QC Checks: WreckDra / Sweep / Steelphoenix
GP Checks: GatoDelFuego / P Squared
My Dreams are Other's Nightmares
[OVERVIEW]
Darkrai continues its reign as a potent offensive threat in the Ubers tier, having access to the formidable Dark Void and Nasty Plot. Being capable of sleeping a target with reasonable consistency makes checking Darkrai a challenge, often forcing the opponent to fodder something to sleep. Darkrai is rather unique as an offensive threat because it has the potential to circumvent nearly any check with an appropriate coverage or utility move, making Darkrai particularly dangerous for defensive teams. Dark Void also allows Darkrai to lead reasonably well, limiting faster foes to a single turn and preventing slower leads from being able to move at all initially. Its fantastic Speed tier of base 125 is slightly higher than that of Arceus and higher than that of a majority of the Ubers tier, while a solid base 135 Special Attack gives Darkrai enough power to make use of this Speed. Its unique combination of stats, movepool, and typing gives Darkrai everything it needs to annihilate common threats such as Ghost Arceus, Latias, Latios, Lugia, and Giratina-O. Darkrai is also fairly easy to fit onto an offensive team, as a great amount of pressure can be placed on the opponent due to the combination of Dark Void and Nasty Plot. Its signature ability Bad Dreams is quite handy, dealing passive damage to sleeping targets and breaking Focus Sashes and Multiscale. Unfortunately, Darkrai is dependent on a Life Orb to deal the amount of damage it needs and thus can only attack so many times. Yveltal also competes with Darkrai to an extent; however, Darkrai has the unique advantages of Dark Void, Nasty Plot, and a superior Speed stat. Due to its fragility, Darkrai is hampered by common methods of revenge killing such as priority moves and Choice Scarf users. While Dark Void is accurate enough to be consistent, it's still not perfect and is notorious for missing.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Dark Void
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Nasty Plot / Thunder
move 4: Sludge Bomb / Thunder
item: Life Orb
ability: Bad Dreams
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dark Void is Darkrai's signature move, allowing for the incapacitation of one opposing Pokemon. This aids in Darkrai's ability to lead, set up Nasty Plot, and justify its use by forcing the opponent to fodder something. Dark Pulse is Darkrai's best STAB attack and has a 20% chance to cause the foe to flinch. Nasty Plot is easy to set up thanks to the switches that Dark Void causes, and it allows Darkrai to put on additional offensive pressure. With Fairy-types being the most common Pokemon that resist Dark held by opposing teams, Sludge Bomb can deal strong damage to these threats. Thunder 2HKOes common checks to Darkrai such as Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre, and it can OHKO Yveltal if Stealth Rock is up. Thunder also deals fair damage to Klefki; however, Dark Void and Taunt can also be used to stop incoming Klefki. Taunt is also an option, which prevents the use of Sleep Talk and Defog while stopping several defensive Darkrai switch-ins such as Blissey.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Darkrai to outspeed Arceus formes and below. This is very important because one of Darkrai's greatest assets to an offensive team is its ability to pressure common Defoggers. The maximum Speed investment is also optimal for Darkrai versus Darkrai matchups, which aren't particularly common but still relevant enough to mention. 252 Special Attack EVs are invested in order to boost Darkrai's Special Attack so that Darkrai can sweep with Nasty Plot or intermediately wallbreak opposing Pokemon. The remaining 4 EVs are slotted into Defense as to not give Genesect an Attack boost with Download. A Life Orb is used to further boost the power of Darkrai's moves at the cost of some HP, which is needed because Darkrai is not nearly as much of an offensive threat without the 1.3x power boost.
Usage Tips
========
Darkrai leads well against a variety of threats, but it is best not to lead with it if the opponent has a Genesect or Diancie, which will force Darkrai out immediately. Due to Sleep Clause, Darkrai can only place one target to sleep at a time, so choose well; this can mean not opting to use Dark Void when it is clear that your opponent is going to send something in that is different from what you want to sleep. Darkrai has a very finite existence due to a lack of recovery and Life Orb recoil, so never keep it in longer than is needed. Furthermore, the simple act of keeping Darkrai alive means that your opponent will often not bother to try awakening the Pokemon that was slept. This can mean that sacrificing Darkrai is less advantageous than sacrificing another Pokemon in certain scenarios, because it can ensure that the slept Pokemon stays out of commission. Darkrai can prevent the use of Defog if it maintains a presence after entry hazards have been set due to its ability to outspeed all common Defoggers and hit them with Dark Void or Taunt. Darkrai also has a good matchup against a variety of common Defoggers, such as Ghost Arceus, Latias, Latios, and Giratina-O, furthering Darkrai's ability to prevent a Defog. Nasty Plot is easy to set up thanks to Dark Void, but there is no point in setting up when the opponent has a healthy check to Darkrai; it is better to attack or double switch to an appropriate counter. Although Darkrai can beat a standard Geomancy or Life Orb Xerneas that switches into Dark Void, you must be wary of Choice Scarf Xerneas with Sleep Talk, which can potentially net a surprise KO on Darkrai.
Team Options
========
Darkrai is generally an independent Pokemon that doesn't necessarily require any specific support; however, there are a variety of teammate options that pair well with it and contribute to offensive synergy. Primal Groudon is able to smash a majority of the Pokemon that can check Darkrai, including Choice Scarf Xerneas, Mega Diancie, Genesect, Ho-Oh, Tyranitar, Choice Scarf Zekrom, and Choice Scarf Kyogre. Extreme Killer Arceus is also a great partner that benefits from Darkrai's ability to cut through Ghost Arceus, Giratina-O, and Lugia. With Darkrai's ability to threaten Defoggers and force switches, setters of entry hazards, especially Spikes, make for good teammates that help Darkrai abuse its attributes to the fullest. Such teammates can either be suicide entry hazard leads or offensive entry hazard setters. However, virtually all offensive Spikes setters are suicide leads. Kyogre can be used to take advantage of Darkrai's ability to threaten Latios, Latias, Giratina-O, and Primal Groudon, placing additional pressure on its checks. Offensive Xerneas benefits from Darkrai's ability to check Lugia and can potentially gain a setup opportunity from Dark Void. The few Pokemon that are able to check Mewtwo, such as Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus, are threatened by Darkrai, making it a powerful teammate. Zekrom can blast through Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre, two Pokemon that can be troublesome for Darkrai to impact. Lastly, offensive Steel-types such as Genesect and Choice Scarf Jirachi can U-turn into Darkrai when they draw out Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Ghost Arceus, and Giratina-O.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
########
A set that utilizes Leftovers and Substitute is a possibility, as Darkrai can set Substitutes rather well thanks to how it forces switches; however, such a set is noticeably weak and mono-Dark coverage is fairly bad. Focus Blast can hit Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Dark Arceus, Dialga, Ferrothorn, Klefki, and Mega Diancie. Will-O-Wisp can be used to hit Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Zekrom as they switch in predicting Dark Void, and it can also neuter Swords Dance Arceus that might attempt to set up. Thunder Wave can cripple Choice Scarf Xerneas switch-ins, along with other Choice Scarf users that are not Zekrom and Mega Mewtwo Y. A Focus Sash is an option to allow Darkrai to survive a move that would potentially knock it out, giving it an extra turn; however, entry hazards will render this item useless and the drop in power is significant. Hidden Power Steel is a niche coverage move that allows Darkrai to OHKO Mega Diancie, but otherwise the move is a poor choice. Ice Beam is a very niche option that can OHKO any Mega Salamence that attempts to set up, but the move has little other use.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: Although Darkrai commonly runs Sludge Bomb, several Fairy-types prove to be effective checks. Mega Diancie can bounce Dark Void back at Darkrai, resists its STAB attack, and can OHKO it with Moonblast. Choice Scarf Xerneas can directly switch into Dark Void or Dark Pulse and make use of Sleep Talk, while bulkier Xerneas sets with Sleep Talk can attempt to pull off a Moonblast. Fairy Arceus has enough bulk to tank Darkrai's boosted Sludge Bombs and can OHKO with Judgment. Klefki resists Dark Pulse and is immune to Sludge Bomb, while it can cripple Darkrai with Thunder Wave or hit hard with Play Rough.
**Sleep Talk**: Users of Sleep Talk can absorb Dark Void and retaliate with an attack. Choice Band Ho-Oh and defensive Kyogre both run Sleep Talk, are specially bulky, and have powerful attacks. Choice Scarf users also sometimes carry the move so they can switch directly into Dark Void and outspeed and KO Darkrai.
**Blissey**: Blissey is one of the few defensive Pokemon that can stall out most variants of Darkrai with Toxic and Life Orb recoil due to its excellent special bulk. Its ability Natural Cure also makes it a decent sleep absorber.
**Priority**: Priority moves such as Extreme Speed, Fake Out, and Bullet Punch can be used to revenge kill Darkrai. Arceus and Rayquaza are the most common users of Extreme Speed, and while neither can OHKO Darkrai unboosted, they can still bring an end to Darkrai. Fake Out is most commonly used by Mega Kangaskhan, while Bullet Punch is used by Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Mega Lucario.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Xerneas, Genesect, Jirachi, Kyogre, Zekrom, and Landorus-T are all faster than Darkrai while holding a Choice Scarf, making them potential revenge killers.
**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo is one of the few unboosted Pokemon that is capable of outspeeding Darkrai. Mega Mewtwo X can revenge kill Darkrai with its powerful STAB Fighting-type attacks, but it usually cannot afford to switch directly into Dark Void. Mega Mewtwo Y is immune to Dark Void but fears being hit with Dark Pulse when coming in, although it is faster than Darkrai and capable of OHKOing it with Focus Blast. Non-Mega Mewtwo can also revenge kill Darkrai if running Focus Blast, but it cannot switch in under most circumstances.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Tyranitar are bulky enough to comfortably tank Sludge Bomb and resist Darkrai's STAB attack.
**Thunder Wave**: Paralysis cripples Darkrai, allowing a significantly wider margin of Pokemon to take advantage of its fragility.
GP Checks: GatoDelFuego / P Squared
My Dreams are Other's Nightmares
[OVERVIEW]
Darkrai continues its reign as a potent offensive threat in the Ubers tier, having access to the formidable Dark Void and Nasty Plot. Being capable of sleeping a target with reasonable consistency makes checking Darkrai a challenge, often forcing the opponent to fodder something to sleep. Darkrai is rather unique as an offensive threat because it has the potential to circumvent nearly any check with an appropriate coverage or utility move, making Darkrai particularly dangerous for defensive teams. Dark Void also allows Darkrai to lead reasonably well, limiting faster foes to a single turn and preventing slower leads from being able to move at all initially. Its fantastic Speed tier of base 125 is slightly higher than that of Arceus and higher than that of a majority of the Ubers tier, while a solid base 135 Special Attack gives Darkrai enough power to make use of this Speed. Its unique combination of stats, movepool, and typing gives Darkrai everything it needs to annihilate common threats such as Ghost Arceus, Latias, Latios, Lugia, and Giratina-O. Darkrai is also fairly easy to fit onto an offensive team, as a great amount of pressure can be placed on the opponent due to the combination of Dark Void and Nasty Plot. Its signature ability Bad Dreams is quite handy, dealing passive damage to sleeping targets and breaking Focus Sashes and Multiscale. Unfortunately, Darkrai is dependent on a Life Orb to deal the amount of damage it needs and thus can only attack so many times. Yveltal also competes with Darkrai to an extent; however, Darkrai has the unique advantages of Dark Void, Nasty Plot, and a superior Speed stat. Due to its fragility, Darkrai is hampered by common methods of revenge killing such as priority moves and Choice Scarf users. While Dark Void is accurate enough to be consistent, it's still not perfect and is notorious for missing.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Dark Void
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Nasty Plot / Thunder
move 4: Sludge Bomb / Thunder
item: Life Orb
ability: Bad Dreams
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Dark Void is Darkrai's signature move, allowing for the incapacitation of one opposing Pokemon. This aids in Darkrai's ability to lead, set up Nasty Plot, and justify its use by forcing the opponent to fodder something. Dark Pulse is Darkrai's best STAB attack and has a 20% chance to cause the foe to flinch. Nasty Plot is easy to set up thanks to the switches that Dark Void causes, and it allows Darkrai to put on additional offensive pressure. With Fairy-types being the most common Pokemon that resist Dark held by opposing teams, Sludge Bomb can deal strong damage to these threats. Thunder 2HKOes common checks to Darkrai such as Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre, and it can OHKO Yveltal if Stealth Rock is up. Thunder also deals fair damage to Klefki; however, Dark Void and Taunt can also be used to stop incoming Klefki. Taunt is also an option, which prevents the use of Sleep Talk and Defog while stopping several defensive Darkrai switch-ins such as Blissey.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Darkrai to outspeed Arceus formes and below. This is very important because one of Darkrai's greatest assets to an offensive team is its ability to pressure common Defoggers. The maximum Speed investment is also optimal for Darkrai versus Darkrai matchups, which aren't particularly common but still relevant enough to mention. 252 Special Attack EVs are invested in order to boost Darkrai's Special Attack so that Darkrai can sweep with Nasty Plot or intermediately wallbreak opposing Pokemon. The remaining 4 EVs are slotted into Defense as to not give Genesect an Attack boost with Download. A Life Orb is used to further boost the power of Darkrai's moves at the cost of some HP, which is needed because Darkrai is not nearly as much of an offensive threat without the 1.3x power boost.
Usage Tips
========
Darkrai leads well against a variety of threats, but it is best not to lead with it if the opponent has a Genesect or Diancie, which will force Darkrai out immediately. Due to Sleep Clause, Darkrai can only place one target to sleep at a time, so choose well; this can mean not opting to use Dark Void when it is clear that your opponent is going to send something in that is different from what you want to sleep. Darkrai has a very finite existence due to a lack of recovery and Life Orb recoil, so never keep it in longer than is needed. Furthermore, the simple act of keeping Darkrai alive means that your opponent will often not bother to try awakening the Pokemon that was slept. This can mean that sacrificing Darkrai is less advantageous than sacrificing another Pokemon in certain scenarios, because it can ensure that the slept Pokemon stays out of commission. Darkrai can prevent the use of Defog if it maintains a presence after entry hazards have been set due to its ability to outspeed all common Defoggers and hit them with Dark Void or Taunt. Darkrai also has a good matchup against a variety of common Defoggers, such as Ghost Arceus, Latias, Latios, and Giratina-O, furthering Darkrai's ability to prevent a Defog. Nasty Plot is easy to set up thanks to Dark Void, but there is no point in setting up when the opponent has a healthy check to Darkrai; it is better to attack or double switch to an appropriate counter. Although Darkrai can beat a standard Geomancy or Life Orb Xerneas that switches into Dark Void, you must be wary of Choice Scarf Xerneas with Sleep Talk, which can potentially net a surprise KO on Darkrai.
Team Options
========
Darkrai is generally an independent Pokemon that doesn't necessarily require any specific support; however, there are a variety of teammate options that pair well with it and contribute to offensive synergy. Primal Groudon is able to smash a majority of the Pokemon that can check Darkrai, including Choice Scarf Xerneas, Mega Diancie, Genesect, Ho-Oh, Tyranitar, Choice Scarf Zekrom, and Choice Scarf Kyogre. Extreme Killer Arceus is also a great partner that benefits from Darkrai's ability to cut through Ghost Arceus, Giratina-O, and Lugia. With Darkrai's ability to threaten Defoggers and force switches, setters of entry hazards, especially Spikes, make for good teammates that help Darkrai abuse its attributes to the fullest. Such teammates can either be suicide entry hazard leads or offensive entry hazard setters. However, virtually all offensive Spikes setters are suicide leads. Kyogre can be used to take advantage of Darkrai's ability to threaten Latios, Latias, Giratina-O, and Primal Groudon, placing additional pressure on its checks. Offensive Xerneas benefits from Darkrai's ability to check Lugia and can potentially gain a setup opportunity from Dark Void. The few Pokemon that are able to check Mewtwo, such as Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus, are threatened by Darkrai, making it a powerful teammate. Zekrom can blast through Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre, two Pokemon that can be troublesome for Darkrai to impact. Lastly, offensive Steel-types such as Genesect and Choice Scarf Jirachi can U-turn into Darkrai when they draw out Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Ghost Arceus, and Giratina-O.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
########
A set that utilizes Leftovers and Substitute is a possibility, as Darkrai can set Substitutes rather well thanks to how it forces switches; however, such a set is noticeably weak and mono-Dark coverage is fairly bad. Focus Blast can hit Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Dark Arceus, Dialga, Ferrothorn, Klefki, and Mega Diancie. Will-O-Wisp can be used to hit Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Zekrom as they switch in predicting Dark Void, and it can also neuter Swords Dance Arceus that might attempt to set up. Thunder Wave can cripple Choice Scarf Xerneas switch-ins, along with other Choice Scarf users that are not Zekrom and Mega Mewtwo Y. A Focus Sash is an option to allow Darkrai to survive a move that would potentially knock it out, giving it an extra turn; however, entry hazards will render this item useless and the drop in power is significant. Hidden Power Steel is a niche coverage move that allows Darkrai to OHKO Mega Diancie, but otherwise the move is a poor choice. Ice Beam is a very niche option that can OHKO any Mega Salamence that attempts to set up, but the move has little other use.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairy-types**: Although Darkrai commonly runs Sludge Bomb, several Fairy-types prove to be effective checks. Mega Diancie can bounce Dark Void back at Darkrai, resists its STAB attack, and can OHKO it with Moonblast. Choice Scarf Xerneas can directly switch into Dark Void or Dark Pulse and make use of Sleep Talk, while bulkier Xerneas sets with Sleep Talk can attempt to pull off a Moonblast. Fairy Arceus has enough bulk to tank Darkrai's boosted Sludge Bombs and can OHKO with Judgment. Klefki resists Dark Pulse and is immune to Sludge Bomb, while it can cripple Darkrai with Thunder Wave or hit hard with Play Rough.
**Sleep Talk**: Users of Sleep Talk can absorb Dark Void and retaliate with an attack. Choice Band Ho-Oh and defensive Kyogre both run Sleep Talk, are specially bulky, and have powerful attacks. Choice Scarf users also sometimes carry the move so they can switch directly into Dark Void and outspeed and KO Darkrai.
**Blissey**: Blissey is one of the few defensive Pokemon that can stall out most variants of Darkrai with Toxic and Life Orb recoil due to its excellent special bulk. Its ability Natural Cure also makes it a decent sleep absorber.
**Priority**: Priority moves such as Extreme Speed, Fake Out, and Bullet Punch can be used to revenge kill Darkrai. Arceus and Rayquaza are the most common users of Extreme Speed, and while neither can OHKO Darkrai unboosted, they can still bring an end to Darkrai. Fake Out is most commonly used by Mega Kangaskhan, while Bullet Punch is used by Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Mega Lucario.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Xerneas, Genesect, Jirachi, Kyogre, Zekrom, and Landorus-T are all faster than Darkrai while holding a Choice Scarf, making them potential revenge killers.
**Mewtwo**: Mewtwo is one of the few unboosted Pokemon that is capable of outspeeding Darkrai. Mega Mewtwo X can revenge kill Darkrai with its powerful STAB Fighting-type attacks, but it usually cannot afford to switch directly into Dark Void. Mega Mewtwo Y is immune to Dark Void but fears being hit with Dark Pulse when coming in, although it is faster than Darkrai and capable of OHKOing it with Focus Blast. Non-Mega Mewtwo can also revenge kill Darkrai if running Focus Blast, but it cannot switch in under most circumstances.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Tyranitar are bulky enough to comfortably tank Sludge Bomb and resist Darkrai's STAB attack.
**Thunder Wave**: Paralysis cripples Darkrai, allowing a significantly wider margin of Pokemon to take advantage of its fragility.
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