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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
The Creator emerges from the depths of the ocean, holding a Splash Plate, using the essential liquid of life to unleash a devastating wave of destruction and end the life that He created eons ago. While He created Kyogre to rule the seas and Manaphy to strike fear into those who cross the ocean, unlike Him, both cannot function without rain support. However, Water Arceus does have His downfalls. Water is a poor defensive typing in the Ubers metagame, as it is weak to common Electric- and Grass-type moves. Water Arceus also receives a lot of competition from Kyogre, Manaphy, and Palkia. Don't let these drawbacks fool you, though, as Water Arceus gets access to two boosting moves: access to both Swords Dance and Calm Mind make Him very difficult to counter. Water Arceus's wide coverage and godly stat distribution make Him a true monster. Let it be known that Water Arceus is ready to show the nonbelievers that He is the true ruler of the oceans and seas.
Water Arceus has an excellent niche in Ubers as a physical attacker, where it only faces true competition from the uncommon Kabutops. This set's execution is simple: just set up a Swords Dance or two and attempt a quick sweep, preferably aided by rain support to further power up its STAB Waterfall. The combination of Waterfall and Dragon Claw hits the vast majority of Pokemon for at least neutral damage, and even a resisted Waterfall in rain does monstrous damage. After a Swords Dance, rain-boosted Waterfall will even 2HKO 0/0 Giratina-O, OHKO 252/0 Normal Arceus, and possibly OHKO standard Lugia after Stealth Rock damage. Waterfall also deals 47% - 55.4% to 252/0 Dialga, and does 49.7% - 58.8% to specially defensive Ferrothorn. Dragon Claw gets the nod too as it is the only way that this Arceus can deal appreciable damage to Giratina, which is never 2HKOed by Waterfall; it also has the added advantage of KOing Palkia after a Swords Dance. Brick Break allows Water Arceus to eliminate Ferrothorn and Dialga even more easily if you don't want to rely on high damage rolls. Recover provides Arceus with greater survivability and therefore the ability to do more damage, whereas ExtremeSpeed synergizes well with Dragon Claw, allowing Water Arceus to pick off Palkia and Rayquaza switch-ins. The EV spread for this set simply maximizes Speed and Attack, eschewing bulk for raw muscle.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Kyogre is a must for this set, as permanent rain ensures that Waterfall will deal as much damage as possible, while also ensuring that sun is kept out of play. As evidenced above, rain is necessary for gaining quite a few relevant OHKOs and 2HKOs. Kyogre makes a solid answer to Groudon as well, as do Gliscor, Skarmory, and Lugia. Spikes support is very useful for this set, as it wears down opposing grounded Pokemon, such as Giratina and Ferrothorn, and further weakens Groudon and opposing Choice Scarf users. Forretress and Skarmory are competent Spikes users, and can use Giratina and Ferrothorn to lay down multiple layers of Spikes, especially if it isn't too concerned about getting burned. Skarmory can add Whirlwind support to the mix, while Forretress can Rapid Spin away opposing Spikes and Toxic Spikes against Ferrothorn. A Ferrothorn of your own is a good teammate, as it can set up Spikes too. It might not be able to beat opposing Ferrothorn, but it is an excellent switch-in to Electric- and Grass-type attacks, as well as to Kyogre and Zekrom, two potentially serious threats to this set. Excadrill, Garchomp, Dialga, and Wobbuffet are good checks to Zekrom; Choice Scarf variants outspeed Water Arceus and OHKO with Bolt Strike. Wobbuffet also gives Water Arceus more chances to set up Swords Dance by using Encore.
While Arceus can 2HKO most Kyogre sets with boosted Waterfall, Choice Specs Kyogre can OHKO in return with Thunder, so packing a Ferrothorn or a Dialga to absorb Thunder and other Electric-type attacks would be very useful. Dialga sets up Stealth Rock and takes Grass-, Water-, and Electric-type moves with ease, and is also capable of sponging Zekrom's Bolt Strike. Chansey is a great partner for Water Arceus too, as she is more than capable of taking Thunder and any other special attack aimed at Arceus, subduing everything threatening other than Ferrothorn, Zekrom, and some Shaymin-S variants. Additionally, these aforementioned teammates are capable of coming in on Giratina to absorb pesky Will-O-Wisps as well, although only Dialga is truly threatening it. Shaymin-S is a huge threat, as it is faster than Water Arceus and carries a super effective Seed Flare. Again, Dialga is a good answer to Shaymin-S, as it is able to tank all of Shaymin-S's moves bar Earth Power and strike back with a STAB Draco Meteor or phaze Shaymin-S with Roar or Dragon Tail. Ferrothorn is another good check to all but SubSeed variants of Shaymin-S. If taking an offensive route, your main goal should be to lure in and take out Groudon. Mixed Bulk Up Dialga, mixed Rayquaza, and mixed Zekrom are all capable of doing in Groudon by faking a physical set and then laying down the hurt with a Draco Meteor, attacking Groudon on its weaker defensive side.
Most Arceus formes can run an excellent Calm Mind set, and Water Arceus is no exception. It is important to recognize, however, that this set competes directly with Calm Mind Kyogre and Manaphy. Water Arceus's higher HP, Defense, and Speed are all important distinguishing factors here, as well as its much wider coverage. Judgment serves as a dependable STAB attack, and in conjunction with Spacial Rend, lets Water Arceus hit nearly the entire metagame for at least neutral damage, only missing out on Ferrothorn and the almost nonexistent Shedinja and Empoleon. A +1 Spacial Rend can 2HKO Giratina-O, OHKO Rayquaza after Stealth Rock damage, and OHKO Palkia after two switch-ins to Stealth Rock. Additionally, note that a 2x resisted Judgment is stronger than Spacial Rend in rain. Ice Beam is a decent option for hitting opposing Dragon- and Grass-type Pokemon if you do not like Spacial Rend or are using Thunder. Fire Blast is an extremely solid option for denting the problematic Ferrothorn, 2HKOing it after a Calm Mind even in rain. Fire Blast can also 2HKO Dialga, 252/0 Arceus, +1 Mewtwo, and Wobbuffet. Finally, Thunder is a good option to hit opposing Kyogre that might otherwise attempt a Calm Mind war, but this is typically of secondary concern compared to dependably KOing Ferrothorn.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
If a healing move is more important than a coverage move, one move can be replaced with Recover. If Water Arceus switches into a single layer of Toxic Spikes or gets burned, it can beat Chansey and Blissey in rain by setting up with Calm Mind and using Recover when needed. Once again, Kyogre support is very much appreciated, because although this set functions well without it; it doesn't like sunny weather. If running Kyogre, a Choice set is preferred, as Calm Mind Kyogre's role would otherwise overlap with Arceus's.
Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Forretress are excellent partners to Water Arceus, as all of them can provide Spikes support. Skarmory and Forretress are excellent answers to opposing Ferrothorn, as the former can Whirlwind it out to rack up damage or use Taunt to nullify its attempts at setting up, while the latter can Rapid Spin. Although Ferrothorn doesn't answer opposing Ferrothorn all that well, it is the premier Zekrom counter, and also checks opposing Calm Mind Kyogre admirably. All three aforementioned teammates can set up on the problematic Blissey and Chansey as well. Mixed Dialga and physically based mixed Palkia can lure in both pink blobs with ease and OHKO with their powerful STAB moves. The blobs are ironically good partners too, as they can soak up status and powerful special attacks, such as Thunder or Grass Knot, that can potentially break through Water Arceus's boosts. Specially defensive Dialga is a great teammate as well, as it can come in on Electric- and Grass- attacks, in addition to the likes of Blissey, Chansey, Ferrothorn, and Grass Arceus, and set up Stealth Rock or accumulate Bulk Up boosts. Though it is less effective in rain, Heatran can fulfill a similar role to Dialga bar stacking Bulk Up boosts. It can also switch into Giratina without getting burned and force out opposing Bulk Up Dialga.
At first glance, this set might seem outclassed by Kyogre and Manaphy. However, neither Kyogre or Manaphy can function without the presence of rain, while Water Arceus can. This set differs from the offensive Calm Mind set in that it is free to use Recover without giving up on a coverage move and consequently being easily walled. Instead, this variant of Water Arceus packs Will-O-Wisp to burn Pokemon that bother it, such as Zekrom, Groudon, Bulk Up Dialga, and Rayquaza. Refresh, however, is a solid option over Will-O-Wisp if you would like Water Arceus to be a phenomenal stallbreaker. Calm Mind is this set's boosting move, and, when used with Will-O-Wisp, makes Water Arceus extremely hard to take down. The choice between Surf and Judgment as Water Arceus's only attacking move is up to the user; Judgment has an extra 5 Base Power over Surf, but Surf has 8 more PP.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EV spread is straightforward; 252 HP EVs give Water Arceus optimal bulk, while 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature let it Speed-tie with other Arceus. An alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe can be used if looking for a more defensive set.
While this set does work outside of rain, it definitely appreciates it. Rain boosts Water Arceus's sole STAB move and makes it much stronger, making Kyogre an ideal partner. Ferrothorn counters both Kyogre and Water Arceus; however, it will not enjoy a burn at all. Lustrous Orb Palkia is an amazing Ferrothorn lure, as it is able to bluff a Choice item and strike Ferrothorn with a super effective Fire Blast. This set really appreciates entry hazards, especially Toxic Spikes, as they weaken Water Arceus's counters and allow it to sweep much more easily. Ferrothorn is a good partner as it can not only set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, but also sponges Electric- and Grass-type attacks aimed at Water Arceus. Water Arceus does not appreciate opposing entry hazards, so a spinner is recommended. Forretress and Excadrill are good partners; while the former deserves a special mention for setting up entry hazards as well, both spinners work well under rain, as it decreases their shared weakness to Fire. If not running Refresh, Water Arceus will not enjoy being poisoned, so a cleric is advised. Chansey or Blissey are the only true clerics in Ubers, being able to heal your team from status by using Heal Bell or Aromatherapy.
Water Arceus might seem to be a poor check to Kyogre, as it is weak to Thunder; however, it is actually the best support Arceus for a sun team to use to check the titanic whale. Not only does Water Arceus excel defensively under sunlight, as Groudon's Drought reduces Thunder's accuracy to only 50%, but it also resists Ice Beam and Kyogre's Water-type STAB. Water Arceus might also seem overshadowed by Grass Arceus for this role, as it is able to hit Kyogre super effectively with its Grass-type STAB, and resists Kyogre's stronger auxiliary move. However, Water Arceus can safely wall any Dragon-type relying on Dragon-, Fire-, and Electric-type coverage in sun, something Grass Arceus can't do due to its boosted Fire-type weakness. Grass Arceus also doesn't have a hope in hell against Kyurem-W, whose STAB Ice Beam easily OHKOes it, while Water Arceus is only heavily damaged by Choice Specs Draco Meteor. Lastly, Water Arceus is one of the few Pokemon that can switch into Reshiram under the sun, and the lack of a quadruple Stealth Rock weakness makes Water Arceus a more reliable switch in for the plumed fire-dragon than Ho-Oh.
Recover gives Water Arceus the longevity that it needs, allowing it to switch repeatedly into strong special attacks and regain lost HP. Ice Beam is used to check Rayquaza, as Water Arceus is an excellent switch-in for the deadly wallbreaker; it also deals good damage to Groudon and hits quite a few Uber Pokemon super effectively. The third slot is dedicated to status; Thunder Wave cripples offensive Kyogre for the rest of the match, in addition to neutering a whole slew of offensive Pokemon; Will-O-Wisp provides valuable chip damage against anything that Ice Beam is incapable of hurting significantly, and it also cripples Pokemon that rely on their physical Attack. Flamethrower can be run if Water Arceus does not need a status move, and gives it a way to damage Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Excadrill outside of Will-O-Wisp. In the last slot, a utility move is run; Roar gives Water Arceus a way to phaze opponents on predicted switches and rack up hazard damage; Perish Song allows Water Arceus to check bulkier Kyogre, especially ones with Rest and Sleep Talk, which Water Arceus is incapable of hurting without a strong Grass- or Electric-type attack; Grass Knot can be used as well as it gives Water Arceus a more reliable way of damaging Kyogre, although with no Special Attack investment, Kyogre will come out on top if it is running Calm Mind.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs give Water Arceus maximum special bulk while still maintaining the ability to outspeed neutral-natured base 95 Speed Pokemon that have maximized their Speed investment. This is especially important to outspeed Modest Choice Specs Kyurem-W, whose Draco Meteor would 2HKO Water Arceus otherwise. Special Attack and Defense EVs are not used because Water Arceus really needs all that bulk to switch into the multitude of extremely powerful special attacks thrown about in the tier.
Water Arceus can choose to run Stealth Rock, Magic Coat, Judgment, or Refresh in the last slot, but their utility is much more situational than any of the other moves listed. Toxic can be used as a status move, but one should take advantage of Water Arceus's access to lesser distributed forms of status.
This set's premier partner is Groudon, whose eternal sunlight reduces Thunder's accuracy to a measly 50%; it can also switch into the many Electric-type attacks that plague Water Arceus. Ferrothorn also makes an excellent partner, resisting both of Water Arceus's weaknesses and setting up entry hazards to support it. Ultimately, one should remember that this set aims to support; and, as such, it is fairly self-reliant outside of Groudon, and doesn't need any other teammates to do its job.
Other Options
Water Arceus does not have many other options. Surf is a very viable option over Judgment, exchanging 5 Base Power for another 8 PP. Flamethrower can be used over Fire Blast on the offensive Calm Mind set if you don't want to risk a miss, but the loss in power is very significant. Earth Power can be used on the same set as well, but it is very situational and only used for opposing Dialga. Focus Blast is another option, but rain-boosted Judgment or Fire Blast usually hits harder.
Checks and Counters
The first step in countering Water Arceus is to bring out the sun. Not only is defensive Groudon with Dragon Tail a decent check to physical Water Arceus in its own right, but the sun it summons is absolutely devastating to Arceus's offenses, as it removes the rain boost and replaces it with a general resistance to Water-type attacks. However, be aware that this will power up sets with Fire Blast. Toxic Spikes can be useful for combating Water Arceus, but make sure that the Arceus you are facing is not a Calm Mind variant, as these can take advantage of a single layer of Toxic Spikes to avoid Toxic poison.
Ferrothorn, Dialga, and the Giratina formes are your best bets against the Swords Dance set; just watch out for Brick Break or Dragon Claw. Even with these two coverage moves, however, Ferrothorn and Giratina are not KOed and can fire back a Power Whip, Dragon Tail, or Will-O-Wisp. Defensive Grass Arceus also counters this set soundly, as it resists Waterfall and is bulky enough to take anything else. In return, it can cripple Water Arceus with status moves, such as Will-O-Wisp and Thunder Wave, or just smack it with a Judgment or Grass Knot for a near-OHKO. Shaymin-S outspeeds Arceus and can demolish it with a brutal Seed Flare or a barrage of Air Slashes. In the way of checks, Choice Scarf Zekrom, Dialga, Palkia, and Kyogre resist Waterfall and possess solid enough defensive stats to weather any unboosted attack, firing back with a powerful super effective Bolt Strike or Thunder. If sun is up, any opposing Arceus set with Will-O-Wisp can render this set useless as well. If Stealth Rock and Spikes can be taken out, the rare Shedinja makes a fine check to any Arceus lacking a status move or Fire Blast.
The Calm Mind variant of Water Arceus is a different beast altogether, as its multitude of coverage and support moves make countering it tricky. Sets without Will-O-Wisp or Fire Blast are easy targets for Ferrothorn, who resists anything else that Arceus can throw at it and 2HKOes with Power Whip after Leech Seed or Stealth Rock and a single layer of Spikes. Water Arceus lacking Refresh or Recover are easily picked off by the combination of Seismic Toss and Toxic from Blissey or Chansey. Giratina formes, Dialga, and Grass Arceus can keep this set from accumulating boosts by phazing it with Dragon Tail or Roar while shrugging off any attack but a boosted Ice Beam, which still doesn't hit all that hard. However, the Giratina formes and Dialga cannot win one-on-one.
