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Multitype
- Type changes depending on the held plate. Prevents item loss.
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Level 50 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
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Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
120
|
- |
195 |
227 |
- |
| Atk |
120
|
126 |
140 |
172 |
189 |
| Def |
120
|
126 |
140 |
172 |
189 |
| SpA |
120
|
126 |
140 |
172 |
189 |
| SpD |
120
|
126 |
140 |
172 |
189 |
| Spe |
120
|
126 |
140 |
172 |
189 |
Overview
Arceus is one of the most potent threats in this new generation. Despite the introduction of newer and stronger Dragon-types into the Uber tier, none can challenge the might of the divine Arceus. With His excellent base 120 Attack, 120 Special Attack, and 120 Speed, Arceus can become a deadly setup sweeper capable of tearing gaping holes in unprepared teams. Defensively, Arceus is no slouch either, possessing base 120 / 120 / 120 defenses. When equipped with an Earth Plate, Arceus gains the Ground typing and a coveted resistance to Stealth Rock, as well as a useful immunity to Electric-type moves. This makes Ground Arceus the premier counter to Zekrom, a dangerous physical sweeper introduced in this generation. Arceus has more overall bulk than Groudon, who is considered to be the epitome of walling in the Uber tier; Arceus also outclasses Groudon in that He has a reliable recovery move in the form of Recover.
Ground is an excellent neutral STAB, and Arceus possesses two nifty 100 Base Power Ground-type moves up His sleeve: Judgment and Earthquake. This allows Ground Arceus to run either a physical set or a special set, providing Him with a versatility that makes Him utterly deadly. However, Arceus is not without His flaws; Ground Arceus possesses debilitating weaknesses to Water-, Ice-, and Grass-type moves, which really hinders Arceus's effectiveness considering the popularity of Kyogre. Nevertheless, one must never underestimate the prowess of Ground Arceus, as He is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
With its great natural bulk and access to Recover, Arceus can function as an excellent Calm Mind sweeper. After 2 Calm Minds, Arceus's Special Attack reaches an impressive 554 whiles its Special Defense sits at an excellent 552. Arceus will almost always be able to set up over 2 Calm Minds thanks to its bulk and access to recovery. Once Arceus has properly set up, it can proceed to wreak havoc on the opponent's team. Judgment is the main STAB move of choice and its Ground typing possesses great neutral coverage. The coverage is well-rounded off by Ice Beam, and with these two moves Arceus hits most of the Uber tier super effectively; notable mentions include Reshiram, Zekrom, Giratina, Shaymin, Groudon, Lugia, Rayquaza, and Garchomp. Bronzong is the only semi-common Pokemon who resists Ground Arceus's Ground and Ice combo. A fully set-up Arceus is almost impossible to switch into, and the only way to take it down is through either super effective attacks or a critical hit. Access to Recover increases Arceus's longevity and effectively doubles its bulk, allowing it to set up more Calm Minds.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Maximum investment in HP lets Arceus take hits better and significantly increases its already great bulk, while maximum investment in Speed enables Arceus to outpace most of the Uber tier and tie with opposing Arceus, which can be the deciding factor in a game. Ground Arceus can run a more offensive EV spread of 132 HP / 252 SpA / 124 Spe to outspeed positive natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, such as Zekrom and Reshiram, and to do more damage after fewer boosts. While this spread trades bulk for power, it should be kept in mind that more investment in HP allows Arceus to set up more easily, increasing the chances of a sweep.
Ground Arceus is the best counter to Choice Zekrom, as Arceus switches in freely on a predicted Bolt Strike, threatens a super effective STAB Judgment, and can set up as Zekrom flees; as such, Pokemon threatened by Zekrom appreciate Ground Arceus covering their backs. Conversely, the biggest counter to this set is Choice Scarf Kyogre. It can easily revenge Arceus thanks to its great Speed and OHKO it with a rain-boosted STAB Water Spout. Variants of Arceus packing moves that hit Ground Arceus super effectively can somewhat check Ground Arceus. However, Electric Arceus and other types of Arceus who are hit super effectively by the Ground / Ice combination need to be wary of switching into the wrong move, and are hence not true counters.
Shaymin-S is a good counter; Life Orb variants can switch into Judgment and OHKO Ground Arceus with a speedy super effective Seed Flare. If Shaymin-S packs Leaf Storm, it is capable of OHKOing Arceus even without a boosting item, provided that Arceus has yet to bag a Calm Mind boost. Choice Specs Shaymin-S OHKOes even a +1 SpD Arceus. Palkia and Ferrothorn are both good partners to Ground Arceus. Both resist Water-type moves while Ferrothorn has the added benefit of resisting Grass-type attacks. Palkia can switch into a fully powered Choice Specs Water Spout from Kyogre thanks to its 4x resistance to Water-type attacks. Ferrothorn can take a Seed Flare from Shaymin-S with ease and KO with Gyro Ball or paralyze it. Once paralyzed, Shaymin-S is no longer a threat to Ground Arceus.
Pokemon with sky-high HP and Special Defense are all good counters to Ground Arceus. Blissey, Chansey, Ho-Oh, and Grass Arceus all come to mind immediately. Arceus would be hard pressed to 2HKO the former two without a critical hit; they can Toxic Arceus and stall out poison damage. Ho-Oh laughs at any of Arceus's moves and 2HKOes Arceus with the sun up. Grass Arceus is resistant to Ground Arceus's STAB Judgment, and Ice Beam will not take it down easily; it can proceed to set up Calm Minds, heal off the damage with Recover, and OHKO Ground Arceus with a STAB Grass Knot.
Ground Arceus can run a physical set with as much grace and ease as a special set. Recover allows Arceus to use its great bulk, particularly as a Zekrom counter, while Swords Dance enables Arceus to boost its already great Attack stat to astronomical levels. The two also work in tandem: Arceus's great natural bulk and 120 / 120 / 120 defenses ensure that it will almost always be able to notch up a Swords Dance. Access to reliable recovery is something Groudon would die for, and it is a major reason to consider Ground Arceus over Groudon. After a single Swords Dance, Arceus reaches a mammoth 744 Attack; combined with the awesome coverage provided by its attacks, Arceus becomes very hard to switch into. Most of the Uber tier is OHKOed or 2HKOed by either Earthquake or Stone Edge. After a single Swords Dance, standard Rock Polish Groudon takes 81.6% - 96.2% from an Adamant Ground Arceus's Earthquake. The only Pokemon who resist the EdgeQuake combo are Bronzong, Breloom, and Virizion, all of whom are rarely seen in Ubers. Maximum investment in Speed makes sure that Arceus outspeeds most of the Uber tier and ties with other positive-natured Arceus.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Swords Dance Arceus is one of those Pokemon who can run multiple EV spreads quite well. The EV spread listed above allows Ground Arceus to tank hits efficiently, so it can easily set up a Swords Dance; however, a more offensive spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe can be used. The loss in bulk is actually counteracted by the fact that the extra power helps Arceus to hit much harder. A Jolly nature can also be used with an EV spread of 144 HP / 252 Atk / 114 Spe to allow Arceus to outspeed Jolly non-Choice Scarf Garchomp and KO it. An Adamant nature can be used, but Arceus usually prefers to maximize its Speed to tie with other Arceus variants. ExtremeSpeed can be run in place of Recover. Forgoing Recover is not recommended though, as Arceus enjoys the extra longevity that Recover grants it; it is also a major advantage that Arceus has over Groudon.
Swords Dance Ground Arceus prefers Stealth Rock and Spikes support as they convert important 3HKOs into 2HKOs and 2HKOs into OHKOs. Pokemon such as Deoxys, Forretress, Groudon, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory are able to set up entry hazards reliably and all make good partners for Ground Arceus. Giratina is an excellent counter to Swords Dance Ground Arceus, as it is immune to ExtremeSpeed and can inflict Arceus with a burn, rendering it useless for the rest of the game. Giratina-O is also a good counter, being immune to Earthquake thanks to its Levitate ability; however, it takes a hefty 51.2% - 60.3% from Stone Edge, which is a 2HKO. Like most other physical attackers, Swords Dance Ground Arceus is walled by Skarmory. The physically defensive variant is never 2HKOed by +2 Stone Edge and can simply Toxic Arceus. If Arceus gets greedy and tries to get more boosts, Skarmory can just Whirlwind it out. Bronzong, though rare, is one of the few Pokemon resistant to the EdgeQuake combo; it can Toxic Arceus or whittle down its HP with Grass Knot. Shaymin-S is not OHKOed by +2 ExtremeSpeed and OHKOes in return with Seed Flare. Grass Arceus can take Earthquakes and Stone Edges with ease thanks to its bulk and useful resistances. A Grass Knot from Grass Arceus will make manure out of Ground Arceus.
Ground Arceus's fantastic natural bulk and access to reliable recovery in the form of Recover allows it to pull off a pure support set. This set aims to utilize Arceus's 120 / 120 / 120 defenses to provide essential team support. Arceus's huge support movepool and near-perfect coverage provided by Earthquake and Stone Edge make sure that nothing can bring Arceus to a grinding halt. Will-O-Wisp is the bread and butter of this set and cripples physical attackers, such as Groudon, Scizor, Rayquaza, Garchomp, and most notably, Extreme Killer Arceus. Recover grants Arceus more longevity and makes tanking hits even easier.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Though this set functions very similarly to Giratina, Ground Arceus has many perks over the ghostly dragon. Arceus lacks Dragon- and Dark-type weaknesses, which is a huge boon in Ubers. Ground Arceus can also switch into Zekrom with impunity, which is something Giratina could never hope to achieve. Maximum investment in HP makes sure Arceus can tank hits very well, while the Speed EVs allow Arceus to outspeed non-Choice Scarf Terrakion and burn it; all base 90 Speed Pokemon, including Zekrom, are outsped as well. Additionally, Ground Arceus can OHKO Choice Specs Reshiram before Reshiram can kill it with Blue Flare. All in all, Arceus's stellar Speed and access to reliable recovery are its main advantages over traditional walls such as Groudon and Giratina-A. Nonetheless, it must be noted that Groudon gives this set stiff competition with its slightly better physical bulk, infinite sunlight, and Dragon Tail for phazing.
Arceus is capable of setting up Stealth Rock if necessary. However, it should be kept in mind that Will-O-Wisp is generally the better option as it allows Arceus to maim physical attackers and take physical hits better. Substitute is an option if Arceus is worried about status; it also allows Arceus to scout for counters.
This set is countered by Grass Arceus as well, especially Substitute variants. Grass Arceus is resistant to Earthquake and can set up in Ground Arceus's face, then KO it with a STAB super effective Grass-type Judgment. Like the other Arceus sets, this set is plagued by Kyogre, especially Choice Scarf variants.
Other Options
If Gravity support can be provided, Arceus can run a mono-attacking Swords Dance set with Earthquake, Recover, and Substitute thanks to Earthquake's great neutral coverage. Under Gravity, Earthquake is only resisted by Grass-types, so this allows Arceus to tear through the opponent's team with a powerful neutral attack.
Checks and Counters
Most variants of Kyogre threaten Ground Arceus. The most dangerous of them is the Choice Scarf variant, because it can outspeed Arceus and revenge kill it. However, Kyogre must be wary of locking itself into Water Spout as it is 2HKOed by ExtremeSpeed, and after a +2 ExtremeSpeed, Water Spout is incapable of OHKOing Arceus.
Swords Dance Arceus can be countered by burning it. Once inflicted with a burn, Arceus becomes dead weight for the rest of the match. Pokemon such as Giratina and Mewtwo can both burn Arceus. Additionally, Darkrai can outspeed Arceus and put it to sleep using Dark Void. Shaymin-S, Grass Arceus, Skarmory, Giratina-O, and Bronzong are all good counters to Swords Dance Ground Arceus; Bronzong however needs to carry Toxic to be able to effectively damage Arceus. Skarmory and Bronzong must also be careful of Gravity as it makes them vulnerable to Ground Arceus's STAB Earthquake. Pokemon such as Blissey, Chansey, and Ho-Oh are all good counters to the Calm Mind set.
