Deoxys-A is a monstrous mixed sweeper. One should cower in fear staring at its undefeated 180 base offenses and lightning-fast base 150 Speed. To top that, it packs a fantastic movepool which can be strung together to create an assassin your opponents will never want to face again. When one desires to do that, he or she will be best with this set. Deoxys-A can tear a massive hole in the opponent’s team with these four moves. Ice Beam has the ability to score a super effective hit against titans such as Groudon and Rayquaza, while Thunder works hand in hand with Ice Beam to provide coverage against those who resist it. Thunder leaves a massive dent in both Ho-oh and Kyogre, and the 30% chance of paralysis is always welcome. Thunderbolt is not recommended as it has a high chance of not 2HKOing Metagross. Shadow Ball allows Deoxys-A to severely injure opposing Mewtwo, Mew, Deoxys-D, and Ghost Arceus, and Superpower ensures that Deoxys-A is not stopped cold by defensive freaks such as Blissey and Dialga. Hidden Power Fire is an alternative option over Shadow Ball, as Metagross and Scizor do not like switching into it in case one decides to turn the weather sunny to decrease Thunder's accuracy. When these four moves are strung together, nothing in the game has the ability to safely switch into this. Anything aside from Arceus is OHKOed or 2HKOed with ease. However, to balance out its power, Deoxys-A is created with defenses that are comparable to Carvanha’s, meaning that a light hit from anything can knock it out. Due to its Psychic typing and those horrid defenses, Deoxys-A dies to Pursuit more easily than pretty much anything else in the game, meaning that if Metagross, Scizor, or Spiritomb manage to survive Deoxys-A’s moves, prepare to die in a horrible, grueling death. Deoxys-A’s horrible defenses also mean that it is vulnerable to high priority attacks such as Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed, as they’ll move before Deoxys-A and dealing a lethal blow before Deoxys-A can even take a pause to breathe. Due to its incredible offenses, Deoxys-A wants to have all the Speed it can get so it ties at worst with other Deoxys-A (unless they have ExtremeSpeed). A Naive or Hasty Deoxys-A with 252 Speed EVs outspeeds anything Choice Scarfed up to base 95 Speed, assuming that they are not using a speed boosting nature. To boost its killing power, it is recommended that one dump the rest of the EVs into Special Attack, with the 6 EV remainder into Attack. While the EV spread looks very generic for a mixed sweeper, Deoxys-A’s Attack stat is so massive that it OHKOs Blissey with Superpower anyways. Additional investment in Attack to deal with Dialga is a bad idea, as even with max Attack a KO is not certain against max HP/min Def Dialga. Do not be tempted to use Ice Punch on this set. While it does hit Latias harder, it does not do much against Groudon, Giratina, and Lugia. If Deoxys-A attempts to cover all three by using Grass Knot and Shadow Ball, it ends up getting walled by Metagross and Ho-oh. Ice Beam does a respectable amount of damage to Latias already and even though Ice Punch does more damage, it won't OHKO.
It has power, but no freedom. That being said, Choice Specs Deoxys-A packs even more power than the previous set, minus Superpower of course. Choice Specs grant Deoxys-A the ability to OHKO Mewtwo with Shadow Ball and Kyogre with Thunder. The boost from the specs also allow Deoxys-A to instantly destroy Palkia in one hit with Psycho Boost, and that is worthy of mention as Palkia is not easily OHKOed. Unfortunately, due to its move restriction, Deoxys-A suffers from Pursuit even more. A wrong move or an outprediction against a Pursuit-packing Pokémon such as Metagross spells death to its face. Pokémon like Blissey and Dialga have a considerably easier time switching into it, not only because of the move restriction, but also because Superpower is less powerful than it is on the first set, thanks to the lack of Life Orb to boost its power. For these reasons, the first set is generally recommended over this set, as it grants Deoxys-A freedom in moves.
Physical Deoxys-A suffered from Shadow Ball's switching to the special side. At the same time, however, it gains a physical Ice Punch that tears Lugia, Latias and Rayquaza to smithereens. It should be noted, however, that even with that much physical power on its side, it fails to 2HKO Giratina, dealing at maximum 45% with Ice Punch. However, with Choice Band, Deoxys-A finally gets the ability to OHKO Dialga with Superpower. Fire Punch gives Deoxys the ability to smash high-Defense Pokémon such as Forretress and Metagross. The last move is up in the air. ExtremeSpeed is Deoxys-A’s only priority attack, and has the potential of catching other Deoxys-A as well as other weakened Pokémon dead on their tracks. When using ExtremeSpeed, Adamant nature is recommended as Deoxys-A as it can catch other Deoxys-A with that move and the extra power is always welcome. ThunderPunch gives Deoxys-A the power to quickly decimate Kyogre and Ho-oh, while Pursuit is favorable for those who enjoy taking risks, as it can catch a Mewtwo fleeing in fear of Shadow Ball. Choice Band Deoxys has the element of surprise on its side. One can leave in Latias to take an Ice Beam and end up dying to a Choice Banded Ice Punch instead. The same goes to Dialga when it tries to survive Superpower, thinking that this Deoxys-A is one of the first two variants. As with the Choice Specs set, however, this set runs into similar problems regarding its freedom of move choice, and it can be punished brutally if it gets caught in the wrong move when a Pursuit-happy Pokémon switches in.
This set has a huge surprise factor, but only one shot to work, so make it count when using it. The idea behind this is to wait for Pursuit-happy Pokémon like Metagross to switch in and Counter their assault. Imagine the look on your opponent’s faces when their Metagross dies to Counter! Once that’s gone, one should try to cause as much havoc as possible, for it won’t be known when his or her opponent decides to set up a Stealth Rock assuming Deoxys-A is switched out after Countering something. Mirror Coat is another viable option here. If one’s opponent attempts to surprise one with things like Choice Scarf Palkia, one can return the favor by Mirror Coating the likely Surf, Spacial Rend or Thunder back at him or her. However, Counter is recommended over Mirror Coat as most of Deoxys-A’s predators lie on the physical side. The rest of its moves give it coverage and the ability to score a super effective hit on a plethora of ubers. One simple switch into Spikes, Stealth Rock or Sandstorm completely nullifies this set, though. This would be best used as an opener, when the field is clear.
Deoxys-A is a respectable user of the Substitute + Petaya Berry combination. Due to its immense power, Deoxys-A often terrorizes people into switching. This gives Deoxys-A the chance to use Substitute and see what they have against it. This allows Deoxys to react safely against Pursuits and ExtremeSpeeds. The idea behind this is to Substitute three times until its health reaches 25%, in which case Petaya Berry activates and gives Deoxys-A the ability to sweep with 1.5x of its original Special Attack stat and the freedom of choice it sorely wants in the Choice Specs version. To do so, Deoxys-A must have an HP stat that is divisible by 4. Beware of Sandstorm and Toxic Spikes, as they can ruin this set’s effectiveness by cutting down Deoxys-A’s HP constantly. Toxic Spikes is its major fear, as it curs down Deoxys-A’s HP faster than Sandstorm, essentially meaning death in a few turns after Petaya Berry is activated. This Deoxys-A variant is most powerful as a late-game cleaner, where Blissey is often weakened to the point of your Superpower kill, and there is not much that can take boosted Thunders and Ice Beams. It is not recommended to reveal this Deoxys-A early in the match, as many Pokémon can survive its onslaught and return the favor with a KO. Other OptionsFocus Sash plus Calm Mind is very useful to get two potential Calm Minds—one on the switch, another on the attack—before it sweeps. However, due to the possibility of Spikes and Stealth Rock being in play, this is not as safe as the Substitute + Petaya set. This option has more potential than the Petaya version, but is less safe. Zen Headbutt can quickly annihilate Fighting Arceus, who doesn’t really mind switching into the Choice Band set because of its massive Defense, and Ghost Arceus, who otherwise can wall the Choice Band version due to Superpower immunity and taking neutral damage from all of its other attacks. With the help of STAB, Deoxys-A can bypass the defenses and 2HKO Ghost Arceus. The downside to this is that Zen Headbutt gives practically no other coverage in the uber metagame due to its Psychic typing. Choice Scarf is somewhat noteworthy of an item on Deoxys-A. With Choice Scarf, neutral Speed nature and just 4 Speed EVs, Deoxys-A outruns everything that is even infrequently used. Being able to destroy a weakened Timid Choice Scarf Kyogre or a Dragon Danced Jolly Rayquaza can be a lifesaver at times, but it faces the move restriction problem. EVsDeoxys-A needs all the Speed it can get. Due to its frailness, it is an absolute must that the opponent does not touch it. At the minimum, Deoxys-A needs 434 Speed, which can be attained by pouring 236 EVs into that stat. With that said, Deoxys-A should then pour the remaining EVs into Special Attack to maximize its special attacking power. Its power is so intense, it does not need any Attack EVs to guarantee a quick OHKO against a typical uber Blissey variant. With the +Speed nature, Deoxys-A is granted the ability to outrun Choice Scarf Pokémon such as Ho-oh and Kyogre as well as outracing a Rayquaza that Dragon Danced once, provided that none of these carry a Speed boosting nature. The exception to the Special Attack and Speed rule is the Choice Band set, as the Special Attack stat has absolutely no use, while Deoxys-A can compensate the Speed loss by ExtremeSpeed. If one decides to run a Deoxys-A with Choice Scarf, just 4 EVs in Speed makes it faster than a maximum Speed Naive or Hasty Deoxys-S, thus allowing the user to place 252 EVs in both offensive stats. If one is paranoid of Choice Scarf Darkrai or Mewtwo, he or she should give Deoxys-A 96 Speed EVs so that it reaches 360, allowing Deoxys-A to move before them, unless for some strange reason they decide to use a +Speed nature. Those EVs can be gotten by shifting the Attack EVs into Speed. For the Choice Scarf set, Mild or Rash nature is recommended as Deoxys-A does not get an offensive boost in its item, and also since it is ridiculously fast. The Focus Sash set is somewhat of an exception if one decides to use Mirror Coat, as it sacrifices some Speed and Special Attack to OHKO a Dragon Pulsing Giratina with it. The EVs still generate enough Speed to outrun a maximum Speed Adamant Dragon Danced Rayquaza. Considering that Deoxys-A is faster than anything but Deoxys-S and Ninjask, Rash and Mild natures are good substitutes on the Life Orb set if one prefers the power over the Speed. With this boosted power, the chances of OHKOing Mewtwo is increased. However, Deoxys-A won't have the luxury of revenge killing an Adamant Rayquaza that Dragon Danced once, and is outsped by Modest Choice Scarf Kyogre. OpinionKryptonite, and a lot of it too. Deoxys-A packs such absolute monstrosity in its attacks that nothing can stop it with safety. Every Pokémon in the game is rightfully terrified of its destructive potential: Deoxys-A has the capability of 2HKOing or OHKOing nearly everything. It is one of the most lethal weapons a person can get their hands on. However, many people are not used to its power. Its terrible defenses and the constant reliance on prediction to keep it alive can sometimes push even the greatest battlers to the limit. Deoxys-A is not the easiest thing to use, and it is certainly not very easy to stick on a team, due to its inability to switch into any attack in the game, meaning that it virtually cannot counter anything. CountersSuperman. Unfortunately, you can't catch Superman. But don't worry—there are other options! Deoxys-A must be beaten by prediction and combinations of Pokémon to switch in and resist its attacks. Some Pokémon deserve special mention: Bug Arceus that crams all its EVs into HP and Special Defense is the best counter to Deoxys-A, gobbling up Superpower and the other non-super effective moves. Bug Arceus takes 34-40% from Life Orb Deoxys-A Thunder, and 39-46% from Choice Specs Deoxys-A Thunder. That 30% paralysis chance from Thunder may be infuriating, though, and Stealth Rock can potentially mess up its ability to counter. It is also squashed by Choice Band Fire Punch, and it doesn’t particularly enjoy taking Choice Specs Psycho Boost either. Spiritomb is immune to Superpower, Counter and Psycho Boost. It can then Pursuit or Shadow Sneak the Deoxys-A away. However, it is 2HKOed by Choice Specs boosted Thunder, so it must take care when switching in. If it does switch into Thunder, Spiritomb has a 50/50 chance against Deoxys-A, where it can attempt to Pursuit and risk another Thunder, or Shadow Sneak and give Deoxys-A the option to switch. Metagross can switch in and Pursuit Deoxys-A to death if Deoxys-A isn't using a move that 2HKOs Metagross. If Metagross does come in on such a move, it can Bullet Punch for the OHKO if Deoxys-A decides to stay in and finish it off. Switching in Metagross is less dangerous than switching in Dugtrio, though, thanks to its resisting Grass Knot and Psycho Boost. However, Thunder, Hidden Power Fire (not in the rain obviously) and Choice Banded Fire Punch 2HKO or OHKO Metagross. If Metagross has Bullet Punch, it is in the same vein as Spiritomb, as it either risks Thunder by attempting a Pursuit, or a switch when Bullet Punch is selected. Metagross does not like facing the Focus Sash set either (if Deoxys-A is carrying Counter of course). Scizor is capable of doing the same thing to Deoxys-A as Metagross, and faces the same problems. Try all Deoxys-A wants, Latias wags her claw at Grass Knot, Superpower and Thunder, OHKOs Deoxys-A with Dragon Pulse, and then Recovers off the residual damage. If Latias abuses steroids to heighten her HP and defenses, she can take two Shadow Balls from Deoxys-A and still live. She sacrifices her Speed for those defenses, though—that's always a price for getting as fat and ugly as Jabba the Hutt. Despite her amazing Special Defense, an Ice Beam from a Life Orb Deoxys-A does exactly 50% to the most defensive specimen, and Choice Band Ice Punch does a brick load more, so be careful when switching her in. Ho-oh makes Deoxys-A's Superpower on it underpowered, and its great Special Defense can make Deoxys-A not so special if Deoxys-A doesn't have Thunder. It stands a 50/50 chance against Deoxys in the sun due to Thunder’s reduced accuracy. Ho-oh is OHKOed by Choice Band ThunderPunch, however. The Choice Band and Focus Sash versions are walled by Giratina and Ghost or Fighting Arceus. Giratina has such a high defense that not even Choice Banded Ice Punch can 2HKO it. Its immunity to Counter also helps against the Countersash version. Fighting and Ghost Arceus, although fearing the possible Zen Headbutt, can take the Choice Band variant down with their massive defense and the lack of fear against the rest of their moves. Against the Countersash version, Fighting Arceus can bypass Focus Sash by inflicting Toxic on Deoxys-A before finishing it off with Ice Beam or Judgment, while Ghost Arceus simply doesn’t care about counter and beats it up with Shadow Claw. Thunder will hurt them quite a bit, however, especially against Ghost Arceus, as the 30% chance of paralysis ruins its sweeping ability. While Dugtrio's chances of safely switching in is equivalent to the world imploding by the time you read this, it traps Deoxys-A and OHKOs it in the groin with Sucker Punch while screaming "Sucker!" like a little boy who has just drawn all over your face with a permanent black marker. Dugtrio can either come in on Thunder or after a kill. Pursuit Deoxys-S is faster than Deoxys-A and will survive anything this machine throws at it except for boosted Thunder and Shadow Ball, and presents Deoxys-A with an checkmate situation and OHKOs it whether it switches or not, unless it has Focus Sash. |
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