R Inanimate
It's Lunatic Time
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>
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>