that can switch back in on Arceus-Dragon to set it again. Defog should not be used if Stealth Rock is up on both sides and the benefits of keeping Stealth Rock up on your opponent's side outweighs the benefits of removing Stealth Rock from your own.
* Use Recover throughout the match to stay healthy enough to check what it needs to check.
* Use Judgment to damage the Pokemon it checks or simply if there is nothing better to do.
* Use Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers that aren't Fire-type.
* Attack Steel-types with Fire Blast, but be wary that Ferrothorn can scout for Fire Blast with Protect. Note that Fire Blast often will not be sufficient to stop offensive Necrozma-DM from setting up by itself and will hardly threaten specially defensive variants.
* Be wary of letting Arceus-Dragon be afflicted by Toxic, as this will greatly cut into its longevity and Arceus-Dragon cannot use Toxic on foes in return. Allowing Arceus-Dragon to take a Toxic becomes a much easier decision if it has a cleric on its team.
* If preserving Arceus-Dragon is necessary to check threats on your opponent's team or for using Defog later in the match, switch it out into an appropriate teammate when faced with an opposing Pokemon it can't threaten.
Team Options
========
* Checks to Fairy-types are absolutely required. Examples include Steel-, Fire-, and Poison-types such as Necrozma-DM, Primal Groudon, and Mega Gengar. Mega Gengar can also use Hex to take advantage of Arceus-Dragon spreading burns.
* As Ho-Oh fears nothing from this set, checks and switch-ins to Ho-Oh such as Primal Kyogre, Tyranitar, and Mega Diancie or lures such as Stone Edge Necrozma-DM are necessary with Arceus-Dragon. Strong Stealth Rock setters and anti-Defog support such as Primal Groudon and Gothitelle, respectively, also help immensely against Ho-Oh. Gothitelle can also aid Arceus-Dragon against opposing support Pokemon such as Arceus formes and defensive Steel-types if Arceus Dragon lacks Fire Blast.
* Pursuit support from Marshadow, Tyranitar, and Alolan Muk greatly helps against Gothitelle.
* Clerics such as Aromatherapy Xerneas and Heal Bell Magearna and Toxic absorbers such as RestTalk Primal Kyogre, Steel-types, and Poison-types are heavily appreciated, as Arceus-Dragon is vulnerable to status.
* Switch-ins to Dragon- and Ice-type moves such as Steel-, Fairy-, and Water-types are also good teammates.
* Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre that have trouble against Ferrothorn heavily appreciate Arceus-Dragon luring it with Fire Blast.
* Similarly, Arceus-Dragon makes a great teammate to Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock or threats that Arceus-Dragon checks. Such teammates include Ho-Oh, Xerneas, and Ferrothorn.
* Physical wallbreakers such as Bulk Up Marshadow, Swords Dance Primal Groudon, and Ultra Necrozma can break through walls and specially bulky tanks that Arceus-Dragon cannot threaten.
* A secondary Defogger such as Defog Ho-Oh can help versus Stealth Rock setters that Arceus-Dragon struggles with, such as Toxic Primal Groudon, specially defensive Necrozma-DM, and Arceus-Fairy.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Overheat instead of Fire Blast can be run for more damage and higher accuracy at the cost of consistent damage, notably guaranteeing the OHKO on Mega Lucario if it hits.
* Refresh over Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast can allow Arceus-Dragon to completely wall Toxic Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, but gives it no way to punish opposing Steel-types.
* Toxic can cripple Ho-Oh, most Fairy-types, and support Arceus formes, but running Toxic leaves Arceus-Dragon deadweight against Steel-types as well as completely outclassed by Arceus-Water, as Arceus-Dragon's niche is that it has the room to run Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast while still using Defog and checking Primal Groudon and Salamence.
* A slower EV spread with more investment in Defense and a Bold nature such as 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 Spe could be run to survive +2 Precipice Blades from Primal Groudon and two unboosted Double-Edges from Mega Salamence but leaves Arceus-Dragon outsped by Mega Lucario and max imumSpeed Rayquaza, which Arceus-Dragon needs to be faster than to effectively check.
* 64 EVs in Special Attack instead of Defense leaves Arceus-Dragon less solid vs Mega Salamence but gives a much greater chance of 2HKOing standard Rock Polish Primal Groudon from full health and nearly guarantees the 2HKO after Stealth Rock.
* Dragonium Z with Spacial Rend or Draco Meteor means that another Z-Move user cannot be run and provides lower consistent damage than Draco Plate with Judgment but offers a potentially useful one-time burst of damage in Devastating Drake. Devastating Drake followed up by Spacial Rend or Draco Meteor 2HKOes offensive Primal Groudon, which Judgment may fail to do. With a bit of Special Attack investment and chip damage from Stealth Rock, Devastating Drake followed by Draco Meteor can 2HKO Gothitelle switching in, while Spacial Rend's higher critical hit chance can help disrupt a trapping attempt.
* A physically offensive set of Swords Dance / Outrage / Earthquake / Iron Tail with Dragonium Z is outclassed by Arceus and Arceus-Ground; Arceus-Ground has better two-move coverage, letting it run options like Substitute to defeat Celesteela and protect it from status, while Extreme Killer Arceus has STAB Extreme Speed and can hold other items, allowing it to bypass many typical checks, such as Chople Berry for Marshadow.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, Magearna, and Mega Diancie are immune to Judgment, aren't threatened by Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast with the exception of Magearna for the latter, and threaten Arceus-Dragon with their super effective STAB attacks. They can set up Stealth Rock, set up stat boosts, or remove status from their team in the turn they force Arceus-Dragon out.
**Gothitelle**: Gothitelle traps and easily removes Arceus-Dragon from play by PP stalling or setting up Calm Mind, only fearing a chain of critical hits. Without a Pursuit user as a teammate, Arceus-Dragon can't stay in for a single turn if it doesn't want to get trapped, provided it manages to safely switch in at all due to the threat of a double switch into Gothitelle.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh's typing, bulk and Regenerator let it take anything Arceus-Dragon typically carries and cripple it in return with Toxic before firing off powerful Brave Birds.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre hits Arceus-Dragon super effectively with Ice Beam or cripples it with Toxic while tanking Judgment and not caring about any Fire-type moves Arceus-Dragon carries. However, Arceus-Dragon can use its resistances to Water and Electric to switch into Primal Kyogre before pivoting out to a more appropriate check.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Both Chansey and Blissey fear nothing from special sets of Arceus-Dragon and inflict status or support their team in return.
**Necrozma-DM**: Specially defensive sets of Necrozma-DM easily stall out Fire Blast while retaliating with Toxic and Stealth Rock. Due to Toxic damage, Arceus-Dragon cannot stay in and use Defog to remove Stealth Rock.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Dragon-type moves on Rayquaza, Zygarde-C, and Mega Salamence can heavily damage or OHKO Arceus-Dragon. Dragon Tail on Primal Groudon messes with Arceus-Dragon by forcing it out while dealing considerable damage, while Dragon Pulse can 2HKO.
**Status**: Toxic cuts into Arceus-Dragon's longevity, which means it can't stay in for too long even against threats it would check otherwise like Stealth Rock Primal Groudon, and may force it to use Recover defensively when it would rather use Defog or act proactively. Paralysis from Thunder Wave or Glare can leave Arceus-Dragon outsped by threats it needs to be faster than to check such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon.
**Cloyster**: Arceus-Dragon can't lead versus Cloyster to Defog its entry hazards, as it can set up and OHKO it.
**Faster Dragon-types and Dialga** Nagadanel and Choice Scarf users can OHKO Arceus-Dragon if they switch in safely, while Dialga can tank Judgment and OHKO with Draco Meteor, allowing it to get Stealth Rock up against Arceus-Dragon.
* Arceus-Dragon can check many powerful threats in the Ubers tier such as Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Mega Lucario due to a combination of high bulk, Speed, reliable recovery, a key resistance to Fire, a reliable Dragon-type STAB move, and access to status moves and offensive coverage.
* Though it faces heavy competition from Arceus-Water, another support Arceus forme that does most of what Arceus-Dragon does while having a better defensive typing, it differentiates itself with the ability to damage both Primal Groudon and opposing Dragon-types with one move.
* This lets it run Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast to defeat opposing Steel-types such as offensive Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn while retaining the ability to check Primal Groudon, check Dragon-types, and remove entry hazards.
* Being able to directly damage Primal Groudon for a decent amount with Judgment also lets it check Swords Dance Primal Groudon better than Arceus-Water. Against most mixed variants of Primal Groudon, it has a superior matchup than Arceus-Ground and Mega Salamence due to its Fire resistance and lack of a 4x Ice weakness, and it has greater longevity than Giratina-O due to its access to Recover.
* Although Arceus-Dragon can take most offensive attacks from Stealth Rock Primal Groudon, it is troubled by Toxic and Dragon-type coverage, limiting its ability to use Defog against Primal Groudon.
* Arceus-Dragon is unable to keep Stealth Rock off the field against other common Stealth Rock setters such as Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Fairy.
* Its defensive typing leaves it with common weaknesses to Fairy and Ice and gives it poor defensive synergy with other Dragon-types in the tier.
* Arceus-Dragon is crippled by Toxic, does not carry Toxic of its own, and does little damage to bulky foes with Judgment, leaving it helpless against bulkier foes such as Ho-Oh and opposing support Arceus formes.
* Like most support Arceus formes, Arceus-Dragon is trapped by Gothitelle.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Recover
move 3: Judgment
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Fire Blast
item: Draco Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Defog allows Arceus-Dragon to support its team by removing entry hazards.
* Recover keeps Arceus-Dragon healthy so it can remove hazards and check threats throughout the match.
* Judgment is a decently powerful STAB attack and Arceus-Dragon's main method of punishing the Pokemon it checks. It deals a solid chunk of damage to Primal Groudon, 2HKOing or 3HKOing offensive variants, and OHKOes most Mega Salamence, Rayquaza, and offensive Zygarde-C.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples non-Fire-type physical attackers, notably allowing it to check offensive Necrozma-DM and Mega Lucario. It also chips at defensive Steel- and Fairy-types, which take Judgment with ease.
* Fire Blast deals upwards of 70% to Ferrothorn, can OHKO Mega Lucario, and allows Arceus-Dragon to stand up to most other Steel-types in the tier. However, it cannot 2HKO offensive variants of Necrozma-DM, and specially defensive variants easily stall out Fire Blast.
Set Details
========
* Draco Plate grants Arceus-Dragon its typing and turns Judgment into a Dragon-type move.
* 192 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Arceus-Dragon to outspeed Mega Lucario so it can cripple it with a burn or KO it with FIre Blast before it can attack. Arceus-Dragon also outspeeds Adamant Mega Salamence and all unboosted variants of Primal Groudon, Rayquaza, and Yveltal.
* Maximum HP investment grants the most bulk, allowing Arceus-Dragon to take on as many offensive threats as possible.
* The rest of the EVs are placed in Defense to take physical attacks better.
* Maximum Speed investment is a possible option that allows Arceus-Dragon to at worst Speed tie with other Arceus formes and maximum Speed Mega Salamence, giving it a chance to burn Swords Dance Arceus before it can attack as well as KO Jolly Mega Salamence before it can 2HKO with Double-Edge.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch Arceus-Dragon into the Pokemon it checks, such as Primal Groudon and Mega Salamence, to either Defog their entry hazards, force them to switch out, or damage them as they attempt to attack or set up further.
* Use Defog when you want to remove entry hazards and won't be heavily punished for using the turn to do so. Defog may not be best option if the opponent has a Stealth Rock setter that can switch back in on Arceus-Dragon to set it again. Defog should not be used if Stealth Rock is up on both sides and the benefits of keeping Stealth Rock up on your opponent's side outweighs the benefits of removing Stealth Rock from your own.
* Use Recover throughout the match to stay healthy enough to check what it needs to check.
* Use Judgment to damage the Pokemon it checks or simply if there is nothing better to do.
* Use Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers that aren't Fire-type.
* Attack Steel-types with Fire Blast, but be wary that Ferrothorn can scout for Fire Blast with Protect. Note that Fire Blast often will not be sufficient to stop offensive Necrozma-DM from setting up by itself and will hardly threaten specially defensive variants.
* Be wary of letting Arceus-Dragon be afflicted by Toxic, as this will greatly cut into its longevity and Arceus-Dragon cannot use Toxic on foes in return. Allowing Arceus-Dragon to take a Toxic becomes a much easier decision if it has a cleric on its team.
* If preserving Arceus-Dragon is necessary to check threats on your opponent's team or for using Defog later in the match, switch it out into an appropriate teammate when faced with an opposing Pokemon it can't threaten.
Team Options
========
* Checks to Fairy-types are absolutely required. Examples include Steel-, Fire-, and Poison-types such as Necrozma-DM, Primal Groudon, and Mega Gengar. Mega Gengar can also use Hex to take advantage of Arceus-Dragon spreading burns.
* As Ho-Oh fears nothing from this set, checks and switch-ins to Ho-Oh such as Primal Kyogre, Tyranitar, and Mega Diancie or lures such as Stone Edge Necrozma-DM are necessary with Arceus-Dragon. Strong Stealth Rock setters and anti-Defog support such as Primal Groudon and Gothitelle, respectively, also help immensely against Ho-Oh. Gothitelle can also aid Arceus-Dragon against opposing support Pokemon such as Arceus formes and defensive Steel-types if Arceus Dragon lacks Fire Blast.
* Pursuit support from Marshadow, Tyranitar, and Alolan Muk greatly helps against Gothitelle.
* Clerics such as Aromatherapy Xerneas and Heal Bell Magearna and Toxic absorbers such as RestTalk Primal Kyogre, Steel-types, and Poison-types are heavily appreciated, as Arceus-Dragon is vulnerable to status.
* Switch-ins to Dragon- and Ice-type moves such as Steel-, Fairy-, and Water-types are also good teammates.
* Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre that have trouble against Ferrothorn heavily appreciate Arceus-Dragon luring it with Fire Blast.
* Similarly, Arceus-Dragon makes a great teammate to Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock or threats that Arceus-Dragon checks. Such teammates include Ho-Oh, Xerneas, and Ferrothorn.
* Physical wallbreakers such as Bulk Up Marshadow, Swords Dance Primal Groudon, and Ultra Necrozma can break through walls and specially bulky tanks that Arceus-Dragon cannot threaten.
* A secondary Defogger such as Defog Ho-Oh can help versus Stealth Rock setters that Arceus-Dragon struggles with, such as Toxic Primal Groudon, specially defensive Necrozma-DM, and Arceus-Fairy.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Overheat instead of Fire Blast can be run for more damage and higher accuracy at the cost of consistent damage, notably guaranteeing the OHKO on Mega Lucario if it hits.
* Refresh over Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast can allow Arceus-Dragon to completely wall Toxic Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, but gives it no way to punish opposing Steel-types.
* Toxic can cripple Ho-Oh, most Fairy-types, and support Arceus formes, but running Toxic leaves Arceus-Dragon deadweight against Steel-types as well as completely outclassed by Arceus-Water, as Arceus-Dragon's niche is that it has the room to run Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast while still using Defog and checking Primal Groudon and Salamence.
* A slower EV spread with more investment in Defense and a Bold nature such as 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 Spe could be run to survive +2 Precipice Blades from Primal Groudon and two unboosted Double-Edges from Mega Salamence but leaves Arceus-Dragon outsped by Mega Lucario and max imumSpeed Rayquaza, which Arceus-Dragon needs to be faster than to effectively check.
* 64 EVs in Special Attack instead of Defense leaves Arceus-Dragon less solid vs Mega Salamence but gives a much greater chance of 2HKOing standard Rock Polish Primal Groudon from full health and nearly guarantees the 2HKO after Stealth Rock.
* Dragonium Z with Spacial Rend or Draco Meteor means that another Z-Move user cannot be run and provides lower consistent damage than Draco Plate with Judgment but offers a potentially useful one-time burst of damage in Devastating Drake. Devastating Drake followed up by Spacial Rend or Draco Meteor 2HKOes offensive Primal Groudon, which Judgment may fail to do. With a bit of Special Attack investment and chip damage from Stealth Rock, Devastating Drake followed by Draco Meteor can 2HKO Gothitelle switching in, while Spacial Rend's higher critical hit chance can help disrupt a trapping attempt.
* A physically offensive set of Swords Dance / Outrage / Earthquake / Iron Tail with Dragonium Z is outclassed by Arceus and Arceus-Ground; Arceus-Ground has better two-move coverage, letting it run options like Substitute to defeat Celesteela and protect it from status, while Extreme Killer Arceus has STAB Extreme Speed and can hold other items, allowing it to bypass many typical checks, such as Chople Berry for Marshadow.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, Magearna, and Mega Diancie are immune to Judgment, aren't threatened by Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast with the exception of Magearna for the latter, and threaten Arceus-Dragon with their super effective STAB attacks. They can set up Stealth Rock, set up stat boosts, or remove status from their team in the turn they force Arceus-Dragon out.
**Gothitelle**: Gothitelle traps and easily removes Arceus-Dragon from play by PP stalling or setting up Calm Mind, only fearing a chain of critical hits. Without a Pursuit user as a teammate, Arceus-Dragon can't stay in for a single turn if it doesn't want to get trapped, provided it manages to safely switch in at all due to the threat of a double switch into Gothitelle.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh's typing, bulk and Regenerator let it take anything Arceus-Dragon typically carries and cripple it in return with Toxic before firing off powerful Brave Birds.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre hits Arceus-Dragon super effectively with Ice Beam or cripples it with Toxic while tanking Judgment and not caring about any Fire-type moves Arceus-Dragon carries. However, Arceus-Dragon can use its resistances to Water and Electric to switch into Primal Kyogre before pivoting out to a more appropriate check.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Both Chansey and Blissey fear nothing from special sets of Arceus-Dragon and inflict status or support their team in return.
**Necrozma-DM**: Specially defensive sets of Necrozma-DM easily stall out Fire Blast while retaliating with Toxic and Stealth Rock. Due to Toxic damage, Arceus-Dragon cannot stay in and use Defog to remove Stealth Rock.
**Super Effective Coverage**: Dragon-type moves on Rayquaza, Zygarde-C, and Mega Salamence can heavily damage or OHKO Arceus-Dragon. Dragon Tail on Primal Groudon messes with Arceus-Dragon by forcing it out while dealing considerable damage, while Dragon Pulse can 2HKO.
**Status**: Toxic cuts into Arceus-Dragon's longevity, which means it can't stay in for too long even against threats it would check otherwise like Stealth Rock Primal Groudon, and may force it to use Recover defensively when it would rather use Defog or act proactively. Paralysis from Thunder Wave or Glare can leave Arceus-Dragon outsped by threats it needs to be faster than to check such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon.
**Cloyster**: Arceus-Dragon can't lead versus Cloyster to Defog its entry hazards, as it can set up and OHKO it.
**Faster Dragon-types and Dialga** Nagadanel and Choice Scarf users can OHKO Arceus-Dragon if they switch in safely, while Dialga can tank Judgment and OHKO with Draco Meteor, allowing it to get Stealth Rock up against Arceus-Dragon.
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