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Gen 6 XY Ubers Teambuilding
- Thread starter Inspirited
- Start date
What do you mean by slashing? I understand this post is too long, and I will make it more relevant and accurate. I understand that earthquake is the move that should be most preferred over anything else, and I have mentioned that. I will remove overheat, recover from the post. However, a battler should have the choice between shadow claw and shadow force, as it goes from 2HKO to OHKO.
You do realize that arceus with max speed is still unable to outspeed max speed mega-gengar? and most gengar run max speed? also, the point of the speed EVs is just to bypass the base 90 speed tier, rayquaza, xerneas and yveltal. However, an alternative EV spread of 252 Atk / 124 Spe / 132 HP can be used, which will outspeed the unboosted 90 base speed tier and have added bulk. however, you can outspeed gengar on the turn it mega evolves with a Jolly Nature and a spread of 252 Atk / 168 Spe / 88 HP and hurt it with shadow claw. besides, I don't see mega gengar too often, i mostly see teams using mega mewtwos, mega scizor, or mega blaziken most of the time.
Hack means that with that set's EVs, Gengar can Mega Evolve and Destiny Bond before Arceus hits it, effectively removing a win condition. Jolly max speed ensures that does not happen.
Edit: It also means you speed tie at worst with other Arceus wanting to burn you, like Ghostceus or Rockceus.
Look, I get it. The EV spread comes down to personal preference, whether you want speed or bulk. I have tried to find a middle-ground in terms of this, so please stop pinpointing flaws in it, eveything has it's ups and downs. Use your own EV spread if you wish to. Besides, if you have such a problem with gengar, use mewtwo or something else to taunt it and KO it.
OK, tell me what your ekiller ev spread would be like in terms of EV spread and nature. EVs are down to personal preference, and I see your's are jolly nature with max attack and speed. But I see that it is inefficient and a spread of 124 Spe / 252 Atk / 132 HP is better.
Also, gengar usually runs taunt, destiny bond and only sludge wave and focus blast as coverage moves, so mewtwo IS a safe option against it, and is one of the rare mons that can speed tie with it (outspeed in case of mewtwo-y) and KO it with psychic STAB attacks. seems like you're the one who knows nothing about mons.
why do you quote your own post to answer to mine? N_N
and no, evs are down to personal preference, arguments can be made to say it's a team thing- but even then jolly is most often the way to go as it forces gengar to be mega evolved to check you. preventing this to happen is entirely possible running a HO team, where you are most likely using arceus-normal. on more balanced teams, you can run bulky ekiller sure, 124 speed is terrible as it outruns nothing relevant (modest max speed dialga=/= a thing), so 56 speed is better in this case (adamant ES ray) or even less speed. I wouldn't recommend going bulky in the current metagame, however, simply because gengar is too prevalent and not being auto-checked by it is a great trait to have. other important things about jolly nature is that it allows you to at least speed tie with other arceus-normals, which can be crucial vs other HO teams, as well as the fact you can smack the slightly common Eleceus and Rockceus (both usually invest leftover EVs in defense so you outspeed) pretty hard (about a 50 % chance to OHKO at +2 is very nice). Though a bulky spread is perfectly usable, albeit not recommended, especially on offense builds, your spreads are simply inefficient.
Sorry man, but you gotta cool
and no, evs are down to personal preference, arguments can be made to say it's a team thing- but even then jolly is most often the way to go as it forces gengar to be mega evolved to check you. preventing this to happen is entirely possible running a HO team, where you are most likely using arceus-normal. on more balanced teams, you can run bulky ekiller sure, 124 speed is terrible as it outruns nothing relevant (modest max speed dialga=/= a thing), so 56 speed is better in this case (adamant ES ray) or even less speed. I wouldn't recommend going bulky in the current metagame, however, simply because gengar is too prevalent and not being auto-checked by it is a great trait to have. other important things about jolly nature is that it allows you to at least speed tie with other arceus-normals, which can be crucial vs other HO teams, as well as the fact you can smack the slightly common Eleceus and Rockceus (both usually invest leftover EVs in defense so you outspeed) pretty hard (about a 50 % chance to OHKO at +2 is very nice). Though a bulky spread is perfectly usable, albeit not recommended, especially on offense builds, your spreads are simply inefficient.
Sorry man, but you gotta cool
All right, I will use your input and edit the post, I will put a bulkier set with 56 Spe on the standard set, and put max speed one as additional info. I think Arceus needs maximum power, and the threat of gengar can be warded off with teammates. Also, arceus might serve as a gengar lure to have it pursuit trapped and KOed. Also, I'm unfamiliar with smogon forum features, only created an ID a month ago.
After thinking about what the appropriate response would be to this for a while, there should probably be 3 or more E-Killer sets if not more that make their way here and they don't need to come in any order in particular. There is Standard Jolly LO E-Killer (252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Jolly), Webs Bulky E-Killer (200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe Adamant), Stall BreaKiller (never used this, but I would assume bulky EVs), Webs Re-Killer (48 HP / 252 Atk / 208 Spe Adamant), Banded E-Killer (200 HP / 252 Atk / 56 Spe Adamant) and possibly more as people experiment. Hack is right though, with so many Steel-types running around to attempt to check Geoxern, all variants of these (besides the Refresh variant that runs Shadow Force) should be running Earthquake since healthy bulky Ghost-types will check E-Killer regardless of Shadow Claw. Overheat is for Scizor and Ferrothorn above all else. Glad to see you guys could come to and agreement on the EVs at least.
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In order to avoid a double post, I will add this stupidly broken mon right here, right now so people know why it has set so many benchmarks in terms of speed.
Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
Role: Heavy Support
What it does: Meet one of the two most broken Pokemon to ever enter the Ubers Metagame. This thing is a savage in its own right due to its ability to specifically target and trap a certain pokemon with Shadow Tag, and take it out with its attacking moves or Destiny Bond. It is unrivaled at this and can bring down so many keystones in the Ubers metagame that it will more than likely always make, even the most well built of teams extremely susceptible to a late game sweep. Its moveset can also be tailored to trap and KO specific threats while ensureing it can Destiny Bond something else. If you are having issues with Scizor or Skarmory, run HP Fire. If you are having similar issues with Landorus-T, Gliscor, or Rayquaza, run Icy Wind. There are so many threats this pokemon can be tailored to snipe it's rediculous and it is also the reason why it is the unrivaled best support mon in the meta right now.
Good Teammates: Being the very best support Pokemon means you need to have something to support. Powerful sweepers, such as Swords Dance and Calm Mind Arceus formes and Geomancy Xerneas, pair best with Mega Gengar since their checks are usually limited to one team member. Yveltal is an exceptionally good teammate since it draws in bulky Fairy-types like a magnet and can U-Turn as they switch in in order to get Gengar in to snipe them. Yveltal then has little trouble putting in massive amounts of work towards opponents teams once these Fairies are gone. U-Turn and Volt Switch (Scizor, Yveltal, Zekrom, Forretress ect) users make full use Gengar's ability to trap due to the switch initiative these moves provide.
What counters it: Not much can stop Gengar from trapping what it needs to other than careful play and good luck. Mega Gengar forces more 50:50 predictions than any other pokemon so even these two may not be enough to stop it from doing its job. Thankfully, it is weak to Pursuit. This means that Pursuit Aegislash and Chople Berry Tyranitar both do a fairly good job of removing Gengar, but it is hard to get them in on Gengar before it traps and KOes what it needs to unless you are using ludicrous amounts of Volt-Turn. Once Gengar has KOed a Pokemon though, it can be easily checked by Choice Scarfed Powerhouses like Zekrom and Kyogre. Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Gengar and can KO it with Psystrike before it can do anything also. Priotity Thunder Wave users that Gengar make gengar infinitely easier to revenge KO.
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In order to avoid a double post, I will add this stupidly broken mon right here, right now so people know why it has set so many benchmarks in terms of speed.
Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
Role: Heavy Support
What it does: Meet one of the two most broken Pokemon to ever enter the Ubers Metagame. This thing is a savage in its own right due to its ability to specifically target and trap a certain pokemon with Shadow Tag, and take it out with its attacking moves or Destiny Bond. It is unrivaled at this and can bring down so many keystones in the Ubers metagame that it will more than likely always make, even the most well built of teams extremely susceptible to a late game sweep. Its moveset can also be tailored to trap and KO specific threats while ensureing it can Destiny Bond something else. If you are having issues with Scizor or Skarmory, run HP Fire. If you are having similar issues with Landorus-T, Gliscor, or Rayquaza, run Icy Wind. There are so many threats this pokemon can be tailored to snipe it's rediculous and it is also the reason why it is the unrivaled best support mon in the meta right now.
Good Teammates: Being the very best support Pokemon means you need to have something to support. Powerful sweepers, such as Swords Dance and Calm Mind Arceus formes and Geomancy Xerneas, pair best with Mega Gengar since their checks are usually limited to one team member. Yveltal is an exceptionally good teammate since it draws in bulky Fairy-types like a magnet and can U-Turn as they switch in in order to get Gengar in to snipe them. Yveltal then has little trouble putting in massive amounts of work towards opponents teams once these Fairies are gone. U-Turn and Volt Switch (Scizor, Yveltal, Zekrom, Forretress ect) users make full use Gengar's ability to trap due to the switch initiative these moves provide.
What counters it: Not much can stop Gengar from trapping what it needs to other than careful play and good luck. Mega Gengar forces more 50:50 predictions than any other pokemon so even these two may not be enough to stop it from doing its job. Thankfully, it is weak to Pursuit. This means that Pursuit Aegislash and Chople Berry Tyranitar both do a fairly good job of removing Gengar, but it is hard to get them in on Gengar before it traps and KOes what it needs to unless you are using ludicrous amounts of Volt-Turn. Once Gengar has KOed a Pokemon though, it can be easily checked by Choice Scarfed Powerhouses like Zekrom and Kyogre. Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Gengar and can KO it with Psystrike before it can do anything also. Priotity Thunder Wave users that Gengar make gengar infinitely easier to revenge KO.
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No mention of Last Resort EKiller?
Stall Breaker EKiller runs basically the same EVs as Bulky Lum and it's actually insane how many EKiller variations there are. I'm going to go ahead and post the TR Victini set since we need more answers to S Rank bullshit.
Victini @ Flame Plate
Ability: Victory Star
248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Brave Nature
0 Speed IVs
~ Trick Room
~ Blue Flare / U-Turn
~ Bolt Strike
~ V-Create
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Support
What it Does: Checks Geomancy, and basically all Xerneas. The combination of V-Create speed drops with Trick Room makes Victini a frightening cleaner due to V-Create's absurd power (486 BP in sun). It has decent typing which allows it to check top tier threats such as Mewtwo while it can clean many other threats such as Kyogre if TR is up and they have any chip damage. Unlike many physical attackers this set can blast through foes such as Groudon and Landorus-T. U-Turn can be used if TR is about to run out or if Victini doesn't want to take an attack from something it can't finish after several defense drops from V-Create. Mega Gengar is fucked if Trick Room is up while even if it isn't U-Turn can be used to escape. Victory Star makes Bolt Strike and Blue Flare actually useable while V-Create is assured to hit. Victini is also an asset for TR teams in general.
Good Teammates: Sun support is very nice but not necessarily mandatory. Rapid Spin and Defog support is also nice since Victini is SR weak and doesn't like Spikes and T-Spikes either. Stuff that gets good chip damage such as Scarfers (more specifically stuff like Zekrom that enjoys how Victini owns Faries, Grounds, and Ferrothorn) and they make many of Victini's 2HKOs, OHKOs. Mons that abuse Trick Room. Dark types are useful for messing with Arceus-Ghost and Giratina.
What Counters It: Kyogre if TR is not up and bulky variants if they have no chip damage. Physically Bulky Arceus-Ghost and Giratina can be quite annoying since they can deal pretty good damage back while Victini can't OHKO. Quagsire can deal solid damage with Scald or Earthquake while it's immune to Bolt Strike and resists Victini's STAB. Yveltal and Mega Kahn can be irritating with Sucker Punch.
Stall Breaker EKiller runs basically the same EVs as Bulky Lum and it's actually insane how many EKiller variations there are. I'm going to go ahead and post the TR Victini set since we need more answers to S Rank bullshit.
Victini @ Flame Plate
Ability: Victory Star
248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Brave Nature
0 Speed IVs
~ Trick Room
~ Blue Flare / U-Turn
~ Bolt Strike
~ V-Create
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Support
What it Does: Checks Geomancy, and basically all Xerneas. The combination of V-Create speed drops with Trick Room makes Victini a frightening cleaner due to V-Create's absurd power (486 BP in sun). It has decent typing which allows it to check top tier threats such as Mewtwo while it can clean many other threats such as Kyogre if TR is up and they have any chip damage. Unlike many physical attackers this set can blast through foes such as Groudon and Landorus-T. U-Turn can be used if TR is about to run out or if Victini doesn't want to take an attack from something it can't finish after several defense drops from V-Create. Mega Gengar is fucked if Trick Room is up while even if it isn't U-Turn can be used to escape. Victory Star makes Bolt Strike and Blue Flare actually useable while V-Create is assured to hit. Victini is also an asset for TR teams in general.
Good Teammates: Sun support is very nice but not necessarily mandatory. Rapid Spin and Defog support is also nice since Victini is SR weak and doesn't like Spikes and T-Spikes either. Stuff that gets good chip damage such as Scarfers (more specifically stuff like Zekrom that enjoys how Victini owns Faries, Grounds, and Ferrothorn) and they make many of Victini's 2HKOs, OHKOs. Mons that abuse Trick Room. Dark types are useful for messing with Arceus-Ghost and Giratina.
What Counters It: Kyogre if TR is not up and bulky variants if they have no chip damage. Physically Bulky Arceus-Ghost and Giratina can be quite annoying since they can deal pretty good damage back while Victini can't OHKO. Quagsire can deal solid damage with Scald or Earthquake while it's immune to Bolt Strike and resists Victini's STAB. Yveltal and Mega Kahn can be irritating with Sucker Punch.
Protect + 3 Attacks Blaziken
Blaziken@Blazikenite
Adamant Nature
EVs: 4HP/252 Atk/252 Spe
Protect
Knock Off/Stone Edge
Flare Blitz
Low Kick/High Jump Kick
Role: Physical Sweeper, Late Game Cleaner
How he rolls: I never understood why Blaziken got banned from OU as Talonflame and Azumaril existed to completely cockblock him. After using him extensively, I get it. If you lack those, he wrecks everything else. This set takes advantage of the fact that Blaziken is immune to burn status and just tears through things with his raw power. The overwhelming majority of things in Ubers hit the benchmark to take 120 damage from Low Kick so its an excellent safe STAB to spam, plus there's no penalty for whiffing. Nevertheless, HJK is still slashed because should it actually land, it can secure some KOs that Low Kick would miss, and that can be important. It should still be used with caution because the penalty for whiffing is basically a dead Blaziken.
Flare Blitz is another great STAB that puts holes in the things that would otherwise resist or be immune to the fighting move. The recoil quickly adds up so be mindful of that. Knock off is generally going to be the better option for the last attack as it has great utility, and should you have enough speed boosts, destroys Mega Gengar before he can really do anything to you. Stone Edge is purely to land surprise KOs on Ho-Oh who is a common switch in, resists both of your STABs and takes very little from Knock Off.
Good Teammates: Blaziken's best friends are things that can lay hazards, most importantly Stealth Rock. The rocks damage will turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs, which is very important, as Blaze very much needs to kill or be killed. Groudon and Dialga are excellent partners in this regard as they can set up rocks and take a few hits on their own. Groudon also also provides sun support to power up Flare Blitz. Things that threaten Ho-Oh and Lugia such as Zekrom and Taunt Yveltal are also good friends. Hazard removal on your side is also useful as Blaziken will already be damaging himself a lot, ans doesn't need the additional chip damage from other hazards.
What Counters it: Blaziken has two really big enemies. First and foremost, himself. The recoil from Flare Blitz will very quickly add up and do him in. Secondly, there's his godawful defenses. Even with the buff from Mega Evolution, he is still incredibly frail. Priority users, regardless of the type can instantly put a halt to Blaze's work. The most notable of these is Extreme Killer Arceus. However, it's imperative that if using Ekiller, you immediately go on the revenge with Extreme Speed as attempting to set up will get you a dead Ekiller. Bar Stone Edge, Ho-Oh and Lugia can take anything Blaziken can throw at them and threaten to OHKO with super effective stabs, or Lugia can get his stall going. Lugia isn't even bothered by repeated knock offs as he can just roost the damage away and stall with toxic. Bulky Yveltals also threaten to KO with a super effective Oblivion wing. Without rocks up, Palkia and Kyogre can survive Low Kick and fire back super effective hits. Lastly, but definitely not least, Giratina just about hard counters this Blaziken as he has the bulk to stand a few knock offs can can phaze or stall or whatever.
I'm probably forgetting some things, as this is what I've learned from using Blaziken in pretty much every battle I ever do. I've neglected the SD set as I feel that that Blaiziken functions differently enough to get its own little write up, and I've not really used that one as much.
EDIT: thanks for finding the image OP
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PISTOLERO
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
WreckDra here are some things for you, sorry if there are any slight mistakes or anything, i wrote this whilst high at 2 am, i hope that the layouts etc aren't so shitty that you can't rescue them. :) also i forgot to mention Keys in the Darkrai analysis, you should maybe weave a sentence in at the end of that too ;)
LO 4 Atks Rayquaza:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Naive / Rash
252 Atk, 4 SpAtk, 252 Speed
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- V-Create
- Draco Meteor
- Extremespeed
Role: mixed attacker, lure, wallbreaker, revenge killer
What it does: This Rayquaza set uses its ridiculous twin 150 offenses to run a very effective mixed set. Dragon Claw, or Outrage, provide powerful physical Dragon STAB to deal significant damage to almost everything in the tier, with Dragon Claw being much weaker but more reliable, and Outrage being a nuke button that, whilst obscenely powerful, leaves Rayquaza prone to being revenge killed. V-Create has the same base power as Outrage, and is Rayquaza’s most spammable move this generation. Even max HP Xerneas takes well over half, with any offensive Xerneas, Geomancy or otherwise, not being able to switch in at all. It also provides Rayquaza with a simple and effective way of turning all Steel-Types to cinders. Draco Meteor is key to Rayquaza’s luring capabilities - Rayquaza often draws in defensive Ground-Types such as Groudon or Landorus-Therian, who have impressive physical bulk, as well as drawing in Lugia - Draco Meteor can then be used to deal a stupid amount to all of them, doing (AMOUNT) to Groudon, being able to OHKO Landorus-Therian, as well as almost OHKOing Bold Lugia after Stealth Rock - it also does a stupid amount of damage to physically defensive Yveltal, who might try and take on Rayquaza. It is also completely possible to catch these on the switchin with Draco Meteor and finish them off with Extremespeed. Speaking of Extremespeed, it provides Rayquaza with some very powerful and useful priority, which allows it to take out weakened threats, damaged revenge killers - it does almost half to standard offensive Palkia and Kyogre. Interesting options for other moves are Earthquake, Iron Tail and Waterfall - Earthquake allows Rayquaza to dispose of Heatran; Iron Tail can OHKO all offensive Xerneas, as well as easily 2HKOing even the most physically defensive Xerneas and also puts Arceus-Fairy into the range of Extremespeed if Arceus-Fairy switches in on it; lastly, Waterfall provides Rayquaza with a way of significantly damaging Groudon without resorting to V-Create. However, all these options are rather niche and any of the moves listed are very hard to give up on. It is also possible to run attack boosting natures or more Special Attack investment, but it is generally better to play it safe and run Naive.
Tier members that Rayquaza likes: physical attackers that appreciate Rayquaza’s ability to leave a swathe of destruction in its wake pair off very nicely with Rayquaza. Various Swords Dance Arceus formes appreciate Groudon and Landorus being gone as well as the removal or severe crippling of Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal - Extremekiller Arceus especially works nicely as all of Rayquaza’s Draco Meteor targets can irritate it intensely.
Sticky web users are also good friends - Rayquaza outspeeds almost everything in the tier under Sticky Web due to most Choice Scarf users being slower after the speed drop - Rayquaza can also outspeed and destroy support Arceus formes; can absorb Scarf Water Spout once; can Draco Meteor Landorus-Therian and Gliscor (who can cause Sticky Web builds trouble otherwise), and also adds valuable priority. - an interesting thing that Rayquaza can do is out-Extremespeed Extremekiller Arceus and revenge kill it if it is significantly weakened.
Xerneas can also work well alongside Rayquaza as it really appreciates Steel-Types being destroyed, as well as Lugia being weakened. Rayquaza can also lure in defensive variants of Xerneas and smash them with V-Create, either breaking it itself or weakening it for other Dragons to get through.
Tier members Rayquaza dislikes: there are a dearth of safe switchins to Rayquaza. Timid Lugia with Ice Beam, although very rare, can surprise Rayquaza. Physically defensive Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Water resist V-Create and can outspeed and burn Rayquaza, or hit it with Judgment in Arceus-Rock’s case. However, Draco Meteor does heavy damage to them as they come in and forces them to Recover. Physically defensive Arceus-Fairy outspeeds but takes heavy damage from V-Create. Fully physically defensive Xerneas takes heavy damage from V-Create but outspeeds after the Speed drop and threatens with Moonblast, but is pressured to Rest afterwards. A common mistake is to switch Geomancy Xerneas into Rayquaza, or even Geomancy in front of it expecting it to switch out - Life Orb V-Create does upwards of 80% and Rayquaza can easily Extremespeed Xerneas afterwards.
CM Arceus-Water
Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
Timid Nature
248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, bulky sweeper, sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Water aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Water has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment, but choosing a coverage move is difficult, and without Refresh, Toxic ruins it completely, making it the inferior option this generation.
Friends in high places: Arceus-Water can have issues with Ferrothorn and Arceus-Grass, both of which are reasonably common on stall builds. Choice Specs Kyogre can lure both of these out and damage them beyond repair. Gastrodon is a complete stop to this set, being immune to Judgment, and can win a PP war. Palkia with Toxic can lure out and poison Arceus-Grass and Gastrodon so that Arceus-Water can set up on them (although it needs a large (+2 Special Defense) head start against Arceus-Grass), and Palkia can also Fire Blast Ferrothorn. Arceus-Electric has a huge advantage against Arceus-Water, so poisoning it or severely weakening it is appreciated. Toxic Spikes users can actually them down to poison all of the above, although there aren’t many that are viable and it is very hard to keep them on the field. A strong check to Zekrom is essential, as the Scarf variant in particular can easily switch in and threaten Arceus with a OHKO from Bolt Strike. Finally, if running Substitute, cleric support is nice if Arceus gets caught with Toxic - this does not solve the issue of Toxic Spikes however.
What counters it: Ferrothorn can give Arceus-Water a very hard time with Leech Seed and potentially Toxic or Power Whip. Arceus-Grass can do severe damage with Grass Knot and resists Judgment. Offensive Palkia is actually relatively easy to set up on, but Thunder in rain does a fair amount of damage and can KO Arceus quickly if it has no Calm Mind boosts - the large paralysis chance can also cost Arceus its life. Specially defensive Palkia is not 3HKOed by +6 0 SpA Judgment, so it can Rest off the damage and burn Arceus’s Judgments with Pressure. Scarf Zekrom can switch in on Arceus relatively easily and OHKO it with Bolt Strike. Scarf Kyogre can do a large amount of damage with Thunder to an unboosted Arceus, as can Choice Specs variants; specially defensive variants can phaze Arceus easily as well. Thundurus can do a lot of damage to unboosted Arceus and can Taunt it as well - however, Judgment does a lot even unboosted, Arceus can run enough speed to outrun Thundurus, and boosted Arceus can easily take Thundurus’s Electric attacks. Finally, Dialga resists Judgment and can Roar Arceus away - bear in mind that a lot of these checks can lose if Arceus is the last Pokemon standing. If already Mega Evolved, Gengar can remove Arceus with Destiny Bond, but it will lose if it has not had a chance to do so. Bear in mind that 0 SpAtk Arceus needs +2 Special Attack to be sure of OHKOing Gengar with Judgment. Gastrodon is immune to Judgment, and can be a total bitch with Toxic and Clear Smog - poisoning it beforehand means that Arceus can set up on it, however.
Scarf Zekrom:
Zekrom @ Choice Scarf
Naughty, 252 Atk, 4 SpA, 252 Speed
- Outrage
- Bolt Strike
- Draco Meteor
- Volt Switch
Role: revenge killer, cleaner, sweeper, lure (kindof)
Its purpose in life: Zekrom works very nicely as a Choice Scarf user. Its signature move Bolt Strike is extremely powerful, allowing it to 2HKO support Arceus and deal heavy damage to Calm Mind users, something that other Scarf users cannot do. Outrage is a very useful secondary STAB - Zekrom is really more of an Electric-Type than it is a Dragon-Type by the way - and allows it to revenge kill Dragon-Types and tier members that resist Electric. Draco Meteor is a very good move on Zekrom as bulky Ground-Types tend to like switching in on it - Draco Meteor does 50-60% to max HP Groudon, and even more to max HP Landorus, both of whom often come in on Zekrom to block Bolt Strikes. This weakens them for other teammembers to break through. Lastly, Volt Switch allows Zekrom to keep momentum, as well as dealing chip damage to switch-ins, and works very nicely alongside Shadow Tag users.
Good teammates: Zekrom checks all variants of Kyogre very nicely, being able to come in on everything but Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout or Ice Beam at least once, and can OHKO it easily with Bolt Strike. It can also switch in on Thunder very easily due to its x4 resistance and its immunity to paralysis. Therefore, anything that appreciates Scarf Kyogre being gone is a great teammate - good examples are Mega Mewtwo X and Y, who can be revenge killed by Water Spout. Switchins to Ground- and Fairy-Types are vital, as Zekrom has issues with this typing core. Gliscor comes in on Landorus and Groudon nicely, as well as other Gliscor, and can set up Stealth Rock to punish switch-ins to Zekrom. Checks to Geomancy Xerneas are vital too - Zekrom needs to watch its use of Outrage to deny Xerneas a free setup opportunity, although offensive Xerneas in particular can’t come in on Zekrom safely due to Bolt Strike doing a tremendous amount of damage. Luring in one half of the core and killing it works very well in aiding Zekrom to do its job, so teammates that can do this, such as Rayquaza.
What counters it: as mentioned, Fairy/Ground cores cause Zekrom a lot of issues, making it engage in an unpleasant 50/50 each time it comes in. Zekrom can get past bulky Ground-Types with Draco Meteor, but each time it gets the 50/50 wrong it gives the opponent free turns. Ferrothorn does very well against Zekrom, punishing it with Iron Barbs and resisting its STAB moves. Whimsicott also irritates Zekrom (or you could be a counterteaming BITCH and run Hidden Power Poison) intensely with Leech Seed and Substitute, but Zekrom can Volt Switch out of its non-Ground type checks to keep up momentum. Arceus-Ground is the only true counter to Zekrom, but it is uncommon and can be 2HKOed by +Atk nature Outrage after Stealth Rock if it isn’t running a bulky spread. If Zekrom locks itself into Outrage to revenge kill something, any Fairy-Type can revenge kill it, and, as mentioned, Geomancy Xerneas can set up on it.
LO 4 Atks Rayquaza:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Naive / Rash
252 Atk, 4 SpAtk, 252 Speed
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- V-Create
- Draco Meteor
- Extremespeed
Role: mixed attacker, lure, wallbreaker, revenge killer
What it does: This Rayquaza set uses its ridiculous twin 150 offenses to run a very effective mixed set. Dragon Claw, or Outrage, provide powerful physical Dragon STAB to deal significant damage to almost everything in the tier, with Dragon Claw being much weaker but more reliable, and Outrage being a nuke button that, whilst obscenely powerful, leaves Rayquaza prone to being revenge killed. V-Create has the same base power as Outrage, and is Rayquaza’s most spammable move this generation. Even max HP Xerneas takes well over half, with any offensive Xerneas, Geomancy or otherwise, not being able to switch in at all. It also provides Rayquaza with a simple and effective way of turning all Steel-Types to cinders. Draco Meteor is key to Rayquaza’s luring capabilities - Rayquaza often draws in defensive Ground-Types such as Groudon or Landorus-Therian, who have impressive physical bulk, as well as drawing in Lugia - Draco Meteor can then be used to deal a stupid amount to all of them, doing (AMOUNT) to Groudon, being able to OHKO Landorus-Therian, as well as almost OHKOing Bold Lugia after Stealth Rock - it also does a stupid amount of damage to physically defensive Yveltal, who might try and take on Rayquaza. It is also completely possible to catch these on the switchin with Draco Meteor and finish them off with Extremespeed. Speaking of Extremespeed, it provides Rayquaza with some very powerful and useful priority, which allows it to take out weakened threats, damaged revenge killers - it does almost half to standard offensive Palkia and Kyogre. Interesting options for other moves are Earthquake, Iron Tail and Waterfall - Earthquake allows Rayquaza to dispose of Heatran; Iron Tail can OHKO all offensive Xerneas, as well as easily 2HKOing even the most physically defensive Xerneas and also puts Arceus-Fairy into the range of Extremespeed if Arceus-Fairy switches in on it; lastly, Waterfall provides Rayquaza with a way of significantly damaging Groudon without resorting to V-Create. However, all these options are rather niche and any of the moves listed are very hard to give up on. It is also possible to run attack boosting natures or more Special Attack investment, but it is generally better to play it safe and run Naive.
Tier members that Rayquaza likes: physical attackers that appreciate Rayquaza’s ability to leave a swathe of destruction in its wake pair off very nicely with Rayquaza. Various Swords Dance Arceus formes appreciate Groudon and Landorus being gone as well as the removal or severe crippling of Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal - Extremekiller Arceus especially works nicely as all of Rayquaza’s Draco Meteor targets can irritate it intensely.
Sticky web users are also good friends - Rayquaza outspeeds almost everything in the tier under Sticky Web due to most Choice Scarf users being slower after the speed drop - Rayquaza can also outspeed and destroy support Arceus formes; can absorb Scarf Water Spout once; can Draco Meteor Landorus-Therian and Gliscor (who can cause Sticky Web builds trouble otherwise), and also adds valuable priority. - an interesting thing that Rayquaza can do is out-Extremespeed Extremekiller Arceus and revenge kill it if it is significantly weakened.
Xerneas can also work well alongside Rayquaza as it really appreciates Steel-Types being destroyed, as well as Lugia being weakened. Rayquaza can also lure in defensive variants of Xerneas and smash them with V-Create, either breaking it itself or weakening it for other Dragons to get through.
Tier members Rayquaza dislikes: there are a dearth of safe switchins to Rayquaza. Timid Lugia with Ice Beam, although very rare, can surprise Rayquaza. Physically defensive Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Water resist V-Create and can outspeed and burn Rayquaza, or hit it with Judgment in Arceus-Rock’s case. However, Draco Meteor does heavy damage to them as they come in and forces them to Recover. Physically defensive Arceus-Fairy outspeeds but takes heavy damage from V-Create. Fully physically defensive Xerneas takes heavy damage from V-Create but outspeeds after the Speed drop and threatens with Moonblast, but is pressured to Rest afterwards. A common mistake is to switch Geomancy Xerneas into Rayquaza, or even Geomancy in front of it expecting it to switch out - Life Orb V-Create does upwards of 80% and Rayquaza can easily Extremespeed Xerneas afterwards.
CM Arceus-Water
Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
Timid Nature
248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, bulky sweeper, sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Water aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Water has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment, but choosing a coverage move is difficult, and without Refresh, Toxic ruins it completely, making it the inferior option this generation.
Friends in high places: Arceus-Water can have issues with Ferrothorn and Arceus-Grass, both of which are reasonably common on stall builds. Choice Specs Kyogre can lure both of these out and damage them beyond repair. Gastrodon is a complete stop to this set, being immune to Judgment, and can win a PP war. Palkia with Toxic can lure out and poison Arceus-Grass and Gastrodon so that Arceus-Water can set up on them (although it needs a large (+2 Special Defense) head start against Arceus-Grass), and Palkia can also Fire Blast Ferrothorn. Arceus-Electric has a huge advantage against Arceus-Water, so poisoning it or severely weakening it is appreciated. Toxic Spikes users can actually them down to poison all of the above, although there aren’t many that are viable and it is very hard to keep them on the field. A strong check to Zekrom is essential, as the Scarf variant in particular can easily switch in and threaten Arceus with a OHKO from Bolt Strike. Finally, if running Substitute, cleric support is nice if Arceus gets caught with Toxic - this does not solve the issue of Toxic Spikes however.
What counters it: Ferrothorn can give Arceus-Water a very hard time with Leech Seed and potentially Toxic or Power Whip. Arceus-Grass can do severe damage with Grass Knot and resists Judgment. Offensive Palkia is actually relatively easy to set up on, but Thunder in rain does a fair amount of damage and can KO Arceus quickly if it has no Calm Mind boosts - the large paralysis chance can also cost Arceus its life. Specially defensive Palkia is not 3HKOed by +6 0 SpA Judgment, so it can Rest off the damage and burn Arceus’s Judgments with Pressure. Scarf Zekrom can switch in on Arceus relatively easily and OHKO it with Bolt Strike. Scarf Kyogre can do a large amount of damage with Thunder to an unboosted Arceus, as can Choice Specs variants; specially defensive variants can phaze Arceus easily as well. Thundurus can do a lot of damage to unboosted Arceus and can Taunt it as well - however, Judgment does a lot even unboosted, Arceus can run enough speed to outrun Thundurus, and boosted Arceus can easily take Thundurus’s Electric attacks. Finally, Dialga resists Judgment and can Roar Arceus away - bear in mind that a lot of these checks can lose if Arceus is the last Pokemon standing. If already Mega Evolved, Gengar can remove Arceus with Destiny Bond, but it will lose if it has not had a chance to do so. Bear in mind that 0 SpAtk Arceus needs +2 Special Attack to be sure of OHKOing Gengar with Judgment. Gastrodon is immune to Judgment, and can be a total bitch with Toxic and Clear Smog - poisoning it beforehand means that Arceus can set up on it, however.
Scarf Zekrom:
Zekrom @ Choice Scarf
Naughty, 252 Atk, 4 SpA, 252 Speed
- Outrage
- Bolt Strike
- Draco Meteor
- Volt Switch
Role: revenge killer, cleaner, sweeper, lure (kindof)
Its purpose in life: Zekrom works very nicely as a Choice Scarf user. Its signature move Bolt Strike is extremely powerful, allowing it to 2HKO support Arceus and deal heavy damage to Calm Mind users, something that other Scarf users cannot do. Outrage is a very useful secondary STAB - Zekrom is really more of an Electric-Type than it is a Dragon-Type by the way - and allows it to revenge kill Dragon-Types and tier members that resist Electric. Draco Meteor is a very good move on Zekrom as bulky Ground-Types tend to like switching in on it - Draco Meteor does 50-60% to max HP Groudon, and even more to max HP Landorus, both of whom often come in on Zekrom to block Bolt Strikes. This weakens them for other teammembers to break through. Lastly, Volt Switch allows Zekrom to keep momentum, as well as dealing chip damage to switch-ins, and works very nicely alongside Shadow Tag users.
Good teammates: Zekrom checks all variants of Kyogre very nicely, being able to come in on everything but Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout or Ice Beam at least once, and can OHKO it easily with Bolt Strike. It can also switch in on Thunder very easily due to its x4 resistance and its immunity to paralysis. Therefore, anything that appreciates Scarf Kyogre being gone is a great teammate - good examples are Mega Mewtwo X and Y, who can be revenge killed by Water Spout. Switchins to Ground- and Fairy-Types are vital, as Zekrom has issues with this typing core. Gliscor comes in on Landorus and Groudon nicely, as well as other Gliscor, and can set up Stealth Rock to punish switch-ins to Zekrom. Checks to Geomancy Xerneas are vital too - Zekrom needs to watch its use of Outrage to deny Xerneas a free setup opportunity, although offensive Xerneas in particular can’t come in on Zekrom safely due to Bolt Strike doing a tremendous amount of damage. Luring in one half of the core and killing it works very well in aiding Zekrom to do its job, so teammates that can do this, such as Rayquaza.
What counters it: as mentioned, Fairy/Ground cores cause Zekrom a lot of issues, making it engage in an unpleasant 50/50 each time it comes in. Zekrom can get past bulky Ground-Types with Draco Meteor, but each time it gets the 50/50 wrong it gives the opponent free turns. Ferrothorn does very well against Zekrom, punishing it with Iron Barbs and resisting its STAB moves. Whimsicott also irritates Zekrom (or you could be a counterteaming BITCH and run Hidden Power Poison) intensely with Leech Seed and Substitute, but Zekrom can Volt Switch out of its non-Ground type checks to keep up momentum. Arceus-Ground is the only true counter to Zekrom, but it is uncommon and can be 2HKOed by +Atk nature Outrage after Stealth Rock if it isn’t running a bulky spread. If Zekrom locks itself into Outrage to revenge kill something, any Fairy-Type can revenge kill it, and, as mentioned, Geomancy Xerneas can set up on it.
For LO 4 Atks Rayquaza, Why would you run Rash (2nd slash) with 4 SpA and full Atk investment?
LustrousPalkia
I think you should add Fusion Bolt to the Zekrom set too, as an alternative to any of the moves. Bolt Strike is a great move, but it has unreliable accuracy, and I have actually lost games because of a bolt strike miss. Fusion Bolt is nearly as strong, and is more reliable thanks to its accuracy of 100. I use a scarf zekrom set with a hasty nature, bolt strike, outrage, fusion bolt and volt switch. fusion bolt can OHKO kyogre and possibly beat the shit out of the birds.
Personally I like the rayquaza lure set, particularly effective for beating xerneas on the switch with v-create and extremespeed, i might try this set out. also, waterceus looks like a decent mon to use, but it requires a lot of support to function.
I think you should add Fusion Bolt to the Zekrom set too, as an alternative to any of the moves. Bolt Strike is a great move, but it has unreliable accuracy, and I have actually lost games because of a bolt strike miss. Fusion Bolt is nearly as strong, and is more reliable thanks to its accuracy of 100. I use a scarf zekrom set with a hasty nature, bolt strike, outrage, fusion bolt and volt switch. fusion bolt can OHKO kyogre and possibly beat the shit out of the birds.
Personally I like the rayquaza lure set, particularly effective for beating xerneas on the switch with v-create and extremespeed, i might try this set out. also, waterceus looks like a decent mon to use, but it requires a lot of support to function.
Disaster Area
formerly Piexplode
Actually no you lose out on KOs with fusion bolt, kyogre being the most notable one iirc
252+ Atk Teravolt Zekrom Bolt Strike vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Lugia: 312-368 (75 - 88.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Teravolt Zekrom Fusion Bolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Lugia: 240-284 (57.6 - 68.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Calling bullshit.
252+ Atk Teravolt Zekrom Fusion Bolt vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Lugia: 240-284 (57.6 - 68.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Calling bullshit.
So I spent the last few days weeding out inconsistencies in the posting format, so I changed the OP slightly to hopefully prevent these inconsistancies:
If you are going to post a set, here is the format
(*=not a required field)
Hopefully this will help us in the future and if you spot an inconsistency in the OP, PM me with a quote of it and I will gladly fix it since I know I didn't get all of them. Please try to stick to this format in future posts, I might have to start cracking the whip on this and I would rather not have to do that (I'm looking at you LustrousPalkia ). (oh, and try to post while you're sober as well, that helps a lot)
Edit: I was gonna put the format in a Hide Tag but they seem to be extremely buggy and stubborn right now
Edit # 2: IMPORTANT:
I am also thinking about removing the Lategame Cleaner tab since every Pokemon in the Physical and Special Sweeper, Revenge Killer, and Mixed attacker tabs can perform this role. Since this isn't apart of the general discussion here, PM / VM me what you think on this.
If you are going to post a set, here is the format
(*=not a required field)
Code:
<pokemon> @ <item>
Ability: <ability>
EVs: <the_pokemon's_ev_spread>
<pokemon's_nature> Nature
*IVs: <the_pokemon's_ivs_that_are_different_from_31>
- <move_1>
- <move_2>
- <move_3>
- <move_4>
[B]Role:[/B] Special Wall, Physical Wall, Hazard Remover, Hazard User, Wallbreaker, Physical Sweeper, Special Sweeper, Mixed Attacker, Revenge Killers, Late-game Cleaner, Bulky Attacker, Tank, Support, Spinblocker, Wallbreaker, Lure, Stallbreaker
[B]What it does:[/B] mention what it counters and why it is good at its role OR say why it's bad if you're purposely posting something not to use
[B]Good Teammates:[/B] stuff it works well with
[B]What counters it:[/B] stuff that beat the set
[B]*Additional Info:[/B] optional, anything you want to add onEV spreads should be listed in this order and use these abbreviations:
HP / Atk / Def / SpA / SpD / Spe
If a stat has 0 EVs in it, then you do not need to show that stat in your spread
the same applies to IVs only IVs should only be shown if they are less than 31
HP / Atk / Def / SpA / SpD / Spe
If a stat has 0 EVs in it, then you do not need to show that stat in your spread
the same applies to IVs only IVs should only be shown if they are less than 31
Edit: I was gonna put the format in a Hide Tag but they seem to be extremely buggy and stubborn right now
Edit # 2: IMPORTANT:
I am also thinking about removing the Lategame Cleaner tab since every Pokemon in the Physical and Special Sweeper, Revenge Killer, and Mixed attacker tabs can perform this role. Since this isn't apart of the general discussion here, PM / VM me what you think on this.
Last edited:
PISTOLERO
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
I'll fix the ass formatting later
Lustrous Orb Palkia
SCREW YOU WRECKDRA <3
Timid nature, max speed, max special attack, four special defense
Hydro Pump / Surf
Spacial Rend
Fire Blast
Thunder Wave / Thunder
Role? Kyogre switchin (a job worthy of its own section to be honest), Wallbreaker, Status Spreader
What it does? It is obviously not surprising that, once again, Palkia is used a lot as a Kyogre switchin for its team. However, it also contributes with a fierce offensive presence, this time using its signature item, the Lustrous Orb, to power up its STAB Water and Dragon moves by 20%. Hydro Pump is the preferred option due to its higher base power, but Surf is a reasonable option as it is reliable, and still very powerful with Lustrous Orb. Spacial Rend is the second move boosted by Lustrous Orb, and is also very powerful as well as being reliable (95% is very reliable in my opinion). Fire Blast reduces Steel Types to molten slag, with its prime target being Ferrothorn - however, it also obliterates Scizor, gives Arceus-Steel a good working over, and allows Palkia to remain dangerous in all weather, rain or shine - it can spam Fire Blast in sun and Hydro Pump / Surf in rain all it likes. Lastly, Thunder Wave is the best option in the last slot, as it allows Palkia to ruin many switchins, means that Palkia can paralyze Geomancy Xerneas as it tries to set up then wave two fingers at it before switching out, and provides very useful speed control - it also works against Geomancy Xerneas when one is using Hydro Pump and is afraid to miss. Thunder can be situationally useful to hit Kyogre supereffectively, and one can also use the unchosen Water move or Draco Meteor in this slot, but these are usually not as useful and life-saving as Thunder Wave tends to be.
Good Teammates? Kyogre works very nicely, as it powers up Palkia’s Water moves to stupid levels. Specs Kyogre works quite nicely as Palkia can spread paralysis and allow Kyogre to blow pieces in the slowed-down opposing team without irritations. If Palkia does not do it itself with Hydro Pump, which it probably will to be honest, something to kill off a paralyzed Xerneas is useful. It is actually quite hard for something like Extremekiller Arceus to set up on Palkia, as Lustrous Hydro Pump can do upwards of 75% damage to uninvested Arceus. Teammates that appreciate Palkia’s ability to cockblock Kyogre and cripple things such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass, such as Zekrom, Swords Dance Rayquaza, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and the aforementioned Specs Kyogre, work well alongside Palkia. Lustrous Orb Palkia tends to fit well on bulky offensive teams and also Sticky Web teams as a powerful special attacker and Kyogre check, so make sure it is being used to the best of its ability, as balanced teams appreciate Toxic/Rest Palkia sets more, and Stall teams like having Specially Defensive Palkia on board.
What counters it? Blissey is the first one that comes to mind. Unlike many Palkia sets this generation, Palkia is not carrying Rest or Toxic, meaning that it cannot break Blissey without maximum hazard support (SR and 3 layers of Spikes). Specially defensive Xerneas, Sylveon, Clefable and Arceus-Fairy can stall out Hydro Pump if it is not raining (if it is, they all have to bank on it missing or they will be 2HKOed upon switchin), with Sylveon and Clefable being able to irritate Palkia further with Protect. The first three can also heal off Thunder Wave with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy, but it seriously limits Arceus-Fairy, as it can no longer outspeed Palkia and is subsequently in serious danger of being 2HKOed. Arceus-Grass can also deal with Palkia unless it is sunny and it gets caught by Fire Blast, but it is also greatly irritated by Thunder Wave. If Palkia leaves home without Thunder, specially defensive Kyogre can stall out Palkia unless it gets unlucky with Rest turns and / or Spacial Rend critical hits. Scarf Xerneas can surprise Palkia and revenge kill it, but cannot switch in safely at all due to getting murdered by Hydro Pump and the possibility of Thunder Wave. Zekrom can come in on Fire Blast, non-rain Hydro Pump (to an extent) and Thunder Wave (due to its immunity to paralysis) and can revenge kill Palkia with a Dragon move or Bolt Strike if Palkia is weakened.
Scarf Xerneas
Rash, 76 Atk, 248 SpAtk, 184 Speed
Moonblast
Megahorn
Rock Slide / Hidden Power Fire / Close Combat / Focus Blast
Sleep Talk / Thunder / Psyshock / Aromatherapy
Role: Revenge Killer, Cleaner, mixed attacker, lure (kindof)
What does it do? Scarf Xerneas is a very interesting Scarf user. It has several distinct advantages over Scarf users due to its typing and specialised movepool. In particular, it can serve as a check to both Mewtwo Evolutions, Darkrai, and non-Scarf Dragons, and can surprise all of these by outspeeding them, due to Scarf Xerneas not being very common. 76 Attack EVs allow Xerneas to OHKO standard Mega Mewtwo Y after Stealth Rock. 184 Speed allows Xerneas to outspeed +1 base 90s that also have a neutral nature, such as Kyogre and Zekrom. The rest goes into Special Attack to fuel Xerneas’s powerful Moonblast.
Move choices for Xerneas are very varied, with the only absolute requirement being Moonblast, and, albeit to a much lesser extent, Megahorn. Other moves have specific targets in mind; Rock Slide allows Xerneas to revenge kill, and, with prediction, lure in Ho-Oh and catch it on the switch, dealing heavy damage to it if not OHKOing it; Hidden Power Fire serves a similar purpose in being able to catch Scizor switchins, as well as doing significant and reliable damage to Ferrothorn. Close Combat and Focus Blast allows Xerneas to do a lot of damage to other Steel-Types, such as Arceus-Steel, with Close Combat also hitting the albeit uncommon Blissey; Thunder allows Xerneas to revenge kill Kyogre as well as doing a lot of damage to Ho-Oh and hitting Lugia supereffectively, and the 30% paralysis chance is always useful; Sleep Talk allows Xerneas to act as a good Darkrai check; lastly, Scarf Aromatherapy, whilst sounding stupid on paper, can actually work on offensive teams as a last ditch effort to bring teammembers back into the match (shoutouts to Joryn for turning me on to this idea, I tried it and it actually works very nicely indeed, kudos). An interesting set is Moonblast / Megahorn / Fighting move / Sleep Talk, which allows Xerneas to absorb Dark Void and deal heavy damage to Darkrai no matter which move is chosen - however, this is risky as vital coverage is lost, one’s Scarf user loses its reliability due to the dice rolls of Sleep Talk, and many Darkrai sets can get through Xerneas easily if Darkrai uses Thunder Wave or Sludge Bomb on the switch. Alternative EV spreads and/or natures can be run if desired, such as Naive, but Xerneas appreciates all the extra power it can get behind its Moonblast.
Good teammates? Xerneas can act as a blanket check to the following under certain conditions: non-Scarf Palkia, everything up to neutral nature Scarf Kyogre, everything up to neutral nature Scarf Zekrom, SD Rayquaza (if at full health), Darkrai, Yveltal, Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y. As such, teammates that benefit from these being gone appreciate Scarf Xerneas’s ability to surprise and OHKO many of these by outspeeding them. Xerneas’s ability to somewhat check Ho-Oh or catch it with good prediction is also helpful. Scarf Xerneas works quite nicely against both offensive and balanced teams, and the element of surprise can often be gamechanging if, for example, Darkrai stays in expectting to oustpeed and Dark Void, or if Zekrom tries to go for the kill with Bolt Strike.
What counters it: due to Xerneas getting locked in each time it uses a move, with correct prediction it can be easy to play around. Steel Types such as Scizor and Aegislash can come in easily on Moonblast, with the latter being able to come in on everything else as well, even Hidden Power Fire, and having a x4 resistance to Megahorn as well as an immunity to any Fighting moves; Klefki also works nicely, taking less than half from Hidden Power Fire. Blissey laughs at everything but Close Combat, but due to the lack of heavy Attack investment and STAB, even Close Combat is not too daunting for Blissey. Ho-Oh is amused by anything Xerneas does except Rock Slide. Defensive teams can deal with Xerneas relatively easily, and, with good prediction, can make it close to useless. Xerneas itself has to predict quite well if it wants to come in on the things it checks - it gets wrecked by Hydro Pump / Thunder Wave from Palkia, Bolt Strike from Zekrom, Sludge Bomb / Thunder Wave from Darkrai, and Oblivion Wing from Yveltal; it obviously cannot come in on Kyogre’s Water moves at all (lol, but what can apart from Palkia huehuehue), and still takes a lot of damage from Ice Beam or Thunder.
Rock Polish Groudon
Adamant Nature
132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe (gonna need to check this for LO number)
Life Orb / Lum Berry / Earth Plate
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Fire Punch / Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
Rock Polish
Role: Cleaner (I honestly think this is the best fit out of everything anyone has written so far for this category), bulky sweeper, erm......
What does it do? Rock Polish Groudon aims to set up a Rock Polish mid- to late-game, once the opposing team has been weakened, and sweep. Earthquake provides stupidly powerful STAB, doing upwards of 75% to common Ubers such as Palkia, Kyogre and Mewtwo with just a Life Orb boost. Stone Edge allows Groudon to drop ground-immune Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Lugia, and forms the ever potent and familiar EdgeQuake combo. The third moveslot is very negotiable; Fire Punch works very nicely with Drought, and can be used to punch (huehuehue) Steel-Types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Bronzong in the face, easily removing them from Groudon’s way, as well as killing Shaymin-S reliably - very importantly, Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch does almost 75% to Arceus-Grass, which can easily end Groudon’s rampage with Grass Knot. Dragon Claw allows Groudon to deal significant damage to Giratina-O, which would otherwise be extremely irritating due to Levitate - it also allows for slightly stronger hits on Ubers such as Giratina and Palkia, although the latter gets worked over by Life Orb Earthquake anyway. Lastly, Swords Dance means that Groudon can take on the role of a Double Dancer. Swords Dance usually works best alongside EdgeQuake coverage and a Lum Berry as a held item - by doing this, it is possible to break through checks by first Rock Polishing, then gaining a free Swords Dance as something like Arceus-Fairy or Giratina tries to burn you - they will be more inclined to burn Rock Polish sets than phaze, and most support Arceus that would either come in on Groudon, or that Groudon would stay in against, do not run Roar anyway - this way, with even a little prior damage, Groudon can boost to +2/+2 and 6-0 the opponent’s team from there - a wonderful bonus is that Klefki and Thundurus cannot use their *)(^(*&^&*(*()&&%%( cheapass Thunder Wave to halt Groudon’s sweep, and Groudon can in fact set up on the former. The EV spread allows Groudon to outspeed +Speed nature base 100s and below after a Rock Polish. Alternative EV spreads are 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe which allows Groudon to outspeed Scarf Terrakion (as uncommon as it might be). An interesting spread is Impish nature with 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 Spe, which works as an extremely physically bulky Double Dancer that can set up both boosts quite easily due to its absurd amount of bulk (credit to shrang for telling me this spread) - this also works nicely with Lum Berry. Finally, the choice of item depends on the moveset and also the preference of the player - Life Orb works nicest on Rock Polish + 3 Attacks, Lum Berry works best alongside Swords Dance and can also provide insurance against burn in particular. Earth Plate gives Groudon a cost-free 20% boost to its STAB Earthquake, but means that its coverage moves will not be nearly as powerful.
Good teammates? Powerful physical attackers work very nicely alongside Groudon to break physically bulky Pokemon on the opponent’s side so that Groudon can set up a Rock Polish and sweep lategame. Extremekiller Arceus is the most straightforward example, as it can set up and break holes in things such as Lugia, Giratina and Support Arceus so that Groudon can easily get past them late-game. Ho-Oh works very well too as it can wreak havoc under Groudon’s sunlight, as well as beating up Lugia, potentially burning it and definitely weakening it for Groudon - Ho-Oh can also beat the shit out of Landorus-Therian with sun-boosted Sacred Fire so that it does not irritate Groudon later on. Special attackers can also work well to generally beat up on the opponent’s team. Stealth Rock support is of course vital, as it means that Groudon can potentially break Lugia, as well as getting invaluable chip damage - Spikes also work very nicely - for example, with Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes, Groudon has a good chance to OHKO max HP Arceus-Grass with Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch - Deoxys-Speed works well in this regard as it fits nicely on the sorts of offensive teams that Rock Polish Groudon works well on. Cloyster gets an honourable mention for its ability to slap Lugia, Giratina and Giratina-Origin around, as well as fitting nicely on sun offense teams.
What counters it? As mentioned, Giratina is the singular best answer to Groudon, as physically defensive variants just do not care about Earthquake, and can take even +2 Earthquakes nicely, then Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail / Roar Groudon away. Support Arceus can burn Groudon. Arceus-Grass gets a special mention as well, due to its resistance to Earthquake and its ability to quickly dispose of Groudon with Grass Knot (the strength of Arceus-Water’s Judgment is cut in half by sun); however, Arceus-Grass takes huge damage from boosted Fire Punch and is terrified of one of Groudon’s most effective teammates, Ho-Oh. Giratina-O can take a Life Orb Dragon Claw after Stealth Rock damage and burn or phaze Groudon away. Skarmory utterly walls sets lacking Fire Punch, but will fall to said move. Physically defensive Kyogre can Scald Groudon, but will take - just - so - much - damage - from +2 Earthquake that if it doesn’t die, it will be useless afterwards. Sableye can burn non-Lum Berry Groudon with priority Will-O-Wisp, but woe betide it if it misses or if Groudon does have Lum Berry. Scarf Shaymin-S can outspeed all but nearly fully invested Jolly Groudon and blow it up with Seed Flare.
Note: an interesting core is Flame Charge Ho-Oh and Rock Polish Groudon - it pressures the opponent hugely as both are extremely dangerous when they become faster than things like Kyogre or Palkia. This does pretty much remove Swords Dance Arceus as a team option though, as Ho-Oh requires Arceus-quality Defog support to function to its full potential.
SubSeed Shaymin-S
252 Speed, 252 Special Attack, 4 Def
Seed Flare
Air Slash
Substitute
Leech Seed
Role: Piece of shit annoyer, stallbreaker (to an extent), sweeper
What it does: this particular Shaymin-Sky aims to take what Shaymin-Sky does best - making the opponent snap their keyboard in half - and adapt it to take a more self-sustaining approach. Substitute + Leech Seed is a classic combination that allows Shaymin to simultaneously shield itself from status, revenge killing, and also allow it to regain a tremendous amount of health back. Air Slash works very well with this as, due to its overall 57.5% flinch rate, the opponent is more often than not stopped from moving for a turn, allowing for Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery on Shaymin’s side, as well as sustaining damage due to Air Slash. Seed Flare also takes advantage of Skaymin-Sky’s Serene Grace ability with an overall 68% chance to drop the opponent’s Special Defense by two stages, essentially cutting it in half. This, combined with Air Slash, Leech Seed and potential hazards, makes Shaymin very difficult and extremely irritating to deal with. Full speed investment allows Shaymin to outspeed Arceus and Darkrai, whilst maximum Special Attack means that Seed Flare and Air Slash pack a nice punch even without a boosting item. 4 Defense means that Genesect cannot U-Turn off Shaymin with +1 Attack, and Ice Beam KOes Shaymin with or without +1 Special Attack from Download - Genesect also does not get a +1 Extremespeed to use against Shaymin.
Good teammates: Anything that appreciates Shaymin’s ability to reliably and competently wear away at opposing Pokemon works well alongside Shaymin. Palkia and Kyogre appreciate Shaymin’s ability to screw with Arceus-Grass and, to a lesser extent, Arceus-Water - Shaymin’s Fire weakness is also reduced by Drizzle. Blissey can also be dealt with by Shaymin, between Leech Seed, Seed Flare and repeated flinching. Groudon also works nicely with Shaymin, as Groudon can scare away Steel-Types with Earthquake and / or Fire Punch - Groudon can also set down Stealth Rock to wear down the opponent’s team even more and make them pay a price for their switching. Dialga can set Stealth Rock, spread Toxic or Thunder Wave, and has good synergy with Shaymin.
Interestingly, SubSeed Shaymin can work well with 2 different types of status support - paralysis and poison. With paralysis support such as Thunder Wave from its teammates, Shaymin can outspeed everything save for Scark Zekrom and spam Air Slash, Substitute and Leech Seed whilst the opponent loses turns due to either flinches or full paralysis. Poison works in another way - Shaymin can use flinches, Leech Seed and potential switches due to Seed Flare drops to wear away at the opponent’s team with Toxic poison. Toxic Spikes work nicely in this regard as any grounded Pokemon coming in on Shaymin will be poisoned by them, meaning that it is easier for Shaymin to enter the field and do its thing. Tentacruel has good synergy with Shaymin-S, can lay down Toxic Spikes, burn Steel-Types and Spin away Stealth Rock.
What counters it: If Stealth Rock is not up, Ho-Oh can abuse Regenerator and its huge special bulk to switch into Shaymin repeatedly, burning Leech Seed, Air Slash and Substitute PP - however, if Ho-Oh gets flinched repeatedly and the Shaymin user times their use of Substitute well, even Ho-Oh can be worn down. Prankster users get a special mention as they can Taunt Shaymin, and, much worse, can either Thunder Wave her or Toxic her before she can throw up a Substitute. Scarf Zekrom can switch in on Shaymin fairly well and threaten with Bolt Strike or break Shaymin’s Substitutes with Volt Switch. Extremespeed Arceus can evade flinches and can do heavy damage to Shaymin before it can move. Scizor can come in on Seed Flare due to its x4 resistance and can Bullet Punch Shaymin, avoiding flinches in the process - however, if Seed Flare cuts Scizor’s already less-than-stellar Special Defense in half, Shaymin can do a stupid amount of damage with Air Slash. Yveltal can Sucker Punch Shaymin and Taunt her as well, but can get played if it predicts wrong - it doesn’t appreciate getting flinched at all, and doesn’t appreciate trying to Sucker Punch on a Leech Seed either. Oblivion Wing is supereffective however, so Yveltal can put heavy pressure on Shaymin. Skarmory resists both STAB moves but can be stalled out through special defense drops, Leech Seed and flinches. Finally, Shaymin must be careful when it comes in, as it can be caught by Toxic or Thunder Wave and be made useless.
CM Arceus-Fairy
Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
Timid Nature
248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh / Psyshock / Earth Power
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, bulky sweeper, sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Fairy aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Fairy has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set - however, Psyshock helps Arceus-Fairy against Gengar and Ho-Oh, and is more than usable; it also helps against opposing Calm Mind Arceus and deals supereffective damage to Poison-Types in general, particularly Arceus-Poison (you can give Arceus-Poison a nasty suprise if it decides to go for Calm Mind alongside you); lastly, Earth Power works well against opposing Steel-Types and Poison-Types, especially Heatran. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away, and can potentially get hit in the face by Psyshock. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment alongside more coverage, but it is inferior due to the abundance of Toxic and the huge loss of bulk.
Friends in high places: things to handle Steel-Types are very nice indeed. Luring out Ferrothorn with Palkia and Fire Blasting it works very nicely. Burning Scizor and Aegislash also works nicely as they can be set up on when burned. Palkia can also bully Heatran very well. Kyogre can burn Ferrothorn with Scald, as well as wiping the floor with any other Steel-Type. Setting up Stealth Rock for Ho-Oh is vital as, without it, Ho-Oh can bully Arceus-Fairy easily. Luring in Scizor and Ferrothorn and dispatching them with Fire moves such as Xerneas’s Hidden Power Fire works very nicely. Burning common Geomancy Xerneas checks actually turns them into setup bait (kudos Steeljackal<3, i tried it and it works gloriously).
What counters it: Arceus-Fairy is severely irritated by Ferrothorn, which resists Judgment and can poison and Leech Seed Arceus-Fairy as well as Gyro Balling it repeatedly. which is not uncommon on stall and balance builds. Heatran has a quadruple resistance to Judgment, can Roar Arceus-Fairy away, Toxic it and Taunt it (if you run Earth Power, however, Heatran dies). Scizor and Aegislash both resist Judgment and can deal supereffective damage back. Calm Mind Arceus-Poison wipes the floor with Arceus-Fairy that don’t carry Ground or Psychic coverage. Mega Gengar can Taunt Arceus-Fairy, beat up on it with Sludge Bomb or Sludge Wave, or Destiny Bond it away - however, if Arceus-Fairy is running enough Speed, has Psyshock (or Earth Power), and Gengar has not yet Mega Evolved, Gengar can lose. Specially Defensive Kyogre can Roar Arceus-Fairy away if it doesn’t have many Calm Mind boosts. Sets lacking Refresh lose to Toxic.
Additional Notes: Arceus-Fairy can also perform traditional Arceus roles, as it can check Palkia and Yveltal very nicely indeed, as well as absorbing Dragon moves for its team.
CM Arceus-Steel
Arceus-Steel @ Iron Plate
Timid Nature
248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Will-O-Wisp / Roar / Thunder
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, bulky sweeper, sweeper
What it does: Calm Mind Arceus-Steel aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep mid- to late-game. Steel is a nice defensive typing, that, whilst not being so good offensively, has no immunities and has nice supereffective coverage on Fairy-Types. Arceus-Steel works well as a Calm Mind user due to its immunity to the ubiquitous Toxic, which means that it does not need to run Refresh to protect itself from said move. This opens up a moveslot, which can be filled by various things; Will-O-Wisp allows Arceus to cripple physical attackers such as Landorus-Therian and Groudon that could otherwise do heavy damage with Earthquake - it works nicely alongside Calm Mind to make Arceus-Steel almost unbreakable. Roar allows Arceus-Steel to thwart anything that tries to set up alongside it, and also helps against things that try to phaze Arceus-Steel away by phazing them out first - specially defensive Kyogre is a good example of something that could otherwise easily handle Arceus-Steel. Lastly, coverage moves work quite nicely to hit specific targets - Thunder is the best as it hits Ho-Oh, but Earth Power works well too as it can hit Heatran and Dialga supereffectively. You could also use Defog or Stone Edge in this slot if you really wanted to, although this isn’t really the best idea.
Friends in high places: Kill. Ho-Oh. Set up Stealth Rock and weaken it, as it can come in on Arceus-Steel with impunity if Arceus is not running coverage (which STILL doesn’t do much without several boosts), and can beat Arceus-Steel into submission with Sacred Fire. Therefore, Gliscor and Landorus-Therian work well due to their ability to set up Stealth Rock and check Ho-Oh and Ground-Types in general if Arceus leaves home without Will-O-Wisp. Kyogre and Palkia work well as they can walk all over Heatran as well as being able to punch Ho-Oh in the face and drown Ground-Types such as Groudon. Kyogre also summons rain to douse Arceus’s Fire weakness and increase the accuracy of potential Thunders.
What counters it: Without coverage, Arceus-Steel is very weak to several different things. Without Thunder, Ho-Oh wipes the floor with Arceus. Without Earth Power, Heatran can do the same. Specially defensive Kyogre can easily get rid of Arceus-Steel without Roar. Strong Earthquake users can beat Arceus-Steel without Will-O-Wisp, with Arceus-Ground being able to set up easily. Arceus formes with a type advantage, such as Water, Electric and Fire can set up and win a Calm Mind war relatively easily.
Notes: standard 176 Speed to beat unevolved Gengar is used here, more or less speed can be run if desired; 96+ outruns Palkia, and max sp
Lustrous Orb Palkia
SCREW YOU WRECKDRA <3
Timid nature, max speed, max special attack, four special defense
Hydro Pump / Surf
Spacial Rend
Fire Blast
Thunder Wave / Thunder
Role? Kyogre switchin (a job worthy of its own section to be honest), Wallbreaker, Status Spreader
What it does? It is obviously not surprising that, once again, Palkia is used a lot as a Kyogre switchin for its team. However, it also contributes with a fierce offensive presence, this time using its signature item, the Lustrous Orb, to power up its STAB Water and Dragon moves by 20%. Hydro Pump is the preferred option due to its higher base power, but Surf is a reasonable option as it is reliable, and still very powerful with Lustrous Orb. Spacial Rend is the second move boosted by Lustrous Orb, and is also very powerful as well as being reliable (95% is very reliable in my opinion). Fire Blast reduces Steel Types to molten slag, with its prime target being Ferrothorn - however, it also obliterates Scizor, gives Arceus-Steel a good working over, and allows Palkia to remain dangerous in all weather, rain or shine - it can spam Fire Blast in sun and Hydro Pump / Surf in rain all it likes. Lastly, Thunder Wave is the best option in the last slot, as it allows Palkia to ruin many switchins, means that Palkia can paralyze Geomancy Xerneas as it tries to set up then wave two fingers at it before switching out, and provides very useful speed control - it also works against Geomancy Xerneas when one is using Hydro Pump and is afraid to miss. Thunder can be situationally useful to hit Kyogre supereffectively, and one can also use the unchosen Water move or Draco Meteor in this slot, but these are usually not as useful and life-saving as Thunder Wave tends to be.
Good Teammates? Kyogre works very nicely, as it powers up Palkia’s Water moves to stupid levels. Specs Kyogre works quite nicely as Palkia can spread paralysis and allow Kyogre to blow pieces in the slowed-down opposing team without irritations. If Palkia does not do it itself with Hydro Pump, which it probably will to be honest, something to kill off a paralyzed Xerneas is useful. It is actually quite hard for something like Extremekiller Arceus to set up on Palkia, as Lustrous Hydro Pump can do upwards of 75% damage to uninvested Arceus. Teammates that appreciate Palkia’s ability to cockblock Kyogre and cripple things such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass, such as Zekrom, Swords Dance Rayquaza, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and the aforementioned Specs Kyogre, work well alongside Palkia. Lustrous Orb Palkia tends to fit well on bulky offensive teams and also Sticky Web teams as a powerful special attacker and Kyogre check, so make sure it is being used to the best of its ability, as balanced teams appreciate Toxic/Rest Palkia sets more, and Stall teams like having Specially Defensive Palkia on board.
What counters it? Blissey is the first one that comes to mind. Unlike many Palkia sets this generation, Palkia is not carrying Rest or Toxic, meaning that it cannot break Blissey without maximum hazard support (SR and 3 layers of Spikes). Specially defensive Xerneas, Sylveon, Clefable and Arceus-Fairy can stall out Hydro Pump if it is not raining (if it is, they all have to bank on it missing or they will be 2HKOed upon switchin), with Sylveon and Clefable being able to irritate Palkia further with Protect. The first three can also heal off Thunder Wave with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy, but it seriously limits Arceus-Fairy, as it can no longer outspeed Palkia and is subsequently in serious danger of being 2HKOed. Arceus-Grass can also deal with Palkia unless it is sunny and it gets caught by Fire Blast, but it is also greatly irritated by Thunder Wave. If Palkia leaves home without Thunder, specially defensive Kyogre can stall out Palkia unless it gets unlucky with Rest turns and / or Spacial Rend critical hits. Scarf Xerneas can surprise Palkia and revenge kill it, but cannot switch in safely at all due to getting murdered by Hydro Pump and the possibility of Thunder Wave. Zekrom can come in on Fire Blast, non-rain Hydro Pump (to an extent) and Thunder Wave (due to its immunity to paralysis) and can revenge kill Palkia with a Dragon move or Bolt Strike if Palkia is weakened.
Scarf Xerneas
Rash, 76 Atk, 248 SpAtk, 184 Speed
Moonblast
Megahorn
Rock Slide / Hidden Power Fire / Close Combat / Focus Blast
Sleep Talk / Thunder / Psyshock / Aromatherapy
Role: Revenge Killer, Cleaner, mixed attacker, lure (kindof)
What does it do? Scarf Xerneas is a very interesting Scarf user. It has several distinct advantages over Scarf users due to its typing and specialised movepool. In particular, it can serve as a check to both Mewtwo Evolutions, Darkrai, and non-Scarf Dragons, and can surprise all of these by outspeeding them, due to Scarf Xerneas not being very common. 76 Attack EVs allow Xerneas to OHKO standard Mega Mewtwo Y after Stealth Rock. 184 Speed allows Xerneas to outspeed +1 base 90s that also have a neutral nature, such as Kyogre and Zekrom. The rest goes into Special Attack to fuel Xerneas’s powerful Moonblast.
Move choices for Xerneas are very varied, with the only absolute requirement being Moonblast, and, albeit to a much lesser extent, Megahorn. Other moves have specific targets in mind; Rock Slide allows Xerneas to revenge kill, and, with prediction, lure in Ho-Oh and catch it on the switch, dealing heavy damage to it if not OHKOing it; Hidden Power Fire serves a similar purpose in being able to catch Scizor switchins, as well as doing significant and reliable damage to Ferrothorn. Close Combat and Focus Blast allows Xerneas to do a lot of damage to other Steel-Types, such as Arceus-Steel, with Close Combat also hitting the albeit uncommon Blissey; Thunder allows Xerneas to revenge kill Kyogre as well as doing a lot of damage to Ho-Oh and hitting Lugia supereffectively, and the 30% paralysis chance is always useful; Sleep Talk allows Xerneas to act as a good Darkrai check; lastly, Scarf Aromatherapy, whilst sounding stupid on paper, can actually work on offensive teams as a last ditch effort to bring teammembers back into the match (shoutouts to Joryn for turning me on to this idea, I tried it and it actually works very nicely indeed, kudos). An interesting set is Moonblast / Megahorn / Fighting move / Sleep Talk, which allows Xerneas to absorb Dark Void and deal heavy damage to Darkrai no matter which move is chosen - however, this is risky as vital coverage is lost, one’s Scarf user loses its reliability due to the dice rolls of Sleep Talk, and many Darkrai sets can get through Xerneas easily if Darkrai uses Thunder Wave or Sludge Bomb on the switch. Alternative EV spreads and/or natures can be run if desired, such as Naive, but Xerneas appreciates all the extra power it can get behind its Moonblast.
Good teammates? Xerneas can act as a blanket check to the following under certain conditions: non-Scarf Palkia, everything up to neutral nature Scarf Kyogre, everything up to neutral nature Scarf Zekrom, SD Rayquaza (if at full health), Darkrai, Yveltal, Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y. As such, teammates that benefit from these being gone appreciate Scarf Xerneas’s ability to surprise and OHKO many of these by outspeeding them. Xerneas’s ability to somewhat check Ho-Oh or catch it with good prediction is also helpful. Scarf Xerneas works quite nicely against both offensive and balanced teams, and the element of surprise can often be gamechanging if, for example, Darkrai stays in expectting to oustpeed and Dark Void, or if Zekrom tries to go for the kill with Bolt Strike.
What counters it: due to Xerneas getting locked in each time it uses a move, with correct prediction it can be easy to play around. Steel Types such as Scizor and Aegislash can come in easily on Moonblast, with the latter being able to come in on everything else as well, even Hidden Power Fire, and having a x4 resistance to Megahorn as well as an immunity to any Fighting moves; Klefki also works nicely, taking less than half from Hidden Power Fire. Blissey laughs at everything but Close Combat, but due to the lack of heavy Attack investment and STAB, even Close Combat is not too daunting for Blissey. Ho-Oh is amused by anything Xerneas does except Rock Slide. Defensive teams can deal with Xerneas relatively easily, and, with good prediction, can make it close to useless. Xerneas itself has to predict quite well if it wants to come in on the things it checks - it gets wrecked by Hydro Pump / Thunder Wave from Palkia, Bolt Strike from Zekrom, Sludge Bomb / Thunder Wave from Darkrai, and Oblivion Wing from Yveltal; it obviously cannot come in on Kyogre’s Water moves at all (lol, but what can apart from Palkia huehuehue), and still takes a lot of damage from Ice Beam or Thunder.
Rock Polish Groudon
Adamant Nature
132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe (gonna need to check this for LO number)
Life Orb / Lum Berry / Earth Plate
Earthquake
Stone Edge
Fire Punch / Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
Rock Polish
Role: Cleaner (I honestly think this is the best fit out of everything anyone has written so far for this category), bulky sweeper, erm......
What does it do? Rock Polish Groudon aims to set up a Rock Polish mid- to late-game, once the opposing team has been weakened, and sweep. Earthquake provides stupidly powerful STAB, doing upwards of 75% to common Ubers such as Palkia, Kyogre and Mewtwo with just a Life Orb boost. Stone Edge allows Groudon to drop ground-immune Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Lugia, and forms the ever potent and familiar EdgeQuake combo. The third moveslot is very negotiable; Fire Punch works very nicely with Drought, and can be used to punch (huehuehue) Steel-Types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Bronzong in the face, easily removing them from Groudon’s way, as well as killing Shaymin-S reliably - very importantly, Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch does almost 75% to Arceus-Grass, which can easily end Groudon’s rampage with Grass Knot. Dragon Claw allows Groudon to deal significant damage to Giratina-O, which would otherwise be extremely irritating due to Levitate - it also allows for slightly stronger hits on Ubers such as Giratina and Palkia, although the latter gets worked over by Life Orb Earthquake anyway. Lastly, Swords Dance means that Groudon can take on the role of a Double Dancer. Swords Dance usually works best alongside EdgeQuake coverage and a Lum Berry as a held item - by doing this, it is possible to break through checks by first Rock Polishing, then gaining a free Swords Dance as something like Arceus-Fairy or Giratina tries to burn you - they will be more inclined to burn Rock Polish sets than phaze, and most support Arceus that would either come in on Groudon, or that Groudon would stay in against, do not run Roar anyway - this way, with even a little prior damage, Groudon can boost to +2/+2 and 6-0 the opponent’s team from there - a wonderful bonus is that Klefki and Thundurus cannot use their *)(^(*&^&*(*()&&%%( cheapass Thunder Wave to halt Groudon’s sweep, and Groudon can in fact set up on the former. The EV spread allows Groudon to outspeed +Speed nature base 100s and below after a Rock Polish. Alternative EV spreads are 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe which allows Groudon to outspeed Scarf Terrakion (as uncommon as it might be). An interesting spread is Impish nature with 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 Spe, which works as an extremely physically bulky Double Dancer that can set up both boosts quite easily due to its absurd amount of bulk (credit to shrang for telling me this spread) - this also works nicely with Lum Berry. Finally, the choice of item depends on the moveset and also the preference of the player - Life Orb works nicest on Rock Polish + 3 Attacks, Lum Berry works best alongside Swords Dance and can also provide insurance against burn in particular. Earth Plate gives Groudon a cost-free 20% boost to its STAB Earthquake, but means that its coverage moves will not be nearly as powerful.
Good teammates? Powerful physical attackers work very nicely alongside Groudon to break physically bulky Pokemon on the opponent’s side so that Groudon can set up a Rock Polish and sweep lategame. Extremekiller Arceus is the most straightforward example, as it can set up and break holes in things such as Lugia, Giratina and Support Arceus so that Groudon can easily get past them late-game. Ho-Oh works very well too as it can wreak havoc under Groudon’s sunlight, as well as beating up Lugia, potentially burning it and definitely weakening it for Groudon - Ho-Oh can also beat the shit out of Landorus-Therian with sun-boosted Sacred Fire so that it does not irritate Groudon later on. Special attackers can also work well to generally beat up on the opponent’s team. Stealth Rock support is of course vital, as it means that Groudon can potentially break Lugia, as well as getting invaluable chip damage - Spikes also work very nicely - for example, with Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes, Groudon has a good chance to OHKO max HP Arceus-Grass with Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch - Deoxys-Speed works well in this regard as it fits nicely on the sorts of offensive teams that Rock Polish Groudon works well on. Cloyster gets an honourable mention for its ability to slap Lugia, Giratina and Giratina-Origin around, as well as fitting nicely on sun offense teams.
What counters it? As mentioned, Giratina is the singular best answer to Groudon, as physically defensive variants just do not care about Earthquake, and can take even +2 Earthquakes nicely, then Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail / Roar Groudon away. Support Arceus can burn Groudon. Arceus-Grass gets a special mention as well, due to its resistance to Earthquake and its ability to quickly dispose of Groudon with Grass Knot (the strength of Arceus-Water’s Judgment is cut in half by sun); however, Arceus-Grass takes huge damage from boosted Fire Punch and is terrified of one of Groudon’s most effective teammates, Ho-Oh. Giratina-O can take a Life Orb Dragon Claw after Stealth Rock damage and burn or phaze Groudon away. Skarmory utterly walls sets lacking Fire Punch, but will fall to said move. Physically defensive Kyogre can Scald Groudon, but will take - just - so - much - damage - from +2 Earthquake that if it doesn’t die, it will be useless afterwards. Sableye can burn non-Lum Berry Groudon with priority Will-O-Wisp, but woe betide it if it misses or if Groudon does have Lum Berry. Scarf Shaymin-S can outspeed all but nearly fully invested Jolly Groudon and blow it up with Seed Flare.
Note: an interesting core is Flame Charge Ho-Oh and Rock Polish Groudon - it pressures the opponent hugely as both are extremely dangerous when they become faster than things like Kyogre or Palkia. This does pretty much remove Swords Dance Arceus as a team option though, as Ho-Oh requires Arceus-quality Defog support to function to its full potential.
SubSeed Shaymin-S
252 Speed, 252 Special Attack, 4 Def
Seed Flare
Air Slash
Substitute
Leech Seed
Role: Piece of shit annoyer, stallbreaker (to an extent), sweeper
What it does: this particular Shaymin-Sky aims to take what Shaymin-Sky does best - making the opponent snap their keyboard in half - and adapt it to take a more self-sustaining approach. Substitute + Leech Seed is a classic combination that allows Shaymin to simultaneously shield itself from status, revenge killing, and also allow it to regain a tremendous amount of health back. Air Slash works very well with this as, due to its overall 57.5% flinch rate, the opponent is more often than not stopped from moving for a turn, allowing for Leech Seed and Leftovers recovery on Shaymin’s side, as well as sustaining damage due to Air Slash. Seed Flare also takes advantage of Skaymin-Sky’s Serene Grace ability with an overall 68% chance to drop the opponent’s Special Defense by two stages, essentially cutting it in half. This, combined with Air Slash, Leech Seed and potential hazards, makes Shaymin very difficult and extremely irritating to deal with. Full speed investment allows Shaymin to outspeed Arceus and Darkrai, whilst maximum Special Attack means that Seed Flare and Air Slash pack a nice punch even without a boosting item. 4 Defense means that Genesect cannot U-Turn off Shaymin with +1 Attack, and Ice Beam KOes Shaymin with or without +1 Special Attack from Download - Genesect also does not get a +1 Extremespeed to use against Shaymin.
Good teammates: Anything that appreciates Shaymin’s ability to reliably and competently wear away at opposing Pokemon works well alongside Shaymin. Palkia and Kyogre appreciate Shaymin’s ability to screw with Arceus-Grass and, to a lesser extent, Arceus-Water - Shaymin’s Fire weakness is also reduced by Drizzle. Blissey can also be dealt with by Shaymin, between Leech Seed, Seed Flare and repeated flinching. Groudon also works nicely with Shaymin, as Groudon can scare away Steel-Types with Earthquake and / or Fire Punch - Groudon can also set down Stealth Rock to wear down the opponent’s team even more and make them pay a price for their switching. Dialga can set Stealth Rock, spread Toxic or Thunder Wave, and has good synergy with Shaymin.
Interestingly, SubSeed Shaymin can work well with 2 different types of status support - paralysis and poison. With paralysis support such as Thunder Wave from its teammates, Shaymin can outspeed everything save for Scark Zekrom and spam Air Slash, Substitute and Leech Seed whilst the opponent loses turns due to either flinches or full paralysis. Poison works in another way - Shaymin can use flinches, Leech Seed and potential switches due to Seed Flare drops to wear away at the opponent’s team with Toxic poison. Toxic Spikes work nicely in this regard as any grounded Pokemon coming in on Shaymin will be poisoned by them, meaning that it is easier for Shaymin to enter the field and do its thing. Tentacruel has good synergy with Shaymin-S, can lay down Toxic Spikes, burn Steel-Types and Spin away Stealth Rock.
What counters it: If Stealth Rock is not up, Ho-Oh can abuse Regenerator and its huge special bulk to switch into Shaymin repeatedly, burning Leech Seed, Air Slash and Substitute PP - however, if Ho-Oh gets flinched repeatedly and the Shaymin user times their use of Substitute well, even Ho-Oh can be worn down. Prankster users get a special mention as they can Taunt Shaymin, and, much worse, can either Thunder Wave her or Toxic her before she can throw up a Substitute. Scarf Zekrom can switch in on Shaymin fairly well and threaten with Bolt Strike or break Shaymin’s Substitutes with Volt Switch. Extremespeed Arceus can evade flinches and can do heavy damage to Shaymin before it can move. Scizor can come in on Seed Flare due to its x4 resistance and can Bullet Punch Shaymin, avoiding flinches in the process - however, if Seed Flare cuts Scizor’s already less-than-stellar Special Defense in half, Shaymin can do a stupid amount of damage with Air Slash. Yveltal can Sucker Punch Shaymin and Taunt her as well, but can get played if it predicts wrong - it doesn’t appreciate getting flinched at all, and doesn’t appreciate trying to Sucker Punch on a Leech Seed either. Oblivion Wing is supereffective however, so Yveltal can put heavy pressure on Shaymin. Skarmory resists both STAB moves but can be stalled out through special defense drops, Leech Seed and flinches. Finally, Shaymin must be careful when it comes in, as it can be caught by Toxic or Thunder Wave and be made useless.
CM Arceus-Fairy
Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
Timid Nature
248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh / Psyshock / Earth Power
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, bulky sweeper, sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Fairy aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Fairy has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set - however, Psyshock helps Arceus-Fairy against Gengar and Ho-Oh, and is more than usable; it also helps against opposing Calm Mind Arceus and deals supereffective damage to Poison-Types in general, particularly Arceus-Poison (you can give Arceus-Poison a nasty suprise if it decides to go for Calm Mind alongside you); lastly, Earth Power works well against opposing Steel-Types and Poison-Types, especially Heatran. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away, and can potentially get hit in the face by Psyshock. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment alongside more coverage, but it is inferior due to the abundance of Toxic and the huge loss of bulk.
Friends in high places: things to handle Steel-Types are very nice indeed. Luring out Ferrothorn with Palkia and Fire Blasting it works very nicely. Burning Scizor and Aegislash also works nicely as they can be set up on when burned. Palkia can also bully Heatran very well. Kyogre can burn Ferrothorn with Scald, as well as wiping the floor with any other Steel-Type. Setting up Stealth Rock for Ho-Oh is vital as, without it, Ho-Oh can bully Arceus-Fairy easily. Luring in Scizor and Ferrothorn and dispatching them with Fire moves such as Xerneas’s Hidden Power Fire works very nicely. Burning common Geomancy Xerneas checks actually turns them into setup bait (kudos Steeljackal<3, i tried it and it works gloriously).
What counters it: Arceus-Fairy is severely irritated by Ferrothorn, which resists Judgment and can poison and Leech Seed Arceus-Fairy as well as Gyro Balling it repeatedly. which is not uncommon on stall and balance builds. Heatran has a quadruple resistance to Judgment, can Roar Arceus-Fairy away, Toxic it and Taunt it (if you run Earth Power, however, Heatran dies). Scizor and Aegislash both resist Judgment and can deal supereffective damage back. Calm Mind Arceus-Poison wipes the floor with Arceus-Fairy that don’t carry Ground or Psychic coverage. Mega Gengar can Taunt Arceus-Fairy, beat up on it with Sludge Bomb or Sludge Wave, or Destiny Bond it away - however, if Arceus-Fairy is running enough Speed, has Psyshock (or Earth Power), and Gengar has not yet Mega Evolved, Gengar can lose. Specially Defensive Kyogre can Roar Arceus-Fairy away if it doesn’t have many Calm Mind boosts. Sets lacking Refresh lose to Toxic.
Additional Notes: Arceus-Fairy can also perform traditional Arceus roles, as it can check Palkia and Yveltal very nicely indeed, as well as absorbing Dragon moves for its team.
CM Arceus-Steel
Arceus-Steel @ Iron Plate
Timid Nature
248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Will-O-Wisp / Roar / Thunder
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, bulky sweeper, sweeper
What it does: Calm Mind Arceus-Steel aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep mid- to late-game. Steel is a nice defensive typing, that, whilst not being so good offensively, has no immunities and has nice supereffective coverage on Fairy-Types. Arceus-Steel works well as a Calm Mind user due to its immunity to the ubiquitous Toxic, which means that it does not need to run Refresh to protect itself from said move. This opens up a moveslot, which can be filled by various things; Will-O-Wisp allows Arceus to cripple physical attackers such as Landorus-Therian and Groudon that could otherwise do heavy damage with Earthquake - it works nicely alongside Calm Mind to make Arceus-Steel almost unbreakable. Roar allows Arceus-Steel to thwart anything that tries to set up alongside it, and also helps against things that try to phaze Arceus-Steel away by phazing them out first - specially defensive Kyogre is a good example of something that could otherwise easily handle Arceus-Steel. Lastly, coverage moves work quite nicely to hit specific targets - Thunder is the best as it hits Ho-Oh, but Earth Power works well too as it can hit Heatran and Dialga supereffectively. You could also use Defog or Stone Edge in this slot if you really wanted to, although this isn’t really the best idea.
Friends in high places: Kill. Ho-Oh. Set up Stealth Rock and weaken it, as it can come in on Arceus-Steel with impunity if Arceus is not running coverage (which STILL doesn’t do much without several boosts), and can beat Arceus-Steel into submission with Sacred Fire. Therefore, Gliscor and Landorus-Therian work well due to their ability to set up Stealth Rock and check Ho-Oh and Ground-Types in general if Arceus leaves home without Will-O-Wisp. Kyogre and Palkia work well as they can walk all over Heatran as well as being able to punch Ho-Oh in the face and drown Ground-Types such as Groudon. Kyogre also summons rain to douse Arceus’s Fire weakness and increase the accuracy of potential Thunders.
What counters it: Without coverage, Arceus-Steel is very weak to several different things. Without Thunder, Ho-Oh wipes the floor with Arceus. Without Earth Power, Heatran can do the same. Specially defensive Kyogre can easily get rid of Arceus-Steel without Roar. Strong Earthquake users can beat Arceus-Steel without Will-O-Wisp, with Arceus-Ground being able to set up easily. Arceus formes with a type advantage, such as Water, Electric and Fire can set up and win a Calm Mind war relatively easily.
Notes: standard 176 Speed to beat unevolved Gengar is used here, more or less speed can be run if desired; 96+ outruns Palkia, and max sp
Mewtwo @ Leftovers
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Taunt
Role: Stallbreaker, Support
What it does: This Mewtwo set aims to break opposing stall teams as well as support your own team. With taunt Mewtwo can stop walls from using recovery and status healing moves wich will help taking them down. Will-O-Wisp allows Stalltwo to cripple physical attackers as well as dealing residual damage, recover gives it great longevity. Unnerve is the chosen ability as it lets Mewtwo check threats like lum berry E-Killer and double dance Groudon, and finally psystrike is Mewtwo's preferred stab dealing solid damage to almost anything that doesnt resist it or isn't immune to it.
Good Teammates: There are several pokemon that will partner well with this mewtwo set, such as specially defensive Kyogre wich can help to deal with arceus ghost, Darkrai and Yveltal wich will give mewtwo a lot of trouble. Defensive Xerneas is another very good teammate as it helps mewtwo vs dark types like Arceus-Dark and Yveltal as well as healing it's status with Aromatherapy. Yveltal and Ho-oh are also good teammates for it since one can handle ghost types and the other can help with providing a very good special defense and the ability to check Genesect. Lastly Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar can also help Mewtwo by handling Ho-oh and Yveltal.
What Counters It: The biggest counters to Stalltwo are Dark types, such as offensive Yveltal since the defensive set will just get burned and taunted thus making foul play do little damage. As for the offensive set Mewtwo can only hope to burn it on a switch in and then switch to a counter or check to it. Another problem for this set is darkrai, since again mewtwo can only burn or taunt it on a switch in. A third big threat to Mewtwo is Arceus-Dark, because all mewtwo can do is once again burn it or taunt it predicting a Recover or Calm Mind and Arceus can just fire off powerful Judgments. Another problem for Stalltwo is Ho-oh, if Stealth Rock isn't up it can freely switch in on mewtwo as it doesn't really care for any of mewtwo's moves since an uninvested psystrike won't be enough to two hit KO it and Ho-oh will be able to use a powerful Brave Bird, or get a Sacred Fire burn to cripple mewtwo. And lastly, Heatran is also a good counter for Stalltwo since it can't do anything other than use weak Psystrikes or taunt it as Heatran can just use repeated Lava Plumes to weaken and possibly burn Mewtwo.
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Digital Sound
I COULD BE BANNED!
Dialga @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast / Roar
Role: Special Wall, Hazard User
What it does: Dialga is great at full-filling its duty by setting up hazard and providing support for the entire team. Dialga can take advantage of how bulky it is and can come right in on threats such as Palkia and Shaymin-S it is also a good check to Kyogre. Draco Meteor is one of Dialga's strongest attacking move and STAB dealing quite a lot of damage to opponents. Toxic is for crippling threats that comes in and try to ruin Dialga's day by defogging, especially Arceus support forms. Fire Blast is great coverage against Steel types that otherwise would wall you, Roar could also be used in the final slot to rack up residual damage once you've set up Stealth Rock and phazing things that would want to try and set up on Dialga.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that is immune to opposing Ground type moves and Fighting are outstanding partners for Dialga, therefore Pokemons like Landorus-Therian, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, and finally Shaymin-Sky are wonderful teammates for their excellent synergies with Dialga. Things that can deal with Blaziken or Mega Blaziken, Deoxys-Attack Form, and Mega-Mewtwo X which OHKO Dialga with Low Kick are great partners.
What counters it: As I mentioned before, Blaziken or Mega Blaziken, Deoxys-Attack Form, Mega-Mewtwo X can completely demolish Dialga with Low Kick. Faster variants of Groudon can also OHKO Dialga with STAB Earthquake and other Ground type Pokemons like Landorus-Therian, Excadrill, and Arceus-Ground can use their STAB Moves to get rid of Dialga once and for all. Stalltwo Y can also deal with Dialga with the combination of Taunt and Will-O-Wisp prevents it from setting up Stealth Rock and cripple StallTwo Y with Toxic.
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The Archive:
By iampie:
Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Encore
- Sticky Web
- Toxic
- Rock Tomb
Role: Hazard User, Support
What it does: This doesn't really counter anything, its main job is to set Sticky Webs for web teams. Sticky Web is a hazard that's like spikes as flyers/levitators aren't affected by it, what this hazard does is it gives the opponents Pokémon -1 speed. Its a very specific role, it wouldn't and shouldn't be used for any other reason, but is great at what it does. This is mainly because it has sturdy so it doesn't have to carry a focus sash, this means that it has the ability to hold mental herb so its not vulnerable to taunt. It can also support the team by using encore to get setup opportunities for frail sweepers like Lucario (which also does very good with web support).
Good Teammates: Some good teammates for this Pokémon are things that can really take advantage of Sticky Web, basically meaning things that hit really hard but can't really outspeed much, or things that would be able to sweep, but just aren't fast enough to pull one off. Some good examples are Specs Kyogre, Choice Band Ho-oh, SD Mega-Lucario, and SD Arceus-Ground. Other things that make good teammates for it are things that can set up on encored opponents and also taunt users because they prevent defog users from defogging so Shuckles webs can stay up for the wallbreakers mentioned before can have a field day. One thing in particular that makes a really good partner for Shuckle is Mega-Tyranitar because it beats things that float above the webs set by Shuckle e.g. Yveltal, Ho-oh, Giratina-O, and Raquaza(somewhat) with its gigantic defense and special defense stats as well as providing sand support to boost Shuckles Sp. Def stat even further. Not only this, but Mega-Tyranitar also taunts defoggers and sets stealth rocks for the team. Shuckle helps Tyranitar out by giving it sticky web so that with max speed and a positive nature, TTar can outspeed base 130s which is a huge plus because a lot of those ones are weak to dark, one of Tyranitar's STABs.
What counters it: Not much stuff really beats this set because its only real job is to set Sticky Web and its so good at what it does because it can't be OHKOed or taunted the first turn and that's really all it should be used for. The only things that can anti-lead it are Jirachi (using flinches) and Darkrai which puts you to sleep. Some things that can bring it down to sturdy in one hit limiting its support capabilities are Kyogre and Lustrous Orb Palkia.
Additional Info: I would just like to make it very clear (I know I've said it before) that this Pokémon SHOULD NOT be used for anything but Sticky Web as there are much better Pokémon for supporting roles.
By Aquasition:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
-Spikes
-Play Rough
-Toxic
-Thunder Wave
Role: Support, Special Wall, Hazard User, Geoxern Stopper
What it Does: What Klefki does here is to support the team by laying down Spikes and Status Effects, Screw Xerneas over with a mix of play rough(for subs) and T-wave, sponge special attacks from the like of Yveltal, thanks to prankster, it can easily throw one status move before being taunted, and can play rough Yveltal and MMX to death.
Good Comrades: Lando-T can set up SR, is immune to ground, handles Ho-oh and blaze better than Klefki does, and appreciates the T-waves Klefki can bring. Other pokes that love having their checks and counters*cough*Xerneas*cough* para'd or Toxic'd will also appreciate, like Palkia and most steels. Speaking of Palkia, it can switch into fire-type moves for Klefki, and attempt to remove said fire-types via Surf.
What counters it: Ground types can switch into anything bar Toxic, and take it out. Fire-Types are in a similar boat, but they won't like T-wave either. Supportceus can out-damage klefki, status it if possible, and defog hazards, but they mostly don't like Toxic or T-wave. The best stopper to Klefki, rare as it seems, is Excadrill, who can't be status'd by Klefki, can easily EQ it dead, and can even Spin off all the hazards.
By canman98:
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Moonblast
-Roar / Aromatherapy
Role: Support, Special Wall, Cleric (With Aromatherapy of course)
What It Does: This Xerneas variant can check quite a few of Uber's heavy hitters, most of them being Dragons. Other than that, Xerneas can also hard check/counter Darkrai, Yveltal, and most Palkia variants, and is a solid sleep absorber. Luckily, Xerneas isn't a pushover with Fairy Aura Moonblast being pretty good in the damage-dealing department. Sleep Talk allows Xerneas to either hit hard or phaze, and can let it defeat Darkrai even after being Dark Voided. Aromatherapy is a great alternative to Roar as it not only relieves the team of status, but it can also wake up Xerneas from Rest a turn early. Relatively speaking, this variant of Xerneas works best on stall or balanced team archetypes.
Friends In High Places: Xerneas in this case doesn't need to much support from its team since it's helping the team in the first place, but the best thing Xerneas can ask for is a solid answer to Mega Gengar, which still trolls anything in its path. Pursuit users like Scizor and Tyranitar work best in order to pressure Mega Gengar, though a swift HP Fire or Focus Blast respectively could spell their doom. Offensive soft checks like Deoxys-A, Giratina-O, and Ghost Arceus also work well in order to keep Mega Gengar at bay.
What Counters It: MEGA GENGAR ALERT. Mega Gengar is pretty much one of the few things that immediately threaten this type of Xerneas with all those Taunts and DBonds and whatnot. Most defensive walls that try to out-stall Xerneas usually end in a stalemate or getting phazed out by Roar. Mega Lucario can OHKO with Iron Tail, and Choice Specs Kyogre will leave a giant dent in it.
By LustrousPalkia:
Darkrai @ Life Orb
Ability: Bad Dreams
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb
- Dark Void
- Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt
Role: Lure, Special Sweeper, Support
What it does: This Darkrai set is slightly different in that it aims to lure out its checks and counters. After putting something to sleep with Dark Void, many of Darkrai's checks, such as Scarf Xerneas, Scarf Kyogre and Scarf Genesect, are switched into Darkrai in order to kill it. However, this Darkrai is tailored to ruin said checks and counters with Thunder Wave. With careful use of Dark Void, it is possible to cripple the opponent's sleep absorber as well as their secondary Darkrai check. For example, the opponent switches in specially defensive Kyogre to take the Dark Void, then switches to Scarf Genesect to U-turn off of Darkrai. With Thunder Wave, Darkrai can now cripple the Genesect switchin. Other moves of interest are Will-O-Wisp, which allows Darkrai to cripple Scarf Zekrom and Scarf Genesect, and Taunt, which allows it to shut down Sleep Talk users such as Choice Band Ho-Oh, specially defensive Xerneas or specially defensive Kyogre. Will-O-Wisp and Taunt are also useful moves to screw up potential switchins, although Thunder Wave is probably the best, as it also allows it to cripple Geomancy Xerneas that tries to set up after Dark Void has been used.
Friends of this set: Xerneas can lure out things for Darkrai to switch in on, such as Lugia and Aegislash, and can also Rock Slide Ho-Oh. It also deals with Yveltal and Tyranitar, which wall this Darkrai set reasonably well. A solid Ground-Type is useful as it can set up Stealth Rock for Darkrai to get some much needed 2HKOes, as well as being able to absorb hits from Zekrom, which terrorizes this set if Scarfed, due to Zekrom's new-found immunity to paralysis and its not uncommon tendency to run Sleep Talk. Palkia works well against Scarf Kyogre, and can also Thunder Wave its way through the opposing team, leading to easier sweeps for its and Darkrai's teammates, as well as being able to check Ho-Oh, which is a solid switchin to Darkrai otherwise.
What counters it: potential counters can be put to sleep if Sleep Clause is not active, so one must be careful about what Darkrai puts to sleep with Dark Void. Specially defensive Fairy-Types do wel against Darkrai, but take pretty heavy damage from Sludge Bomb, which can 2HKO all of them if it poisons them and Stealth Rock is on the field. Faster Pokemon must beware of this set, as they can easily be crippled by Thunder Wave. RestTalk Xerneas can be stopped by Taunt if Darkrai runs it too. Scarf Zekrom works very nicely against Darkrai due to its ability to absorb Thunder Wave and also run Sleep Talk to take Dark Void - however, Will-o-Wisp, whilst uncommon, absolutely ruins Darkrai. Scarf Terrakion can absorb Dark Void but is ruined by Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp. The best switchin to Darkrai after Sleep Clause is activated is Arceus-Fighting, which is not worried about Dark Pulse or Sludge Bomb and can retaliate with Judgment. It dislikes Thunder Wave though.
By WreckDra:
Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
Role: Heavy Support
What it does: Meet one of the two most broken Pokemon to ever enter the Ubers Metagame. This thing is a savage in its own right due to its ability to specifically target and trap a certain pokemon with Shadow Tag, and take it out with its attacking moves or Destiny Bond. It is unrivaled at this and can bring down so many keystones in the Ubers metagame that it will more than likely always make, even the most well built of teams extremely susceptible to a late game sweep. Its moveset can also be tailored to trap and KO specific threats while ensureing it can Destiny Bond something else. If you are having issues with Scizor or Skarmory, run HP Fire. If you are having similar issues with Landorus-T, Gliscor, or Rayquaza, run Icy Wind. There are so many threats this pokemon can be tailored to snipe it's rediculous and it is also the reason why it is the unrivaled best support mon in the meta right now.
Good Teammates: Being the very best support Pokemon means you need to have something to support. Powerful sweepers, such as Swords Dance and Calm Mind Arceus formes and Geomancy Xerneas, pair best with Mega Gengar since their checks are usually limited to one team member. Yveltal is an exceptionally good teammate since it draws in bulky Fairy-types like a magnet and can U-Turn as they switch in in order to get Gengar in to snipe them. Yveltal then has little trouble putting in massive amounts of work towards opponents teams once these Fairies are gone. U-Turn and Volt Switch (Scizor, Yveltal, Zekrom, Forretress ect) users make full use Gengar's ability to trap due to the switch initiative these moves provide.
What counters it: Not much can stop Gengar from trapping what it needs to other than careful play and good luck. Mega Gengar forces more 50:50 predictions than any other pokemon so even these two may not be enough to stop it from doing its job. Thankfully, it is weak to Pursuit. This means that Pursuit Aegislash and Chople Berry Tyranitar both do a fairly good job of removing Gengar, but it is hard to get them in on Gengar before it traps and KOes what it needs to unless you are using ludicrous amounts of Volt-Turn. Once Gengar has KOed a Pokemon though, it can be easily checked by Choice Scarfed Powerhouses like Zekrom and Kyogre. Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Gengar and can KO it with Psystrike before it can do anything also. Priotity Thunder Wave users that Gengar make gengar infinitely easier to revenge KO.
By Minority Suspect:
Victini @ Flame Plate
Ability: Victory Star
248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Brave Nature
0 Speed IVs
- Trick Room
- Blue Flare / U-Turn
- Bolt Strike
- V-Create
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Support
What it Does: Checks Geomancy, and basically all Xerneas. The combination of V-Create speed drops with Trick Room makes Victini a frightening cleaner due to V-Create's absurd power (486 BP in sun). It has decent typing which allows it to check top tier threats such as Mewtwo while it can clean many other threats such as Kyogre if TR is up and they have any chip damage. Unlike many physical attackers this set can blast through foes such as Groudon and Landorus-T. U-Turn can be used if TR is about to run out or if Victini doesn't want to take an attack from something it can't finish after several defense drops from V-Create. Mega Gengar is fucked if Trick Room is up while even if it isn't U-Turn can be used to escape. Victory Star makes Bolt Strike and Blue Flare actually useable while V-Create is assured to hit. Victini is also an asset for TR teams in general.
Good Teammates: Sun support is very nice but not necessarily mandatory. Rapid Spin and Defog support is also nice since Victini is SR weak and doesn't like Spikes and T-Spikes either. Stuff that gets good chip damage such as Scarfers (more specifically stuff like Zekrom that enjoys how Victini owns Faries, Grounds, and Ferrothorn) and they make many of Victini's 2HKOs, OHKOs. Mons that abuse Trick Room. Dark types are useful for messing with Arceus-Ghost and Giratina.
What Counters It: Kyogre if TR is not up and bulky variants if they have no chip damage. Physically Bulky Arceus-Ghost and Giratina can be quite annoying since they can deal pretty good damage back while Victini can't OHKO. Quagsire can deal solid damage with Scald or Earthquake while it's immune to Bolt Strike and resists Victini's STAB. Yveltal and Mega Kahn can be irritating with Sucker Punch.
By: LustrousPalkia
Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Se
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Fire Blast
- Thunder Wave / Thunder
Role: Bulky Attacker / Tank, Wall Breaker, Support
What it does: It is obviously not surprising that, once again, Palkia is used a lot as a Kyogre switchin for its team. However, it also contributes with a fierce offensive presence, this time using its signature item, the Lustrous Orb, to power up its STAB Water and Dragon moves by 20%. Hydro Pump is the preferred option due to its higher base power, but Surf is a reasonable option as it is reliable, and still very powerful with Lustrous Orb. Spacial Rend is the second move boosted by Lustrous Orb, and is also very powerful as well as being reliable (95% is very reliable in my opinion). Fire Blast reduces Steel Types to molten slag, with its prime target being Ferrothorn - however, it also obliterates Scizor, gives Arceus-Steel a good working over, and allows Palkia to remain dangerous in all weather, rain or shine - it can spam Fire Blast in sun and Hydro Pump / Surf in rain all it likes. Lastly, Thunder Wave is the best option in the last slot, as it allows Palkia to ruin many switchins, means that Palkia can paralyze Geomancy Xerneas as it tries to set up then wave two fingers at it before switching out, and provides very useful speed control - it also works against Geomancy Xerneas when one is using Hydro Pump and is afraid to miss. Thunder can be situationally useful to hit Kyogre supereffectively, and one can also use the unchosen Water move or Draco Meteor in this slot, but these are usually not as useful and life-saving as Thunder Wave tends to be.
Good Teammates: Kyogre works very nicely, as it powers up Palkia’s Water moves to stupid levels. Specs Kyogre works quite nicely as Palkia can spread paralysis and allow Kyogre to blow pieces in the slowed-down opposing team without irritations. If Palkia does not do it itself with Hydro Pump, which it probably will to be honest, something to kill off a paralyzed Xerneas is useful. It is actually quite hard for something like Extremekiller Arceus to set up on Palkia, as Lustrous Hydro Pump can do upwards of 75% damage to uninvested Arceus. Teammates that appreciate Palkia’s ability to cockblock Kyogre and cripple things such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass, such as Zekrom, Swords Dance Rayquaza, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and the aforementioned Specs Kyogre, work well alongside Palkia. Lustrous Orb Palkia tends to fit well on bulky offensive teams and also Sticky Web teams as a powerful special attacker and Kyogre check, so make sure it is being used to the best of its ability, as balanced teams appreciate Toxic/Rest Palkia sets more, and Stall teams like having Specially Defensive Palkia on board.
What counters it: Blissey is the first one that comes to mind. Unlike many Palkia sets this generation, Palkia is not carrying Rest or Toxic, meaning that it cannot break Blissey without maximum hazard support (SR and 3 layers of Spikes). Specially defensive Xerneas, Sylveon, Clefable and Arceus-Fairy can stall out Hydro Pump if it is not raining (if it is, they all have to bank on it missing or they will be 2HKOed upon switchin), with Sylveon and Clefable being able to irritate Palkia further with Protect. The first three can also heal off Thunder Wave with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy, but it seriously limits Arceus-Fairy, as it can no longer outspeed Palkia and is subsequently in serious danger of being 2HKOed. Arceus-Grass can also deal with Palkia unless it is sunny and it gets caught by Fire Blast, but it is also greatly irritated by Thunder Wave. If Palkia leaves home without Thunder, specially defensive Kyogre can stall out Palkia unless it gets unlucky with Rest turns and / or Spacial Rend critical hits. Scarf Xerneas can surprise Palkia and revenge kill it, but cannot switch in safely at all due to getting murdered by Hydro Pump and the possibility of Thunder Wave. Zekrom can come in on Fire Blast, non-rain Hydro Pump (to an extent) and Thunder Wave (due to its immunity to paralysis) and can revenge kill Palkia with a Dragon move or Bolt Strike if Palkia is weakened.
Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Encore
- Sticky Web
- Toxic
- Rock Tomb
Role: Hazard User, Support
What it does: This doesn't really counter anything, its main job is to set Sticky Webs for web teams. Sticky Web is a hazard that's like spikes as flyers/levitators aren't affected by it, what this hazard does is it gives the opponents Pokémon -1 speed. Its a very specific role, it wouldn't and shouldn't be used for any other reason, but is great at what it does. This is mainly because it has sturdy so it doesn't have to carry a focus sash, this means that it has the ability to hold mental herb so its not vulnerable to taunt. It can also support the team by using encore to get setup opportunities for frail sweepers like Lucario (which also does very good with web support).
Good Teammates: Some good teammates for this Pokémon are things that can really take advantage of Sticky Web, basically meaning things that hit really hard but can't really outspeed much, or things that would be able to sweep, but just aren't fast enough to pull one off. Some good examples are Specs Kyogre, Choice Band Ho-oh, SD Mega-Lucario, and SD Arceus-Ground. Other things that make good teammates for it are things that can set up on encored opponents and also taunt users because they prevent defog users from defogging so Shuckles webs can stay up for the wallbreakers mentioned before can have a field day. One thing in particular that makes a really good partner for Shuckle is Mega-Tyranitar because it beats things that float above the webs set by Shuckle e.g. Yveltal, Ho-oh, Giratina-O, and Raquaza(somewhat) with its gigantic defense and special defense stats as well as providing sand support to boost Shuckles Sp. Def stat even further. Not only this, but Mega-Tyranitar also taunts defoggers and sets stealth rocks for the team. Shuckle helps Tyranitar out by giving it sticky web so that with max speed and a positive nature, TTar can outspeed base 130s which is a huge plus because a lot of those ones are weak to dark, one of Tyranitar's STABs.
What counters it: Not much stuff really beats this set because its only real job is to set Sticky Web and its so good at what it does because it can't be OHKOed or taunted the first turn and that's really all it should be used for. The only things that can anti-lead it are Jirachi (using flinches) and Darkrai which puts you to sleep. Some things that can bring it down to sturdy in one hit limiting its support capabilities are Kyogre and Lustrous Orb Palkia.
Additional Info: I would just like to make it very clear (I know I've said it before) that this Pokémon SHOULD NOT be used for anything but Sticky Web as there are much better Pokémon for supporting roles.
By Aquasition:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
-Spikes
-Play Rough
-Toxic
-Thunder Wave
Role: Support, Special Wall, Hazard User, Geoxern Stopper
What it Does: What Klefki does here is to support the team by laying down Spikes and Status Effects, Screw Xerneas over with a mix of play rough(for subs) and T-wave, sponge special attacks from the like of Yveltal, thanks to prankster, it can easily throw one status move before being taunted, and can play rough Yveltal and MMX to death.
Good Comrades: Lando-T can set up SR, is immune to ground, handles Ho-oh and blaze better than Klefki does, and appreciates the T-waves Klefki can bring. Other pokes that love having their checks and counters*cough*Xerneas*cough* para'd or Toxic'd will also appreciate, like Palkia and most steels. Speaking of Palkia, it can switch into fire-type moves for Klefki, and attempt to remove said fire-types via Surf.
What counters it: Ground types can switch into anything bar Toxic, and take it out. Fire-Types are in a similar boat, but they won't like T-wave either. Supportceus can out-damage klefki, status it if possible, and defog hazards, but they mostly don't like Toxic or T-wave. The best stopper to Klefki, rare as it seems, is Excadrill, who can't be status'd by Klefki, can easily EQ it dead, and can even Spin off all the hazards.
By canman98:
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Moonblast
-Roar / Aromatherapy
Role: Support, Special Wall, Cleric (With Aromatherapy of course)
What It Does: This Xerneas variant can check quite a few of Uber's heavy hitters, most of them being Dragons. Other than that, Xerneas can also hard check/counter Darkrai, Yveltal, and most Palkia variants, and is a solid sleep absorber. Luckily, Xerneas isn't a pushover with Fairy Aura Moonblast being pretty good in the damage-dealing department. Sleep Talk allows Xerneas to either hit hard or phaze, and can let it defeat Darkrai even after being Dark Voided. Aromatherapy is a great alternative to Roar as it not only relieves the team of status, but it can also wake up Xerneas from Rest a turn early. Relatively speaking, this variant of Xerneas works best on stall or balanced team archetypes.
Friends In High Places: Xerneas in this case doesn't need to much support from its team since it's helping the team in the first place, but the best thing Xerneas can ask for is a solid answer to Mega Gengar, which still trolls anything in its path. Pursuit users like Scizor and Tyranitar work best in order to pressure Mega Gengar, though a swift HP Fire or Focus Blast respectively could spell their doom. Offensive soft checks like Deoxys-A, Giratina-O, and Ghost Arceus also work well in order to keep Mega Gengar at bay.
What Counters It: MEGA GENGAR ALERT. Mega Gengar is pretty much one of the few things that immediately threaten this type of Xerneas with all those Taunts and DBonds and whatnot. Most defensive walls that try to out-stall Xerneas usually end in a stalemate or getting phazed out by Roar. Mega Lucario can OHKO with Iron Tail, and Choice Specs Kyogre will leave a giant dent in it.
By LustrousPalkia:
Darkrai @ Life Orb
Ability: Bad Dreams
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb
- Dark Void
- Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt
Role: Lure, Special Sweeper, Support
What it does: This Darkrai set is slightly different in that it aims to lure out its checks and counters. After putting something to sleep with Dark Void, many of Darkrai's checks, such as Scarf Xerneas, Scarf Kyogre and Scarf Genesect, are switched into Darkrai in order to kill it. However, this Darkrai is tailored to ruin said checks and counters with Thunder Wave. With careful use of Dark Void, it is possible to cripple the opponent's sleep absorber as well as their secondary Darkrai check. For example, the opponent switches in specially defensive Kyogre to take the Dark Void, then switches to Scarf Genesect to U-turn off of Darkrai. With Thunder Wave, Darkrai can now cripple the Genesect switchin. Other moves of interest are Will-O-Wisp, which allows Darkrai to cripple Scarf Zekrom and Scarf Genesect, and Taunt, which allows it to shut down Sleep Talk users such as Choice Band Ho-Oh, specially defensive Xerneas or specially defensive Kyogre. Will-O-Wisp and Taunt are also useful moves to screw up potential switchins, although Thunder Wave is probably the best, as it also allows it to cripple Geomancy Xerneas that tries to set up after Dark Void has been used.
Friends of this set: Xerneas can lure out things for Darkrai to switch in on, such as Lugia and Aegislash, and can also Rock Slide Ho-Oh. It also deals with Yveltal and Tyranitar, which wall this Darkrai set reasonably well. A solid Ground-Type is useful as it can set up Stealth Rock for Darkrai to get some much needed 2HKOes, as well as being able to absorb hits from Zekrom, which terrorizes this set if Scarfed, due to Zekrom's new-found immunity to paralysis and its not uncommon tendency to run Sleep Talk. Palkia works well against Scarf Kyogre, and can also Thunder Wave its way through the opposing team, leading to easier sweeps for its and Darkrai's teammates, as well as being able to check Ho-Oh, which is a solid switchin to Darkrai otherwise.
What counters it: potential counters can be put to sleep if Sleep Clause is not active, so one must be careful about what Darkrai puts to sleep with Dark Void. Specially defensive Fairy-Types do wel against Darkrai, but take pretty heavy damage from Sludge Bomb, which can 2HKO all of them if it poisons them and Stealth Rock is on the field. Faster Pokemon must beware of this set, as they can easily be crippled by Thunder Wave. RestTalk Xerneas can be stopped by Taunt if Darkrai runs it too. Scarf Zekrom works very nicely against Darkrai due to its ability to absorb Thunder Wave and also run Sleep Talk to take Dark Void - however, Will-o-Wisp, whilst uncommon, absolutely ruins Darkrai. Scarf Terrakion can absorb Dark Void but is ruined by Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp. The best switchin to Darkrai after Sleep Clause is activated is Arceus-Fighting, which is not worried about Dark Pulse or Sludge Bomb and can retaliate with Judgment. It dislikes Thunder Wave though.
By WreckDra:
Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Focus Blast / Shadow Ball
Role: Heavy Support
What it does: Meet one of the two most broken Pokemon to ever enter the Ubers Metagame. This thing is a savage in its own right due to its ability to specifically target and trap a certain pokemon with Shadow Tag, and take it out with its attacking moves or Destiny Bond. It is unrivaled at this and can bring down so many keystones in the Ubers metagame that it will more than likely always make, even the most well built of teams extremely susceptible to a late game sweep. Its moveset can also be tailored to trap and KO specific threats while ensureing it can Destiny Bond something else. If you are having issues with Scizor or Skarmory, run HP Fire. If you are having similar issues with Landorus-T, Gliscor, or Rayquaza, run Icy Wind. There are so many threats this pokemon can be tailored to snipe it's rediculous and it is also the reason why it is the unrivaled best support mon in the meta right now.
Good Teammates: Being the very best support Pokemon means you need to have something to support. Powerful sweepers, such as Swords Dance and Calm Mind Arceus formes and Geomancy Xerneas, pair best with Mega Gengar since their checks are usually limited to one team member. Yveltal is an exceptionally good teammate since it draws in bulky Fairy-types like a magnet and can U-Turn as they switch in in order to get Gengar in to snipe them. Yveltal then has little trouble putting in massive amounts of work towards opponents teams once these Fairies are gone. U-Turn and Volt Switch (Scizor, Yveltal, Zekrom, Forretress ect) users make full use Gengar's ability to trap due to the switch initiative these moves provide.
What counters it: Not much can stop Gengar from trapping what it needs to other than careful play and good luck. Mega Gengar forces more 50:50 predictions than any other pokemon so even these two may not be enough to stop it from doing its job. Thankfully, it is weak to Pursuit. This means that Pursuit Aegislash and Chople Berry Tyranitar both do a fairly good job of removing Gengar, but it is hard to get them in on Gengar before it traps and KOes what it needs to unless you are using ludicrous amounts of Volt-Turn. Once Gengar has KOed a Pokemon though, it can be easily checked by Choice Scarfed Powerhouses like Zekrom and Kyogre. Mega Mewtwo Y outspeeds Mega Gengar and can KO it with Psystrike before it can do anything also. Priotity Thunder Wave users that Gengar make gengar infinitely easier to revenge KO.
By Minority Suspect:
Victini @ Flame Plate
Ability: Victory Star
248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 Def
Brave Nature
0 Speed IVs
- Trick Room
- Blue Flare / U-Turn
- Bolt Strike
- V-Create
Role: Late Game Cleaner, Support
What it Does: Checks Geomancy, and basically all Xerneas. The combination of V-Create speed drops with Trick Room makes Victini a frightening cleaner due to V-Create's absurd power (486 BP in sun). It has decent typing which allows it to check top tier threats such as Mewtwo while it can clean many other threats such as Kyogre if TR is up and they have any chip damage. Unlike many physical attackers this set can blast through foes such as Groudon and Landorus-T. U-Turn can be used if TR is about to run out or if Victini doesn't want to take an attack from something it can't finish after several defense drops from V-Create. Mega Gengar is fucked if Trick Room is up while even if it isn't U-Turn can be used to escape. Victory Star makes Bolt Strike and Blue Flare actually useable while V-Create is assured to hit. Victini is also an asset for TR teams in general.
Good Teammates: Sun support is very nice but not necessarily mandatory. Rapid Spin and Defog support is also nice since Victini is SR weak and doesn't like Spikes and T-Spikes either. Stuff that gets good chip damage such as Scarfers (more specifically stuff like Zekrom that enjoys how Victini owns Faries, Grounds, and Ferrothorn) and they make many of Victini's 2HKOs, OHKOs. Mons that abuse Trick Room. Dark types are useful for messing with Arceus-Ghost and Giratina.
What Counters It: Kyogre if TR is not up and bulky variants if they have no chip damage. Physically Bulky Arceus-Ghost and Giratina can be quite annoying since they can deal pretty good damage back while Victini can't OHKO. Quagsire can deal solid damage with Scald or Earthquake while it's immune to Bolt Strike and resists Victini's STAB. Yveltal and Mega Kahn can be irritating with Sucker Punch.
By: LustrousPalkia
Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Se
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Fire Blast
- Thunder Wave / Thunder
Role: Bulky Attacker / Tank, Wall Breaker, Support
What it does: It is obviously not surprising that, once again, Palkia is used a lot as a Kyogre switchin for its team. However, it also contributes with a fierce offensive presence, this time using its signature item, the Lustrous Orb, to power up its STAB Water and Dragon moves by 20%. Hydro Pump is the preferred option due to its higher base power, but Surf is a reasonable option as it is reliable, and still very powerful with Lustrous Orb. Spacial Rend is the second move boosted by Lustrous Orb, and is also very powerful as well as being reliable (95% is very reliable in my opinion). Fire Blast reduces Steel Types to molten slag, with its prime target being Ferrothorn - however, it also obliterates Scizor, gives Arceus-Steel a good working over, and allows Palkia to remain dangerous in all weather, rain or shine - it can spam Fire Blast in sun and Hydro Pump / Surf in rain all it likes. Lastly, Thunder Wave is the best option in the last slot, as it allows Palkia to ruin many switchins, means that Palkia can paralyze Geomancy Xerneas as it tries to set up then wave two fingers at it before switching out, and provides very useful speed control - it also works against Geomancy Xerneas when one is using Hydro Pump and is afraid to miss. Thunder can be situationally useful to hit Kyogre supereffectively, and one can also use the unchosen Water move or Draco Meteor in this slot, but these are usually not as useful and life-saving as Thunder Wave tends to be.
Good Teammates: Kyogre works very nicely, as it powers up Palkia’s Water moves to stupid levels. Specs Kyogre works quite nicely as Palkia can spread paralysis and allow Kyogre to blow pieces in the slowed-down opposing team without irritations. If Palkia does not do it itself with Hydro Pump, which it probably will to be honest, something to kill off a paralyzed Xerneas is useful. It is actually quite hard for something like Extremekiller Arceus to set up on Palkia, as Lustrous Hydro Pump can do upwards of 75% damage to uninvested Arceus. Teammates that appreciate Palkia’s ability to cockblock Kyogre and cripple things such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass, such as Zekrom, Swords Dance Rayquaza, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and the aforementioned Specs Kyogre, work well alongside Palkia. Lustrous Orb Palkia tends to fit well on bulky offensive teams and also Sticky Web teams as a powerful special attacker and Kyogre check, so make sure it is being used to the best of its ability, as balanced teams appreciate Toxic/Rest Palkia sets more, and Stall teams like having Specially Defensive Palkia on board.
What counters it: Blissey is the first one that comes to mind. Unlike many Palkia sets this generation, Palkia is not carrying Rest or Toxic, meaning that it cannot break Blissey without maximum hazard support (SR and 3 layers of Spikes). Specially defensive Xerneas, Sylveon, Clefable and Arceus-Fairy can stall out Hydro Pump if it is not raining (if it is, they all have to bank on it missing or they will be 2HKOed upon switchin), with Sylveon and Clefable being able to irritate Palkia further with Protect. The first three can also heal off Thunder Wave with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy, but it seriously limits Arceus-Fairy, as it can no longer outspeed Palkia and is subsequently in serious danger of being 2HKOed. Arceus-Grass can also deal with Palkia unless it is sunny and it gets caught by Fire Blast, but it is also greatly irritated by Thunder Wave. If Palkia leaves home without Thunder, specially defensive Kyogre can stall out Palkia unless it gets unlucky with Rest turns and / or Spacial Rend critical hits. Scarf Xerneas can surprise Palkia and revenge kill it, but cannot switch in safely at all due to getting murdered by Hydro Pump and the possibility of Thunder Wave. Zekrom can come in on Fire Blast, non-rain Hydro Pump (to an extent) and Thunder Wave (due to its immunity to paralysis) and can revenge kill Palkia with a Dragon move or Bolt Strike if Palkia is weakened.
By WreckDra:
Arceus @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
Role: Spinblocker, Special Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner
What it Does: Ghost Arceus spreads burns when needed but can come in on something it threatens out late game, and can set up a sweep / clean from there with its great STAB. It also provides Spinblocker support
Good Teammates: Any entry hazard support is much appreciated for just about any sweeper. Klefki, Xerneas and Sylveon all ruin Ghostceus' worst nightmare, Yveltal, and Klefki also functions as a hazard setter for Ghostceus. Suicide leads like having Ghostceus' spinblocking capabilities around although Rapid Spin isn't as common anymore.
What counters it: Yveltal ruins Ghostceus with either Dark Pulse from the offensive set, or Toxic from the defensive set and both are only mildly annoyed by Will-O-Wisp. Dark Arceus utterly puts an end to anything Ghostceus tries to pull off. Ho-Oh has the special bulk to take on Ghostceus and does bonkers damage with Sacred Fire along with the nasty burn chance. Random Toxics are the bane of Ghostceus.
Arceus @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
Role: Spinblocker, Special Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner
What it Does: Ghost Arceus spreads burns when needed but can come in on something it threatens out late game, and can set up a sweep / clean from there with its great STAB. It also provides Spinblocker support
Good Teammates: Any entry hazard support is much appreciated for just about any sweeper. Klefki, Xerneas and Sylveon all ruin Ghostceus' worst nightmare, Yveltal, and Klefki also functions as a hazard setter for Ghostceus. Suicide leads like having Ghostceus' spinblocking capabilities around although Rapid Spin isn't as common anymore.
What counters it: Yveltal ruins Ghostceus with either Dark Pulse from the offensive set, or Toxic from the defensive set and both are only mildly annoyed by Will-O-Wisp. Dark Arceus utterly puts an end to anything Ghostceus tries to pull off. Ho-Oh has the special bulk to take on Ghostceus and does bonkers damage with Sacred Fire along with the nasty burn chance. Random Toxics are the bane of Ghostceus.
By canman98:
Mewtwo @ Mewtwonite X
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Taunt
- Low Kick
- Ice Beam
- Zen Headbutt
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Mixed Attacker, Lure, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Kicks people in the nuts....with Low Kick. Low Kick is extremely powerful in Ubers coupled with the highest natural Attack of all Fighting-types, and Mega Mewtwo X can do a good job at smashing most tanks or walls, including some support Arceus formes. Taunt is integral to how Mega Mewtwo X functions; it prevents itself from being burned by support Arceus formes or Giratina-O, and can also prevent itself from being stalled out by some physical walls. Coupled with Ice Beam, Mewtwo can lure and KO Gliscor and Landorus-T, 2 would-be counters, in addition to 2HKOing Groudon and Giratina-O (only after Stealth Rock), making it a very solid coverage move when not spamming Low Kick. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB that complements Low Kick's spamming abilities in hitting things that Low Kick could not, such as lightweight Pokemon, Fairy-types, and Arceus-Poison, something that can stalemate this Mewtwo set.
Good Teammates: Checks to Scarfed revenge killers. Scarfers such as Kyogre can rain on Mega Mewtwo X's parade, literally, and Mewtwo's frailty is still inherited upon Mega Evolving. Wobbuffet can check most Choice Scarf users bar Kyogre, in which Palkia can assist in checking Scarf Kyogre if needed. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can still KO Mega Mewtwo X or scare it out, so Steel-types such as Klefki and Aegislash can combat the pixies solidly. Yveltal, Darkrai, and Arceus-Dark can bully bulky Ghost-types that threaten Mega Mewtwo X and help pave the way for a quick-kickin' clean (also Ho-Oh checks like Stealth Rock, Landorus-T and Arceus-Rock can help).
What Counters It: Arceus-Ghost and Aegislash can counter this set and lash out with super-powerful Ghost STAB moves that can OHKO Mewtwo in a flash of spectral darkness. Giratina-O and Ho-Oh can check Mega Mewtwo X if Stealth Rock is not up as they can survive a hit and retaliate. Scarfers like Kyogre and Xerneas can take advantage of Mega Mewtwo X's mediocre bulk and KO with their STAB move of choice. Fairy-types in general check Mega Mewtwo X as they can all OHKO it with Moonblast or Judgment (Arceus-Fairy), but some dislike taking a hit. The same situation applies with Yveltal, who can't take a hit, but can OHKO Mega Mewtwo X with Oblivion Wing.
By LustrousPalkia:
Darkrai @ Life Orb
Ability: Bad Dreams
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb
- Dark Void
- Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt
Role: Lure, Special Sweeper, Support
What it does: This Darkrai set is slightly different in that it aims to lure out its checks and counters. After putting something to sleep with Dark Void, many of Darkrai's checks, such as Scarf Xerneas, Scarf Kyogre and Scarf Genesect, are switched into Darkrai in order to kill it. However, this Darkrai is tailored to ruin said checks and counters with Thunder Wave. With careful use of Dark Void, it is possible to cripple the opponent's sleep absorber as well as their secondary Darkrai check. For example, the opponent switches in specially defensive Kyogre to take the Dark Void, then switches to Scarf Genesect to U-turn off of Darkrai. With Thunder Wave, Darkrai can now cripple the Genesect switchin. Other moves of interest are Will-O-Wisp, which allows Darkrai to cripple Scarf Zekrom and Scarf Genesect, and Taunt, which allows it to shut down Sleep Talk users such as Choice Band Ho-Oh, specially defensive Xerneas or specially defensive Kyogre. Will-O-Wisp and Taunt are also useful moves to screw up potential switchins, although Thunder Wave is probably the best, as it also allows it to cripple Geomancy Xerneas that tries to set up after Dark Void has been used.
Friends of this set: Xerneas can lure out things for Darkrai to switch in on, such as Lugia and Aegislash, and can also Rock Slide Ho-Oh. It also deals with Yveltal and Tyranitar, which wall this Darkrai set reasonably well. A solid Ground-Type is useful as it can set up Stealth Rock for Darkrai to get some much needed 2HKOes, as well as being able to absorb hits from Zekrom, which terrorizes this set if Scarfed, due to Zekrom's new-found immunity to paralysis and its not uncommon tendency to run Sleep Talk. Palkia works well against Scarf Kyogre, and can also Thunder Wave its way through the opposing team, leading to easier sweeps for its and Darkrai's teammates, as well as being able to check Ho-Oh, which is a solid switchin to Darkrai otherwise.
What counters it: potential counters can be put to sleep if Sleep Clause is not active, so one must be careful about what Darkrai puts to sleep with Dark Void. Specially defensive Fairy-Types do wel against Darkrai, but take pretty heavy damage from Sludge Bomb, which can 2HKO all of them if it poisons them and Stealth Rock is on the field. Faster Pokemon must beware of this set, as they can easily be crippled by Thunder Wave. RestTalk Xerneas can be stopped by Taunt if Darkrai runs it too. Scarf Zekrom works very nicely against Darkrai due to its ability to absorb Thunder Wave and also run Sleep Talk to take Dark Void - however, Will-o-Wisp, whilst uncommon, absolutely ruins Darkrai. Scarf Terrakion can absorb Dark Void but is ruined by Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp. The best switchin to Darkrai after Sleep Clause is activated is Arceus-Fighting, which is not worried about Dark Pulse or Sludge Bomb and can retaliate with Judgment. It dislikes Thunder Wave though.
Mewtwo @ Mewtwonite X
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Taunt
- Low Kick
- Ice Beam
- Zen Headbutt
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Mixed Attacker, Lure, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Kicks people in the nuts....with Low Kick. Low Kick is extremely powerful in Ubers coupled with the highest natural Attack of all Fighting-types, and Mega Mewtwo X can do a good job at smashing most tanks or walls, including some support Arceus formes. Taunt is integral to how Mega Mewtwo X functions; it prevents itself from being burned by support Arceus formes or Giratina-O, and can also prevent itself from being stalled out by some physical walls. Coupled with Ice Beam, Mewtwo can lure and KO Gliscor and Landorus-T, 2 would-be counters, in addition to 2HKOing Groudon and Giratina-O (only after Stealth Rock), making it a very solid coverage move when not spamming Low Kick. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB that complements Low Kick's spamming abilities in hitting things that Low Kick could not, such as lightweight Pokemon, Fairy-types, and Arceus-Poison, something that can stalemate this Mewtwo set.
Good Teammates: Checks to Scarfed revenge killers. Scarfers such as Kyogre can rain on Mega Mewtwo X's parade, literally, and Mewtwo's frailty is still inherited upon Mega Evolving. Wobbuffet can check most Choice Scarf users bar Kyogre, in which Palkia can assist in checking Scarf Kyogre if needed. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can still KO Mega Mewtwo X or scare it out, so Steel-types such as Klefki and Aegislash can combat the pixies solidly. Yveltal, Darkrai, and Arceus-Dark can bully bulky Ghost-types that threaten Mega Mewtwo X and help pave the way for a quick-kickin' clean (also Ho-Oh checks like Stealth Rock, Landorus-T and Arceus-Rock can help).
What Counters It: Arceus-Ghost and Aegislash can counter this set and lash out with super-powerful Ghost STAB moves that can OHKO Mewtwo in a flash of spectral darkness. Giratina-O and Ho-Oh can check Mega Mewtwo X if Stealth Rock is not up as they can survive a hit and retaliate. Scarfers like Kyogre and Xerneas can take advantage of Mega Mewtwo X's mediocre bulk and KO with their STAB move of choice. Fairy-types in general check Mega Mewtwo X as they can all OHKO it with Moonblast or Judgment (Arceus-Fairy), but some dislike taking a hit. The same situation applies with Yveltal, who can't take a hit, but can OHKO Mega Mewtwo X with Oblivion Wing.
By LustrousPalkia:
Darkrai @ Life Orb
Ability: Bad Dreams
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dark Pulse
- Sludge Bomb
- Dark Void
- Thunder Wave / Will-O-Wisp / Taunt
Role: Lure, Special Sweeper, Support
What it does: This Darkrai set is slightly different in that it aims to lure out its checks and counters. After putting something to sleep with Dark Void, many of Darkrai's checks, such as Scarf Xerneas, Scarf Kyogre and Scarf Genesect, are switched into Darkrai in order to kill it. However, this Darkrai is tailored to ruin said checks and counters with Thunder Wave. With careful use of Dark Void, it is possible to cripple the opponent's sleep absorber as well as their secondary Darkrai check. For example, the opponent switches in specially defensive Kyogre to take the Dark Void, then switches to Scarf Genesect to U-turn off of Darkrai. With Thunder Wave, Darkrai can now cripple the Genesect switchin. Other moves of interest are Will-O-Wisp, which allows Darkrai to cripple Scarf Zekrom and Scarf Genesect, and Taunt, which allows it to shut down Sleep Talk users such as Choice Band Ho-Oh, specially defensive Xerneas or specially defensive Kyogre. Will-O-Wisp and Taunt are also useful moves to screw up potential switchins, although Thunder Wave is probably the best, as it also allows it to cripple Geomancy Xerneas that tries to set up after Dark Void has been used.
Friends of this set: Xerneas can lure out things for Darkrai to switch in on, such as Lugia and Aegislash, and can also Rock Slide Ho-Oh. It also deals with Yveltal and Tyranitar, which wall this Darkrai set reasonably well. A solid Ground-Type is useful as it can set up Stealth Rock for Darkrai to get some much needed 2HKOes, as well as being able to absorb hits from Zekrom, which terrorizes this set if Scarfed, due to Zekrom's new-found immunity to paralysis and its not uncommon tendency to run Sleep Talk. Palkia works well against Scarf Kyogre, and can also Thunder Wave its way through the opposing team, leading to easier sweeps for its and Darkrai's teammates, as well as being able to check Ho-Oh, which is a solid switchin to Darkrai otherwise.
What counters it: potential counters can be put to sleep if Sleep Clause is not active, so one must be careful about what Darkrai puts to sleep with Dark Void. Specially defensive Fairy-Types do wel against Darkrai, but take pretty heavy damage from Sludge Bomb, which can 2HKO all of them if it poisons them and Stealth Rock is on the field. Faster Pokemon must beware of this set, as they can easily be crippled by Thunder Wave. RestTalk Xerneas can be stopped by Taunt if Darkrai runs it too. Scarf Zekrom works very nicely against Darkrai due to its ability to absorb Thunder Wave and also run Sleep Talk to take Dark Void - however, Will-o-Wisp, whilst uncommon, absolutely ruins Darkrai. Scarf Terrakion can absorb Dark Void but is ruined by Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp. The best switchin to Darkrai after Sleep Clause is activated is Arceus-Fighting, which is not worried about Dark Pulse or Sludge Bomb and can retaliate with Judgment. It dislikes Thunder Wave though.
By PoweredByRevenge:
Mewtwo @ Leftovers
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Taunt
Role: Stallbreaker, Support
What it does: This Mewtwo set aims to break opposing stall teams as well as support your own team. With taunt Mewtwo can stop walls from using recovery and status healing moves wich will help taking them down. Will-O-Wisp allows Stalltwo to cripple physical attackers as well as dealing residual damage, recover gives it great longevity. Unnerve is the chosen ability as it lets Mewtwo check threats like lum berry E-Killer and double dance Groudon, and finally psystrike is Mewtwo's preferred stab dealing solid damage to almost anything that doesnt resist it or isn't immune to it.
Good Teammates: There are several pokemon that will partner well with this mewtwo set, such as specially defensive Kyogre wich can help to deal with arceus ghost, Darkrai and Yveltal wich will give mewtwo a lot of trouble. Defensive Xerneas is another very good teammate as it helps mewtwo vs dark types like Arceus-Dark and Yveltal as well as healing it's status with Aromatherapy. Yveltal and Ho-oh are also good teammates for it since one can handle ghost types and the other can help with providing a very good special defense and the ability to check Genesect. Lastly Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar can also help Mewtwo by handling Ho-oh and Yveltal.
What Counters It: The biggest counters to Stalltwo are Dark types, such as offensive Yveltal since the defensive set will just get burned and taunted thus making foul play do little damage. As for the offensive set Mewtwo can only hope to burn it on a switch in and then switch to a counter or check to it. Another problem for this set is darkrai, since again mewtwo can only burn or taunt it on a switch in. A third big threat to Mewtwo is Arceus-Dark, because all mewtwo can do is once again burn it or taunt it predicting a Recover or Calm Mind and Arceus can just fire off powerful Judgments. Another problem for Stalltwo is Ho-oh, if Stealth Rock isn't up it can freely switch in on mewtwo as it doesn't really care for any of mewtwo's moves since an uninvested psystrike won't be enough to two hit KO it and Ho-oh will be able to use a powerful Brave Bird, or get a Sacred Fire burn to cripple mewtwo. And lastly, Heatran is also a good counter for Stalltwo since it can't do anything other than use weak Psystrikes or taunt it as Heatran can just use repeated Lava Plumes to weaken and possibly burn Mewtwo.
By Nayrz:
Arceus @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Refresh
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Darkceus comes in on defensive mons and starts setting up. If its a stall team then hoo boy, they are not going to like this set. Any attempts to Toxic stall Darkceus get a surprise when they use Refresh, and only powerful physical attacks can take it out once it gets going with Calm Mind boosts. Its a great stallbreaker, but doesn't really do too much else. If it gets the opportunities against other teams it can also just act as a Calm Mind sweeper.
Good acquaintances: Against stall it doesn't need that much support, if any. Against other teams Fairy checks and Fighting type checks (Blaze, Xerneas, Lucario to name a few) would be helpful to clear the way for a sweep.
What Counters It: SpD Walls that can phase or actually hit back hard are ideal checks. SpD Kyogre can take a hit and phase, SpD Xerneas will pile pressure on with Moonblast. Physical threats are also a problem: Scarf Zekrom 2HKOs with Bolt Strike, Mega Blaziken can switch in, take a hit and OHKO with Low Kick (if running Protect) and Mega Lucario, while frail, can still take a hit and OHKO with Close Combat.
Mewtwo @ Leftovers
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recover
- Taunt
Role: Stallbreaker, Support
What it does: This Mewtwo set aims to break opposing stall teams as well as support your own team. With taunt Mewtwo can stop walls from using recovery and status healing moves wich will help taking them down. Will-O-Wisp allows Stalltwo to cripple physical attackers as well as dealing residual damage, recover gives it great longevity. Unnerve is the chosen ability as it lets Mewtwo check threats like lum berry E-Killer and double dance Groudon, and finally psystrike is Mewtwo's preferred stab dealing solid damage to almost anything that doesnt resist it or isn't immune to it.
Good Teammates: There are several pokemon that will partner well with this mewtwo set, such as specially defensive Kyogre wich can help to deal with arceus ghost, Darkrai and Yveltal wich will give mewtwo a lot of trouble. Defensive Xerneas is another very good teammate as it helps mewtwo vs dark types like Arceus-Dark and Yveltal as well as healing it's status with Aromatherapy. Yveltal and Ho-oh are also good teammates for it since one can handle ghost types and the other can help with providing a very good special defense and the ability to check Genesect. Lastly Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar can also help Mewtwo by handling Ho-oh and Yveltal.
What Counters It: The biggest counters to Stalltwo are Dark types, such as offensive Yveltal since the defensive set will just get burned and taunted thus making foul play do little damage. As for the offensive set Mewtwo can only hope to burn it on a switch in and then switch to a counter or check to it. Another problem for this set is darkrai, since again mewtwo can only burn or taunt it on a switch in. A third big threat to Mewtwo is Arceus-Dark, because all mewtwo can do is once again burn it or taunt it predicting a Recover or Calm Mind and Arceus can just fire off powerful Judgments. Another problem for Stalltwo is Ho-oh, if Stealth Rock isn't up it can freely switch in on mewtwo as it doesn't really care for any of mewtwo's moves since an uninvested psystrike won't be enough to two hit KO it and Ho-oh will be able to use a powerful Brave Bird, or get a Sacred Fire burn to cripple mewtwo. And lastly, Heatran is also a good counter for Stalltwo since it can't do anything other than use weak Psystrikes or taunt it as Heatran can just use repeated Lava Plumes to weaken and possibly burn Mewtwo.
By Nayrz:
Arceus @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Refresh
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Darkceus comes in on defensive mons and starts setting up. If its a stall team then hoo boy, they are not going to like this set. Any attempts to Toxic stall Darkceus get a surprise when they use Refresh, and only powerful physical attacks can take it out once it gets going with Calm Mind boosts. Its a great stallbreaker, but doesn't really do too much else. If it gets the opportunities against other teams it can also just act as a Calm Mind sweeper.
Good acquaintances: Against stall it doesn't need that much support, if any. Against other teams Fairy checks and Fighting type checks (Blaze, Xerneas, Lucario to name a few) would be helpful to clear the way for a sweep.
What Counters It: SpD Walls that can phase or actually hit back hard are ideal checks. SpD Kyogre can take a hit and phase, SpD Xerneas will pile pressure on with Moonblast. Physical threats are also a problem: Scarf Zekrom 2HKOs with Bolt Strike, Mega Blaziken can switch in, take a hit and OHKO with Low Kick (if running Protect) and Mega Lucario, while frail, can still take a hit and OHKO with Close Combat.
By Aman Garg:
Arceus @ Life Orb / Silk Scarf / Lum Berry
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Extreme Speed
- Shadow Claw / Shadow Force
- Earthquake / Overheat / Recover
Role: Physical Sweeper
What it does: The famous extreme killer Arceus is one of the most dangerous sweepers to ever roam the Uber tier and can decimate unprepared teams in an instant. Every Uber team needs to be prepared to face this monster in battle. So what makes it so powerful? the simple answer is extremespeed. Arceus has an attack stat of 339, and after a swords dance boost it reaches a massive 678. At this stage, any Pokemon that does not resist extremespeed or is not a physical wall is likely to get OHKOed. The power of extremespeed coming off +2 base 120 attack and STAB boost OHKOs most variants of Kyogre, Palkia, Zekrom, Rayquaza, Xerneas, and so on. What is incredible is that Arceus cannot even be beaten by outspeeding or most scarfed revenge killers because they cannot bypass the +2 priority of extremespeed, which makes extreme killer Arceus, or ekiller excellent at beating most offensive teams. Shadow Claw is for those ghost types that are immune to extremespeed, such as the Giratina formes, ghostceus, Mega Gengar, Aegislash, etc. Shadow claw is the preferred option, but shadow force can be used to OHKO Giratina-O and ghostceus at +2, and hurt Giratina hard, although it is exploitable as it is a 2 turn move. The last slot comes down to preference. Earthquake is the most preferred option to beat the rock and steel types that extremespeed can't hurt such as Arceus rock, Tyranitar, Aegislash, Jirachi, Dialga, Klefki, Excadrill, and so on. Overheat is an option if Pokemons like Skarmory, Forretress, Scizor or Ferrothorn are a problem, and hits them harder than earthquake, but it has no use otherwise. Recover can also be used to heal HP and increase longevity, but a coverage move is most recommended. The choice of item comes down to preference: life orb gives power at the cost of recoil damage, silk scarf powers up extremespeed reliably, whereas lum berry cures status like burn or toxic once, especially a burn from a Giratina or an opposing support Arceus.
Good teammates: Like any sweeper, Arceus enjoys Stealth Rock support to get more KOs, and particularly helps against Yveltal, Lugia, Ho-oh. Your best bets are Deoxys formes, Groudon, and Dialga. Spikes support from Ferrothorn, Klefki, Deoxys formes help too. Ghost types such as Giratina formes and ghost Arceus counter ekiller well, so teammates that beat it are very helpful. Darkrai and Yveltal do a mighty fine job of keeping them at bay. Arceus also appreciates a status absorber to take in toxics and will-o-wisps aimed at it. Giratina-O is good at this, but must be wary of opposing ghost, fairy and dragon type attacks. Arceus also has trouble with steel types, so a Pokemon that can beat steel types is helpful. Candidates include Mega Mewtwo-X, Blaziken, Groudon, Ho-oh, Darkrai and Heatran. Arceus might have trouble with fighting types, so psychic types such as Mewtwo (any kind), oblivion wing Yveltal, and ghost types like Giratina formes are appreciated. Giratina has the additional bonus of being a status absorber and beating ghost types.
What counters it: Your best bet is a physical wall, ghost type or steel type. Physical walls include skarmory, which can take any attack except overheat and phaze it, Groudon, which avoids a OHKO from a +2 extremespeed and phazes it, and multiscale Lugia at full HP which phzes it too. Ghost types include Giratina formes and ghost Arceus, which can take any attack and burn it in return, crippling it. However, keep in mind that Giratina-O and ghostceus are KOed by a boosted shadow force. Ghost types are the best way to counter ekiller. The steel types that can counter Arceus include Skarmory (already mentioned), Scizor, Forretress, Ferrothorn, Klefki and Aegislash, but they all must watch out for either earthquake or overheat. Arceus can be revenge-killed by a few checks. If you find it in an unboosted position, fighting types like Blaziken, Mega Mewtwo-X and Fighting Arceus can KO it with Low Kick or Judgement respectively, and a Terrakion can survive a boosted extremespeed, and retaliate back with a close combat.
Additional Info: The EVs are meant to provide maximum speed and power, while a jolly nature is preferred to outspeed and KO mega-gengar on the turn of its mega evolution and speedtie with opposing arceus. However, an alternative spread of an Adamant nature with 252 Atk / 56 Spd / 200 HP can be used to increase bulk and maximize attack power, and the EVs ensure that arceus outspeeds the base 90 speed tier, considering they aren't running a beneficial nature.
By Aquaslash:
Blaziken @ Blazikenite
Adamant Nature
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Protect
- Knock Off / Stone Edge
- Flare Blitz
- Low Kick / High Jump Kick
Role: Physical Sweeper
How he rolls: I never understood why Blaziken got banned from OU as Talonflame and Azumaril existed to completely cockblock him. After using him extensively, I get it. If you lack those, he wrecks everything else. This set takes advantage of the fact that Blaziken is immune to burn status and just tears through things with his raw power. The overwhelming majority of things in Ubers hit the benchmark to take 120 damage from Low Kick so its an excellent safe STAB to spam, plus there's no penalty for whiffing. Nevertheless, HJK is still slashed because should it actually land, it can secure some KOs that Low Kick would miss, and that can be important. It should still be used with caution because the penalty for whiffing is basically a dead Blaziken.
Flare Blitz is another great STAB that puts holes in the things that would otherwise resist or be immune to the fighting move. The recoil quickly adds up so be mindful of that. Knock off is generally going to be the better option for the last attack as it has great utility, and should you have enough speed boosts, destroys Mega Gengar before he can really do anything to you. Stone Edge is purely to land surprise KOs on Ho-Oh who is a common switch in, resists both of your STABs and takes very little from Knock Off.
Good Teammates: Blaziken's best friends are things that can lay hazards, most importantly Stealth Rock. The rocks damage will turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs, which is very important, as Blaze very much needs to kill or be killed. Groudon and Dialga are excellent partners in this regard as they can set up rocks and take a few hits on their own. Groudon also also provides sun support to power up Flare Blitz. Things that threaten Ho-Oh and Lugia such as Zekrom and Taunt Yveltal are also good friends. Hazard removal on your side is also useful as Blaziken will already be damaging himself a lot, ans doesn't need the additional chip damage from other hazards.
What Counters it: Blaziken has two really big enemies. First and foremost, himself. The recoil from Flare Blitz will very quickly add up and do him in. Secondly, there's his godawful defenses. Even with the buff from Mega Evolution, he is still incredibly frail. Priority users, regardless of the type can instantly put a halt to Blaze's work. The most notable of these is Extreme Killer Arceus. However, it's imperative that if using Ekiller, you immediately go on the revenge with Extreme Speed as attempting to set up will get you a dead Ekiller. Bar Stone Edge, Ho-Oh and Lugia can take anything Blaziken can throw at them and threaten to OHKO with super effective stabs, or Lugia can get his stall going. Lugia isn't even bothered by repeated knock offs as he can just roost the damage away and stall with toxic. Without rocks up, Palkia and Kyogre can survive Low Kick and fire back super effective hits. Lastly, but definitely not least, Giratina just about hard counters this Blaziken as he has the bulk to stand a few knock offs can can phaze or stall or whatever.
By LustrousPalkia:
Groudon @ Life Orb / Lum Berry / Earth Plate
Ability: Drought
EVs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch / Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
- Rock Polish
Role: Physical Sweeper
What does it do: Rock Polish Groudon aims to set up a Rock Polish mid- to late-game, once the opposing team has been weakened, and sweep. Earthquake provides stupidly powerful STAB, doing upwards of 75% to common Ubers such as Palkia, Kyogre and Mewtwo with just a Life Orb boost. Stone Edge allows Groudon to drop ground-immune Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Lugia, and forms the ever potent and familiar EdgeQuake combo. The third moveslot is very negotiable; Fire Punch works very nicely with Drought, and can be used to punch (huehuehue) Steel-Types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Bronzong in the face, easily removing them from Groudon’s way, as well as killing Shaymin-S reliably - very importantly, Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch does almost 75% to Arceus-Grass, which can easily end Groudon’s rampage with Grass Knot. Dragon Claw allows Groudon to deal significant damage to Giratina-O, which would otherwise be extremely irritating due to Levitate - it also allows for slightly stronger hits on Ubers such as Giratina and Palkia, although the latter gets worked over by Life Orb Earthquake anyway. Lastly, Swords Dance means that Groudon can take on the role of a Double Dancer. Swords Dance usually works best alongside EdgeQuake coverage and a Lum Berry as a held item - by doing this, it is possible to break through checks by first Rock Polishing, then gaining a free Swords Dance as something like Arceus-Fairy or Giratina tries to burn you - they will be more inclined to burn Rock Polish sets than phaze, and most support Arceus that would either come in on Groudon, or that Groudon would stay in against, do not run Roar anyway - this way, with even a little prior damage, Groudon can boost to +2/+2 and 6-0 the opponent’s team from there - a wonderful bonus is that Klefki and Thundurus cannot use their Thunder Wave to halt Groudon’s sweep, and Groudon can in fact set up on the former. The EV spread allows Groudon to outspeed +Speed nature base 100s and below after a Rock Polish. Alternative EV spreads are 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe which allows Groudon to outspeed Scarf Terrakion (as uncommon as it might be). An interesting spread is Impish nature with 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 Spe, which works as an extremely physically bulky Double Dancer that can set up both boosts quite easily due to its absurd amount of bulk (credit to shrang for telling me this spread) - this also works nicely with Lum Berry. Finally, the choice of item depends on the moveset and also the preference of the player - Life Orb works nicest on Rock Polish + 3 Attacks, Lum Berry works best alongside Swords Dance and can also provide insurance against burn in particular. Earth Plate gives Groudon a cost-free 20% boost to its STAB Earthquake, but means that its coverage moves will not be nearly as powerful.
Good teammates: Powerful physical attackers work very nicely alongside Groudon to break physically bulky Pokemon on the opponent’s side so that Groudon can set up a Rock Polish and sweep lategame. Extremekiller Arceus is the most straightforward example, as it can set up and break holes in things such as Lugia, Giratina and Support Arceus so that Groudon can easily get past them late-game. Ho-Oh works very well too as it can wreak havoc under Groudon’s sunlight, as well as beating up Lugia, potentially burning it and definitely weakening it for Groudon - Ho-Oh can also beat the shit out of Landorus-Therian with sun-boosted Sacred Fire so that it does not irritate Groudon later on. Special attackers can also work well to generally beat up on the opponent’s team. Stealth Rock support is of course vital, as it means that Groudon can potentially break Lugia, as well as getting invaluable chip damage - Spikes also work very nicely - for example, with Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes, Groudon has a good chance to OHKO max HP Arceus-Grass with Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch - Deoxys-Speed works well in this regard as it fits nicely on the sorts of offensive teams that Rock Polish Groudon works well on. Cloyster gets an honourable mention for its ability to slap Lugia, Giratina and Giratina-Origin around, as well as fitting nicely on sun offense teams.
What counters it: As mentioned, Giratina is the singular best answer to Groudon, as physically defensive variants just do not care about Earthquake, and can take even +2 Earthquakes nicely, then Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail / Roar Groudon away. Support Arceus can burn Groudon. Arceus-Grass gets a special mention as well, due to its resistance to Earthquake and its ability to quickly dispose of Groudon with Grass Knot (the strength of Arceus-Water’s Judgment is cut in half by sun); however, Arceus-Grass takes huge damage from boosted Fire Punch and is terrified of one of Groudon’s most effective teammates, Ho-Oh. Giratina-O can take a Life Orb Dragon Claw after Stealth Rock damage and burn or phaze Groudon away. Skarmory utterly walls sets lacking Fire Punch, but will fall to said move. Physically defensive Kyogre can Scald Groudon, but will take - just - so - much - damage - from +2 Earthquake that if it doesn’t die, it will be useless afterwards. Sableye can burn non-Lum Berry Groudon with priority Will-O-Wisp, but woe betide it if it misses or if Groudon does have Lum Berry. Scarf Shaymin-S can outspeed all but nearly fully invested Jolly Groudon and blow it up with Seed Flare.
By WreckDra:
Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide / Swords Dance
Role: Physical Sweeper, Hazard Remover
What it Does: Excadrill is used on teams with Sandstorm inducers to abuse Sand Rush and its high attack to sweep, clear entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and to be a status sponge since its typing grants it an immunity to Thunder Wave and Toxic. It is pretty powerful, even by Ubers standards, when equipped with a Life Orb and can even wall break to an extent with Swords Dance.
Good Teammates: Sandstorm inducers are almost mandatory when using Excadrill so this makes Hippowdon and Tyranitar excellent partners even though their defensive synergy with Excadrill is questionable. A strong Kyogre check, like Palkia and Grass Arceus, are also needed since Excadrill draws out Kyogre like no other. Grassy and Palkia can also check Groudon and Landorus-T who are both strong switch-ins to Excadrill. Yveltal can prey on spinblockers like Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus while also being able to check Grass Arceus who is also a thorn in Excadrill's side.
What counters it: The entire whether trio (Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza) can check Excadrill but only a healthy Groudon can be considered a full on counter. All of them remove Excadrill's Sand Rush bonus with their own abilities and can OHKO it with either their STABs or V-Create respectively. Landorus-T laughs at Excadrill thanks to its immunity to Earthquake and Intimidate to lower Iron Head's power; It can OHKO any Excadrill. Grass Arceus can live an Iron Head and burn Excadrill and any support Arceus that carries Will-O-Wisp make Excadrill more or less useless outside of Sandstorm. A healthy Giratina-O can Spinblock Excadrill and burn it but it will be weak after its encounter with the mole.
By LustrousPalkia:
Zekrom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Speed
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Bolt Strike
- Draco Meteor / Sleep Talk
- Volt Switch
Role: Revenge Killer, Physical Sweeper
Its purpose in life: Zekrom works very nicely as a Choice Scarf user. Its signature move Bolt Strike is extremely powerful, allowing it to 2HKO support Arceus and deal heavy damage to Calm Mind users, something that other Scarf users cannot do. Outrage is a very useful secondary STAB - Zekrom is really more of an Electric-Type than it is a Dragon-Type by the way - and allows it to revenge kill Dragon-Types and tier members that resist Electric. Draco Meteor is a very good move on Zekrom as bulky Ground-Types tend to like switching in on it - Draco Meteor does 50-60% to max HP Groudon, and even more to max HP Landorus, both of whom often come in on Zekrom to block Bolt Strikes. This weakens them for other teammembers to break through. Lastly, Volt Switch allows Zekrom to keep momentum, as well as dealing chip damage to switch-ins, and works very nicely alongside Shadow Tag users.
Good teammates: Zekrom checks all variants of Kyogre very nicely, being able to come in on everything but Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout or Ice Beam at least once, and can OHKO it easily with Bolt Strike. It can also switch in on Thunder very easily due to its x4 resistance and its immunity to paralysis. Therefore, anything that appreciates Scarf Kyogre being gone is a great teammate - good examples are Mega Mewtwo X and Y, who can be revenge killed by Water Spout. Switchins to Ground- and Fairy-Types are vital, as Zekrom has issues with this typing core. Gliscor comes in on Landorus and Groudon nicely, as well as other Gliscor, and can set up Stealth Rock to punish switch-ins to Zekrom. Checks to Geomancy Xerneas are vital too - Zekrom needs to watch its use of Outrage to deny Xerneas a free setup opportunity, although offensive Xerneas in particular can’t come in on Zekrom safely due to Bolt Strike doing a tremendous amount of damage. Luring in one half of the core and killing it works very well in aiding Zekrom to do its job, so teammates that can do this, such as Rayquaza.
What counters it: as mentioned, Fairy/Ground cores cause Zekrom a lot of issues, making it engage in an unpleasant 50/50 each time it comes in. Zekrom can get past bulky Ground-Types with Draco Meteor, but each time it gets the 50/50 wrong it gives the opponent free turns. Ferrothorn does very well against Zekrom, punishing it with Iron Barbs and resisting its STAB moves. Whimsicott also irritates Zekrom (or you could be a counterteaming BITCH and run Hidden Power Poison) intensely with Leech Seed and Substitute, but Zekrom can Volt Switch out of its non-Ground type checks to keep up momentum. Arceus-Ground is the only true counter to Zekrom, but it is uncommon and can be 2HKOed by +Atk nature Outrage after Stealth Rock if it isn’t running a bulky spread. If Zekrom locks itself into Outrage to revenge kill something, any Fairy-Type can revenge kill it, and, as mentioned, Geomancy Xerneas can set up on it.
By canman98:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Ability: Air Lock
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Dragon Dance
-V-create
-Extreme Speed
-Outrage
Role: Physical Sweeper
What It Does: DD Ray basically cleans with Outrage. The real kicker about this is how to get to that point. V-create roasts practically every Steel-type in the tier that resists Outrage, and most Fairy-types bar Fairy Arceus will fall to a V-create and Extremespeed. Extremespeed is still very useful when revenge killing an opponent in order to set up a sweep. Rayquaza can usually feign other sets before revealing Dragon Dance if you play your cards right, and is most definitely powerful enough to clean with an Outrage after a single boost.
Good Acquaintances: Shadow Taggers like Mega Gengar, Wobbuffet and Gothitelle can trap and remove most of the Pokemon that can deal with this form of Rayquaza, therefore paving the way for a sweep. Xerneas checks such as Aegislash and Klefki are invaluable to Rayquaza as they can defeat most of the Fairy-types in the tier and can cripple most of its checks and counters in some way, shape or form.
What Counters It: Fairy-types really only check Rayquaza, but Fairy Arceus and Clefable are the only pixies that can take on a boosted Rayquaza and KO back with a STAB Fairy move due to Rayquaza's frailty. Lugia, Water Arceus, Rock Arceus, and Heatran can all counter this variant of Rayquaza on their own and phaze or cripple it, but Rayquaza can get the jump on Heatran with the very rare Earthquake. A fully healthy Groudon can also defeat Rayquaza on its own, but will be heavily damaged if Rayquaza is already boosted.
Arceus @ Life Orb / Silk Scarf / Lum Berry
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Extreme Speed
- Shadow Claw / Shadow Force
- Earthquake / Overheat / Recover
Role: Physical Sweeper
What it does: The famous extreme killer Arceus is one of the most dangerous sweepers to ever roam the Uber tier and can decimate unprepared teams in an instant. Every Uber team needs to be prepared to face this monster in battle. So what makes it so powerful? the simple answer is extremespeed. Arceus has an attack stat of 339, and after a swords dance boost it reaches a massive 678. At this stage, any Pokemon that does not resist extremespeed or is not a physical wall is likely to get OHKOed. The power of extremespeed coming off +2 base 120 attack and STAB boost OHKOs most variants of Kyogre, Palkia, Zekrom, Rayquaza, Xerneas, and so on. What is incredible is that Arceus cannot even be beaten by outspeeding or most scarfed revenge killers because they cannot bypass the +2 priority of extremespeed, which makes extreme killer Arceus, or ekiller excellent at beating most offensive teams. Shadow Claw is for those ghost types that are immune to extremespeed, such as the Giratina formes, ghostceus, Mega Gengar, Aegislash, etc. Shadow claw is the preferred option, but shadow force can be used to OHKO Giratina-O and ghostceus at +2, and hurt Giratina hard, although it is exploitable as it is a 2 turn move. The last slot comes down to preference. Earthquake is the most preferred option to beat the rock and steel types that extremespeed can't hurt such as Arceus rock, Tyranitar, Aegislash, Jirachi, Dialga, Klefki, Excadrill, and so on. Overheat is an option if Pokemons like Skarmory, Forretress, Scizor or Ferrothorn are a problem, and hits them harder than earthquake, but it has no use otherwise. Recover can also be used to heal HP and increase longevity, but a coverage move is most recommended. The choice of item comes down to preference: life orb gives power at the cost of recoil damage, silk scarf powers up extremespeed reliably, whereas lum berry cures status like burn or toxic once, especially a burn from a Giratina or an opposing support Arceus.
Good teammates: Like any sweeper, Arceus enjoys Stealth Rock support to get more KOs, and particularly helps against Yveltal, Lugia, Ho-oh. Your best bets are Deoxys formes, Groudon, and Dialga. Spikes support from Ferrothorn, Klefki, Deoxys formes help too. Ghost types such as Giratina formes and ghost Arceus counter ekiller well, so teammates that beat it are very helpful. Darkrai and Yveltal do a mighty fine job of keeping them at bay. Arceus also appreciates a status absorber to take in toxics and will-o-wisps aimed at it. Giratina-O is good at this, but must be wary of opposing ghost, fairy and dragon type attacks. Arceus also has trouble with steel types, so a Pokemon that can beat steel types is helpful. Candidates include Mega Mewtwo-X, Blaziken, Groudon, Ho-oh, Darkrai and Heatran. Arceus might have trouble with fighting types, so psychic types such as Mewtwo (any kind), oblivion wing Yveltal, and ghost types like Giratina formes are appreciated. Giratina has the additional bonus of being a status absorber and beating ghost types.
What counters it: Your best bet is a physical wall, ghost type or steel type. Physical walls include skarmory, which can take any attack except overheat and phaze it, Groudon, which avoids a OHKO from a +2 extremespeed and phazes it, and multiscale Lugia at full HP which phzes it too. Ghost types include Giratina formes and ghost Arceus, which can take any attack and burn it in return, crippling it. However, keep in mind that Giratina-O and ghostceus are KOed by a boosted shadow force. Ghost types are the best way to counter ekiller. The steel types that can counter Arceus include Skarmory (already mentioned), Scizor, Forretress, Ferrothorn, Klefki and Aegislash, but they all must watch out for either earthquake or overheat. Arceus can be revenge-killed by a few checks. If you find it in an unboosted position, fighting types like Blaziken, Mega Mewtwo-X and Fighting Arceus can KO it with Low Kick or Judgement respectively, and a Terrakion can survive a boosted extremespeed, and retaliate back with a close combat.
Additional Info: The EVs are meant to provide maximum speed and power, while a jolly nature is preferred to outspeed and KO mega-gengar on the turn of its mega evolution and speedtie with opposing arceus. However, an alternative spread of an Adamant nature with 252 Atk / 56 Spd / 200 HP can be used to increase bulk and maximize attack power, and the EVs ensure that arceus outspeeds the base 90 speed tier, considering they aren't running a beneficial nature.
By Aquaslash:
Blaziken @ Blazikenite
Adamant Nature
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
- Protect
- Knock Off / Stone Edge
- Flare Blitz
- Low Kick / High Jump Kick
Role: Physical Sweeper
How he rolls: I never understood why Blaziken got banned from OU as Talonflame and Azumaril existed to completely cockblock him. After using him extensively, I get it. If you lack those, he wrecks everything else. This set takes advantage of the fact that Blaziken is immune to burn status and just tears through things with his raw power. The overwhelming majority of things in Ubers hit the benchmark to take 120 damage from Low Kick so its an excellent safe STAB to spam, plus there's no penalty for whiffing. Nevertheless, HJK is still slashed because should it actually land, it can secure some KOs that Low Kick would miss, and that can be important. It should still be used with caution because the penalty for whiffing is basically a dead Blaziken.
Flare Blitz is another great STAB that puts holes in the things that would otherwise resist or be immune to the fighting move. The recoil quickly adds up so be mindful of that. Knock off is generally going to be the better option for the last attack as it has great utility, and should you have enough speed boosts, destroys Mega Gengar before he can really do anything to you. Stone Edge is purely to land surprise KOs on Ho-Oh who is a common switch in, resists both of your STABs and takes very little from Knock Off.
Good Teammates: Blaziken's best friends are things that can lay hazards, most importantly Stealth Rock. The rocks damage will turn many 2HKOs into OHKOs, which is very important, as Blaze very much needs to kill or be killed. Groudon and Dialga are excellent partners in this regard as they can set up rocks and take a few hits on their own. Groudon also also provides sun support to power up Flare Blitz. Things that threaten Ho-Oh and Lugia such as Zekrom and Taunt Yveltal are also good friends. Hazard removal on your side is also useful as Blaziken will already be damaging himself a lot, ans doesn't need the additional chip damage from other hazards.
What Counters it: Blaziken has two really big enemies. First and foremost, himself. The recoil from Flare Blitz will very quickly add up and do him in. Secondly, there's his godawful defenses. Even with the buff from Mega Evolution, he is still incredibly frail. Priority users, regardless of the type can instantly put a halt to Blaze's work. The most notable of these is Extreme Killer Arceus. However, it's imperative that if using Ekiller, you immediately go on the revenge with Extreme Speed as attempting to set up will get you a dead Ekiller. Bar Stone Edge, Ho-Oh and Lugia can take anything Blaziken can throw at them and threaten to OHKO with super effective stabs, or Lugia can get his stall going. Lugia isn't even bothered by repeated knock offs as he can just roost the damage away and stall with toxic. Without rocks up, Palkia and Kyogre can survive Low Kick and fire back super effective hits. Lastly, but definitely not least, Giratina just about hard counters this Blaziken as he has the bulk to stand a few knock offs can can phaze or stall or whatever.
By LustrousPalkia:
Groudon @ Life Orb / Lum Berry / Earth Plate
Ability: Drought
EVs: 132 HP / 252 Atk / 124 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Fire Punch / Dragon Claw / Swords Dance
- Rock Polish
Role: Physical Sweeper
What does it do: Rock Polish Groudon aims to set up a Rock Polish mid- to late-game, once the opposing team has been weakened, and sweep. Earthquake provides stupidly powerful STAB, doing upwards of 75% to common Ubers such as Palkia, Kyogre and Mewtwo with just a Life Orb boost. Stone Edge allows Groudon to drop ground-immune Pokemon such as Ho-Oh and Lugia, and forms the ever potent and familiar EdgeQuake combo. The third moveslot is very negotiable; Fire Punch works very nicely with Drought, and can be used to punch (huehuehue) Steel-Types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Bronzong in the face, easily removing them from Groudon’s way, as well as killing Shaymin-S reliably - very importantly, Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch does almost 75% to Arceus-Grass, which can easily end Groudon’s rampage with Grass Knot. Dragon Claw allows Groudon to deal significant damage to Giratina-O, which would otherwise be extremely irritating due to Levitate - it also allows for slightly stronger hits on Ubers such as Giratina and Palkia, although the latter gets worked over by Life Orb Earthquake anyway. Lastly, Swords Dance means that Groudon can take on the role of a Double Dancer. Swords Dance usually works best alongside EdgeQuake coverage and a Lum Berry as a held item - by doing this, it is possible to break through checks by first Rock Polishing, then gaining a free Swords Dance as something like Arceus-Fairy or Giratina tries to burn you - they will be more inclined to burn Rock Polish sets than phaze, and most support Arceus that would either come in on Groudon, or that Groudon would stay in against, do not run Roar anyway - this way, with even a little prior damage, Groudon can boost to +2/+2 and 6-0 the opponent’s team from there - a wonderful bonus is that Klefki and Thundurus cannot use their Thunder Wave to halt Groudon’s sweep, and Groudon can in fact set up on the former. The EV spread allows Groudon to outspeed +Speed nature base 100s and below after a Rock Polish. Alternative EV spreads are 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe which allows Groudon to outspeed Scarf Terrakion (as uncommon as it might be). An interesting spread is Impish nature with 252 HP / 132 Def / 124 Spe, which works as an extremely physically bulky Double Dancer that can set up both boosts quite easily due to its absurd amount of bulk (credit to shrang for telling me this spread) - this also works nicely with Lum Berry. Finally, the choice of item depends on the moveset and also the preference of the player - Life Orb works nicest on Rock Polish + 3 Attacks, Lum Berry works best alongside Swords Dance and can also provide insurance against burn in particular. Earth Plate gives Groudon a cost-free 20% boost to its STAB Earthquake, but means that its coverage moves will not be nearly as powerful.
Good teammates: Powerful physical attackers work very nicely alongside Groudon to break physically bulky Pokemon on the opponent’s side so that Groudon can set up a Rock Polish and sweep lategame. Extremekiller Arceus is the most straightforward example, as it can set up and break holes in things such as Lugia, Giratina and Support Arceus so that Groudon can easily get past them late-game. Ho-Oh works very well too as it can wreak havoc under Groudon’s sunlight, as well as beating up Lugia, potentially burning it and definitely weakening it for Groudon - Ho-Oh can also beat the shit out of Landorus-Therian with sun-boosted Sacred Fire so that it does not irritate Groudon later on. Special attackers can also work well to generally beat up on the opponent’s team. Stealth Rock support is of course vital, as it means that Groudon can potentially break Lugia, as well as getting invaluable chip damage - Spikes also work very nicely - for example, with Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes, Groudon has a good chance to OHKO max HP Arceus-Grass with Life Orb sun-boosted Fire Punch - Deoxys-Speed works well in this regard as it fits nicely on the sorts of offensive teams that Rock Polish Groudon works well on. Cloyster gets an honourable mention for its ability to slap Lugia, Giratina and Giratina-Origin around, as well as fitting nicely on sun offense teams.
What counters it: As mentioned, Giratina is the singular best answer to Groudon, as physically defensive variants just do not care about Earthquake, and can take even +2 Earthquakes nicely, then Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail / Roar Groudon away. Support Arceus can burn Groudon. Arceus-Grass gets a special mention as well, due to its resistance to Earthquake and its ability to quickly dispose of Groudon with Grass Knot (the strength of Arceus-Water’s Judgment is cut in half by sun); however, Arceus-Grass takes huge damage from boosted Fire Punch and is terrified of one of Groudon’s most effective teammates, Ho-Oh. Giratina-O can take a Life Orb Dragon Claw after Stealth Rock damage and burn or phaze Groudon away. Skarmory utterly walls sets lacking Fire Punch, but will fall to said move. Physically defensive Kyogre can Scald Groudon, but will take - just - so - much - damage - from +2 Earthquake that if it doesn’t die, it will be useless afterwards. Sableye can burn non-Lum Berry Groudon with priority Will-O-Wisp, but woe betide it if it misses or if Groudon does have Lum Berry. Scarf Shaymin-S can outspeed all but nearly fully invested Jolly Groudon and blow it up with Seed Flare.
By WreckDra:
Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide / Swords Dance
Role: Physical Sweeper, Hazard Remover
What it Does: Excadrill is used on teams with Sandstorm inducers to abuse Sand Rush and its high attack to sweep, clear entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and to be a status sponge since its typing grants it an immunity to Thunder Wave and Toxic. It is pretty powerful, even by Ubers standards, when equipped with a Life Orb and can even wall break to an extent with Swords Dance.
Good Teammates: Sandstorm inducers are almost mandatory when using Excadrill so this makes Hippowdon and Tyranitar excellent partners even though their defensive synergy with Excadrill is questionable. A strong Kyogre check, like Palkia and Grass Arceus, are also needed since Excadrill draws out Kyogre like no other. Grassy and Palkia can also check Groudon and Landorus-T who are both strong switch-ins to Excadrill. Yveltal can prey on spinblockers like Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus while also being able to check Grass Arceus who is also a thorn in Excadrill's side.
What counters it: The entire whether trio (Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza) can check Excadrill but only a healthy Groudon can be considered a full on counter. All of them remove Excadrill's Sand Rush bonus with their own abilities and can OHKO it with either their STABs or V-Create respectively. Landorus-T laughs at Excadrill thanks to its immunity to Earthquake and Intimidate to lower Iron Head's power; It can OHKO any Excadrill. Grass Arceus can live an Iron Head and burn Excadrill and any support Arceus that carries Will-O-Wisp make Excadrill more or less useless outside of Sandstorm. A healthy Giratina-O can Spinblock Excadrill and burn it but it will be weak after its encounter with the mole.
By LustrousPalkia:
Zekrom @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Speed
Adamant Nature
- Outrage
- Bolt Strike
- Draco Meteor / Sleep Talk
- Volt Switch
Role: Revenge Killer, Physical Sweeper
Its purpose in life: Zekrom works very nicely as a Choice Scarf user. Its signature move Bolt Strike is extremely powerful, allowing it to 2HKO support Arceus and deal heavy damage to Calm Mind users, something that other Scarf users cannot do. Outrage is a very useful secondary STAB - Zekrom is really more of an Electric-Type than it is a Dragon-Type by the way - and allows it to revenge kill Dragon-Types and tier members that resist Electric. Draco Meteor is a very good move on Zekrom as bulky Ground-Types tend to like switching in on it - Draco Meteor does 50-60% to max HP Groudon, and even more to max HP Landorus, both of whom often come in on Zekrom to block Bolt Strikes. This weakens them for other teammembers to break through. Lastly, Volt Switch allows Zekrom to keep momentum, as well as dealing chip damage to switch-ins, and works very nicely alongside Shadow Tag users.
Good teammates: Zekrom checks all variants of Kyogre very nicely, being able to come in on everything but Specs Kyogre’s Water Spout or Ice Beam at least once, and can OHKO it easily with Bolt Strike. It can also switch in on Thunder very easily due to its x4 resistance and its immunity to paralysis. Therefore, anything that appreciates Scarf Kyogre being gone is a great teammate - good examples are Mega Mewtwo X and Y, who can be revenge killed by Water Spout. Switchins to Ground- and Fairy-Types are vital, as Zekrom has issues with this typing core. Gliscor comes in on Landorus and Groudon nicely, as well as other Gliscor, and can set up Stealth Rock to punish switch-ins to Zekrom. Checks to Geomancy Xerneas are vital too - Zekrom needs to watch its use of Outrage to deny Xerneas a free setup opportunity, although offensive Xerneas in particular can’t come in on Zekrom safely due to Bolt Strike doing a tremendous amount of damage. Luring in one half of the core and killing it works very well in aiding Zekrom to do its job, so teammates that can do this, such as Rayquaza.
What counters it: as mentioned, Fairy/Ground cores cause Zekrom a lot of issues, making it engage in an unpleasant 50/50 each time it comes in. Zekrom can get past bulky Ground-Types with Draco Meteor, but each time it gets the 50/50 wrong it gives the opponent free turns. Ferrothorn does very well against Zekrom, punishing it with Iron Barbs and resisting its STAB moves. Whimsicott also irritates Zekrom (or you could be a counterteaming BITCH and run Hidden Power Poison) intensely with Leech Seed and Substitute, but Zekrom can Volt Switch out of its non-Ground type checks to keep up momentum. Arceus-Ground is the only true counter to Zekrom, but it is uncommon and can be 2HKOed by +Atk nature Outrage after Stealth Rock if it isn’t running a bulky spread. If Zekrom locks itself into Outrage to revenge kill something, any Fairy-Type can revenge kill it, and, as mentioned, Geomancy Xerneas can set up on it.
By canman98:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Ability: Air Lock
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
-Dragon Dance
-V-create
-Extreme Speed
-Outrage
Role: Physical Sweeper
What It Does: DD Ray basically cleans with Outrage. The real kicker about this is how to get to that point. V-create roasts practically every Steel-type in the tier that resists Outrage, and most Fairy-types bar Fairy Arceus will fall to a V-create and Extremespeed. Extremespeed is still very useful when revenge killing an opponent in order to set up a sweep. Rayquaza can usually feign other sets before revealing Dragon Dance if you play your cards right, and is most definitely powerful enough to clean with an Outrage after a single boost.
Good Acquaintances: Shadow Taggers like Mega Gengar, Wobbuffet and Gothitelle can trap and remove most of the Pokemon that can deal with this form of Rayquaza, therefore paving the way for a sweep. Xerneas checks such as Aegislash and Klefki are invaluable to Rayquaza as they can defeat most of the Fairy-types in the tier and can cripple most of its checks and counters in some way, shape or form.
What Counters It: Fairy-types really only check Rayquaza, but Fairy Arceus and Clefable are the only pixies that can take on a boosted Rayquaza and KO back with a STAB Fairy move due to Rayquaza's frailty. Lugia, Water Arceus, Rock Arceus, and Heatran can all counter this variant of Rayquaza on their own and phaze or cripple it, but Rayquaza can get the jump on Heatran with the very rare Earthquake. A fully healthy Groudon can also defeat Rayquaza on its own, but will be heavily damaged if Rayquaza is already boosted.
By Thetwinmasters:
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 108 HP / 32 Def / 252 SpA / 120 Spe
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- Thunder
- Substitute / Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast
Role: Special Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner
What it does: This set mostly aims to use the move Geomancy and thanks to Power Herb Geomancy only takes one turn. You then use your boosts to ideally sweep the other team. This makes this set very hard to deal with since if your checks die you pretty much lose the game.
Good Teammates: Mega-Gengar, Gothitelle, and Wobbuffet can all trap Xerneas checks using their ability Shadow Tag and open the door to a sweep. Stealth Rocks are also appreciated since it gives a chance to OHKO 252hp Arceus and stops Lugia from ending your sweep are just few of the benefits hazards give.
What counters it: Klefki is a premier check to Xerneas since with prankster it can Thunder Wave Xerneas and let a teammate kill it. Play Rough also breaks Xerneas's sub which prevents it from stopping Klefki's Thunder Wave. Specially Defensive Kyogre can take a Geomancy-Boosted Thunder and then phaze Xerneas out which stops the sweep. Aegislash can take a Moonblast with ease thanks to its Steel typing and great defenses then OHKO back with Gyro Ball.
Additional Info: Use 124spe and 104hp evs if using HP fire.
By WreckDra:
Arceus @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
Role: Spinblocker, Special Sweeper
What it Does: Ghost Arceus spreads burns when needed but can come in on something it threatens out late game, and can set up a sweep / clean from there with its great STAB. It also provides Spinblocker support
Good Teammates: Any entry hazard support is much appreciated for just about any sweeper. Klefki, Xerneas and Sylveon all ruin Ghostceus' worst nightmare, Yveltal, and Klefki also functions as a hazard setter for Ghostceus. Suicide leads like having Ghostceus' spinblocking capabilities around although Rapid Spin isn't as common anymore.
What counters it: Yveltal ruins Ghostceus with either Dark Pulse from the offensive set, or Toxic from the defensive set and both are only mildly annoyed by Will-O-Wisp. Dark Arceus utterly puts an end to anything Ghostceus tries to pull off. Ho-Oh has the special bulk to take on Ghostceus and does bonkers damage with Sacred Fire along with the nasty burn chance. Random Toxics are the bane of Ghostceus.
By Nayrz:
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Spd / 8 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: NaN Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Refresh
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Darkceus comes in on defensive mons and starts setting up. If its a stall team then hoo boy, they are not going to like this set. Any attempts to Toxic stall Darkceus get a surprise when they use Refresh, and only powerful physical attacks can take it out once it gets going with Calm Mind boosts. Its a great stallbreaker, but doesn't really do too much else. If it gets the opportunities against other teams it can also just act as a Calm Mind sweeper.
Good acquaintances: Against stall it doesn't need that much support, if any. Against other teams Fairy checks and Fighting type checks (Blaze, Xerneas, Lucario to name a few) would be helpful to clear the way for a sweep.
What Counters It: SpD Walls that can phase or actually hit back hard are ideal checks. SpD Kyogre can take a hit and phase, SpD Xerneas will pile pressure on with Moonblast. Physical threats are also a problem: Scarf Zekrom 2HKOs with Bolt Strike, Mega Blaziken can switch in, take a hit and OHKO with Low Kick (if running Protect) and Mega Lucario, while frail, can still take a hit and OHKO with Close Combat.
By LustrousPalkia:
Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Water aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Water has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment, but choosing a coverage move is difficult, and without Refresh, Toxic ruins it completely, making it the inferior option this generation.
Friends in high places: Arceus-Water can have issues with Ferrothorn and Arceus-Grass, both of which are reasonably common on stall builds. Choice Specs Kyogre can lure both of these out and damage them beyond repair. Gastrodon is a complete stop to this set, being immune to Judgment, and can win a PP war. Palkia with Toxic can lure out and poison Arceus-Grass and Gastrodon so that Arceus-Water can set up on them (although it needs a large (+2 Special Defense) head start against Arceus-Grass), and Palkia can also Fire Blast Ferrothorn. Arceus-Electric has a huge advantage against Arceus-Water, so poisoning it or severely weakening it is appreciated. Toxic Spikes users can actually them down to poison all of the above, although there aren’t many that are viable and it is very hard to keep them on the field. A strong check to Zekrom is essential, as the Scarf variant in particular can easily switch in and threaten Arceus with a OHKO from Bolt Strike. Finally, if running Substitute, cleric support is nice if Arceus gets caught with Toxic - this does not solve the issue of Toxic Spikes however.
What counters it: Ferrothorn can give Arceus-Water a very hard time with Leech Seed and potentially Toxic or Power Whip. Arceus-Grass can do severe damage with Grass Knot and resists Judgment. Offensive Palkia is actually relatively easy to set up on, but Thunder in rain does a fair amount of damage and can KO Arceus quickly if it has no Calm Mind boosts - the large paralysis chance can also cost Arceus its life. Specially defensive Palkia is not 3HKOed by +6 0 SpA Judgment, so it can Rest off the damage and burn Arceus’s Judgments with Pressure. Scarf Zekrom can switch in on Arceus relatively easily and OHKO it with Bolt Strike. Scarf Kyogre can do a large amount of damage with Thunder to an unboosted Arceus, as can Choice Specs variants; specially defensive variants can phaze Arceus easily as well. Thundurus can do a lot of damage to unboosted Arceus and can Taunt it as well - however, Judgment does a lot even unboosted, Arceus can run enough speed to outrun Thundurus, and boosted Arceus can easily take Thundurus’s Electric attacks. Finally, Dialga resists Judgment and can Roar Arceus away - bear in mind that a lot of these checks can lose if Arceus is the last Pokemon standing. If already Mega Evolved, Gengar can remove Arceus with Destiny Bond, but it will lose if it has not had a chance to do so. Bear in mind that 0 SpAtk Arceus needs +2 Special Attack to be sure of OHKOing Gengar with Judgment. Gastrodon is immune to Judgment, and can be a total bitch with Toxic and Clear Smog - poisoning it beforehand means that Arceus can set up on it, however.
By LustrousPalkia:
Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh / Psyshock / Earth Power
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Fairy aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Fairy has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set - however, Psyshock helps Arceus-Fairy against Gengar and Ho-Oh, and is more than usable; it also helps against opposing Calm Mind Arceus and deals supereffective damage to Poison-Types in general, particularly Arceus-Poison (you can give Arceus-Poison a nasty suprise if it decides to go for Calm Mind alongside you); lastly, Earth Power works well against opposing Steel-Types and Poison-Types, especially Heatran. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away, and can potentially get hit in the face by Psyshock. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment alongside more coverage, but it is inferior due to the abundance of Toxic and the huge loss of bulk.
Friends in high places: things to handle Steel-Types are very nice indeed. Luring out Ferrothorn with Palkia and Fire Blasting it works very nicely. Burning Scizor and Aegislash also works nicely as they can be set up on when burned. Palkia can also bully Heatran very well. Kyogre can burn Ferrothorn with Scald, as well as wiping the floor with any other Steel-Type. Setting up Stealth Rock for Ho-Oh is vital as, without it, Ho-Oh can bully Arceus-Fairy easily. Luring in Scizor and Ferrothorn and dispatching them with Fire moves such as Xerneas’s Hidden Power Fire works very nicely. Burning common Geomancy Xerneas checks actually turns them into setup bait.
What counters it: Arceus-Fairy is severely irritated by Ferrothorn, which resists Judgment and can poison and Leech Seed Arceus-Fairy as well as Gyro Balling it repeatedly. which is not uncommon on stall and balance builds. Heatran has a quadruple resistance to Judgment, can Roar Arceus-Fairy away, Toxic it and Taunt it (if you run Earth Power, however, Heatran dies). Scizor and Aegislash both resist Judgment and can deal supereffective damage back. Calm Mind Arceus-Poison wipes the floor with Arceus-Fairy that don’t carry Ground or Psychic coverage. Mega Gengar can Taunt Arceus-Fairy, beat up on it with Sludge Bomb or Sludge Wave, or Destiny Bond it away - however, if Arceus-Fairy is running enough Speed, has Psyshock (or Earth Power), and Gengar has not yet Mega Evolved, Gengar can lose. Specially Defensive Kyogre can Roar Arceus-Fairy away if it doesn’t have many Calm Mind boosts. Sets lacking Refresh lose to Toxic.
Additional Notes: Arceus-Fairy can also perform traditional Arceus roles, as it can check Palkia and Yveltal very nicely indeed, as well as absorbing Dragon moves for its team.
Xerneas @ Power Herb
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 108 HP / 32 Def / 252 SpA / 120 Spe
Modest Nature
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- Thunder
- Substitute / Hidden Power Fire / Focus Blast
Role: Special Sweeper, Late-game Cleaner
What it does: This set mostly aims to use the move Geomancy and thanks to Power Herb Geomancy only takes one turn. You then use your boosts to ideally sweep the other team. This makes this set very hard to deal with since if your checks die you pretty much lose the game.
Good Teammates: Mega-Gengar, Gothitelle, and Wobbuffet can all trap Xerneas checks using their ability Shadow Tag and open the door to a sweep. Stealth Rocks are also appreciated since it gives a chance to OHKO 252hp Arceus and stops Lugia from ending your sweep are just few of the benefits hazards give.
What counters it: Klefki is a premier check to Xerneas since with prankster it can Thunder Wave Xerneas and let a teammate kill it. Play Rough also breaks Xerneas's sub which prevents it from stopping Klefki's Thunder Wave. Specially Defensive Kyogre can take a Geomancy-Boosted Thunder and then phaze Xerneas out which stops the sweep. Aegislash can take a Moonblast with ease thanks to its Steel typing and great defenses then OHKO back with Gyro Ball.
Additional Info: Use 124spe and 104hp evs if using HP fire.
By WreckDra:
Arceus @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Judgment
- Recover
- Will-O-Wisp
Role: Spinblocker, Special Sweeper
What it Does: Ghost Arceus spreads burns when needed but can come in on something it threatens out late game, and can set up a sweep / clean from there with its great STAB. It also provides Spinblocker support
Good Teammates: Any entry hazard support is much appreciated for just about any sweeper. Klefki, Xerneas and Sylveon all ruin Ghostceus' worst nightmare, Yveltal, and Klefki also functions as a hazard setter for Ghostceus. Suicide leads like having Ghostceus' spinblocking capabilities around although Rapid Spin isn't as common anymore.
What counters it: Yveltal ruins Ghostceus with either Dark Pulse from the offensive set, or Toxic from the defensive set and both are only mildly annoyed by Will-O-Wisp. Dark Arceus utterly puts an end to anything Ghostceus tries to pull off. Ho-Oh has the special bulk to take on Ghostceus and does bonkers damage with Sacred Fire along with the nasty burn chance. Random Toxics are the bane of Ghostceus.
By Nayrz:
Arceus-Dark @ Dread Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Spd / 8 SAtk
Timid Nature
IVs: NaN Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Recover
- Refresh
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What It Does: Darkceus comes in on defensive mons and starts setting up. If its a stall team then hoo boy, they are not going to like this set. Any attempts to Toxic stall Darkceus get a surprise when they use Refresh, and only powerful physical attacks can take it out once it gets going with Calm Mind boosts. Its a great stallbreaker, but doesn't really do too much else. If it gets the opportunities against other teams it can also just act as a Calm Mind sweeper.
Good acquaintances: Against stall it doesn't need that much support, if any. Against other teams Fairy checks and Fighting type checks (Blaze, Xerneas, Lucario to name a few) would be helpful to clear the way for a sweep.
What Counters It: SpD Walls that can phase or actually hit back hard are ideal checks. SpD Kyogre can take a hit and phase, SpD Xerneas will pile pressure on with Moonblast. Physical threats are also a problem: Scarf Zekrom 2HKOs with Bolt Strike, Mega Blaziken can switch in, take a hit and OHKO with Low Kick (if running Protect) and Mega Lucario, while frail, can still take a hit and OHKO with Close Combat.
By LustrousPalkia:
Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Water aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Water has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment, but choosing a coverage move is difficult, and without Refresh, Toxic ruins it completely, making it the inferior option this generation.
Friends in high places: Arceus-Water can have issues with Ferrothorn and Arceus-Grass, both of which are reasonably common on stall builds. Choice Specs Kyogre can lure both of these out and damage them beyond repair. Gastrodon is a complete stop to this set, being immune to Judgment, and can win a PP war. Palkia with Toxic can lure out and poison Arceus-Grass and Gastrodon so that Arceus-Water can set up on them (although it needs a large (+2 Special Defense) head start against Arceus-Grass), and Palkia can also Fire Blast Ferrothorn. Arceus-Electric has a huge advantage against Arceus-Water, so poisoning it or severely weakening it is appreciated. Toxic Spikes users can actually them down to poison all of the above, although there aren’t many that are viable and it is very hard to keep them on the field. A strong check to Zekrom is essential, as the Scarf variant in particular can easily switch in and threaten Arceus with a OHKO from Bolt Strike. Finally, if running Substitute, cleric support is nice if Arceus gets caught with Toxic - this does not solve the issue of Toxic Spikes however.
What counters it: Ferrothorn can give Arceus-Water a very hard time with Leech Seed and potentially Toxic or Power Whip. Arceus-Grass can do severe damage with Grass Knot and resists Judgment. Offensive Palkia is actually relatively easy to set up on, but Thunder in rain does a fair amount of damage and can KO Arceus quickly if it has no Calm Mind boosts - the large paralysis chance can also cost Arceus its life. Specially defensive Palkia is not 3HKOed by +6 0 SpA Judgment, so it can Rest off the damage and burn Arceus’s Judgments with Pressure. Scarf Zekrom can switch in on Arceus relatively easily and OHKO it with Bolt Strike. Scarf Kyogre can do a large amount of damage with Thunder to an unboosted Arceus, as can Choice Specs variants; specially defensive variants can phaze Arceus easily as well. Thundurus can do a lot of damage to unboosted Arceus and can Taunt it as well - however, Judgment does a lot even unboosted, Arceus can run enough speed to outrun Thundurus, and boosted Arceus can easily take Thundurus’s Electric attacks. Finally, Dialga resists Judgment and can Roar Arceus away - bear in mind that a lot of these checks can lose if Arceus is the last Pokemon standing. If already Mega Evolved, Gengar can remove Arceus with Destiny Bond, but it will lose if it has not had a chance to do so. Bear in mind that 0 SpAtk Arceus needs +2 Special Attack to be sure of OHKOing Gengar with Judgment. Gastrodon is immune to Judgment, and can be a total bitch with Toxic and Clear Smog - poisoning it beforehand means that Arceus can set up on it, however.
By LustrousPalkia:
Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 84 Def / 176 Spe
Timid Nature
- Judgment
- Calm Mind
- Refresh / Psyshock / Earth Power
- Recover
Role: Stallbreaker, Special Sweeper
What it does: this variant of Arceus-Fairy aims to set up Calm Mind and sweep. Arceus-Fairy has an excellent offensive and defensive typing in the Ubers tier, meaning that it can easily set up Calm Mind and sweep with Judgment. Refresh allows Arceus to easily shake off status from anything that tries to check it with Toxic or Thunder Wave, meaning that stall teams have a very hard time against this set - however, Psyshock helps Arceus-Fairy against Gengar and Ho-Oh, and is more than usable; it also helps against opposing Calm Mind Arceus and deals supereffective damage to Poison-Types in general, particularly Arceus-Poison (you can give Arceus-Poison a nasty suprise if it decides to go for Calm Mind alongside you); lastly, Earth Power works well against opposing Steel-Types and Poison-Types, especially Heatran. Recover obviously allows Arceus to heal off any damage taken whilst setting up. Substitute is also an option over Refresh, but it does not protect Arceus from Toxic Spikes, and Arceus can also be caught with unexpected Toxic and therefore have its chances of sweeping ruined. Other spreads that can be used are 96+ Speed to outspeed Palkia, enough speed to outspeed 252+ Thundurus (I think it’s 188), or a simple max Speed spread - 176 Speed is enough to outrun Gengar before it has Mega Evolved, meaning that it cannot Destiny Bond Arceus away, and can potentially get hit in the face by Psyshock. It is also possible to run an offensive Calm Mind set with max Speed and Special Attack investment alongside more coverage, but it is inferior due to the abundance of Toxic and the huge loss of bulk.
Friends in high places: things to handle Steel-Types are very nice indeed. Luring out Ferrothorn with Palkia and Fire Blasting it works very nicely. Burning Scizor and Aegislash also works nicely as they can be set up on when burned. Palkia can also bully Heatran very well. Kyogre can burn Ferrothorn with Scald, as well as wiping the floor with any other Steel-Type. Setting up Stealth Rock for Ho-Oh is vital as, without it, Ho-Oh can bully Arceus-Fairy easily. Luring in Scizor and Ferrothorn and dispatching them with Fire moves such as Xerneas’s Hidden Power Fire works very nicely. Burning common Geomancy Xerneas checks actually turns them into setup bait.
What counters it: Arceus-Fairy is severely irritated by Ferrothorn, which resists Judgment and can poison and Leech Seed Arceus-Fairy as well as Gyro Balling it repeatedly. which is not uncommon on stall and balance builds. Heatran has a quadruple resistance to Judgment, can Roar Arceus-Fairy away, Toxic it and Taunt it (if you run Earth Power, however, Heatran dies). Scizor and Aegislash both resist Judgment and can deal supereffective damage back. Calm Mind Arceus-Poison wipes the floor with Arceus-Fairy that don’t carry Ground or Psychic coverage. Mega Gengar can Taunt Arceus-Fairy, beat up on it with Sludge Bomb or Sludge Wave, or Destiny Bond it away - however, if Arceus-Fairy is running enough Speed, has Psyshock (or Earth Power), and Gengar has not yet Mega Evolved, Gengar can lose. Specially Defensive Kyogre can Roar Arceus-Fairy away if it doesn’t have many Calm Mind boosts. Sets lacking Refresh lose to Toxic.
Additional Notes: Arceus-Fairy can also perform traditional Arceus roles, as it can check Palkia and Yveltal very nicely indeed, as well as absorbing Dragon moves for its team.
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By yoman5:
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Psycho Boost
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Role: Mixed Attacker, Revenge Killer
What it does: Cleans extremely well late game, revenge kills ekiller at ~30% depending on ev build of ekiller, no direct counters but shoves blissey/chansey out, can ohko m2y with knockoff, and ohkos or severely damages quite a lot with LO psycho boost. other than that strong attacks off a base 180 attack and base 150 speed is extremely potent.
Good teammates: A solid arceus form for defogging, as keeping rocks off is the only way to properly bluff sash. does well on balance teams (palk, bulky arceus, and the like) due to its ability to clean out weakened teams. allies who can take hits from scarfers are also somewhat necessary as it can not take a hit at all.
what counters it: ekiller at above 30% (takes the hit and just kills deo back, or worse, sds on the switch) ghostceus with espeed. anything scarfed checks it pretty hard (except adamant/modest zek/kyogre, as it outspeeds). pranksters mess this set up hard, as will o wisp or twave basically neuter it. Don't try to take on anything out of kill range, even uninvested weak hits kill you.
By n0b:
Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Psycho Boost
- ExtremeSpeed
- Low Kick / Knock Off
Role: Hazards Setter, Mixed Attacker
What It Does: Good suicide lead, set up rocks and smash your enemies' faces with tons of offensive power, then die.
Good Teammates: Like Deo-s, fast taunt users and tons of offensive pressure helps keep the rocks up on the field. You'll also want some kind of switch in for Kanga and Scoli because otherwise you die to them.
What Counters It: Pokemon with multi-hit moves like Kanga and Scoli give it some trouble. Unlike deo-s, deo-a can take care of ttar (assuming you're running low kick and the ttar isn't running something stupid like chople or sash), but at the cost of its sash. Also swagplay is a hard counter because deo-a will OHKO itself when it gets swaggered, RIP. Bulky Pokemon like support arc can recover when Deo-a uses Psycho Boost, then defog any rocks that Deo-a may have set up, then kill it.
By canman98:
Mewtwo @ Mewtwonite X
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Taunt
- Low Kick
- Ice Beam
- Zen Headbutt
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Mixed Attacker, Lure, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Kicks people in the nuts....with Low Kick. Low Kick is extremely powerful in Ubers coupled with the highest natural Attack of all Fighting-types, and Mega Mewtwo X can do a good job at smashing most tanks or walls, including some support Arceus formes. Taunt is integral to how Mega Mewtwo X functions; it prevents itself from being burned by support Arceus formes or Giratina-O, and can also prevent itself from being stalled out by some physical walls. Coupled with Ice Beam, Mewtwo can lure and KO Gliscor and Landorus-T, 2 would-be counters, in addition to 2HKOing Groudon and Giratina-O (only after Stealth Rock), making it a very solid coverage move when not spamming Low Kick. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB that complements Low Kick's spamming abilities in hitting things that Low Kick could not, such as lightweight Pokemon, Fairy-types, and Arceus-Poison, something that can stalemate this Mewtwo set.
Good Teammates: Checks to Scarfed revenge killers. Scarfers such as Kyogre can rain on Mega Mewtwo X's parade, literally, and Mewtwo's frailty is still inherited upon Mega Evolving. Wobbuffet can check most Choice Scarf users bar Kyogre, in which Palkia can assist in checking Scarf Kyogre if needed. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can still KO Mega Mewtwo X or scare it out, so Steel-types such as Klefki and Aegislash can combat the pixies solidly. Yveltal, Darkrai, and Arceus-Dark can bully bulky Ghost-types that threaten Mega Mewtwo X and help pave the way for a quick-kickin' clean (also Ho-Oh checks like Stealth Rock, Landorus-T and Arceus-Rock can help).
What Counters It: Arceus-Ghost and Aegislash can counter this set and lash out with super-powerful Ghost STAB moves that can OHKO Mewtwo in a flash of spectral darkness. Giratina-O and Ho-Oh can check Mega Mewtwo X if Stealth Rock is not up as they can survive a hit and retaliate. Scarfers like Kyogre and Xerneas can take advantage of Mega Mewtwo X's mediocre bulk and KO with their STAB move of choice. Fairy-types in general check Mega Mewtwo X as they can all OHKO it with Moonblast or Judgment (Arceus-Fairy), but some dislike taking a hit. The same situation applies with Yveltal, who can't take a hit, but can OHKO Mega Mewtwo X with Oblivion Wing.
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Psycho Boost
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Role: Mixed Attacker, Revenge Killer
What it does: Cleans extremely well late game, revenge kills ekiller at ~30% depending on ev build of ekiller, no direct counters but shoves blissey/chansey out, can ohko m2y with knockoff, and ohkos or severely damages quite a lot with LO psycho boost. other than that strong attacks off a base 180 attack and base 150 speed is extremely potent.
Good teammates: A solid arceus form for defogging, as keeping rocks off is the only way to properly bluff sash. does well on balance teams (palk, bulky arceus, and the like) due to its ability to clean out weakened teams. allies who can take hits from scarfers are also somewhat necessary as it can not take a hit at all.
what counters it: ekiller at above 30% (takes the hit and just kills deo back, or worse, sds on the switch) ghostceus with espeed. anything scarfed checks it pretty hard (except adamant/modest zek/kyogre, as it outspeeds). pranksters mess this set up hard, as will o wisp or twave basically neuter it. Don't try to take on anything out of kill range, even uninvested weak hits kill you.
By n0b:
Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Psycho Boost
- ExtremeSpeed
- Low Kick / Knock Off
Role: Hazards Setter, Mixed Attacker
What It Does: Good suicide lead, set up rocks and smash your enemies' faces with tons of offensive power, then die.
Good Teammates: Like Deo-s, fast taunt users and tons of offensive pressure helps keep the rocks up on the field. You'll also want some kind of switch in for Kanga and Scoli because otherwise you die to them.
What Counters It: Pokemon with multi-hit moves like Kanga and Scoli give it some trouble. Unlike deo-s, deo-a can take care of ttar (assuming you're running low kick and the ttar isn't running something stupid like chople or sash), but at the cost of its sash. Also swagplay is a hard counter because deo-a will OHKO itself when it gets swaggered, RIP. Bulky Pokemon like support arc can recover when Deo-a uses Psycho Boost, then defog any rocks that Deo-a may have set up, then kill it.
By canman98:
Mewtwo @ Mewtwonite X
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Taunt
- Low Kick
- Ice Beam
- Zen Headbutt
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Mixed Attacker, Lure, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Kicks people in the nuts....with Low Kick. Low Kick is extremely powerful in Ubers coupled with the highest natural Attack of all Fighting-types, and Mega Mewtwo X can do a good job at smashing most tanks or walls, including some support Arceus formes. Taunt is integral to how Mega Mewtwo X functions; it prevents itself from being burned by support Arceus formes or Giratina-O, and can also prevent itself from being stalled out by some physical walls. Coupled with Ice Beam, Mewtwo can lure and KO Gliscor and Landorus-T, 2 would-be counters, in addition to 2HKOing Groudon and Giratina-O (only after Stealth Rock), making it a very solid coverage move when not spamming Low Kick. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB that complements Low Kick's spamming abilities in hitting things that Low Kick could not, such as lightweight Pokemon, Fairy-types, and Arceus-Poison, something that can stalemate this Mewtwo set.
Good Teammates: Checks to Scarfed revenge killers. Scarfers such as Kyogre can rain on Mega Mewtwo X's parade, literally, and Mewtwo's frailty is still inherited upon Mega Evolving. Wobbuffet can check most Choice Scarf users bar Kyogre, in which Palkia can assist in checking Scarf Kyogre if needed. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can still KO Mega Mewtwo X or scare it out, so Steel-types such as Klefki and Aegislash can combat the pixies solidly. Yveltal, Darkrai, and Arceus-Dark can bully bulky Ghost-types that threaten Mega Mewtwo X and help pave the way for a quick-kickin' clean (also Ho-Oh checks like Stealth Rock, Landorus-T and Arceus-Rock can help).
What Counters It: Arceus-Ghost and Aegislash can counter this set and lash out with super-powerful Ghost STAB moves that can OHKO Mewtwo in a flash of spectral darkness. Giratina-O and Ho-Oh can check Mega Mewtwo X if Stealth Rock is not up as they can survive a hit and retaliate. Scarfers like Kyogre and Xerneas can take advantage of Mega Mewtwo X's mediocre bulk and KO with their STAB move of choice. Fairy-types in general check Mega Mewtwo X as they can all OHKO it with Moonblast or Judgment (Arceus-Fairy), but some dislike taking a hit. The same situation applies with Yveltal, who can't take a hit, but can OHKO Mega Mewtwo X with Oblivion Wing.
By yoman5:
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Psycho Boost
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Role: Mixed Attacker, Revenge Killer, Late-game Cleaner
What it does: Cleans extremely well late game, revenge kills ekiller at ~30% depending on ev build of ekiller, no direct counters but shoves blissey/chansey out, can ohko m2y with knockoff, and ohkos or severely damages quite a lot with LO psycho boost. other than that strong attacks off a base 180 attack and base 150 speed is extremely potent.
Good teammates: A solid arceus form for defogging, as keeping rocks off is the only way to properly bluff sash. does well on balance teams (palk, bulky arceus, and the like) due to its ability to clean out weakened teams. allies who can take hits from scarfers are also somewhat necessary as it can not take a hit at all.
what counters it: ekiller at above 30% (takes the hit and just kills deo back, or worse, sds on the switch) ghostceus with espeed. anything scarfed checks it pretty hard (except adamant/modest zek/kyogre, as it outspeeds). pranksters mess this set up hard, as will o wisp or twave basically neuter it. Don't try to take on anything out of kill range, even uninvested weak hits kill you.
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Psycho Boost
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Role: Mixed Attacker, Revenge Killer, Late-game Cleaner
What it does: Cleans extremely well late game, revenge kills ekiller at ~30% depending on ev build of ekiller, no direct counters but shoves blissey/chansey out, can ohko m2y with knockoff, and ohkos or severely damages quite a lot with LO psycho boost. other than that strong attacks off a base 180 attack and base 150 speed is extremely potent.
Good teammates: A solid arceus form for defogging, as keeping rocks off is the only way to properly bluff sash. does well on balance teams (palk, bulky arceus, and the like) due to its ability to clean out weakened teams. allies who can take hits from scarfers are also somewhat necessary as it can not take a hit at all.
what counters it: ekiller at above 30% (takes the hit and just kills deo back, or worse, sds on the switch) ghostceus with espeed. anything scarfed checks it pretty hard (except adamant/modest zek/kyogre, as it outspeeds). pranksters mess this set up hard, as will o wisp or twave basically neuter it. Don't try to take on anything out of kill range, even uninvested weak hits kill you.
By Mega-Swampert:
Yveltal @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Sucker Punch
- Roost
Role: Tank, Physical wall, Screwing the ekiller
What it does: This set is very helpful for offensive teams, as unlike other walls is not complete set-up bait. Rocky helmet is simply something I prefer, as it makes it far better to punish physical attackers. Yveltal is surprisingly bulky, and unlike other walls can KO the attacker it is countering. Foul play screws with every physical attacker and physical set-up sweeper that exists, and as even specially attacking sweepers tend to have high attack stats, foul play can screw them over as well. Taunt gives it a huge advantage over other walls, as well its better than average speed tier. Sucker punch is for things like mega gengar that think they can take it down, but be cautious with it, as lots of things carry substitute. Roost is roost, removes yveltal's ice and rock weakness for a turn, and gives it recovery. Try and be careful, as status makes it very difficult for yveltal to do its job.
Good Teammates: Clerics can help, such as xerneas can help, but are not necessary if you have a status sponge. Special walls can help, such as Blissey, which also provides cleric support. A balanced or offensive team that needs an offensive counter to the ekiller will appreciate Yveltal's help.
What counters it: Most special attackers laugh at yveltal, as it really can't do much to them. Xerneas can leave this Yveltal in a tricky spot, as it can Moonblast if it stays in, and can Geomancy if Yveltal switches out. Zekrom, can threaten yveltal out with bolt strike, and then volt switch for momentum. So, basically all special attackers.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Toxic
- Rest
Role: Bulky Attacker / Tank
What it does: for the third generation in a row, Palkia stands out as the best offensive check to Kyogre in the entire game. Its x4 water resistance allows it to switch in on even full powered Modest Choice Specs Water Spout and avoid the 2HKO, nothing that any other tier member bar specially defensive Giratina can do. This set aims to allow Palkia to last longer throughout the match. Dual STAB is wonderful on Palkia as it allows it to maintain an impressive offensive presence even without a boosting item. Toxic allows Palkia to stall out Kyogre and weaken its Water Spout, as well as punishing usual switchins to Palkia such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass. Rest lets Palkia heal off any status it may take, such as Toxic from Blissey, or a Thunder paralysis from Kyogre. Interestingly, the combination of Rest and Toxic allows Palkia to beat its former arch-nemesis, Blissey, by stalling it out easily, and also allows Palkia to win one-on-one against certain support Arceus.
Good Acquaintances: This Palkia does well on balanced teams and bulky offensive teams that need a reply to Kyogre. Whilst it can deal fair amounts of damage to fairy-type switchins, the space dragon has to run from them a lot of the time, so strong Steel-Types work well as teammates. Fairies of your own can assist Palkia with cleric support, allowing it to wake up from Rest easily, and the two cover each other nicely, with Palkia being able to drown most Steel-Types whilst Fairies can absorb Dragon moves. Anything that is scared of Kyogre works well as a teammate.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can wall Palkia, but neither appreciate Toxic as it cripples the latter and forces the former to either Rest or Aromatherapy. Blobs are not that reliable an answer either as they will have to resort to PP stalling Palkia thanks to Rest, and can lose due to Toxic forcing them to burn their Heal Bells. Specially Defensive Dialga does well against Palkia too, not taking too much from Spacial Rend and scaring it away with the threat of Draco Meteor. It cannot switch in on repeated attacks due to its lack of reliable recovery, however. Lastly, Ferrothorn is a pain to deal with and can Leech Seed and set up hazards.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk / Fire Blast / Roar / Thunder Wave / Spacial Rend
Role: Special Wall, Tank / Bulky Attacker
What it does: This Palkia set is tailored to wall Kyogre, as well as doing very well against several support and CM Arceus. Surf is its obligatory STAB move, and works very well due to Palkia's huge 336 Special Attack even when uninvested, and also has no immunities, abilities notwithstanding. Toxic allows it to inflict status on the things it checks and counters, and works very well due to this Palkia set's amazing staying power. Rest gives Palkia a way to recover its health and heal off status, allowing it to stay in the game for much longer. Sleep Talk is useful so that Palkia is not static whilst asleep, Fire Blast helps against Ferrothorn, Roar is a lot of fun against Geomancy Xerneas, Thunder Wave is great to paralyze certain things that try and set up on you (ahem, Geomancy Xerneas) that you might not want to poison/cannot poison, for example Arceus-Steel, and Spacil Rend is very useful to catch Dragon switchins such as Zekrom.
Good Acquaintances: This Palkia does well on balanced and defensive teams that need a solid reply to Kyogre. Palkia also does well against several Calm Mind and support Arceus formes, being able to outlast them easily one-on-one. For example, it can PP stall monoCM Arceus-Water due to Pressure and its ability to avoid the 3HKO from +6 Judgment, and can poison several other support Arceus formes such as Grass, Water again, Rock (who can actually stay in due to Surf being uninvested). It also does well agaisnt Arceus-Fire, as uncommon as it is.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types again such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can wall Palkia and threaten, but neither appreciate Toxic as it cripples the latter and forces the former to either Rest or Aromatherapy, just like the last set. Geomancy Xerneas can set up on this, but takes heavy damage from Surf in the rain, even though it is unboosted, and Thunder Wave or Roar screw it up wonderfully. This set can actually PP stall Ferrothorn and Blissey Chansey nicely, and Fire Blast wipes Ferrothorn off the face of the earth.
By dabroyo:
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
Roles: Bulky Attacker, Hazard Setter
What does it do: Landorus-Therian is an extremely reliable Stealth Rock setter. Even an offensively inclined set such as this provides a good check to threats such as Zekrom,Blaziken,Ground Types,Ho-oh(though it is a shaky check) and also deal with annoying steels such as Heatran and Klefki. It also provides a good pivot with U-Turn into frail Pokemon such as Deoxys-Attack.
Good Teammates: Anything that can check Kyogre is a good teammate for Landorus hence, Palkia and Ferrothorn immediately come to mind as they check kyogre pretty well. Palkia is an especially good teammate as it provides more of an offensive presence and is probably the best Kyogre that is actually viable in ubers (looking at you Gastrodon). Klefki is another good teammate as Landorus struggles against special attacker and Klefki provides an answer to very common special attackers such as Yveltal and Xerneas and has good type synergy with Landorus and Palkia. However if you choose to run Ferrothorn with Landorus a good teammate would be Specially defensive Kyogre as it provides rain which lowers Ferrothorn's weakness to fire and it also provides an answer to Yveltal and Xerneas and it also has good type synergy with Ferrothorn and Landorus.
What Counters it: Support Arceus forms excluding Steel,Rock and Poison provide a good answer to Landorus as they can burn Landorus effectively crippling it and then Defog away his hazards.The Giratina formes are also a good answer as they can burn Landorus.Giratina-Origin is especially a pain as it can burn Lando and Defog away his hazards and is also immune to Lando's STAB. Lugia can easily Roost and Toxic stall Landorus wearing it down easily due to Lugia's massive bulk.Skarmory can do the same thing to as Landorus cannot hurt it at all. Last but not least powerful special attackers such as Kyogre easily break through Landorus's mediocre special bulk.
By Minority Suspect:
(Credit to Nayrz for dis)
Virizion @ Assault Vest
Ability: Justified
EVs: 248 HP / 148 SpD / 112 Spe
Gentle Nature
- Stone Edge
- Grass Knot
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
Role: Makes Kyogre Cry, Tank / Bulky Attacker, Special Wall
What it Does: Counters Kyogre is the big reason to use it, however it fares quite well against many other threats too. It has several safe opportunities to switch in thanks to its typing and pure special bulk. It's pretty weak offensively, but still strong enough to counter/check what it should. It can mess with the likes of Palkia, Dialga, Groudon, and Heatran although in some match ups its pretty lame.
Good Teammates: Wish Support. AV is quite a terrible item because it creates an inherently defensive set that has no access to support moves or Leftovers recovery. Wish support greatly increase the number of times that Virizion can switch in so that it doesn't wall to compiling chip damage from switch ins. Cleric and Defog support are great too since they keep status off while Spikes can decrease the number of times Virizion can come in to sponge. Physical walls are necessary as well since Virizion can't take physical attacks well while they benefit from having Kyogre checked.
What Counters It: Strong physical attackers and anything that can deal more to Virizion than it can do back. Supportceus are basically impossible to take down since they can burn and recover off damage.
By: LustrousPalkia
Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Se
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Fire Blast
- Thunder Wave / Thunder
Role: Bulky Attacker / Tank, Wall Breaker, Support
What it does: It is obviously not surprising that, once again, Palkia is used a lot as a Kyogre switchin for its team. However, it also contributes with a fierce offensive presence, this time using its signature item, the Lustrous Orb, to power up its STAB Water and Dragon moves by 20%. Hydro Pump is the preferred option due to its higher base power, but Surf is a reasonable option as it is reliable, and still very powerful with Lustrous Orb. Spacial Rend is the second move boosted by Lustrous Orb, and is also very powerful as well as being reliable (95% is very reliable in my opinion). Fire Blast reduces Steel Types to molten slag, with its prime target being Ferrothorn - however, it also obliterates Scizor, gives Arceus-Steel a good working over, and allows Palkia to remain dangerous in all weather, rain or shine - it can spam Fire Blast in sun and Hydro Pump / Surf in rain all it likes. Lastly, Thunder Wave is the best option in the last slot, as it allows Palkia to ruin many switchins, means that Palkia can paralyze Geomancy Xerneas as it tries to set up then wave two fingers at it before switching out, and provides very useful speed control - it also works against Geomancy Xerneas when one is using Hydro Pump and is afraid to miss. Thunder can be situationally useful to hit Kyogre supereffectively, and one can also use the unchosen Water move or Draco Meteor in this slot, but these are usually not as useful and life-saving as Thunder Wave tends to be.
Good Teammates: Kyogre works very nicely, as it powers up Palkia’s Water moves to stupid levels. Specs Kyogre works quite nicely as Palkia can spread paralysis and allow Kyogre to blow pieces in the slowed-down opposing team without irritations. If Palkia does not do it itself with Hydro Pump, which it probably will to be honest, something to kill off a paralyzed Xerneas is useful. It is actually quite hard for something like Extremekiller Arceus to set up on Palkia, as Lustrous Hydro Pump can do upwards of 75% damage to uninvested Arceus. Teammates that appreciate Palkia’s ability to cockblock Kyogre and cripple things such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass, such as Zekrom, Swords Dance Rayquaza, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and the aforementioned Specs Kyogre, work well alongside Palkia. Lustrous Orb Palkia tends to fit well on bulky offensive teams and also Sticky Web teams as a powerful special attacker and Kyogre check, so make sure it is being used to the best of its ability, as balanced teams appreciate Toxic/Rest Palkia sets more, and Stall teams like having Specially Defensive Palkia on board.
What counters it: Blissey is the first one that comes to mind. Unlike many Palkia sets this generation, Palkia is not carrying Rest or Toxic, meaning that it cannot break Blissey without maximum hazard support (SR and 3 layers of Spikes). Specially defensive Xerneas, Sylveon, Clefable and Arceus-Fairy can stall out Hydro Pump if it is not raining (if it is, they all have to bank on it missing or they will be 2HKOed upon switchin), with Sylveon and Clefable being able to irritate Palkia further with Protect. The first three can also heal off Thunder Wave with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy, but it seriously limits Arceus-Fairy, as it can no longer outspeed Palkia and is subsequently in serious danger of being 2HKOed. Arceus-Grass can also deal with Palkia unless it is sunny and it gets caught by Fire Blast, but it is also greatly irritated by Thunder Wave. If Palkia leaves home without Thunder, specially defensive Kyogre can stall out Palkia unless it gets unlucky with Rest turns and / or Spacial Rend critical hits. Scarf Xerneas can surprise Palkia and revenge kill it, but cannot switch in safely at all due to getting murdered by Hydro Pump and the possibility of Thunder Wave. Zekrom can come in on Fire Blast, non-rain Hydro Pump (to an extent) and Thunder Wave (due to its immunity to paralysis) and can revenge kill Palkia with a Dragon move or Bolt Strike if Palkia is weakened.
Yveltal @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Sucker Punch
- Roost
Role: Tank, Physical wall, Screwing the ekiller
What it does: This set is very helpful for offensive teams, as unlike other walls is not complete set-up bait. Rocky helmet is simply something I prefer, as it makes it far better to punish physical attackers. Yveltal is surprisingly bulky, and unlike other walls can KO the attacker it is countering. Foul play screws with every physical attacker and physical set-up sweeper that exists, and as even specially attacking sweepers tend to have high attack stats, foul play can screw them over as well. Taunt gives it a huge advantage over other walls, as well its better than average speed tier. Sucker punch is for things like mega gengar that think they can take it down, but be cautious with it, as lots of things carry substitute. Roost is roost, removes yveltal's ice and rock weakness for a turn, and gives it recovery. Try and be careful, as status makes it very difficult for yveltal to do its job.
Good Teammates: Clerics can help, such as xerneas can help, but are not necessary if you have a status sponge. Special walls can help, such as Blissey, which also provides cleric support. A balanced or offensive team that needs an offensive counter to the ekiller will appreciate Yveltal's help.
What counters it: Most special attackers laugh at yveltal, as it really can't do much to them. Xerneas can leave this Yveltal in a tricky spot, as it can Moonblast if it stays in, and can Geomancy if Yveltal switches out. Zekrom, can threaten yveltal out with bolt strike, and then volt switch for momentum. So, basically all special attackers.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Toxic
- Rest
Role: Bulky Attacker / Tank
What it does: for the third generation in a row, Palkia stands out as the best offensive check to Kyogre in the entire game. Its x4 water resistance allows it to switch in on even full powered Modest Choice Specs Water Spout and avoid the 2HKO, nothing that any other tier member bar specially defensive Giratina can do. This set aims to allow Palkia to last longer throughout the match. Dual STAB is wonderful on Palkia as it allows it to maintain an impressive offensive presence even without a boosting item. Toxic allows Palkia to stall out Kyogre and weaken its Water Spout, as well as punishing usual switchins to Palkia such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass. Rest lets Palkia heal off any status it may take, such as Toxic from Blissey, or a Thunder paralysis from Kyogre. Interestingly, the combination of Rest and Toxic allows Palkia to beat its former arch-nemesis, Blissey, by stalling it out easily, and also allows Palkia to win one-on-one against certain support Arceus.
Good Acquaintances: This Palkia does well on balanced teams and bulky offensive teams that need a reply to Kyogre. Whilst it can deal fair amounts of damage to fairy-type switchins, the space dragon has to run from them a lot of the time, so strong Steel-Types work well as teammates. Fairies of your own can assist Palkia with cleric support, allowing it to wake up from Rest easily, and the two cover each other nicely, with Palkia being able to drown most Steel-Types whilst Fairies can absorb Dragon moves. Anything that is scared of Kyogre works well as a teammate.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can wall Palkia, but neither appreciate Toxic as it cripples the latter and forces the former to either Rest or Aromatherapy. Blobs are not that reliable an answer either as they will have to resort to PP stalling Palkia thanks to Rest, and can lose due to Toxic forcing them to burn their Heal Bells. Specially Defensive Dialga does well against Palkia too, not taking too much from Spacial Rend and scaring it away with the threat of Draco Meteor. It cannot switch in on repeated attacks due to its lack of reliable recovery, however. Lastly, Ferrothorn is a pain to deal with and can Leech Seed and set up hazards.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpD / 4 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk / Fire Blast / Roar / Thunder Wave / Spacial Rend
Role: Special Wall, Tank / Bulky Attacker
What it does: This Palkia set is tailored to wall Kyogre, as well as doing very well against several support and CM Arceus. Surf is its obligatory STAB move, and works very well due to Palkia's huge 336 Special Attack even when uninvested, and also has no immunities, abilities notwithstanding. Toxic allows it to inflict status on the things it checks and counters, and works very well due to this Palkia set's amazing staying power. Rest gives Palkia a way to recover its health and heal off status, allowing it to stay in the game for much longer. Sleep Talk is useful so that Palkia is not static whilst asleep, Fire Blast helps against Ferrothorn, Roar is a lot of fun against Geomancy Xerneas, Thunder Wave is great to paralyze certain things that try and set up on you (ahem, Geomancy Xerneas) that you might not want to poison/cannot poison, for example Arceus-Steel, and Spacil Rend is very useful to catch Dragon switchins such as Zekrom.
Good Acquaintances: This Palkia does well on balanced and defensive teams that need a solid reply to Kyogre. Palkia also does well against several Calm Mind and support Arceus formes, being able to outlast them easily one-on-one. For example, it can PP stall monoCM Arceus-Water due to Pressure and its ability to avoid the 3HKO from +6 Judgment, and can poison several other support Arceus formes such as Grass, Water again, Rock (who can actually stay in due to Surf being uninvested). It also does well agaisnt Arceus-Fire, as uncommon as it is.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types again such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can wall Palkia and threaten, but neither appreciate Toxic as it cripples the latter and forces the former to either Rest or Aromatherapy, just like the last set. Geomancy Xerneas can set up on this, but takes heavy damage from Surf in the rain, even though it is unboosted, and Thunder Wave or Roar screw it up wonderfully. This set can actually PP stall Ferrothorn and Blissey Chansey nicely, and Fire Blast wipes Ferrothorn off the face of the earth.
By dabroyo:
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
Roles: Bulky Attacker, Hazard Setter
What does it do: Landorus-Therian is an extremely reliable Stealth Rock setter. Even an offensively inclined set such as this provides a good check to threats such as Zekrom,Blaziken,Ground Types,Ho-oh(though it is a shaky check) and also deal with annoying steels such as Heatran and Klefki. It also provides a good pivot with U-Turn into frail Pokemon such as Deoxys-Attack.
Good Teammates: Anything that can check Kyogre is a good teammate for Landorus hence, Palkia and Ferrothorn immediately come to mind as they check kyogre pretty well. Palkia is an especially good teammate as it provides more of an offensive presence and is probably the best Kyogre that is actually viable in ubers (looking at you Gastrodon). Klefki is another good teammate as Landorus struggles against special attacker and Klefki provides an answer to very common special attackers such as Yveltal and Xerneas and has good type synergy with Landorus and Palkia. However if you choose to run Ferrothorn with Landorus a good teammate would be Specially defensive Kyogre as it provides rain which lowers Ferrothorn's weakness to fire and it also provides an answer to Yveltal and Xerneas and it also has good type synergy with Ferrothorn and Landorus.
What Counters it: Support Arceus forms excluding Steel,Rock and Poison provide a good answer to Landorus as they can burn Landorus effectively crippling it and then Defog away his hazards.The Giratina formes are also a good answer as they can burn Landorus.Giratina-Origin is especially a pain as it can burn Lando and Defog away his hazards and is also immune to Lando's STAB. Lugia can easily Roost and Toxic stall Landorus wearing it down easily due to Lugia's massive bulk.Skarmory can do the same thing to as Landorus cannot hurt it at all. Last but not least powerful special attackers such as Kyogre easily break through Landorus's mediocre special bulk.
By Minority Suspect:
(Credit to Nayrz for dis)
Virizion @ Assault Vest
Ability: Justified
EVs: 248 HP / 148 SpD / 112 Spe
Gentle Nature
- Stone Edge
- Grass Knot
- Leaf Blade
- Close Combat
Role: Makes Kyogre Cry, Tank / Bulky Attacker, Special Wall
What it Does: Counters Kyogre is the big reason to use it, however it fares quite well against many other threats too. It has several safe opportunities to switch in thanks to its typing and pure special bulk. It's pretty weak offensively, but still strong enough to counter/check what it should. It can mess with the likes of Palkia, Dialga, Groudon, and Heatran although in some match ups its pretty lame.
Good Teammates: Wish Support. AV is quite a terrible item because it creates an inherently defensive set that has no access to support moves or Leftovers recovery. Wish support greatly increase the number of times that Virizion can switch in so that it doesn't wall to compiling chip damage from switch ins. Cleric and Defog support are great too since they keep status off while Spikes can decrease the number of times Virizion can come in to sponge. Physical walls are necessary as well since Virizion can't take physical attacks well while they benefit from having Kyogre checked.
What Counters It: Strong physical attackers and anything that can deal more to Virizion than it can do back. Supportceus are basically impossible to take down since they can burn and recover off damage.
By: LustrousPalkia
Palkia @ Lustrous Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Se
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Fire Blast
- Thunder Wave / Thunder
Role: Bulky Attacker / Tank, Wall Breaker, Support
What it does: It is obviously not surprising that, once again, Palkia is used a lot as a Kyogre switchin for its team. However, it also contributes with a fierce offensive presence, this time using its signature item, the Lustrous Orb, to power up its STAB Water and Dragon moves by 20%. Hydro Pump is the preferred option due to its higher base power, but Surf is a reasonable option as it is reliable, and still very powerful with Lustrous Orb. Spacial Rend is the second move boosted by Lustrous Orb, and is also very powerful as well as being reliable (95% is very reliable in my opinion). Fire Blast reduces Steel Types to molten slag, with its prime target being Ferrothorn - however, it also obliterates Scizor, gives Arceus-Steel a good working over, and allows Palkia to remain dangerous in all weather, rain or shine - it can spam Fire Blast in sun and Hydro Pump / Surf in rain all it likes. Lastly, Thunder Wave is the best option in the last slot, as it allows Palkia to ruin many switchins, means that Palkia can paralyze Geomancy Xerneas as it tries to set up then wave two fingers at it before switching out, and provides very useful speed control - it also works against Geomancy Xerneas when one is using Hydro Pump and is afraid to miss. Thunder can be situationally useful to hit Kyogre supereffectively, and one can also use the unchosen Water move or Draco Meteor in this slot, but these are usually not as useful and life-saving as Thunder Wave tends to be.
Good Teammates: Kyogre works very nicely, as it powers up Palkia’s Water moves to stupid levels. Specs Kyogre works quite nicely as Palkia can spread paralysis and allow Kyogre to blow pieces in the slowed-down opposing team without irritations. If Palkia does not do it itself with Hydro Pump, which it probably will to be honest, something to kill off a paralyzed Xerneas is useful. It is actually quite hard for something like Extremekiller Arceus to set up on Palkia, as Lustrous Hydro Pump can do upwards of 75% damage to uninvested Arceus. Teammates that appreciate Palkia’s ability to cockblock Kyogre and cripple things such as Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Grass, such as Zekrom, Swords Dance Rayquaza, Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and the aforementioned Specs Kyogre, work well alongside Palkia. Lustrous Orb Palkia tends to fit well on bulky offensive teams and also Sticky Web teams as a powerful special attacker and Kyogre check, so make sure it is being used to the best of its ability, as balanced teams appreciate Toxic/Rest Palkia sets more, and Stall teams like having Specially Defensive Palkia on board.
What counters it: Blissey is the first one that comes to mind. Unlike many Palkia sets this generation, Palkia is not carrying Rest or Toxic, meaning that it cannot break Blissey without maximum hazard support (SR and 3 layers of Spikes). Specially defensive Xerneas, Sylveon, Clefable and Arceus-Fairy can stall out Hydro Pump if it is not raining (if it is, they all have to bank on it missing or they will be 2HKOed upon switchin), with Sylveon and Clefable being able to irritate Palkia further with Protect. The first three can also heal off Thunder Wave with Heal Bell or Aromatherapy, but it seriously limits Arceus-Fairy, as it can no longer outspeed Palkia and is subsequently in serious danger of being 2HKOed. Arceus-Grass can also deal with Palkia unless it is sunny and it gets caught by Fire Blast, but it is also greatly irritated by Thunder Wave. If Palkia leaves home without Thunder, specially defensive Kyogre can stall out Palkia unless it gets unlucky with Rest turns and / or Spacial Rend critical hits. Scarf Xerneas can surprise Palkia and revenge kill it, but cannot switch in safely at all due to getting murdered by Hydro Pump and the possibility of Thunder Wave. Zekrom can come in on Fire Blast, non-rain Hydro Pump (to an extent) and Thunder Wave (due to its immunity to paralysis) and can revenge kill Palkia with a Dragon move or Bolt Strike if Palkia is weakened.
By yoman5:
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Psycho Boost
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Role: Mixed Attacker, Revenge Killer, Wallbreaker
What it does: Cleans extremely well late game, revenge kills ekiller at ~30% depending on ev build of ekiller, no direct counters but shoves blissey/chansey out, can ohko m2y with knockoff, and ohkos or severely damages quite a lot with LO psycho boost. other than that strong attacks off a base 180 attack and base 150 speed is extremely potent.
Good teammates: A solid arceus form for defogging, as keeping rocks off is the only way to properly bluff sash. does well on balance teams (palk, bulky arceus, and the like) due to its ability to clean out weakened teams. allies who can take hits from scarfers are also somewhat necessary as it can not take a hit at all.
what counters it: ekiller at above 30% (takes the hit and just kills deo back, or worse, sds on the switch) ghostceus with espeed. anything scarfed checks it pretty hard (except adamant/modest zek/kyogre, as it outspeeds). pranksters mess this set up hard, as will o wisp or twave basically neuter it. Don't try to take on anything out of kill range, even uninvested weak hits kill you.
By Minority Suspect:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Ability: Air lock
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
~ Swords Dance
~ Extreme Speed
~ Dragon Claw
~ V-Create
Role: Wallbreaker, Revenge Killer
What it Does: With its sheer power it can break basically all walls that are not Quagod. It's ability to boost while being a wallbreaker is highly coveted as it can easily achieve a point where it cannot be stalled out by anything while few things will want to switch in on a +2 Rayquaza. Unlike other wallbreakers or even physical set up sweepers such as Extreme Killer, a burn will not stop it because of its incredible power. With its checks removed it can prove to be a frightening win condition in the form of a cleaner. +2 Extreme Speed coming off this set isn't that powerful, but is enough to OHKO many Scarf users or mons that are naturally faster if they have any chip damage.
Good Teammates: Something to deal with support Arceus forms and priority users. Rayquaza appreciates anti-hazard support as well although it doesn't need to always come in for free. Mons that deal chip damage are quite useful as they put much of what would normally counter Ray into OHKO range for Extreme Speed.
What Counters It: Nothing but Quagod. Scarf users such as Kyogre and Zekrom can give problems if they have no chip damage. Ditto will prevent Ray from wanting to boost since Rayquaza has a nasty offense vs. defense comparison unlike some other set up sweepers who can go ahead and boost. Priority is annoying, rocks are annoying, and phaze moves are annoying when coming off something that can take a +2 Ray attack.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA, 4 SpD, 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Fire Blast
- Thunder / Draco Meteor / Hydro Pump / Surf
Role: Wallbreaker
What it does: Specs Palkia actually takes a different approach - instead of soaking up repeated hits from Kyogre, this set is supposed to blow holes in teams with its sheer power. Specs Hydro Pump allows Palkia to break through many of its supposed checks, and in rain becomes diabolically powerful, being able to accomplish things such as 2HKOing Ferrothorn and even Chansey after Stealth Rock (and some prior damage), although Specs Surf also achieves many KOes that Hydro Pump does if under rain, and has perfect accuracy, as well as Surf always having been a really cool name for a move ;). Spacial Rend allows for a second reliable STAB option, which wipes out Dragons and many Water resists. Fire Blast reduces Steel-Types to ashes, and works very nicely in sun, due to the bright sunlight giving Palkia a pseudo-STAB boos - this notably also allows Palkia to deal heavy damage to some of its Fairy-Type checks who think they are safe under sunlight. Thunder is useful in the last slot as it is also very spammable under rain, allows Palkia to electrocute all variants of Kyogre and notably break specially defensive variants (which other Palkia variants can have trouble with), not risk the miss against Yveltal and weakened Ho-Oh, and also comes with a useful 30% to paralyze. Draco Meteor can be useful for a secondary nuke-all move alongside Hydro Pump if desired, and a secondary Water move can be used if one wishes to have both a powerful and a more reliable option.
Good Acquaintances: this Palkia does quite well on more offensive teams that need a wallbreaker and also a switchin to Kyogre - although this set does not last as long against the whale, offensive teams usually only need Palkia to switch in once or twice. Kyogre is a welcome teammate, as it provides rain to boost Palkia's Water moves, and appreciates Palkia's ability to blow holes in any water resists on the opposing team. Scarf Kyogre in particular works well alongside Specs Palkia - although this does mandate a solid Ground-Type answer to Zekrom. Strong physical attackers can easily wipe out Blissey, which is a semi-reliable answer to Specs Palkia. Hazards support, usually found on offensive teams that this Palkia fits on nicely, also goes a long way in helping Palkia break the opposing team in half.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types actually cannot take Specs Hydro Pumps very well at all, as it easily 2HKOes specially defensive Xerneas after Stealth Rock, and does 80% to it in rain - Arceus-Fairy is also almost OHKOed by rain boosted Hydro Pump, and is easily 2HKOed in neutral weather - it can however switch in once and threaten Palkia with Judgment. Other specially defensive Fairies such as Sylveon and Clefable can stall out Hydro Pump with Wish and Protect, but both get slaughtered under rain. Arceus-Grass in rain is the best counter to this set, as it resists Palkia's main STAB - although Specs Spacial Rend can 2HKO. Ferrothorn does reasonably well against this Palkia set, but it is turned to ashes by Fire Blast, which almost OHKOes even under rain. Blissey does reasonably well as well, but can fall with Spikes damage. Xerneas can set up on choice-locked Dragon moves, but can't come in safely in a million years.
By LustrousPalkia:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Ability: Air Lock
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash / Naive nature
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- V-Create
- Draco Meteor
- Extremespeed
Role: mixed attacker, lure, wallbreaker, revenge killer
What it does: This Rayquaza set uses its ridiculous twin 150 offenses to run a very effective mixed set. Dragon Claw, or Outrage, provide powerful physical Dragon STAB to deal significant damage to almost everything in the tier, with Dragon Claw being much weaker but more reliable, and Outrage being a nuke button that, whilst obscenely powerful, leaves Rayquaza prone to being revenge killed. V-Create has the same base power as Outrage, and is Rayquaza’s most spammable move this generation. Even max HP Xerneas takes well over half, with any offensive Xerneas, Geomancy or otherwise, not being able to switch in at all. It also provides Rayquaza with a simple and effective way of turning all Steel-Types to cinders. Draco Meteor is key to Rayquaza’s luring capabilities - Rayquaza often draws in defensive Ground-Types such as Groudon or Landorus-Therian, who have impressive physical bulk, as well as drawing in Lugia - Draco Meteor can then be used to deal a stupid amount to all of them, doing (AMOUNT) to Groudon, being able to OHKO Landorus-Therian, as well as almost OHKOing Bold Lugia after Stealth Rock - it also does a stupid amount of damage to physically defensive Yveltal, who might try and take on Rayquaza. It is also completely possible to catch these on the switchin with Draco Meteor and finish them off with Extremespeed. Speaking of Extremespeed, it provides Rayquaza with some very powerful and useful priority, which allows it to take out weakened threats, damaged revenge killers - it does almost half to standard offensive Palkia and Kyogre. Interesting options for other moves are Earthquake, Iron Tail and Waterfall - Earthquake allows Rayquaza to dispose of Heatran; Iron Tail can OHKO all offensive Xerneas, as well as easily 2HKOing even the most physically defensive Xerneas and also puts Arceus-Fairy into the range of Extremespeed if Arceus-Fairy switches in on it; lastly, Waterfall provides Rayquaza with a way of significantly damaging Groudon without resorting to V-Create. However, all these options are rather niche and any of the moves listed are very hard to give up on. It is also possible to run attack boosting natures or more Special Attack investment, but it is generally better to play it safe and run Naive.
Tier members that Rayquaza likes: physical attackers that appreciate Rayquaza’s ability to leave a swathe of destruction in its wake pair off very nicely with Rayquaza. Various Swords Dance Arceus formes appreciate Groudon and Landorus being gone as well as the removal or severe crippling of Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal - Extremekiller Arceus especially works nicely as all of Rayquaza’s Draco Meteor targets can irritate it intensely.
Sticky web users are also good friends - Rayquaza outspeeds almost everything in the tier under Sticky Web due to most Choice Scarf users being slower after the speed drop - Rayquaza can also outspeed and destroy support Arceus formes; can absorb Scarf Water Spout once; can Draco Meteor Landorus-Therian and Gliscor (who can cause Sticky Web builds trouble otherwise), and also adds valuable priority. - an interesting thing that Rayquaza can do is out-Extremespeed Extremekiller Arceus and revenge kill it if it is significantly weakened.
Xerneas can also work well alongside Rayquaza as it really appreciates Steel-Types being destroyed, as well as Lugia being weakened. Rayquaza can also lure in defensive variants of Xerneas and smash them with V-Create, either breaking it itself or weakening it for other Dragons to get through.
Tier members Rayquaza dislikes: there are a dearth of safe switchins to Rayquaza. Timid Lugia with Ice Beam, although very rare, can surprise Rayquaza. Physically defensive Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Water resist V-Create and can outspeed and burn Rayquaza, or hit it with Judgment in Arceus-Rock’s case. However, Draco Meteor does heavy damage to them as they come in and forces them to Recover. Physically defensive Arceus-Fairy outspeeds but takes heavy damage from V-Create. Fully physically defensive Xerneas takes heavy damage from V-Create but outspeeds after the Speed drop and threatens with Moonblast, but is pressured to Rest afterwards. A common mistake is to switch Geomancy Xerneas into Rayquaza, or even Geomancy in front of it expecting it to switch out - Life Orb V-Create does upwards of 80% and Rayquaza can easily Extremespeed Xerneas afterwards.
By canman98:
Mewtwo @ Mewtwonite X
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Taunt
- Low Kick
- Ice Beam
- Zen Headbutt
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Mixed Attacker, Lure, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Kicks people in the nuts....with Low Kick. Low Kick is extremely powerful in Ubers coupled with the highest natural Attack of all Fighting-types, and Mega Mewtwo X can do a good job at smashing most tanks or walls, including some support Arceus formes. Taunt is integral to how Mega Mewtwo X functions; it prevents itself from being burned by support Arceus formes or Giratina-O, and can also prevent itself from being stalled out by some physical walls. Coupled with Ice Beam, Mewtwo can lure and KO Gliscor and Landorus-T, 2 would-be counters, in addition to 2HKOing Groudon and Giratina-O (only after Stealth Rock), making it a very solid coverage move when not spamming Low Kick. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB that complements Low Kick's spamming abilities in hitting things that Low Kick could not, such as lightweight Pokemon, Fairy-types, and Arceus-Poison, something that can stalemate this Mewtwo set.
Good Teammates: Checks to Scarfed revenge killers. Scarfers such as Kyogre can rain on Mega Mewtwo X's parade, literally, and Mewtwo's frailty is still inherited upon Mega Evolving. Wobbuffet can check most Choice Scarf users bar Kyogre, in which Palkia can assist in checking Scarf Kyogre if needed. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can still KO Mega Mewtwo X or scare it out, so Steel-types such as Klefki and Aegislash can combat the pixies solidly. Yveltal, Darkrai, and Arceus-Dark can bully bulky Ghost-types that threaten Mega Mewtwo X and help pave the way for a quick-kickin' clean (also Ho-Oh checks like Stealth Rock, Landorus-T and Arceus-Rock can help).
What Counters It: Arceus-Ghost and Aegislash can counter this set and lash out with super-powerful Ghost STAB moves that can OHKO Mewtwo in a flash of spectral darkness. Giratina-O and Ho-Oh can check Mega Mewtwo X if Stealth Rock is not up as they can survive a hit and retaliate. Scarfers like Kyogre and Xerneas can take advantage of Mega Mewtwo X's mediocre bulk and KO with their STAB move of choice. Fairy-types in general check Mega Mewtwo X as they can all OHKO it with Moonblast or Judgment (Arceus-Fairy), but some dislike taking a hit. The same situation applies with Yveltal, who can't take a hit, but can OHKO Mega Mewtwo X with Oblivion Wing.
Deoxys-Attack @ Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Hasty Nature
- Extreme Speed
- Psycho Boost
- Knock Off
- Superpower
Role: Mixed Attacker, Revenge Killer, Wallbreaker
What it does: Cleans extremely well late game, revenge kills ekiller at ~30% depending on ev build of ekiller, no direct counters but shoves blissey/chansey out, can ohko m2y with knockoff, and ohkos or severely damages quite a lot with LO psycho boost. other than that strong attacks off a base 180 attack and base 150 speed is extremely potent.
Good teammates: A solid arceus form for defogging, as keeping rocks off is the only way to properly bluff sash. does well on balance teams (palk, bulky arceus, and the like) due to its ability to clean out weakened teams. allies who can take hits from scarfers are also somewhat necessary as it can not take a hit at all.
what counters it: ekiller at above 30% (takes the hit and just kills deo back, or worse, sds on the switch) ghostceus with espeed. anything scarfed checks it pretty hard (except adamant/modest zek/kyogre, as it outspeeds). pranksters mess this set up hard, as will o wisp or twave basically neuter it. Don't try to take on anything out of kill range, even uninvested weak hits kill you.
By Minority Suspect:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Ability: Air lock
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
~ Swords Dance
~ Extreme Speed
~ Dragon Claw
~ V-Create
Role: Wallbreaker, Revenge Killer
What it Does: With its sheer power it can break basically all walls that are not Quagod. It's ability to boost while being a wallbreaker is highly coveted as it can easily achieve a point where it cannot be stalled out by anything while few things will want to switch in on a +2 Rayquaza. Unlike other wallbreakers or even physical set up sweepers such as Extreme Killer, a burn will not stop it because of its incredible power. With its checks removed it can prove to be a frightening win condition in the form of a cleaner. +2 Extreme Speed coming off this set isn't that powerful, but is enough to OHKO many Scarf users or mons that are naturally faster if they have any chip damage.
Good Teammates: Something to deal with support Arceus forms and priority users. Rayquaza appreciates anti-hazard support as well although it doesn't need to always come in for free. Mons that deal chip damage are quite useful as they put much of what would normally counter Ray into OHKO range for Extreme Speed.
What Counters It: Nothing but Quagod. Scarf users such as Kyogre and Zekrom can give problems if they have no chip damage. Ditto will prevent Ray from wanting to boost since Rayquaza has a nasty offense vs. defense comparison unlike some other set up sweepers who can go ahead and boost. Priority is annoying, rocks are annoying, and phaze moves are annoying when coming off something that can take a +2 Ray attack.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA, 4 SpD, 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump / Surf
- Spacial Rend
- Fire Blast
- Thunder / Draco Meteor / Hydro Pump / Surf
Role: Wallbreaker
What it does: Specs Palkia actually takes a different approach - instead of soaking up repeated hits from Kyogre, this set is supposed to blow holes in teams with its sheer power. Specs Hydro Pump allows Palkia to break through many of its supposed checks, and in rain becomes diabolically powerful, being able to accomplish things such as 2HKOing Ferrothorn and even Chansey after Stealth Rock (and some prior damage), although Specs Surf also achieves many KOes that Hydro Pump does if under rain, and has perfect accuracy, as well as Surf always having been a really cool name for a move ;). Spacial Rend allows for a second reliable STAB option, which wipes out Dragons and many Water resists. Fire Blast reduces Steel-Types to ashes, and works very nicely in sun, due to the bright sunlight giving Palkia a pseudo-STAB boos - this notably also allows Palkia to deal heavy damage to some of its Fairy-Type checks who think they are safe under sunlight. Thunder is useful in the last slot as it is also very spammable under rain, allows Palkia to electrocute all variants of Kyogre and notably break specially defensive variants (which other Palkia variants can have trouble with), not risk the miss against Yveltal and weakened Ho-Oh, and also comes with a useful 30% to paralyze. Draco Meteor can be useful for a secondary nuke-all move alongside Hydro Pump if desired, and a secondary Water move can be used if one wishes to have both a powerful and a more reliable option.
Good Acquaintances: this Palkia does quite well on more offensive teams that need a wallbreaker and also a switchin to Kyogre - although this set does not last as long against the whale, offensive teams usually only need Palkia to switch in once or twice. Kyogre is a welcome teammate, as it provides rain to boost Palkia's Water moves, and appreciates Palkia's ability to blow holes in any water resists on the opposing team. Scarf Kyogre in particular works well alongside Specs Palkia - although this does mandate a solid Ground-Type answer to Zekrom. Strong physical attackers can easily wipe out Blissey, which is a semi-reliable answer to Specs Palkia. Hazards support, usually found on offensive teams that this Palkia fits on nicely, also goes a long way in helping Palkia break the opposing team in half.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types actually cannot take Specs Hydro Pumps very well at all, as it easily 2HKOes specially defensive Xerneas after Stealth Rock, and does 80% to it in rain - Arceus-Fairy is also almost OHKOed by rain boosted Hydro Pump, and is easily 2HKOed in neutral weather - it can however switch in once and threaten Palkia with Judgment. Other specially defensive Fairies such as Sylveon and Clefable can stall out Hydro Pump with Wish and Protect, but both get slaughtered under rain. Arceus-Grass in rain is the best counter to this set, as it resists Palkia's main STAB - although Specs Spacial Rend can 2HKO. Ferrothorn does reasonably well against this Palkia set, but it is turned to ashes by Fire Blast, which almost OHKOes even under rain. Blissey does reasonably well as well, but can fall with Spikes damage. Xerneas can set up on choice-locked Dragon moves, but can't come in safely in a million years.
By LustrousPalkia:
Rayquaza @ Life Orb
Ability: Air Lock
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash / Naive nature
- Dragon Claw / Outrage
- V-Create
- Draco Meteor
- Extremespeed
Role: mixed attacker, lure, wallbreaker, revenge killer
What it does: This Rayquaza set uses its ridiculous twin 150 offenses to run a very effective mixed set. Dragon Claw, or Outrage, provide powerful physical Dragon STAB to deal significant damage to almost everything in the tier, with Dragon Claw being much weaker but more reliable, and Outrage being a nuke button that, whilst obscenely powerful, leaves Rayquaza prone to being revenge killed. V-Create has the same base power as Outrage, and is Rayquaza’s most spammable move this generation. Even max HP Xerneas takes well over half, with any offensive Xerneas, Geomancy or otherwise, not being able to switch in at all. It also provides Rayquaza with a simple and effective way of turning all Steel-Types to cinders. Draco Meteor is key to Rayquaza’s luring capabilities - Rayquaza often draws in defensive Ground-Types such as Groudon or Landorus-Therian, who have impressive physical bulk, as well as drawing in Lugia - Draco Meteor can then be used to deal a stupid amount to all of them, doing (AMOUNT) to Groudon, being able to OHKO Landorus-Therian, as well as almost OHKOing Bold Lugia after Stealth Rock - it also does a stupid amount of damage to physically defensive Yveltal, who might try and take on Rayquaza. It is also completely possible to catch these on the switchin with Draco Meteor and finish them off with Extremespeed. Speaking of Extremespeed, it provides Rayquaza with some very powerful and useful priority, which allows it to take out weakened threats, damaged revenge killers - it does almost half to standard offensive Palkia and Kyogre. Interesting options for other moves are Earthquake, Iron Tail and Waterfall - Earthquake allows Rayquaza to dispose of Heatran; Iron Tail can OHKO all offensive Xerneas, as well as easily 2HKOing even the most physically defensive Xerneas and also puts Arceus-Fairy into the range of Extremespeed if Arceus-Fairy switches in on it; lastly, Waterfall provides Rayquaza with a way of significantly damaging Groudon without resorting to V-Create. However, all these options are rather niche and any of the moves listed are very hard to give up on. It is also possible to run attack boosting natures or more Special Attack investment, but it is generally better to play it safe and run Naive.
Tier members that Rayquaza likes: physical attackers that appreciate Rayquaza’s ability to leave a swathe of destruction in its wake pair off very nicely with Rayquaza. Various Swords Dance Arceus formes appreciate Groudon and Landorus being gone as well as the removal or severe crippling of Lugia and physically defensive Yveltal - Extremekiller Arceus especially works nicely as all of Rayquaza’s Draco Meteor targets can irritate it intensely.
Sticky web users are also good friends - Rayquaza outspeeds almost everything in the tier under Sticky Web due to most Choice Scarf users being slower after the speed drop - Rayquaza can also outspeed and destroy support Arceus formes; can absorb Scarf Water Spout once; can Draco Meteor Landorus-Therian and Gliscor (who can cause Sticky Web builds trouble otherwise), and also adds valuable priority. - an interesting thing that Rayquaza can do is out-Extremespeed Extremekiller Arceus and revenge kill it if it is significantly weakened.
Xerneas can also work well alongside Rayquaza as it really appreciates Steel-Types being destroyed, as well as Lugia being weakened. Rayquaza can also lure in defensive variants of Xerneas and smash them with V-Create, either breaking it itself or weakening it for other Dragons to get through.
Tier members Rayquaza dislikes: there are a dearth of safe switchins to Rayquaza. Timid Lugia with Ice Beam, although very rare, can surprise Rayquaza. Physically defensive Arceus-Rock and Arceus-Water resist V-Create and can outspeed and burn Rayquaza, or hit it with Judgment in Arceus-Rock’s case. However, Draco Meteor does heavy damage to them as they come in and forces them to Recover. Physically defensive Arceus-Fairy outspeeds but takes heavy damage from V-Create. Fully physically defensive Xerneas takes heavy damage from V-Create but outspeeds after the Speed drop and threatens with Moonblast, but is pressured to Rest afterwards. A common mistake is to switch Geomancy Xerneas into Rayquaza, or even Geomancy in front of it expecting it to switch out - Life Orb V-Create does upwards of 80% and Rayquaza can easily Extremespeed Xerneas afterwards.
By canman98:
Mewtwo @ Mewtwonite X
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Taunt
- Low Kick
- Ice Beam
- Zen Headbutt
Role: Late-game Cleaner, Mixed Attacker, Lure, Wallbreaker
What it Does: Kicks people in the nuts....with Low Kick. Low Kick is extremely powerful in Ubers coupled with the highest natural Attack of all Fighting-types, and Mega Mewtwo X can do a good job at smashing most tanks or walls, including some support Arceus formes. Taunt is integral to how Mega Mewtwo X functions; it prevents itself from being burned by support Arceus formes or Giratina-O, and can also prevent itself from being stalled out by some physical walls. Coupled with Ice Beam, Mewtwo can lure and KO Gliscor and Landorus-T, 2 would-be counters, in addition to 2HKOing Groudon and Giratina-O (only after Stealth Rock), making it a very solid coverage move when not spamming Low Kick. Zen Headbutt is a secondary STAB that complements Low Kick's spamming abilities in hitting things that Low Kick could not, such as lightweight Pokemon, Fairy-types, and Arceus-Poison, something that can stalemate this Mewtwo set.
Good Teammates: Checks to Scarfed revenge killers. Scarfers such as Kyogre can rain on Mega Mewtwo X's parade, literally, and Mewtwo's frailty is still inherited upon Mega Evolving. Wobbuffet can check most Choice Scarf users bar Kyogre, in which Palkia can assist in checking Scarf Kyogre if needed. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can still KO Mega Mewtwo X or scare it out, so Steel-types such as Klefki and Aegislash can combat the pixies solidly. Yveltal, Darkrai, and Arceus-Dark can bully bulky Ghost-types that threaten Mega Mewtwo X and help pave the way for a quick-kickin' clean (also Ho-Oh checks like Stealth Rock, Landorus-T and Arceus-Rock can help).
What Counters It: Arceus-Ghost and Aegislash can counter this set and lash out with super-powerful Ghost STAB moves that can OHKO Mewtwo in a flash of spectral darkness. Giratina-O and Ho-Oh can check Mega Mewtwo X if Stealth Rock is not up as they can survive a hit and retaliate. Scarfers like Kyogre and Xerneas can take advantage of Mega Mewtwo X's mediocre bulk and KO with their STAB move of choice. Fairy-types in general check Mega Mewtwo X as they can all OHKO it with Moonblast or Judgment (Arceus-Fairy), but some dislike taking a hit. The same situation applies with Yveltal, who can't take a hit, but can OHKO Mega Mewtwo X with Oblivion Wing.
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By Mega-Swampert:
Yveltal @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Sucker Punch
- Roost
Role: Tank, Physical wall, Screwing the ekiller
What it does: This set is very helpful for offensive teams, as unlike other walls is not complete set-up bait. Rocky helmet is simply something I prefer, as it makes it far better to punish physical attackers. Yveltal is surprisingly bulky, and unlike other walls can KO the attacker it is countering. Foul play screws with every physical attacker and physical set-up sweeper that exists, and as even specially attacking sweepers tend to have high attack stats, foul play can screw them over as well. Taunt gives it a huge advantage over other walls, as well its better than average speed tier. Sucker punch is for things like mega gengar that think they can take it down, but be cautious with it, as lots of things carry substitute. Roost is roost, removes yveltal's ice and rock weakness for a turn, and gives it recovery. Try and be careful, as status makes it very difficult for yveltal to do its job.
Good Teammates: Clerics can help, such as xerneas can help, but are not necessary if you have a status sponge. Special walls can help, such as blissey, which also provides cleric support. A balanced or offensive team that needs an offensive counter to the ekiller will appreciate Yveltal's help.
What counters it: Most special attackers laugh at yveltal, as it really can't do much to them. Xerneas can leave this yveltal in a tricky spot, as it can moonblast if it stays in, and can geomancy if Yveltal switches out. Zekrom, can threaten yveltal out with bolt strike, and then volt switch for momentum. So, basically all special attackers
By canman98:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Roost
- Aeroblast
- Whirlwind
Role: Physical Wall, Special Wall
What it Does: Lugia is a pretty awesome blanket check to a lot of threats in the meta, such as Mega Blaziken, Geomancy Xerneas, Mega Mewtwo X, and Extreme Killer Arceus, and it's no pushover either. Combined with Multiscale, Toxic and Roost makes Lugia an overall stalling machine against other bulky tanks or sweepers, and Whirlwind can phaze sweepers out, removing their boosts and their futile attempts to smash the Great Wall. Aeroblast allows Lugia to 3HKO Mega Gengar and 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken, and prevents itself from being Taunt bait in the process. Whirlwind plus Lugia's bulk is very useful to shuffle the team around hazards and such, making Lugia a very important indirect damage dealer mid-game when preparing a team member for a sweep.
Good Teammates: Hazard removal is a pretty big part of Lugia's job description, so Defog from support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Excadrill or Forretress is important to Lugia's efficiency due to Stealth Rock breaking Multiscale. Checks to Steel-types are also appreciated, in which Heatran or Rayquaza can do naturally. Clerics such as Xerneas or Sylveon can check most Dark-types and cure Lugia of statuses that impede its walling. A Kyogre check like Palkia can ease Lugia's burden if Stealth Rock is up, letting it focus on other threats. Yveltal and Groudon can fend off Mega Gengar and Zekrom respectively, and can provide the team with Taunt and Stealth Rock respectively.
What Counters It: Darkrai and Yveltal are most likely the most dangerous to Lugia, as they can use it as setup fodder or can cripple it with Taunt. Kyurem-W and Zekrom don't even care about Multiscale and OHKO with Choice Specs Ice Beam or 2HKO with Bolt Strike respectively. Bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash, Klefki, and Heatran disregard Lugia and can cripple it with Toxic or proceed to set up hazards in its face without breaking stride. Mega Gengar also can check Lugia, but both are forced into a mind-game death match in terms of prediction with Taunt, Destiny Bond, or Shadow Ball.
Yveltal @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Dark Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SDef
Impish Nature
- Foul Play
- Taunt
- Sucker Punch
- Roost
Role: Tank, Physical wall, Screwing the ekiller
What it does: This set is very helpful for offensive teams, as unlike other walls is not complete set-up bait. Rocky helmet is simply something I prefer, as it makes it far better to punish physical attackers. Yveltal is surprisingly bulky, and unlike other walls can KO the attacker it is countering. Foul play screws with every physical attacker and physical set-up sweeper that exists, and as even specially attacking sweepers tend to have high attack stats, foul play can screw them over as well. Taunt gives it a huge advantage over other walls, as well its better than average speed tier. Sucker punch is for things like mega gengar that think they can take it down, but be cautious with it, as lots of things carry substitute. Roost is roost, removes yveltal's ice and rock weakness for a turn, and gives it recovery. Try and be careful, as status makes it very difficult for yveltal to do its job.
Good Teammates: Clerics can help, such as xerneas can help, but are not necessary if you have a status sponge. Special walls can help, such as blissey, which also provides cleric support. A balanced or offensive team that needs an offensive counter to the ekiller will appreciate Yveltal's help.
What counters it: Most special attackers laugh at yveltal, as it really can't do much to them. Xerneas can leave this yveltal in a tricky spot, as it can moonblast if it stays in, and can geomancy if Yveltal switches out. Zekrom, can threaten yveltal out with bolt strike, and then volt switch for momentum. So, basically all special attackers
By canman98:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Roost
- Aeroblast
- Whirlwind
Role: Physical Wall, Special Wall
What it Does: Lugia is a pretty awesome blanket check to a lot of threats in the meta, such as Mega Blaziken, Geomancy Xerneas, Mega Mewtwo X, and Extreme Killer Arceus, and it's no pushover either. Combined with Multiscale, Toxic and Roost makes Lugia an overall stalling machine against other bulky tanks or sweepers, and Whirlwind can phaze sweepers out, removing their boosts and their futile attempts to smash the Great Wall. Aeroblast allows Lugia to 3HKO Mega Gengar and 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken, and prevents itself from being Taunt bait in the process. Whirlwind plus Lugia's bulk is very useful to shuffle the team around hazards and such, making Lugia a very important indirect damage dealer mid-game when preparing a team member for a sweep.
Good Teammates: Hazard removal is a pretty big part of Lugia's job description, so Defog from support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Excadrill or Forretress is important to Lugia's efficiency due to Stealth Rock breaking Multiscale. Checks to Steel-types are also appreciated, in which Heatran or Rayquaza can do naturally. Clerics such as Xerneas or Sylveon can check most Dark-types and cure Lugia of statuses that impede its walling. A Kyogre check like Palkia can ease Lugia's burden if Stealth Rock is up, letting it focus on other threats. Yveltal and Groudon can fend off Mega Gengar and Zekrom respectively, and can provide the team with Taunt and Stealth Rock respectively.
What Counters It: Darkrai and Yveltal are most likely the most dangerous to Lugia, as they can use it as setup fodder or can cripple it with Taunt. Kyurem-W and Zekrom don't even care about Multiscale and OHKO with Choice Specs Ice Beam or 2HKO with Bolt Strike respectively. Bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash, Klefki, and Heatran disregard Lugia and can cripple it with Toxic or proceed to set up hazards in its face without breaking stride. Mega Gengar also can check Lugia, but both are forced into a mind-game death match in terms of prediction with Taunt, Destiny Bond, or Shadow Ball.
By Aquasition:
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
-Spikes
-Play Rough
-Toxic
-Thunder Wave
Role: Support, Special Wall, Hazard User, Geoxern Stopper
What it Does: What Klefki does here is to support the team by laying down Spikes and Status Effects, Screw Xerneas over with a mix of play rough(for subs) and T-wave, sponge special attacks from the like of Yveltal, thanks to prankster, it can easily throw one status move before being taunted, and can play rough Yveltal and MMX to death.
Good Comrades: Lando-T can set up SR, is immune to ground, handles Ho-oh and blaze better than Klefki does, and appreciates the T-waves Klefki can bring. Other pokes that love having their checks and counters*cough*Xerneas*cough* para'd or Toxic'd will also appreciate, like Palkia and most steels. Speaking of Palkia, it can switch into fire-type moves for Klefki, and attempt to remove said fire-types via Surf.
What counters it: Ground types can switch into anything bar Toxic, and take it out. Fire-Types are in a similar boat, but they won't like T-wave either. Supportceus can out-damage klefki, status it if possible, and defog hazards, but they mostly don't like Toxic or T-wave. The best stopper to Klefki, rare as it seems, is Excadrill, who can't be status'd by Klefki, can easily EQ it dead, and can even Spin off all the hazards.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP, 252 SpDef, 4 Speed
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Role: Special Wall
What it does: again, this Palkia set is tailored to wall Kyogre, as well as doing very well against several support and CM Arceus. Surf is its obligatory STAB move, and works very well due to Palkia's huge 336 Special Attack even when uninvested, and also has no immunities, abilities notwithstanding. Toxic allows it to inflict status on the things it checks and counters, and works very well due to this Palkia set's amazing staying power. Rest gives Palkia a way to recover its health and heal off status, allowing it to stay in the game for much longer. Sleep Talk is useful so that Palkia is not static whilst asleep, Fire Blast helps against Ferrothorn, Roar is a lot of fun against Geomancy Xerneas, Thunder Wave is great to paralyze certain things that try and set up on you (ahem, Geomancy Xerneas) that you might not want to poison/cannot poison, for example Arceus-Steel, and Spacil Rend is very useful to catch Dragon switchins such as Zekrom.
Good Acquaintances: again, this Palkia does well on balanced and defensive teams that need a solid reply to Kyogre. Palkia also does well against several Calm Mind and support Arceus formes, being able to outlast them easily one-on-one. For example, it can PP stall monoCM Arceus-Water due to Pressure and its ability to avoid the 3HKO from +6 Judgment, and can poison several other support Arceus formes such as Grass, Water again, Rock (who can actually stay in due to Surf being uninvested). It also does well agaisnt Arceus-Fire, as uncommon as it is.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types again such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can wall Palkia and threaten, but neither appreciate Toxic as it cripples the latter and forces the former to either Rest or Aromatherapy, just like the last set. Geomancy Xerneas can set up on this, but takes heavy damage from Surf in the rain, even though it is unboosted, and Thunder Wave or Roar screw it up wonderfully. This set can actually PP stall Ferrothorn and Blissey Chansey nicely, and Fire Blast wipes Ferrothorn off the face of the earth.
By canman98:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Roost
- Aeroblast
- Whirlwind
Role: Physical Wall, Special Wall
What it Does: Lugia is a pretty awesome blanket check to a lot of threats in the meta, such as Mega Blaziken, Geomancy Xerneas, Mega Mewtwo X, and Extreme Killer Arceus, and it's no pushover either. Combined with Multiscale, Toxic and Roost makes Lugia an overall stalling machine against other bulky tanks or sweepers, and Whirlwind can phaze sweepers out, removing their boosts and their futile attempts to smash the Great Wall. Aeroblast allows Lugia to 3HKO Mega Gengar and 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken, and prevents itself from being Taunt bait in the process. Whirlwind plus Lugia's bulk is very useful to shuffle the team around hazards and such, making Lugia a very important indirect damage dealer mid-game when preparing a team member for a sweep.
Good Teammates: Hazard removal is a pretty big part of Lugia's job description, so Defog from support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Excadrill or Forretress is important to Lugia's efficiency due to Stealth Rock breaking Multiscale. Checks to Steel-types are also appreciated, in which Heatran or Rayquaza can do naturally. Clerics such as Xerneas or Sylveon can check most Dark-types and cure Lugia of statuses that impede its walling. A Kyogre check like Palkia can ease Lugia's burden if Stealth Rock is up, letting it focus on other threats. Yveltal and Groudon can fend off Mega Gengar and Zekrom respectively, and can provide the team with Taunt and Stealth Rock respectively.
What Counters It: Darkrai and Yveltal are most likely the most dangerous to Lugia, as they can use it as setup fodder or can cripple it with Taunt. Kyurem-W and Zekrom don't even care about Multiscale and OHKO with Choice Specs Ice Beam or 2HKO with Bolt Strike respectively. Bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash, Klefki, and Heatran disregard Lugia and can cripple it with Toxic or proceed to set up hazards in its face without breaking stride. Mega Gengar also can check Lugia, but both are forced into a mind-game death match in terms of prediction with Taunt, Destiny Bond, or Shadow Ball.
By canman98
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Moonblast
-Roar / Aromatherapy
Role: Support, Special Wall, Cleric (With Aromatherapy of course)
What It Does: This Xerneas variant can check quite a few of Uber's heavy hitters, most of them being Dragons. Other than that, Xerneas can also hard check/counter Darkrai, Yveltal, and most Palkia variants, and is a solid sleep absorber. Luckily, Xerneas isn't a pushover with Fairy Aura Moonblast being pretty good in the damage-dealing department. Sleep Talk allows Xerneas to either hit hard or phaze, and can let it defeat Darkrai even after being Dark Voided. Aromatherapy is a great alternative to Roar as it not only relieves the team of status, but it can also wake up Xerneas from Rest a turn early. Relatively speaking, this variant of Xerneas works best on stall or balanced team archetypes.
Friends In High Places: Xerneas in this case doesn't need to much support from its team since it's helping the team in the first place, but the best thing Xerneas can ask for is a solid answer to Mega Gengar, which still trolls anything in its path. Pursuit users like Scizor and Tyranitar work best in order to pressure Mega Gengar, though a swift HP Fire or Focus Blast respectively could spell their doom. Offensive soft checks like Deoxys-A, Giratina-O, and Ghost Arceus also work well in order to keep Mega Gengar at bay.
What Counters It: MEGA GENGAR ALERT. Mega Gengar is pretty much one of the few things that immediately threaten this type of Xerneas with all those Taunts and DBonds and whatnot. Most defensive walls that try to out-stall Xerneas usually end in a stalemate or getting phazed out by Roar. Mega Lucario can OHKO with Iron Tail, and Choice Specs Kyogre will leave a giant dent in it.
Klefki @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
-Spikes
-Play Rough
-Toxic
-Thunder Wave
Role: Support, Special Wall, Hazard User, Geoxern Stopper
What it Does: What Klefki does here is to support the team by laying down Spikes and Status Effects, Screw Xerneas over with a mix of play rough(for subs) and T-wave, sponge special attacks from the like of Yveltal, thanks to prankster, it can easily throw one status move before being taunted, and can play rough Yveltal and MMX to death.
Good Comrades: Lando-T can set up SR, is immune to ground, handles Ho-oh and blaze better than Klefki does, and appreciates the T-waves Klefki can bring. Other pokes that love having their checks and counters*cough*Xerneas*cough* para'd or Toxic'd will also appreciate, like Palkia and most steels. Speaking of Palkia, it can switch into fire-type moves for Klefki, and attempt to remove said fire-types via Surf.
What counters it: Ground types can switch into anything bar Toxic, and take it out. Fire-Types are in a similar boat, but they won't like T-wave either. Supportceus can out-damage klefki, status it if possible, and defog hazards, but they mostly don't like Toxic or T-wave. The best stopper to Klefki, rare as it seems, is Excadrill, who can't be status'd by Klefki, can easily EQ it dead, and can even Spin off all the hazards.
By LustrousPalkia:
Palkia @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP, 252 SpDef, 4 Speed
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Toxic
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Role: Special Wall
What it does: again, this Palkia set is tailored to wall Kyogre, as well as doing very well against several support and CM Arceus. Surf is its obligatory STAB move, and works very well due to Palkia's huge 336 Special Attack even when uninvested, and also has no immunities, abilities notwithstanding. Toxic allows it to inflict status on the things it checks and counters, and works very well due to this Palkia set's amazing staying power. Rest gives Palkia a way to recover its health and heal off status, allowing it to stay in the game for much longer. Sleep Talk is useful so that Palkia is not static whilst asleep, Fire Blast helps against Ferrothorn, Roar is a lot of fun against Geomancy Xerneas, Thunder Wave is great to paralyze certain things that try and set up on you (ahem, Geomancy Xerneas) that you might not want to poison/cannot poison, for example Arceus-Steel, and Spacil Rend is very useful to catch Dragon switchins such as Zekrom.
Good Acquaintances: again, this Palkia does well on balanced and defensive teams that need a solid reply to Kyogre. Palkia also does well against several Calm Mind and support Arceus formes, being able to outlast them easily one-on-one. For example, it can PP stall monoCM Arceus-Water due to Pressure and its ability to avoid the 3HKO from +6 Judgment, and can poison several other support Arceus formes such as Grass, Water again, Rock (who can actually stay in due to Surf being uninvested). It also does well agaisnt Arceus-Fire, as uncommon as it is.
What counters it: bulky Fairy-Types again such as Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy can wall Palkia and threaten, but neither appreciate Toxic as it cripples the latter and forces the former to either Rest or Aromatherapy, just like the last set. Geomancy Xerneas can set up on this, but takes heavy damage from Surf in the rain, even though it is unboosted, and Thunder Wave or Roar screw it up wonderfully. This set can actually PP stall Ferrothorn and Blissey Chansey nicely, and Fire Blast wipes Ferrothorn off the face of the earth.
By canman98:
Lugia @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
- Toxic
- Roost
- Aeroblast
- Whirlwind
Role: Physical Wall, Special Wall
What it Does: Lugia is a pretty awesome blanket check to a lot of threats in the meta, such as Mega Blaziken, Geomancy Xerneas, Mega Mewtwo X, and Extreme Killer Arceus, and it's no pushover either. Combined with Multiscale, Toxic and Roost makes Lugia an overall stalling machine against other bulky tanks or sweepers, and Whirlwind can phaze sweepers out, removing their boosts and their futile attempts to smash the Great Wall. Aeroblast allows Lugia to 3HKO Mega Gengar and 2HKO Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Blaziken, and prevents itself from being Taunt bait in the process. Whirlwind plus Lugia's bulk is very useful to shuffle the team around hazards and such, making Lugia a very important indirect damage dealer mid-game when preparing a team member for a sweep.
Good Teammates: Hazard removal is a pretty big part of Lugia's job description, so Defog from support Arceus formes and Rapid Spin from Excadrill or Forretress is important to Lugia's efficiency due to Stealth Rock breaking Multiscale. Checks to Steel-types are also appreciated, in which Heatran or Rayquaza can do naturally. Clerics such as Xerneas or Sylveon can check most Dark-types and cure Lugia of statuses that impede its walling. A Kyogre check like Palkia can ease Lugia's burden if Stealth Rock is up, letting it focus on other threats. Yveltal and Groudon can fend off Mega Gengar and Zekrom respectively, and can provide the team with Taunt and Stealth Rock respectively.
What Counters It: Darkrai and Yveltal are most likely the most dangerous to Lugia, as they can use it as setup fodder or can cripple it with Taunt. Kyurem-W and Zekrom don't even care about Multiscale and OHKO with Choice Specs Ice Beam or 2HKO with Bolt Strike respectively. Bulky Steel-types such as Aegislash, Klefki, and Heatran disregard Lugia and can cripple it with Toxic or proceed to set up hazards in its face without breaking stride. Mega Gengar also can check Lugia, but both are forced into a mind-game death match in terms of prediction with Taunt, Destiny Bond, or Shadow Ball.
By canman98
Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
-Rest
-Sleep Talk
-Moonblast
-Roar / Aromatherapy
Role: Support, Special Wall, Cleric (With Aromatherapy of course)
What It Does: This Xerneas variant can check quite a few of Uber's heavy hitters, most of them being Dragons. Other than that, Xerneas can also hard check/counter Darkrai, Yveltal, and most Palkia variants, and is a solid sleep absorber. Luckily, Xerneas isn't a pushover with Fairy Aura Moonblast being pretty good in the damage-dealing department. Sleep Talk allows Xerneas to either hit hard or phaze, and can let it defeat Darkrai even after being Dark Voided. Aromatherapy is a great alternative to Roar as it not only relieves the team of status, but it can also wake up Xerneas from Rest a turn early. Relatively speaking, this variant of Xerneas works best on stall or balanced team archetypes.
Friends In High Places: Xerneas in this case doesn't need to much support from its team since it's helping the team in the first place, but the best thing Xerneas can ask for is a solid answer to Mega Gengar, which still trolls anything in its path. Pursuit users like Scizor and Tyranitar work best in order to pressure Mega Gengar, though a swift HP Fire or Focus Blast respectively could spell their doom. Offensive soft checks like Deoxys-A, Giratina-O, and Ghost Arceus also work well in order to keep Mega Gengar at bay.
What Counters It: MEGA GENGAR ALERT. Mega Gengar is pretty much one of the few things that immediately threaten this type of Xerneas with all those Taunts and DBonds and whatnot. Most defensive walls that try to out-stall Xerneas usually end in a stalemate or getting phazed out by Roar. Mega Lucario can OHKO with Iron Tail, and Choice Specs Kyogre will leave a giant dent in it.
By ShunGXT!!:
Dialga @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast / Roar
Role: Special Wall, Hazard User
What it does: Dialga is great at full-filling its duty by setting up hazard and providing support for the entire team. Dialga can take advantage of how bulky it is and can come right in on threats such as Palkia and Shaymin-S it is also a good check to Kyogre. Draco Meteor is one of Dialga's strongest attacking move and STAB dealing quite a lot of damage to opponents. Toxic is for crippling threats that comes in and try to ruin Dialga's day by defogging, especially Arceus support forms. Fire Blast is great coverage against Steel types that otherwise would wall you, Roar could also be used in the final slot to rack up residual damage once you've set up Stealth Rock and phazing things that would want to try and set up on Dialga.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that is immune to opposing Ground type moves and Fighting are outstanding partners for Dialga, therefore Pokemons like Landorus-Therian, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, and finally Shaymin-Sky is wonderful teammates for their excellent synergies with Dialga. Things that can deal with Blaziken or Mega Blaziken, Deoxys-Attack Form, and Mega-Mewtwo X which OHKO Dialga with Low Kick are great partners.
What counters it: As I mentioned before, Blaziken or Mega Blaziken, Deoxys-Attack Form, Mega-Mewtwo X can completely demolish Dialga with Low Kick. Faster variants of Groudon can also OHKO Dialga with STAB Earthquake and other Ground type Pokemons like Landorus-Therian, Excadrill, and Arceus-Ground can use their STAB Moves to get rid of Dialga once and for all. Stalltwo Y can also deal with Dialga with the combination of Taunt and Will-O-Wisp prevents it from setting up Stealth Rock and cripple StallTwo Y with Toxic.
By Aquasition:
Klefki w/ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP/ 4 Def/ 252 SDef
Careful Nature
-Spikes
-Play Rough
-Toxic
-Thunder Wave
Role: Support, Special Wall, Hazard User, Geoxern Stopper
What it Does: What Klefki does here is to support the team by laying down Spikes and Status Effects, Screw Xerneas over with a mix of play rough(for subs) and T-wave, sponge special attacks from the like of Yveltal, thanks to prankster, it can easily throw one status move before being taunted, and can play rough Yveltal and MMX to death.
Good Comrades: Lando-T can set up SR, is immune to ground, handles Ho-oh and blaze better than Klefki does, and appreciates the T-waves Klefki can bring. Other pokes that love having their checks and counters*cough*Xerneas*cough* para'd or Toxic'd will also appreciate, like Palkia and most steels. Speaking of Palkia, it can switch into fire-type moves for Klefki, and attempt to remove said fire-types via Surf.
What counters it: Ground types can switch into anything bar Toxic, and take it out. Fire-Types are in a similar boat, but they won't like T-wave either. Supportceus can out-damage klefki, status it if possible, and defog hazards, but they mostly don't like Toxic or T-wave. The best stopper to Klefki, rare as it seems, is Excadrill, who can't be status'd by Klefki, can easily EQ it dead, and can even Spin off all the hazards.
By php:
Deoxys-Speed @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Knock Off
Role: Hazards Setter
What It Does: There isn't much to say, it just sets up Rocks + potentially spikes as well, suited for HO team. It can also Knock Off the opposing Pokemon's item before hitting the dust. It can also run very trolly moves in the last slot such as Toxic/Ice Beam/Psycho Boost and like Thunder Wave for surprise factor.
Good Teammates: Well since Defog is a thing now, you want to base your team so that you have fast taunt users that can prevent use of defog. Mewtwo, Darkrai, and Thundurus are good examples that would fit on HO teams this lead should be used on. Although Spinning isnt as common now, it is not a bad idea to have a ghost type present on your team to spin block. Utilize this lead with a Hyper Offense type of playstyle so you can best abuse your hazards, such as Geo Xern / Ekiller / Mega Blaze and etc.
What Counters It: Since it's actually pretty good at doing what it does, Deo-S can usually always get one layer of hazards (usually Rocks). Tyranitar can also limit it to one layer, as can Pokemon with Multi Hit Moves (Scolipede + Mega Khan). Cloyster is potentially the best "Counter" to Deo-S as it can break Deo-S's sash with Icicle Spear and then continue to Rapid Spin until Deoxys S has fainted. Pokemon that have access to priority can also break Deoxys-S's sash with a move on the first turn and finish Deo-S of the next turn with Priority (Ekiller/Gira-O/Ray)
By dabroyo:
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
Roles: Bulky Attacker, Hazard Setter
What does it do: Landorus-Therian is an extremely reliable Stealth Rock setter. Even an offensively inclined set such as this provides a good check to threats such as Zekrom,Blaziken,Ground Types,Ho-oh(though it is a shaky check) and also deal with annoying steels such as Heatran and Klefki. It also provides a good pivot with U-Turn into frail Pokemon such as Deoxys-Attack.
Good Teammates: Anything that can check Kyogre is a good teammate for Landorus hence, Palkia and Ferrothorn immediately come to mind as they check kyogre pretty well. Palkia is an especially good teammate as it provides more of an offensive presence and is probably the best Kyogre that is actually viable in ubers (looking at you Gastrodon). Klefki is another good teammate as Landorus struggles against special attacker and Klefki provides an answer to very common special attackers such as Yveltal and Xerneas and has good type synergy with Landorus and Palkia. However if you choose to run Ferrothorn with Landorus a good teammate would be Specially defensive Kyogre as it provides rain which lowers Ferrothorn's weakness to fire and it also provides an answer to Yveltal and Xerneas and it also has good type synergy with Ferrothorn and Landorus.
What Counters it: Support Arceus forms excluding Steel,Rock and Poison provide a good answer to Landorus as they can burn Landorus effectively crippling it and then Defog away his hazards.The Giratina formes are also a good answer as they can burn Landorus.Giratina-Origin is especially a pain as it can burn Lando and Defog away his hazards and is also immune to Lando's STAB. Lugia can easily Roost and Toxic stall Landorus wearing it down easily due to Lugia's massive bulk.Skarmory can do the same thing to as Landorus cannot hurt it at all. Last but not least powerful special attackers such as Kyogre easily break through Landorus's mediocre special bulk.
By n00b:
Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Psycho Boost
- ExtremeSpeed
- Low Kick / Knock Off
Role: Hazards Setter
What It Does: Good suicide lead, set up rocks and smash your enemies' faces with tons of offensive power, then die.
Good Teammates: Like Deo-s, fast taunt users and tons of offensive pressure helps keep the rocks up on the field. You'll also want some kind of switch in for Kanga and Scoli because otherwise you die to them.
What Counters It: Pokemon with multi-hit moves like Kanga and Scoli give it some trouble. Unlike deo-s, deo-a can take care of ttar (assuming you're running low kick and the ttar isn't running something stupid like chople or sash), but at the cost of its sash. Also swagplay is a hard counter because deo-a will OHKO itself when it gets swaggered, RIP. Bulky Pokemon like support arc can recover when Deo-a uses Psycho Boost, then defog any rocks that Deo-a may have set up, then kill it.
By iampie:
Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Encore
- Sticky Web
- Toxic
- Rock Tomb
Role: Hazard User, Support
What it does: This doesn't really counter anything, its main job is to set Sticky Webs for web teams. Sticky Web is a hazard that's like spikes as flyers/levitators aren't affected by it, what this hazard does is it gives the opponents Pokémon -1 speed. Its a very specific role, it wouldn't and shouldn't be used for any other reason, but is great at what it does. This is mainly because it has sturdy so it doesn't have to carry a focus sash, this means that it has the ability to hold mental herb so its not vulnerable to taunt. It can also support the team by using encore to get setup opportunities for frail sweepers like Lucario (which also does very good with web support).
Good Teammates: Some good teammates for this Pokémon are things that can really take advantage of Sticky Web, basically meaning things that hit really hard but can't really outspeed much, or things that would be able to sweep, but just aren't fast enough to pull one off. Some good examples are Specs Kyogre, Choice Band Ho-oh, SD Mega-Lucario, and SD Arceus-Ground. Other things that make good teammates for it are things that can set up on encored opponents and also taunt users because they prevent defog users from defogging so Shuckles webs can stay up for the wallbreakers mentioned before can have a field day. One thing in particular that makes a really good partner for Shuckle is Mega-Tyranitar because it beats things that float above the webs set by Shuckle e.g. Yveltal, Ho-oh, Giratina-O, and Raquaza(somewhat) with its gigantic defense and special defense stats as well as providing sand support to boost Shuckles Sp. Def stat even further. Not only this, but Mega-Tyranitar also taunts defoggers and sets stealth rocks for the team. Shuckle helps Tyranitar out by giving it sticky web so that with max speed and a positive nature, TTar can outspeed base 130s which is a huge plus because a lot of those ones are weak to dark, one of Tyranitar's STABs.
What counters it: Not much stuff really beats this set because its only real job is to set Sticky Web and its so good at what it does because it can't be OHKOed or taunted the first turn and that's really all it should be used for. The only things that can anti-lead it are Jirachi (using flinches) and Darkrai which puts you to sleep. Some things that can bring it down to sturdy in one hit limiting its support capabilities are Kyogre and Lustrous Orb Palkia.
By Sweep:
Chesnaught @ Leftovers
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Leech Seed
- Wood Hammer
Role: Hazard setter
What does it do: This fast Chesnaught set acts as a Ground-type check for Web teams that can Taunt Defog users before they can clear hazards. Chesnaught can also set up hazards of its own in the form of Spikes. Although Chesnaught does not have the ability to repeatedly take on physical threats and is at the mercy of almost all special attackers, it can still check what it needs to at least once (such as Earth Plate Lando-T, Groundceus, etc.), which is often all Webs teams need due to their offensive pressure. Leech Seed is helpful vs. balance teams to stay alive and set up as many layers of Spikes as possible. Hammer Arm can be used over Wood Hammer for better coverage but leaves Chesnaught completely at the mercy of all STAG users. It is also less powerful and can miss so Wood Hammer is the better attacking option. Chesnaught only fits onto very specific builds, but can pull its weight on the right team.
Good teammates: Arceus-Ghost or Giratina-O are needed to prevent Rapid Spin and are capable of checking Mewtwo. Either Smeargle or Shuckle can set up Sticky Web. From there, make sure your team can sufficiently handle Xerneas and other offensive Fairy-types as Chesnaught tends to invite them. For example, Scarf Genesect can revenge Geomancy Xerneas with Iron Head so long Sticky Web is up. Choice Specs Kyogre can break Fairy Arceus with its ridiculously powerful STAB attacks. Earth Plate Landorus-T can switch in on Ho-Oh once and either set SR or Stone Edge the bird.
What Counters It: Most Pokemon in Ubers can defeat Chesnaught 1-1 due to its mediocre stats and defensive typing. Fortunately, Chesnaught doesn't have a whole lot of responsibilities to fulfill: if it can check the enemy Ground-type and set up one or two layers of Spikes, it would have done its job.
Dialga @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Toxic
- Stealth Rock
- Fire Blast / Roar
Role: Special Wall, Hazard User
What it does: Dialga is great at full-filling its duty by setting up hazard and providing support for the entire team. Dialga can take advantage of how bulky it is and can come right in on threats such as Palkia and Shaymin-S it is also a good check to Kyogre. Draco Meteor is one of Dialga's strongest attacking move and STAB dealing quite a lot of damage to opponents. Toxic is for crippling threats that comes in and try to ruin Dialga's day by defogging, especially Arceus support forms. Fire Blast is great coverage against Steel types that otherwise would wall you, Roar could also be used in the final slot to rack up residual damage once you've set up Stealth Rock and phazing things that would want to try and set up on Dialga.
Good Teammates: Pokemon that is immune to opposing Ground type moves and Fighting are outstanding partners for Dialga, therefore Pokemons like Landorus-Therian, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, and finally Shaymin-Sky is wonderful teammates for their excellent synergies with Dialga. Things that can deal with Blaziken or Mega Blaziken, Deoxys-Attack Form, and Mega-Mewtwo X which OHKO Dialga with Low Kick are great partners.
What counters it: As I mentioned before, Blaziken or Mega Blaziken, Deoxys-Attack Form, Mega-Mewtwo X can completely demolish Dialga with Low Kick. Faster variants of Groudon can also OHKO Dialga with STAB Earthquake and other Ground type Pokemons like Landorus-Therian, Excadrill, and Arceus-Ground can use their STAB Moves to get rid of Dialga once and for all. Stalltwo Y can also deal with Dialga with the combination of Taunt and Will-O-Wisp prevents it from setting up Stealth Rock and cripple StallTwo Y with Toxic.
By Aquasition:
Klefki w/ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP/ 4 Def/ 252 SDef
Careful Nature
-Spikes
-Play Rough
-Toxic
-Thunder Wave
Role: Support, Special Wall, Hazard User, Geoxern Stopper
What it Does: What Klefki does here is to support the team by laying down Spikes and Status Effects, Screw Xerneas over with a mix of play rough(for subs) and T-wave, sponge special attacks from the like of Yveltal, thanks to prankster, it can easily throw one status move before being taunted, and can play rough Yveltal and MMX to death.
Good Comrades: Lando-T can set up SR, is immune to ground, handles Ho-oh and blaze better than Klefki does, and appreciates the T-waves Klefki can bring. Other pokes that love having their checks and counters*cough*Xerneas*cough* para'd or Toxic'd will also appreciate, like Palkia and most steels. Speaking of Palkia, it can switch into fire-type moves for Klefki, and attempt to remove said fire-types via Surf.
What counters it: Ground types can switch into anything bar Toxic, and take it out. Fire-Types are in a similar boat, but they won't like T-wave either. Supportceus can out-damage klefki, status it if possible, and defog hazards, but they mostly don't like Toxic or T-wave. The best stopper to Klefki, rare as it seems, is Excadrill, who can't be status'd by Klefki, can easily EQ it dead, and can even Spin off all the hazards.
By php:
Deoxys-Speed @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Knock Off
Role: Hazards Setter
What It Does: There isn't much to say, it just sets up Rocks + potentially spikes as well, suited for HO team. It can also Knock Off the opposing Pokemon's item before hitting the dust. It can also run very trolly moves in the last slot such as Toxic/Ice Beam/Psycho Boost and like Thunder Wave for surprise factor.
Good Teammates: Well since Defog is a thing now, you want to base your team so that you have fast taunt users that can prevent use of defog. Mewtwo, Darkrai, and Thundurus are good examples that would fit on HO teams this lead should be used on. Although Spinning isnt as common now, it is not a bad idea to have a ghost type present on your team to spin block. Utilize this lead with a Hyper Offense type of playstyle so you can best abuse your hazards, such as Geo Xern / Ekiller / Mega Blaze and etc.
What Counters It: Since it's actually pretty good at doing what it does, Deo-S can usually always get one layer of hazards (usually Rocks). Tyranitar can also limit it to one layer, as can Pokemon with Multi Hit Moves (Scolipede + Mega Khan). Cloyster is potentially the best "Counter" to Deo-S as it can break Deo-S's sash with Icicle Spear and then continue to Rapid Spin until Deoxys S has fainted. Pokemon that have access to priority can also break Deoxys-S's sash with a move on the first turn and finish Deo-S of the next turn with Priority (Ekiller/Gira-O/Ray)
By dabroyo:
Landorus-Therian (M) @ Earth Plate
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
- U-Turn
Roles: Bulky Attacker, Hazard Setter
What does it do: Landorus-Therian is an extremely reliable Stealth Rock setter. Even an offensively inclined set such as this provides a good check to threats such as Zekrom,Blaziken,Ground Types,Ho-oh(though it is a shaky check) and also deal with annoying steels such as Heatran and Klefki. It also provides a good pivot with U-Turn into frail Pokemon such as Deoxys-Attack.
Good Teammates: Anything that can check Kyogre is a good teammate for Landorus hence, Palkia and Ferrothorn immediately come to mind as they check kyogre pretty well. Palkia is an especially good teammate as it provides more of an offensive presence and is probably the best Kyogre that is actually viable in ubers (looking at you Gastrodon). Klefki is another good teammate as Landorus struggles against special attacker and Klefki provides an answer to very common special attackers such as Yveltal and Xerneas and has good type synergy with Landorus and Palkia. However if you choose to run Ferrothorn with Landorus a good teammate would be Specially defensive Kyogre as it provides rain which lowers Ferrothorn's weakness to fire and it also provides an answer to Yveltal and Xerneas and it also has good type synergy with Ferrothorn and Landorus.
What Counters it: Support Arceus forms excluding Steel,Rock and Poison provide a good answer to Landorus as they can burn Landorus effectively crippling it and then Defog away his hazards.The Giratina formes are also a good answer as they can burn Landorus.Giratina-Origin is especially a pain as it can burn Lando and Defog away his hazards and is also immune to Lando's STAB. Lugia can easily Roost and Toxic stall Landorus wearing it down easily due to Lugia's massive bulk.Skarmory can do the same thing to as Landorus cannot hurt it at all. Last but not least powerful special attackers such as Kyogre easily break through Landorus's mediocre special bulk.
By n00b:
Deoxys-Attack @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Psycho Boost
- ExtremeSpeed
- Low Kick / Knock Off
Role: Hazards Setter
What It Does: Good suicide lead, set up rocks and smash your enemies' faces with tons of offensive power, then die.
Good Teammates: Like Deo-s, fast taunt users and tons of offensive pressure helps keep the rocks up on the field. You'll also want some kind of switch in for Kanga and Scoli because otherwise you die to them.
What Counters It: Pokemon with multi-hit moves like Kanga and Scoli give it some trouble. Unlike deo-s, deo-a can take care of ttar (assuming you're running low kick and the ttar isn't running something stupid like chople or sash), but at the cost of its sash. Also swagplay is a hard counter because deo-a will OHKO itself when it gets swaggered, RIP. Bulky Pokemon like support arc can recover when Deo-a uses Psycho Boost, then defog any rocks that Deo-a may have set up, then kill it.
By iampie:
Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Sturdy
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SDef
Careful Nature
- Encore
- Sticky Web
- Toxic
- Rock Tomb
Role: Hazard User, Support
What it does: This doesn't really counter anything, its main job is to set Sticky Webs for web teams. Sticky Web is a hazard that's like spikes as flyers/levitators aren't affected by it, what this hazard does is it gives the opponents Pokémon -1 speed. Its a very specific role, it wouldn't and shouldn't be used for any other reason, but is great at what it does. This is mainly because it has sturdy so it doesn't have to carry a focus sash, this means that it has the ability to hold mental herb so its not vulnerable to taunt. It can also support the team by using encore to get setup opportunities for frail sweepers like Lucario (which also does very good with web support).
Good Teammates: Some good teammates for this Pokémon are things that can really take advantage of Sticky Web, basically meaning things that hit really hard but can't really outspeed much, or things that would be able to sweep, but just aren't fast enough to pull one off. Some good examples are Specs Kyogre, Choice Band Ho-oh, SD Mega-Lucario, and SD Arceus-Ground. Other things that make good teammates for it are things that can set up on encored opponents and also taunt users because they prevent defog users from defogging so Shuckles webs can stay up for the wallbreakers mentioned before can have a field day. One thing in particular that makes a really good partner for Shuckle is Mega-Tyranitar because it beats things that float above the webs set by Shuckle e.g. Yveltal, Ho-oh, Giratina-O, and Raquaza(somewhat) with its gigantic defense and special defense stats as well as providing sand support to boost Shuckles Sp. Def stat even further. Not only this, but Mega-Tyranitar also taunts defoggers and sets stealth rocks for the team. Shuckle helps Tyranitar out by giving it sticky web so that with max speed and a positive nature, TTar can outspeed base 130s which is a huge plus because a lot of those ones are weak to dark, one of Tyranitar's STABs.
What counters it: Not much stuff really beats this set because its only real job is to set Sticky Web and its so good at what it does because it can't be OHKOed or taunted the first turn and that's really all it should be used for. The only things that can anti-lead it are Jirachi (using flinches) and Darkrai which puts you to sleep. Some things that can bring it down to sturdy in one hit limiting its support capabilities are Kyogre and Lustrous Orb Palkia.
By Sweep:
Chesnaught @ Leftovers
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Spikes
- Taunt
- Leech Seed
- Wood Hammer
Role: Hazard setter
What does it do: This fast Chesnaught set acts as a Ground-type check for Web teams that can Taunt Defog users before they can clear hazards. Chesnaught can also set up hazards of its own in the form of Spikes. Although Chesnaught does not have the ability to repeatedly take on physical threats and is at the mercy of almost all special attackers, it can still check what it needs to at least once (such as Earth Plate Lando-T, Groundceus, etc.), which is often all Webs teams need due to their offensive pressure. Leech Seed is helpful vs. balance teams to stay alive and set up as many layers of Spikes as possible. Hammer Arm can be used over Wood Hammer for better coverage but leaves Chesnaught completely at the mercy of all STAG users. It is also less powerful and can miss so Wood Hammer is the better attacking option. Chesnaught only fits onto very specific builds, but can pull its weight on the right team.
Good teammates: Arceus-Ghost or Giratina-O are needed to prevent Rapid Spin and are capable of checking Mewtwo. Either Smeargle or Shuckle can set up Sticky Web. From there, make sure your team can sufficiently handle Xerneas and other offensive Fairy-types as Chesnaught tends to invite them. For example, Scarf Genesect can revenge Geomancy Xerneas with Iron Head so long Sticky Web is up. Choice Specs Kyogre can break Fairy Arceus with its ridiculously powerful STAB attacks. Earth Plate Landorus-T can switch in on Ho-Oh once and either set SR or Stone Edge the bird.
What Counters It: Most Pokemon in Ubers can defeat Chesnaught 1-1 due to its mediocre stats and defensive typing. Fortunately, Chesnaught doesn't have a whole lot of responsibilities to fulfill: if it can check the enemy Ground-type and set up one or two layers of Spikes, it would have done its job.
By WreckDra:
Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide / Swords Dance
Role: Physical Sweeper, Hazard Remover
What it Does: Excadrill is used on teams with Sandstorm inducers to abuse Sand Rush and its high attack to sweep, clear entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and to be a status sponge since its typing grants it an immunity to Thunder Wave and Toxic. It is pretty powerful, even by Ubers standards, when equipped with a Life Orb and can even wall break to an extent with Swords Dance.
Good Teammates: Sandstorm inducers are almost mandatory when using Excadrill so this makes Hippowdon and Tyranitar excellent partners even though their defensive synergy with Excadrill is questionable. A strong Kyogre check, like Palkia and Grass Arceus, are also needed since Excadrill draws out Kyogre like no other. Grassy and Palkia can also check Groudon and Landorus-T who are both strong switch-ins to Excadrill. Yveltal can prey on spinblockers like Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus while also being able to check Grass Arceus who is also a thorn in Excadrill's side.
What counters it: The entire whether trio (Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza) can check Excadrill but only a healthy Groudon can be considered a full on counter. All of them remove Excadrill's Sand Rush bonus with their own abilities and can OHKO it with either their STABs or V-Create respectively. Landorus-T laughs at Excadrill thanks to its immunity to Earthquake and Intimidate to lower Iron Head's power; It can OHKO any Excadrill. Grass Arceus can live an Iron Head and burn Excadrill and any support Arceus that carries Will-O-Wisp make Excadrill more or less useless outside of Sandstorm. A healthy Giratina-O can Spinblock Excadrill and burn it but it will be weak after its encounter with drill.
Excadrill @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Rush
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide / Swords Dance
Role: Physical Sweeper, Hazard Remover
What it Does: Excadrill is used on teams with Sandstorm inducers to abuse Sand Rush and its high attack to sweep, clear entry hazards with Rapid Spin, and to be a status sponge since its typing grants it an immunity to Thunder Wave and Toxic. It is pretty powerful, even by Ubers standards, when equipped with a Life Orb and can even wall break to an extent with Swords Dance.
Good Teammates: Sandstorm inducers are almost mandatory when using Excadrill so this makes Hippowdon and Tyranitar excellent partners even though their defensive synergy with Excadrill is questionable. A strong Kyogre check, like Palkia and Grass Arceus, are also needed since Excadrill draws out Kyogre like no other. Grassy and Palkia can also check Groudon and Landorus-T who are both strong switch-ins to Excadrill. Yveltal can prey on spinblockers like Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus while also being able to check Grass Arceus who is also a thorn in Excadrill's side.
What counters it: The entire whether trio (Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza) can check Excadrill but only a healthy Groudon can be considered a full on counter. All of them remove Excadrill's Sand Rush bonus with their own abilities and can OHKO it with either their STABs or V-Create respectively. Landorus-T laughs at Excadrill thanks to its immunity to Earthquake and Intimidate to lower Iron Head's power; It can OHKO any Excadrill. Grass Arceus can live an Iron Head and burn Excadrill and any support Arceus that carries Will-O-Wisp make Excadrill more or less useless outside of Sandstorm. A healthy Giratina-O can Spinblock Excadrill and burn it but it will be weak after its encounter with drill.
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