Archeops

[R Inanimate]

Below half health?

Give up on the battle.

[Overview]

<p>The battle isn't over until you have fainted, but unfortunately Archeops does not believe that this is the case. Archeops's impressive base 140 Attack and 110 Speed are held back by the combination of its poor defensive typing, subpar defensive stats, and Defeatist, which halves Archeops's Attack and Special Attack stats when its HP falls below half in battle. This makes life difficult for the ancient bird, as just about any attack will cause it to give up on the battle—provided that it doesn't just outright faint from the attack. To make things worse, with Steel-type Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor making a return in VGC 2012, there are a lot more Pokemon that are able to take Archeops's moves head-on. Although Archeops can be tricky to use, it can be a powerful force if you can provide support to it and keep it from giving up on the battle too early.</p>

[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Attack / Earthquake / Endeavor
move 4: Protect
item: Flying Gem
nature: Jolly
ability: Defeatist
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Acrobatics is Archeops's primary attack, displaying terrifyingly destructive force, especially when coupled with a Flying Gem. Rock Slide is Archeops's secondary STAB move, which takes advantage of Archeops's high Speed stat as it strikes at both of the opponent's Pokemon and has a chance to cause a flinch. There is a bit of variety when it comes to Archeops's third moveslot; Quick Attack can be used in order to finish off weakened opponent, while Earthquake provides Archeops with a way to deal some decent damage to Steel-type Pokemon, such as Metagross and Heatran. Lastly, Endeavor allows Archeops to make a last-ditch effort to deal damage to an opponent after Defeatist has been activated. Archeops's final move is Protect, which allows it to block oncoming attacks and scout for priority moves.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Archeops's EVs maximize its Attack and Speed, allowing it to do the most with the short time that it has. As previously stated, Flying Gem makes Acrobatics an extremely powerful attack, and also has the benefit of allowing Archeops to use Acrobatics from the start. A Rock Gem can be used instead of a Flying Gem, but it means that Rock Slide must be used once before Acrobatics can be used properly. Quick Guard can be used by Archeops, as it is faster than all Fake Out users with the exception of Weavile and Ambipom; it also can save an ally from being picked off by Sucker Punch or Bullet Punch. Head Smash is also a valid option for Archeops to run; while the recoil will almost always lead to the activation of Defeatist, Head Smash is extremely powerful and frees up Archeops's item slot. A Sitrus Berry or a Choice Scarf is a good option if you decide to run Head Smash on Archeops.</p>

<p>Archeops values support from its ally. Icy Wind and Tailwind support from Pokemon such as Cresselia and Zapdos, respectively, allow Archeops to keep ahead of the opponent and continue to strike hard and fast. Pokemon that can handle Steel-types, such as Heatran and Garchomp, are appreciated so that Archeops does not have to worry about being shot down by Bullet Punch. Tyranitar and Hitmontop can also be helpful, as sand and Intimidate support improves Archeops's survivability. Lastly, a Heal Pulse Latias or Latios can make a decent partner for Archeops, healing it back above 50% of its HP, thus maintaining its offensive power.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Archeops has a base 112 Special Attack stat and a number of usable special moves, such as Earth Power, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power. However, because Archeops lacks a decent special STAB move, it is difficult to justify running a special set. A mixed set is possible, but Archeops fails to OHKO Pokemon without a Life Orb, and it cannot run Acrobatics with that. Other than the aforementioned special moves, Archeops can run Taunt to stop Trick Room or other setup moves, or U-turn to switch out while dealing a bit of damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Taking away Archeops's Speed advantage in any way will leave it in a tough spot. Archeops is murdered by STAB Bullet Punch, making Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor excellent choices for shooting the prehistoric bird out of the air. Likewise, Pokemon with STAB Sucker Punch and Ice Shard, such as Bisharp or Mamoswine, respectively, will also keep Archeops at bay. Thundurus surpasses Archeops by one point of Speed and can OHKO it with Thunderbolt. Swift Swim Pokemon such as Ludicolo or Kingdra can outspeed Archeops and KO if in the rain. Sableye can cripple Archeops by Tricking a Lagging Tail onto it or burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Lastly, setting up Trick Room will leave Archeops a sitting duck in the battle.</p>

 

[TrollFreak]

Mention Head Smash along with Sitrus Berry, nice to heal off the damage for more Head Smashes

 

[The Knights of Wario Land]

I just don't see the use of Head Smash on Archeops, seeing as Rock Slide is just a much better STAB and it's mostly just a one-shot move.

A hilarious and useful option is having a teammate with Skill Swap or Gastro Acid alleviate Defeatist, I'd mention that.

 

[R Inanimate]

Mention Head Smash along with Sitrus Berry, nice to heal off the damage for more Head Smashes

change made

I just don't see the use of Head Smash on Archeops, seeing as Rock Slide is just a much better STAB and it's mostly just a one-shot move.

A hilarious and useful option is having a teammate with Skill Swap or Gastro Acid alleviate Defeatist, I'd mention that.

Head Smash's sheer power is more than enough of a reason to use it, even if it does cause a ton of recoil damage. With a Life Orb or Rock Gem, the KO list quite large for it. Think of it as being somewhat similar to using a Life Orb or Gem Draco Meteor from Latios, except stronger but you lose half your health from using it in addition to halving your offense.

Also, the problem isn't just Defeatist, but the fact that Archeops is also really frail. Even if you did use Gastro Acid / Skill Swap to remove Defeatist, it doesn't really live long enough to make much use of it.

 

[Biosci]

I think a mention of a full special set over the mixed set could be warranted with a decent movepool and a special attack stat of 112 is gonna put dents in somethings. Idk good analysis, you never disappoint.

edit: sorry if I wasn't clear but I was asking for an OO mention to replace the mixed set. it's always a pain to split the EVs

 

[R Inanimate]

I was trying to come up with something other than the usual Physical Attacker set, but kept finding that lol Defeatist really throws a wrench in things. Defeatist really makes it feel like "putting dents into things" isn't really enough for Archeops, since it just means that the opponent survives, hits back, and now your down half your offensive capabilities.

One particular issue I had with trying a full special attack set was that it lacks decent STAB Special Attacks as all it has is AncientPower, or Hidden Power Flying/Rock. Thus it has to run off the type effectiveness of its moves, as opposed to the Physical Attack set that will often find a lot of success simply brute forcing through with Acrobatics.

As such, a lot of these other options kind of got lumped into the OO section, since I didn't feel that they were significant enough for me to write it as a separate set.

 

[Eraddd]

If you're using Head Smash, then Endeavor HAS to be mentioned. Archeops is pretty bad defensively and after one Head Smash + Sitrus Berry and one neutral attack, he's probably going to low in HP. Use Endeavor and go out with a bang.

BIGGEST GIMMICK ALERT: Blissey/Gallade with Heal Beam. I laugh thinking about it. Archeops is too weak defensively I think to take advantage of it.

 

[R Inanimate]

If you're using Head Smash, then Endeavor HAS to be mentioned. Archeops is pretty bad defensively and after one Head Smash + Sitrus Berry and one neutral attack, he's probably going to low in HP. Use Endeavor and go out with a bang.

BIGGEST GIMMICK ALERT: Blissey/Gallade with Heal Beam. I laugh thinking about it. Archeops is too weak defensively I think to take advantage of it.

Well, Endeavor is already mentioned on the set, but I'll add a comment that it is more useful when you damage yourself massively due to recoil.

I'd mention the BIGGEST GIMMICK in the write up if Heal Pulse went through Protect, or there was something that was faster than Archeops that learnt it, since it can suddenly catch people off guard if Archeops suddenly deactivated Defeatist. Wait, Latias and Latios are the same speed, that's probably close enough so I might think about it.

EDIT: I'll add it in for now, it ends up being more effective than Gastro Acid / Skill Swap at least, since gives Archeops a bit more survivability. Gastro Acid users are mostly difficult to use in VGC, and using Skill Swap just moves the problem to your other Pokemon.

 

[cartercr]

I would at least slash in Rock Gem. Rock Gem boosted Rock Slides cause quite a bit of damage. I use a similar set myself, using Rock Gem. Also, instead of Endeavor, I'd slash in Taunt, it's a good way to stop things like Ferrothorn and Amoongus.

 

[R Inanimate]

I would at least slash in Rock Gem. Rock Gem boosted Rock Slides cause quite a bit of damage. I use a similar set myself, using Rock Gem. Also, instead of Endeavor, I'd slash in Taunt, it's a good way to stop things like Ferrothorn and Amoongus.

I would slash Rock Gem, but it means that you have to use Rock Slide before you can use Acrobatics, which is fairly restrictive, since it probably will be below half health by turn 2 unless you are lucky with flinches.

As for Taunt, Flying Gem Acrobatics OHKOs Amoonguss, since they probably don't run Coba as often anymore, and Taunt doesn't stop Ferrothorn from OHKOing you with Gyro Ball.

As such, I'll leave those points where they are.

 

[Solace]

Looks good to me

QC 1/2

 

[JRank]

Thought I QC'd this already but I guess not; anyway fine as usual

QC 2 / 2

 

[Engineer Pikachu]

do I spot an analysis without a sirn placer? I do?

MINE

[Overview]

<p>The battle isn't over until you have fainted, but unfortunately Archeops does not believe that this is the case. Archeops's impressive 140 Attack and 110 Speed are held back by the combination of its poor defensive typing, its sub-par defensive stats, and Defeatist, which halves Archeops's Attack and Special Attack stats aswhen its HP falls below half in the battle. This makes life difficult for the ancient bird, as just about any attack will cause it to give up on the battle, provided that it doesn't just outright faint from the attack. To make things worse, with Steel-type Pokemon, such as Metagross and Scizor, making a return in VGC 2012, there are a lot more Pokemon that are able to take Archeops's moves head on. Although Archeops can be tricky to use, it can be a powerful force if you can provide support to it and keep it from giving up on the battle too early.</p>

[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Attack / Earthquake / Endeavor
move 4: Protect
item: Flying Gem
nature: Jolly
ability: Defeatist
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Acrobatics is Archeops's primary attack, displaying terrifyingly destructive force, especially when coupled with a Flying Gem. Rock Slide, is Archeops's secondary STAB move, which takes advantage of Archeops's high Speed stat as it strikes at both of the opponent's Pokemon and has a chance to cause them toa flinch. There is a bit of variety when it comes to Archeops's third moveslot.; Quick Attack can be used in order to finish off a weakened opponent, while Earthquake provides Archeops with a way to deal some decent damage to Steel-type Pokemon, such as Metagross orand Heatran. Lastly, Endeavor allows Archeops to make a last -ditch effort to deal damage to an opponent after Defeatist has been activated. Archeops's final move is Protect, which allows it to block oncoming attacks, and scout for priority attacks.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Archeops's EVs maximize its Attack and Speed, allowing it to do the most with the short time that it has. As previously stated, Flying Gem makes Arccrobatics an extremely powerful attack, which also has the benefit of allowing Archeops to use Acrobatics from the start. A Rock Gem may be used instead of a Flying Gem, but it means that Rock Slide must be used once before Acrobatics can be used properly. Quick Guard can be used by Archeops, as it is faster than all Fake Out users with the exception of Weavile, and Ambipom. It; it can also can save an ally from being picked off by Sucker Punch or Bullet Punch. Head Smash is also a valid option for Archeops to run. W; while the recoil will almost always lead to the activation of Defeatist, Head Smash is extremely powerful, and frees up Archeops's item slot. Sitrus Berry or Choice Scarf are good options if you decide to run Head Smash on Archeops.</p>

<p>Archeops values support from its ally. Icy Wind and Tailwind support, from Pokemon such as Cresselia and Zapdos, respectively, allows Archeops to keep ahead of the opponent and continue to strike hard and fast. Pokemon that can handle Steel-type Pokemon, such as Heatran orand Garchomp, are appreciated so Archeops does not have to worry about being shot down by Bullet Punch. Tyranitar and Hitmontop can also be helpful, as sand and Intimidate support improves upon Archeops's survivability. Lastly, a Heal Pulse Latias or Latios can make a decent partner for Archeops, healing it back above hal50% of its HP, thus maintaining its offensive power.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Archeops has 112 Special Attack and a number of usable Sspecial moves, such as Earth Power, Focus Blast, along withnd Hidden Power. However, since itArcheops lacks any decent STAB Sspecial moves, it is difficult to justify running a Sspecial set. A mixed set is possible, but Archeops fails to OHKO Pokemon without a Life Orb, and it cannot run Acrobatics with that. Other than Sspecial moves, Archeops can run Taunt to stop Trick Room or other set up moves, andor U-Tturn to switch out while dealing a bit of damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Taking away Archeops's Speed advantage in any way will leave it in a tough spot. Archeops is murdered by STAB Bullet Punch, making Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor excellent choices for shooting the prehistoric bird out of the air. Likewise, Pokemon with STAB Sucker Punch and Ice Shard, such as Bisharp or Mamoswine, respectively, will also keep Archeops at bay. Thundurus surpasses Archeops by one point of Speed and can OHKO it with Thunderbolt. Swift Swim Pokemon such as Ludicolo or Kingdra can outspeed Archeops and KO if in the rain. Sableye can cripple Archeops by Tricking a Lagging Tail onto it, or burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Lastly, setting up Trick Room will leave Archeops a sitting duck in the battle.</p>

c/p

[Overview]

<p>The battle isn't over until you have fainted, but unfortunately Archeops does not believe that this is the case. Archeops's impressive 140 Attack and 110 Speed are held back by the combination of its poor defensive typing, sub-par defensive stats, and Defeatist, which halves Archeops's Attack and Special Attack stats when its HP falls below half in the battle. This makes life difficult for the ancient bird, as just about any attack will cause it to give up on the battle, provided that it doesn't just outright faint from the attack. To make things worse, with Steel-type Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor making a return in VGC 2012, there are a lot more Pokemon that are able to take Archeops's moves head on. Although Archeops can be tricky to use, it can be a powerful force if you can provide support to it and keep it from giving up on the battle too early.</p>

[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Attack / Earthquake / Endeavor
move 4: Protect
item: Flying Gem
nature: Jolly
ability: Defeatist
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Acrobatics is Archeops's primary attack, displaying terrifyingly destructive force, especially when coupled with a Flying Gem. Rock Slide is Archeops's secondary STAB move, which takes advantage of Archeops's high Speed stat as it strikes at both of the opponent's Pokemon and has a chance to cause a flinch. There is a bit of variety when it comes to Archeops's third moveslot; Quick Attack can be used in order to finish off a weakened opponent, while Earthquake provides Archeops with a way to deal some decent damage to Steel-type Pokemon, such as Metagross and Heatran. Lastly, Endeavor allows Archeops to make a last-ditch effort to deal damage to an opponent after Defeatist has been activated. Archeops's final move is Protect, which allows it to block oncoming attacks and scout for priority attacks.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Archeops's EVs maximize its Attack and Speed, allowing it to do the most with the short time that it has. As previously stated, Flying Gem makes Acrobatics an extremely powerful attack, which also has the benefit of allowing Archeops to use Acrobatics from the start. A Rock Gem may be used instead of a Flying Gem, but it means that Rock Slide must be used once before Acrobatics can be used properly. Quick Guard can be used by Archeops, as it is faster than all Fake Out users with the exception of Weavile and Ambipom; it can also save an ally from being picked off by Sucker Punch or Bullet Punch. Head Smash is also a valid option for Archeops to run; while the recoil will almost always lead to the activation of Defeatist, Head Smash is extremely powerful and frees up Archeops's item slot. Sitrus Berry or Choice Scarf are good options if you decide to run Head Smash on Archeops.</p>

<p>Archeops values support from its ally. Icy Wind and Tailwind support, from Pokemon such as Cresselia and Zapdos, respectively, allow Archeops to keep ahead of the opponent and continue to strike hard and fast. Pokemon that can handle Steel-type Pokemon, such as Heatran and Garchomp, are appreciated so Archeops does not have to worry about being shot down by Bullet Punch. Tyranitar and Hitmontop can also be helpful, as sand and Intimidate support improves Archeops's survivability. Lastly, a Heal Pulse Latias or Latios can make a decent partner for Archeops, healing it back above 50% of its HP, thus maintaining its offensive power.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Archeops has 112 Special Attack and a number of usable special moves, such as Earth Power, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power. However, since Archeops lacks a decent STAB special move, it is difficult to justify running a special set. A mixed set is possible, but Archeops fails to OHKO Pokemon without a Life Orb, and it cannot run Acrobatics with that. Other than special moves, Archeops can run Taunt to stop Trick Room or other set up moves, or U-turn to switch out while dealing a bit of damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Taking away Archeops's Speed advantage in any way will leave it in a tough spot. Archeops is murdered by STAB Bullet Punch, making Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor excellent choices for shooting the prehistoric bird out of the air. Likewise, Pokemon with STAB Sucker Punch and Ice Shard, such as Bisharp or Mamoswine, respectively, will also keep Archeops at bay. Thundurus surpasses Archeops by one point of Speed and can OHKO it with Thunderbolt. Swift Swim Pokemon such as Ludicolo or Kingdra can outspeed Archeops and KO if in the rain. Sableye can cripple Archeops by Tricking a Lagging Tail onto it or burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Lastly, setting up Trick Room will leave Archeops a sitting duck in the battle.</p>

GP [1/2]

 

[R Inanimate]

changes made

 

[Stalfos]

caw??? placeholder

Hide

[Overview]

<p>The battle isn't over until you have fainted, but unfortunately Archeops does not believe that this is the case. Archeops's impressive base 140 Attack and 110 Speed are held back by the combination of its poor defensive typing, sub-(no hyphen)par defensive stats, and Defeatist, which halves Archeops's Attack and Special Attack stats when its HP falls below half in the battle. This makes life difficult for the ancient bird, as just about any attack will cause it to give up on the battle, —(em dash)provided that it doesn't just outright faint from the attack. To make things worse, with Steel-type Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor,(no comma) making a return in VGC 2012,(comma) there are a lot more Pokemon that are able to take Archeops's moves head-(hyphen)on. Although Archeops can be tricky to use, it can be a powerful force if you can provide support to it and keep it from giving up on the battle too early.</p>

[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Attack / Earthquake / Endeavor
move 4: Protect
item: Flying Gem
nature: Jolly
ability: Defeatist
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Acrobatics is Archeops's primary attack, displaying terrifyingly destructive force, especially when coupled with a Flying Gem. Rock Slide is Archeops's secondary STAB move, which takes advantage of Archeops's high Speed stat as it strikes at both of the opponent's Pokemon and has a chance to cause a flinch. There is a bit of variety when it comes to Archeops's third moveslot; Quick Attack can be used in order to finish off weakened opponents, while Earthquake provides Archeops with a way to deal some decent damage to Steel-type Pokemon, such as Metagross and Heatran. Lastly, Endeavor allows Archeops to make a last-(hyphen)ditch effort to deal damage to an opponent after Defeatist has been activated. Archeops's final move is Protect, which allows it to block oncoming attacks and scout for priority moves.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Archeops's EVs maximize its Attack and Speed, allowing it to do the most with the short time that it has. As previously stated, Flying Gem makes Acrobatics an extremely powerful attack, whichand also has the benefit of allowing Archeops to use Acrobatics from the start. A Rock Gem maycan be used instead of a Flying Gem, but it means that Rock Slide must be used once before Acrobatics can be used properly. Quick Guard can be used by Archeops, as it is faster than all Fake Out users with the exception of Weavile, and Ambipom. I; it also can save an ally from being picked off by Sucker Punch or Bullet Punch. Head Smash is also a valid option for Archeops to run; while the recoil will almost always lead to the activation of Defeatist, Head Smash is extremely powerful and frees up Archeops's item slot. A Sitrus Berry or a Choice Scarf areis a good options if you decide to run Head Smash on Archeops.</p>

<p>Archeops values support from its ally. Icy Wind and Tailwind support,(no comma) from Pokemon such as Cresselia and Zapdos,(comma) respectively, allow Archeops to keep ahead of the opponent and continue to strike hard and fast. Pokemon that can handle Steel-type Pokemons, such as Heatran and Garchomp, are appreciated so that Archeops does not have to worry about being shot down by Bullet Punch. Tyranitar and Hitmontop can also be helpful, as sand and Intimidate support improves Archeops's survivability. Lastly, a Heal Pulse Latias or Latios can make a decent partner for Archeops, healing it back above 50% of its HP, thus maintaining its offensive power.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Archeops has a base 112 Special Attack stat and a number of usable special moves, such as Earth Power, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power. However, sincbecause Archeops lacks a decent STAB special STAB move, it is difficult to justify running a special set. A mixed set is possible, but Archeops fails to OHKO Pokemon without a Life Orb, and it cannot run Acrobatics with that. Other than the aforementioned special moves, Archeops can run Taunt to stop Trick Room or other set(no space)up moves, or U-turn to switch out while dealing a bit of damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Taking away Archeops's Speed advantage in any way will leave it in a tough spot. Archeops is murdered by STAB Bullet Punch, making Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor excellent choices for shooting the prehistoric bird out of the air. Likewise, Pokemon with STAB Sucker Punch and Ice Shard, such as Bisharp or Mamoswine, respectively, will also keep Archeops at bay. Thundurus surpasses Archeops by one point of Speed and can OHKO it with Thunderbolt. Swift Swim Pokemon such as Ludicolo or Kingdra can outspeed Archeops and KO if in the rain. Sableye can cripple Archeops by Tricking a Lagging Tail onto it or burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Lastly, setting up Trick Room will leave Archeops a sitting duck in the battle.</p>

c/pable

[Overview]

<p>The battle isn't over until you have fainted, but unfortunately Archeops does not believe that this is the case. Archeops's impressive base 140 Attack and 110 Speed are held back by the combination of its poor defensive typing, subpar defensive stats, and Defeatist, which halves Archeops's Attack and Special Attack stats when its HP falls below half in battle. This makes life difficult for the ancient bird, as just about any attack will cause it to give up on the battle—provided that it doesn't just outright faint from the attack. To make things worse, with Steel-type Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor making a return in VGC 2012, there are a lot more Pokemon that are able to take Archeops's moves head-on. Although Archeops can be tricky to use, it can be a powerful force if you can provide support to it and keep it from giving up on the battle too early.</p>

[SET]
name: Physical Attacker
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Rock Slide
move 3: Quick Attack / Earthquake / Endeavor
move 4: Protect
item: Flying Gem
nature: Jolly
ability: Defeatist
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Acrobatics is Archeops's primary attack, displaying terrifyingly destructive force, especially when coupled with a Flying Gem. Rock Slide is Archeops's secondary STAB move, which takes advantage of Archeops's high Speed stat as it strikes at both of the opponent's Pokemon and has a chance to cause a flinch. There is a bit of variety when it comes to Archeops's third moveslot; Quick Attack can be used in order to finish off weakened opponents, while Earthquake provides Archeops with a way to deal some decent damage to Steel-type Pokemon, such as Metagross and Heatran. Lastly, Endeavor allows Archeops to make a last-ditch effort to deal damage to an opponent after Defeatist has been activated. Archeops's final move is Protect, which allows it to block oncoming attacks and scout for priority moves.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Archeops's EVs maximize its Attack and Speed, allowing it to do the most with the short time that it has. As previously stated, Flying Gem makes Acrobatics an extremely powerful attack, and also has the benefit of allowing Archeops to use Acrobatics from the start. A Rock Gem can be used instead of a Flying Gem, but it means that Rock Slide must be used once before Acrobatics can be used properly. Quick Guard can be used by Archeops, as it is faster than all Fake Out users with the exception of Weavile and Ambipom; it also can save an ally from being picked off by Sucker Punch or Bullet Punch. Head Smash is also a valid option for Archeops to run; while the recoil will almost always lead to the activation of Defeatist, Head Smash is extremely powerful and frees up Archeops's item slot. A Sitrus Berry or a Choice Scarf is a good option if you decide to run Head Smash on Archeops.</p>

<p>Archeops values support from its ally. Icy Wind and Tailwind support from Pokemon such as Cresselia and Zapdos, respectively, allow Archeops to keep ahead of the opponent and continue to strike hard and fast. Pokemon that can handle Steel-types, such as Heatran and Garchomp, are appreciated so that Archeops does not have to worry about being shot down by Bullet Punch. Tyranitar and Hitmontop can also be helpful, as sand and Intimidate support improves Archeops's survivability. Lastly, a Heal Pulse Latias or Latios can make a decent partner for Archeops, healing it back above 50% of its HP, thus maintaining its offensive power.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Archeops has a base 112 Special Attack stat and a number of usable special moves, such as Earth Power, Focus Blast, and Hidden Power. However, because Archeops lacks a decent special STAB move, it is difficult to justify running a special set. A mixed set is possible, but Archeops fails to OHKO Pokemon without a Life Orb, and it cannot run Acrobatics with that. Other than the aforementioned special moves, Archeops can run Taunt to stop Trick Room or other setup moves, or U-turn to switch out while dealing a bit of damage.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Taking away Archeops's Speed advantage in any way will leave it in a tough spot. Archeops is murdered by STAB Bullet Punch, making Pokemon such as Metagross and Scizor excellent choices for shooting the prehistoric bird out of the air. Likewise, Pokemon with STAB Sucker Punch and Ice Shard, such as Bisharp or Mamoswine, respectively, will also keep Archeops at bay. Thundurus surpasses Archeops by one point of Speed and can OHKO it with Thunderbolt. Swift Swim Pokemon such as Ludicolo or Kingdra can outspeed Archeops and KO if in the rain. Sableye can cripple Archeops by Tricking a Lagging Tail onto it or burning it with Will-O-Wisp. Lastly, setting up Trick Room will leave Archeops a sitting duck in the battle.</p>

GP APPROVED 2/2

damn it feels good to be a ninja
this must be how sirndpt feels on a daily basis

 

[RitterCat]

mine
GODDAMIT STALFOS

 

[R Inanimate]

changes have been made, now ready for upload.

 

[Komodo]

it's uploaded.