PISTOLERO
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
Arceus-Ghost
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2spoopy4u
Overview
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Ghost Arceus is one of the foremost Arceus formes due to its slew of positive traits. Its excellent typing, both defensively and offensively, allows it to take on a number of different roles, with support, Calm Mind, and Swords Dance sets all being viable. Latias and Latios have returned to the Ubers tier, and Ghost Arceus stands out as a solid check to them. It still deals with everything that it used to in XY, with it being able to take on Extreme Killer Arceus and Kangaskhan like nothing else can due to its immunity to Ghost, its high Speed, and access to Will-O-Wisp. Ghost Arceus is also not weak to Primal Groudon like other support formes are and is also immune to the effects of Shadow Tag thanks to its typing.
However, Ghost Arceus's weakness to Dark can cause it severe issues, with Dark Arceus, Yveltal, and Darkrai all being prominent members of the tier. Its weakness to Ho-Oh, like that of many other support and Calm Mind Arceus, can also be difficult to deal with, but, overall, Ghost Arceus is a fantastic choice for many Ubers teams due to its incredible versatility and the ability to cover its few flaws with the rest of its team.
Support
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name: Support
move 1: Defog
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Judgment
move 4: Recover
ability: Multitype
item: Spooky Plate
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Defog allows Ghost Arceus to clear entry hazards for its teammates. Will-O-Wisp is used to burn opposing physical attackers such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Kangaskhan. Judgment deals fair damage and hits Latias and Latios in particular super effectively, with Recover being in the last slot to recover health.
Set Details
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Full investment in Speed is used to Speed tie with Extreme Killer Arceus and physical Ground Arceus, potentially burning them with Will-O-Wisp before they can hit Ghost Arceus with Swords Dance-boosted attacks. Maximum HP investment grants Ghost Arceus a solid amount of bulk. It is possible to drop to 176 Speed EVs to outspeed Latias and Latios, or even 96 Speed EVs for outspeeding base 100 Speed Pokemon, with the rest poured into Defense.
Usage Tips
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Support Ghost Arceus should be used to check Kangaskhan, Extreme Killer Arceus, Mega Mewtwo X, and other physical attackers. It is also possible to use Ghost Arceus's typing to check threats such as Palkia and Genesect. Entry hazards should be removed with Defog when necessary, although it is wise to burn hazard setters that can give Ghost Arceus a hard time otherwise, such as Dialga. Fairly liberal use of Judgment is recommended, as it hits almost everything solidly; however, it is better to burn Dark-type switch-ins such as Yveltal and Darkrai and double switch out of predicted Ho-Oh switch-ins.
Team Options
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Fairy-types pair well with Ghost Arceus, as they can take on the Dark-types that cause it problems. Choice Scarf Xerneas absorbs Dark Void, immensely threatens Darkrai, can surprise Ho-Oh with Rock Slide, and also checks Dark Arceus. Defensive Xerneas with Rest can pivot into Dark Void and can also wall Life Orb Yveltal. Clefable hard walls Calm Mind Dark Arceus, can take an unboosted Sludge Bomb from Darkrai, and also checks Life Orb Yveltal fairly well; it must use Moonblast, however.
Ho-Oh appreciates the Defog support, and Sleep Talk variants are able to absorb Dark Void. It also tramples any Yveltal without Foul Play, if Ghost Arceus can burn Yveltal on the switch-in with Will-O-Wisp. Primal Groudon sets up Stealth Rock to keep away opposing Ho-Oh, can snipe it with Stone Edge, and can also take on Geomancy Xerneas, which can set up on Ghost Arceus.
Calm Mind
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name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Focus Blast / Thunder
move 4: Recover
ability: Multitype
item: Spooky Plate
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Calm Mind boosts Ghost Arceus's Special Attack and Special Defense simultaneously, and Judgment provides it with a strong STAB attack. Will-O-Wisp allows Ghost Arceus to double up as a supporting team member that can cripple physical attackers. With Will-O-Wisp and Calm Mind, Ghost Arceus becomes very difficult to break. Focus Blast hits Extreme Killer Arceus and Dark Arceus in particular super effectively, and also deals heavy damage to Dialga and Darkrai, making it more difficult for them to switch in; Focus Blast can potentially OHKO Darkrai after Stealth Rock damage. Thunder is also usable to deal with certain Pokemon Ghost Arceus lures in, such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal, with a +1 Thunder potentially OHKOing Ho-Oh and always OHKOing offensive Rash Yveltal after Stealth Rock damage. Recover allows Ghost Arceus to stay at a high amount of health so that it can continue to set up more Calm Minds.
There are other options that can be used. Fire Blast hits Steel-types super effectively, and Substitute allows Ghost Arceus to evade status and revenge killing, meaning that Ghost Arceus can set up quickly. Refresh can be used to absorb status, although this means that Ghost Arceus can no longer check Normal Arceus at all. An offensive spread with full Special Attack investment can be used, which works reasonably nicely alongside Substitute and a second attack.
Set Details
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Full investment in Speed at worst allows Ghost Arceus to Speed tie Extreme Killer Arceus, Swords Dance Ground Arceus, and Mega Salamence and burn them or hit them with Judgment or Focus Blast; additionally, this lets Ghost Arceus tie with other miscellaneous maximum Speed Arceus formes. Full HP investment grants Ghost Arceus a solid amount of bulk. It is possible to drop to 176 Speed EVs for outspeeding Latias and Latios, but no lower.
Usage Tips
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If using Will-O-Wisp, Ghost Arceus can be used as a hybrid setup sweeper and check to opposing physical attackers. Using Will-O-Wisp on Dark-type switch-ins such as Yveltal and Darkrai cripples them and wears them down significantly. Will-O-Wisp and Calm Mind should be used in tandem to make Ghost Arceus unbreakable on both defenses. Focus Blast and Thunder should be used to take out foes that Ghost Arceus lures in so that Ghost Arceus can set up Calm Mind more easily later on in the game.
Team Options
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Primal Groudon sets up Stealth Rock to limit Ho-Oh and Yveltal's effectiveness and can also run Stone Edge for the former. Choice Scarf and RestTalk Xerneas can switch into Darkrai and Yveltal, with Choice Scarf variants also being able to surprise Ho-Oh with Rock Slide. Xerneas also piles heavy pressure on Dark Arceus, preventing it from setting up on Ghost Arceus. Diancie checks Ho-Oh, Darkrai, and Yveltal and can bounce back entry hazards and status for the rest of the team. Ho-Oh can take on Dark Arceus if Stealth Rock is not up, absorb Dark Void if it runs Sleep Talk, and potentially win against Yveltal that don't run Foul Play. Latias and Latios can take Primal Kyogre to an extent, which could otherwise take on Ghost Arceus one-on-one and overpower it with Origin Pulse.
Swords Dance
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name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Shadow Force
move 3: Shadow Claw
move 4: Brick Break
ability: Multitype
item: Spooky Plate
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
Moves
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Swords Dance allows Ghost Arceus to break opposing teams and sweep. Shadow Force OHKOes almost everything at +2, and Shadow Claw is a consistent STAB move, preventing foes from being able to take advantage of Shadow Force's charge turn. Brick Break provides weak, but necessary, coverage against Dark- and Normal-types.
Set Details
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Full investment in Attack and Speed grants Ghost Arceus significant offensive prowess and lets it, at worst, Speed tie with opposing Arceus formes. It is also feasible to run Adamant for more power, although this might allow Ghost Arceus to be burned by opposing support Arceus formes and outsped by Latias and Latios.
Usage Tips
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Ghost Arceus can easily set up a Swords Dance and sweep with Shadow Force, as a large amount of physical walls, such as Lugia, Giratina-O, and Ghost Arceus, are weak to Ghost; however, it is necessary to get rid of defensive Yveltal before a sweep is attempted, as it hard walls this Ghost Arceus variant.
This variant of Ghost Arceus can easily be used as a check to Latias and Latios, as it is able to outspeed and OHKO them easily with Shadow Claw, potentially surprising them should they have set up several Calm Minds beforehand and stay in expecting to take little damage from Judgment.
Choice Scarf users, although rare, should be scouted and removed before setting up, as they can outspeed and deal significant damage due to Ghost Arceus's lack of defensive investment. It is also necessary to weaken Primal Groudon slightly, as it is not OHKOed by +2 Shadow Force and can either cripple Ghost Arceus with Thunder Wave, burn it with Lava Plume, or phaze it with Roar or Dragon Tail.
It is necessary to be careful with Shadow Force, as the charge turn can give Dark-types free turns to switch in should the opponent predict your use of the move. If setting up is not possible, liberal use of Shadow Force and Shadow Claw works nicely. It is wise to weaken Dark- and Normal-types beforehand, as Brick Break is rather weak even when boosted.
Team Options
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Xerneas can hit defensive and offensive Yveltal and Dark Arceus with Moonblast, which is greatly appreciated due to their ability to deal heavy damage with Sucker Punch, Foul Play, and Dark-type Judgment, respectively, to Ghost Arceus. Choice Scarf Xerneas switches into Darkrai, which outspeeds Ghost Arceus and deals damage with Dark Pulse or puts it to sleep. Salamence and offensive Primal Groudon can weaken or KO defensive Yveltal, with offensive Stealth Rock Primal Groudon in particular pairing well with Swords Dance Ghost Arceus due to its ability to KO defensive Yveltal, set up Stealth Rock, and check potential Choice Scarf users such as Xerneas and Kyogre.
Other Options
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Stone Edge can be used on support Ghost Arceus to deal 82-94% damage to Ho-Oh, OHKOing it after a Judgment or any prior damage. Support sets can also use Shadow Claw to be able to check Calm Mind Latias and Latios more easily, as support Ghost Arceus with Judgment can actually lose if Latios and Latias have set up with Calm Mind. Extreme Speed lets Ghost Arceus snipe Deoxys-A and provides, albeit weak, priority. Stealth Rock can be used if there is no other entry hazard setter available. Magic Coat bounces back entry hazards and status, Thunder Wave cripples Darkrai switch-ins and generally spreads paralysis, and Toxic cripples defensive Yveltal and severely irritates Ho-Oh.
Checks & Counters
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**Yveltal**: Offensive Yveltal can OHKO Ghost Arceus with Dark Pulse or snipe an even slightly weakened one with Sucker Punch. Defensive variants can easily OHKO Swords Dance Ghost Arceus with Foul Play and cripple support and Calm Mind variants with Toxic. Yveltal intensely dislikes being burned by Will-O-Wisp and can be surprised by Thunder, however.
**Dark Arceus**: Dark Arceus absorbs Will-O-Wisp thanks to Refresh and can start setting up Calm Minds easily, allowing it to KO Ghost Arceus with Judgment. It can be caught off guard by a boosted Focus Blast, however, and also takes a fair amount of damage from a +2 Brick Break.
**Darkrai**: Darkrai outspeeds Ghost Arceus and can either put it to sleep, set up Nasty Plot, or simply beat it up with Dark Pulse. Darkrai does not appreciate the residual damage from Will-O-Wisp either, however, and can be sniped by a well-timed Focus Blast.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh eats support Ghost Arceus alive and can switch in for free on Will-O-Wisp. The rainbow phoenix can also take on Calm Mind Ghost Arceus, burning it with Sacred Fire and applying a huge amount of pressure with its attacks, preventing Ghost Arceus from boosting further and dealing more damage than Recover can heal. Ho-Oh gets OHKOed by +2 Shadow Force, however, and can also be sniped by the rare Thunder or Stone Edge, which Ghost Arceus specifically carries for it.
**Refresh Extreme Killer Arceus**: With some luck, Refresh Extreme Killer Arceus can break through Will-O-Wisp Ghost Arceus due to its immunity to Ghost-type Judgment and its ability to heal off burns with Refresh, allowing it to boost further. Refresh Extreme Killer Arceus's Shadow Claws are very weak even when boosted, however, meaning that it will need to win and lose Speed ties at the right moments to be able to get through Ghost Arceus without being burned at the end of the exchange.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre deals heavy damage to Ghost Arceus with Origin Pulse and can easily win a Calm Mind war due to its huge Special Attack, Special Defense, and the boost from rain. Rest variants do not care about Will-O-Wisp either, but even the most physically defensive of Kyogre is OHKOed by +2 Shadow Force after Stealth Rock.
**Blissey**: Blissey can easily poison Ghost Arceus with Toxic, is immune to Judgment, does not care about Will-O-Wisp in the slightest, and easily takes even boosted Focus Blasts. It gets taken apart by +2 Brick Break, however, and is completely set up on by Substitute + Calm Mind Ghost Arceus.
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar outspeeds Ghost Arceus, deals heavy damage with Shadow Ball, and can also Taunt it to prevent the use of Defog if absolutely necessary. All Ghost Arceus will outspeed Gengar if it has not Mega Evolved, however, blowing it away with Judgment.
**Unaware Clefable**: Unaware Clefable can either poison Calm Mind Ghost Arceus, PP stall it, or set up Calm Mind alongside it. It cannot take on Swords Dance Ghost Arceus at all unless it is fully physically defensive, however, and still struggles to take repeated Shadow Forces.
**Giratina-O**: Giratina-O can snipe a very weak Ghost Arceus with Shadow Sneak but cannot switch in at all.
**Ditto**: Choice Scarf Ditto can revenge kill physical sets with Shadow Claw, but it is worse than useless against Calm Mind variants, as the lack of Spooky Plate on Ditto makes its Judgment Normal-type.
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