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Darkrai
- Thread starter Enki
- Start date
am gp check w/e
Move2: Sludge Bomb
Move3: Focus Blast / Ice Beam / Will o Wisp
Dark pulse is resisted by darks/fairies/fighting so your coverage moves should be used to hit what your stab cannot and must be prioritized as such.
Sludge bomb being the most important due to hitting fairies which resist your primary stab and hit your for SE damage. Focus blast and ice beam are admittedly interchangeable but the targets for focus blast are probably more important than the targets of ice beam hence why it should be mentioned first
Should just mention that it can't come in due to its subpar bulk.
No it's not best used in late game, you're better off using it whenever it is needed since darkrai's over all role is to be a fast special attacker with access to wisp (something is possessed by no other pokemon outside arceus) and has taunt to fuck things up.
I wouldn't mention things that cover darkrai's weaknesses as something relevant since darkrai dies to anything remotely strong that hits it neutrally so you're not going for avoiding SE hits but rather going for avoiding getting hit in general which means bringing in things that resist its weaknesses aren't ideal but rather something like a redirector/wide guard. So i'd just drop the resistances part.
Cresselia synerges terribly with darkrai (and this is disregarding their lore together) since cresselia is a total momentum killer and the teams that synergy would be on wouldn't want cresselia.
Intimidate does not prevent fighting types from ohko'ing darkrai so I wouldn't mention them as a good partner for darkrai specifically.
I wouldn't list specific examples of speed and just say that anything that outspeeds darkrai scares the shit out of it due to its poor bulk and losing its main asset.
?????????????????????????????? dark void isn't legal in smogdubs. Drop this mention entirely.
Drop ice beam as move two and swap it out for sludge bomb. So it should be
Move2: Sludge Bomb
Move3: Focus Blast / Ice Beam / Will o Wisp
Dark pulse is resisted by darks/fairies/fighting so your coverage moves should be used to hit what your stab cannot and must be prioritized as such.
Sludge bomb being the most important due to hitting fairies which resist your primary stab and hit your for SE damage. Focus blast and ice beam are admittedly interchangeable but the targets for focus blast are probably more important than the targets of ice beam hence why it should be mentioned first
Make the speed outspeed 111's or 110's if thund-i doesn't worry you, (no clue what is even at 115 so it's probably nothing relevant),
I don't see why the follow me mention is needed since follow me/rage powder do their intended job against darkrai... they're there specifically to stop things from going after the partner and hitting them hard doesn't actually deal with them. I'd drop this mention entirely.
Should just mention that it can't come in due to its subpar bulk.
No it's not best used in late game, you're better off using it whenever it is needed since darkrai's over all role is to be a fast special attacker with access to wisp (something is possessed by no other pokemon outside arceus) and has taunt to fuck things up.
You missed the most important mention in team options which is talking about partners that nullify darkrai's best (only) asset which is its speed. You'd want to mention partners to deter things from crippling its speed.
I wouldn't mention things that cover darkrai's weaknesses as something relevant since darkrai dies to anything remotely strong that hits it neutrally so you're not going for avoiding SE hits but rather going for avoiding getting hit in general which means bringing in things that resist its weaknesses aren't ideal but rather something like a redirector/wide guard. So i'd just drop the resistances part.
Cresselia synerges terribly with darkrai (and this is disregarding their lore together) since cresselia is a total momentum killer and the teams that synergy would be on wouldn't want cresselia.
Intimidate does not prevent fighting types from ohko'ing darkrai so I wouldn't mention them as a good partner for darkrai specifically.
I'd just mention things that can resist dark in its entirety since due to its frailness, a darkrai that fails to ko is essentially a dead darkrai.
I wouldn't list specific examples of speed and just say that anything that outspeeds darkrai scares the shit out of it due to its poor bulk and losing its main asset.
Stratos
Banned deucer.
LOOOOOL DUDE DID YOU ADD DARK VOID TO THE OVERVIEW CUZ OF THE APRIL FOOLS JOKE LOOOOL remove that shit ofc
set:
slash order should be wisp/fblast/thunderbolt because theoretically focus blast is better than wisp for beating things like Kang and bisharp and Rak and Scrafty but it just _sucks so much_, i also like thunderbolt because it hits keldeo and zard, and thats a lot more relevant than sludge bomb which only hits sylveon
usage tips:
idk if darkrai is best used in late game, some of its big sells are donking aegislash and FM/RPers, which are mostly early-game pokes. I'd say depending on the match, Darkrai can be used at any point in the game.
team options:
nothing uses mach punch, but that doesn't make talon not a great partner, its just that it takes out fighters which darkrai struggles with
i dont like gyara or top as partners since darkrai is already diancie weak
other options:
the main problem with snarl and icy wind is just that darkrai isnt very bulky and has a bad defensive typing, not that it gives you bisharp problems
Checks and Counters:
mention Mega Diancie in type advantage
Change Scizor mention to Volcarona in type advantage
remove Klefki mention in speed control
as with your other analysis, good stuff, not paying for the funeral of whoever GPs this
3/3 when u make these changes
set:
slash order should be wisp/fblast/thunderbolt because theoretically focus blast is better than wisp for beating things like Kang and bisharp and Rak and Scrafty but it just _sucks so much_, i also like thunderbolt because it hits keldeo and zard, and thats a lot more relevant than sludge bomb which only hits sylveon
usage tips:
idk if darkrai is best used in late game, some of its big sells are donking aegislash and FM/RPers, which are mostly early-game pokes. I'd say depending on the match, Darkrai can be used at any point in the game.
team options:
nothing uses mach punch, but that doesn't make talon not a great partner, its just that it takes out fighters which darkrai struggles with
i dont like gyara or top as partners since darkrai is already diancie weak
other options:
the main problem with snarl and icy wind is just that darkrai isnt very bulky and has a bad defensive typing, not that it gives you bisharp problems
Checks and Counters:
mention Mega Diancie in type advantage
Change Scizor mention to Volcarona in type advantage
remove Klefki mention in speed control
as with your other analysis, good stuff, not paying for the funeral of whoever GPs this
3/3 when u make these changes
add
remove
comment
no implementerino yet pls
Winry.
remove
comment
no implementerino yet pls
Winry.
Overview
########
Darkrai has a very high Base base Speed, letting it outspeed outpace (it isn't good to use two words with the same root word in one sentence) most of the DOU metagame with little investment, and thanks to its great Special Attack, (AC) it is allowed to pull off huge deal great damages to all tier of the DOU metagame (DOU isn't a tier, but a metagame), 2HKOing most of them, (RC) and opening up spaces for other team members to set up or sweep the opponent's team. It Darkrai also has access to great coverage moves such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Focus Blast, and Will-O-Wisp for utility, which make making it an unpredictable and dangerous threat, (RC) but; (Add Semicolon) however, (AC) its bulk and typing make for a big drawback, (AC) as they are mediocre and make Darkrai weak to very common types, therefore lacking resistances to switch-in switch in safely.
Special Attacker
########
(remove blank line)
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
move 4: Protect
ability: Bad Dreams
item: Life Orb
evs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
nature: Timid
(remove blank line)
Moves
========
Dark Pusle is his Dark Pulse is Darkrai's main STAB move, as it is quite powerful with and has an extra 20% chance to flinch an opponent the foe. Ice Beam is mainly for coverage, as it is able to hit hard common Pokemon such as Thundurus, Togekiss, (AC) and or Amoonguss hard. Focus Blast is a strong though unreliable move that hits hard Pokemon that resist Darkrai's STAB resistor such as Tyranitar, Scrafty, (AC) and Terrakion hard; however, it is a bit unreliable because of its low accuracy. Thunderbolt hits hard Keldeo and Azumarill, (AC) who which both resist Darkrai's STAB, hard and. (Remove Period) It it also hits Mega Charizard-Y Charizard Y. Will-O-Wisp is used to burn and threaten common physical threats, as it is very annoying, (RC) since because it is a fast guaranteed to burn non-Fire-type foes and is, (RC) more reliable than Focus Blast versus foes such as Bisharp or and Terrakion. Protect scouts the opposing Pokemon's moves, and also helps against with avoiding Fake Out, (AC) and gives Darkrai's partner a chances to the partner to KO opposing threats, (RC) such as Conkeldurr or other powerful Fairy- or and Fighting- types Fighting-types (such as...?). Darkrai should also upgrade from You can also give Darkrai Blizzard in the place of Ice Beam to Blizzard if you are using Darkrai it on a Hail hail team.
(remove blank line)
Set Details
========
252 Special Attack EVs are given to maximize the damage Darkrai deals, especially with Life Orb. 176 Speed EVs are given so Darkrai can outspeed all Pokemon up to those with in order to outspeed everything base 115 speed Speed, such as Raikou, (RC) or slower, including alomst all megas, such as Mega-Diancie, Mega-Metagross and Mega-Gallade. But However, (AC) if the situation requires it, Darkrai can run more Speed at the cost of HP. The remaining evs EVs are put into HP to allows Darkrai to gain some bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Ability to hit hard majority of Trick Room users. (What?) With Dark Pulse and Ice Beam, it's Darkrai is able to scare off all common Follow Me and Rage Powder users such as Togekiss, Jirachi, and Amoonguss with Dark Pulse and Ice Beam. Does not like to come in on moves due to its bulk and type. Darkrai should be brought in on a free switch due to its lackluster bulk and weakness to common types. Depending on the match, Darkrai can be used at any point in the game depending on the opponent's team, as it can easily deal with early-game Pokemon such as Aegislash, (RC) but can also perform well into late-game, (RC) when when everything Pokemon is will be weak enough in order for it Darkrai to clean.
(remove blank line)
Team Options
========
Redirection partners such as Amoonguss, Togekiss, (AC) and Jirachi are excellent, (RC) due to Darkrai's not so stellar lackluster bulk, (RC). (Add period) Pokemon with Wide Guard like such as Aegislash or and Hitmontop helps a lot against Sylveon's Hyper Voice, and Aegislash also covers well Darkrai's weaknesses well. (Add period), (RC) Pokemon with Quick Guard are good too, as Darkrai is very frail and struggles against Fighting-types, therefore Talonflame is a good partner, as it can take on Fighting-types, (AC) scare off Bug- and Fighting-types, can set up Tailwind, resists Fairy-type attacks, also and can tanking well priorities priority moves such as Mach Punch well. Pokemon with a Fairy-type resistance are good to cover Darkrai's weakness, such as Heatran, Aegislash, (AC) and Amoonguss. Talonflame is a good partner, able to scare off Bug- and Fighting-type, while setting up Tailwind and resisting fairies attacks. Other options that can hit hard Teammates that can hit Fighting-types hard such as Sylveon or also Psychic-type, like Latios, (AC) and Cresselia are good options. Pokemon with Intimidate such as Landorus-T helps against most Fighting-types, since as most of these them are physical attackers, (RC) so Landorus-T is a good pick as a partner. Finally, Darkrai has access to Blizzard, (AC) and so it can be used in conjunction with Abomasnow, and its Dark-typing helps scare off Aegislash, which otherwise greatly threatens Hail teams otherwise.
Other Options
########
Psychic can be considered as an answer against Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Hitmontop, (AC) but it's not that useful. Taunt can be considered in order to stop on their tracks Trick Room users or Pokemon such as Amoonguss from using sleep-inducing moves such as Spore. Sludge Bomb is another good option against Fairy-types such as Sylveon, and also Togekiss, (AC) and Azumarill, (RC) if not you aren't using Thunderbolt, but it provides less useful coverage than other moves.
(remove blank line)
Checks & Counters
########
**Type Advantage**: Fairies like such as Sylveon, Mega Diancie, Azumarill, (AC) and Mega-Gardevoir Mega Gardevoir can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with their fairy Fairy-type STAB moves, though they must pay attention against need to watch out for Sludge Bomb. Assault Vest Conkeldurr can tank any hit from Darkrai and kill Darkrai OHKO it with Drain Punch, (RC) or hit a weakened Darkrai with a priority Mach Punch. Escavalier and Volcarona are good checks, as they can tank a hit from Darkrai fairly well, (RC) and threaten it with their Bug-type STAB moves, and Volcarona is immune be careful to Will-O-Wisp. Keldeo can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with Secret Sword.
**Speed Control**: Thunder Wave makes it Darkrai useless, (AC) so watch out for Thunder Wave users such as Thundurus. Moves that causes "Speed Control" Darkrai's Speed to drop such as like Thunder Wave, Trick Room, (AC) and Icy Wind causes direct harm towards Darkrai's main quality: high speed Speed, especially if we consider the fact that because Darkrai does not have the bulk to tank attacks from faster Pokemon. Darkrai is virtually useless in Trick Room, (AC) as it will almost always move last and gets hit hard by common slow Trick Room sweepers such as Scrafty.
**Speed**: Choice Scarfed Landorus-T and Genesect can outspeed and deal heavy damage to it Darkrai with Superpower or U-turn, but they can't switch-in to switch in on any of Darkrai's its moves.
########
Darkrai has a very high Base base Speed, letting it outspeed outpace (it isn't good to use two words with the same root word in one sentence) most of the DOU metagame with little investment, and thanks to its great Special Attack, (AC) it is allowed to pull off huge deal great damages to all tier of the DOU metagame (DOU isn't a tier, but a metagame), 2HKOing most of them, (RC) and opening up spaces for other team members to set up or sweep the opponent's team. It Darkrai also has access to great coverage moves such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Focus Blast, and Will-O-Wisp for utility, which make making it an unpredictable and dangerous threat, (RC) but; (Add Semicolon) however, (AC) its bulk and typing make for a big drawback, (AC) as they are mediocre and make Darkrai weak to very common types, therefore lacking resistances to switch-in switch in safely.
Special Attacker
########
(remove blank line)
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
move 4: Protect
ability: Bad Dreams
item: Life Orb
evs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
nature: Timid
(remove blank line)
Moves
========
Dark Pusle is his Dark Pulse is Darkrai's main STAB move, as it is quite powerful with and has an extra 20% chance to flinch an opponent the foe. Ice Beam is mainly for coverage, as it is able to hit hard common Pokemon such as Thundurus, Togekiss, (AC) and or Amoonguss hard. Focus Blast is a strong though unreliable move that hits hard Pokemon that resist Darkrai's STAB resistor such as Tyranitar, Scrafty, (AC) and Terrakion hard; however, it is a bit unreliable because of its low accuracy. Thunderbolt hits hard Keldeo and Azumarill, (AC) who which both resist Darkrai's STAB, hard and. (Remove Period) It it also hits Mega Charizard-Y Charizard Y. Will-O-Wisp is used to burn and threaten common physical threats, as it is very annoying, (RC) since because it is a fast guaranteed to burn non-Fire-type foes and is, (RC) more reliable than Focus Blast versus foes such as Bisharp or and Terrakion. Protect scouts the opposing Pokemon's moves, and also helps against with avoiding Fake Out, (AC) and gives Darkrai's partner a chances to the partner to KO opposing threats, (RC) such as Conkeldurr or other powerful Fairy- or and Fighting- types Fighting-types (such as...?). Darkrai should also upgrade from You can also give Darkrai Blizzard in the place of Ice Beam to Blizzard if you are using Darkrai it on a Hail hail team.
(remove blank line)
Set Details
========
252 Special Attack EVs are given to maximize the damage Darkrai deals, especially with Life Orb. 176 Speed EVs are given so Darkrai can outspeed all Pokemon up to those with in order to outspeed everything base 115 speed Speed, such as Raikou, (RC) or slower, including alomst all megas, such as Mega-Diancie, Mega-Metagross and Mega-Gallade. But However, (AC) if the situation requires it, Darkrai can run more Speed at the cost of HP. The remaining evs EVs are put into HP to allows Darkrai to gain some bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Ability to hit hard majority of Trick Room users. (What?) With Dark Pulse and Ice Beam, it's Darkrai is able to scare off all common Follow Me and Rage Powder users such as Togekiss, Jirachi, and Amoonguss with Dark Pulse and Ice Beam. Does not like to come in on moves due to its bulk and type. Darkrai should be brought in on a free switch due to its lackluster bulk and weakness to common types. Depending on the match, Darkrai can be used at any point in the game depending on the opponent's team, as it can easily deal with early-game Pokemon such as Aegislash, (RC) but can also perform well into late-game, (RC) when when everything Pokemon is will be weak enough in order for it Darkrai to clean.
(remove blank line)
Team Options
========
Redirection partners such as Amoonguss, Togekiss, (AC) and Jirachi are excellent, (RC) due to Darkrai's not so stellar lackluster bulk, (RC). (Add period) Pokemon with Wide Guard like such as Aegislash or and Hitmontop helps a lot against Sylveon's Hyper Voice, and Aegislash also covers well Darkrai's weaknesses well. (Add period), (RC) Pokemon with Quick Guard are good too, as Darkrai is very frail and struggles against Fighting-types, therefore Talonflame is a good partner, as it can take on Fighting-types, (AC) scare off Bug- and Fighting-types, can set up Tailwind, resists Fairy-type attacks, also and can tanking well priorities priority moves such as Mach Punch well. Pokemon with a Fairy-type resistance are good to cover Darkrai's weakness, such as Heatran, Aegislash, (AC) and Amoonguss. Talonflame is a good partner, able to scare off Bug- and Fighting-type, while setting up Tailwind and resisting fairies attacks. Other options that can hit hard Teammates that can hit Fighting-types hard such as Sylveon or also Psychic-type, like Latios, (AC) and Cresselia are good options. Pokemon with Intimidate such as Landorus-T helps against most Fighting-types, since as most of these them are physical attackers, (RC) so Landorus-T is a good pick as a partner. Finally, Darkrai has access to Blizzard, (AC) and so it can be used in conjunction with Abomasnow, and its Dark-typing helps scare off Aegislash, which otherwise greatly threatens Hail teams otherwise.
Other Options
########
Psychic can be considered as an answer against Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Hitmontop, (AC) but it's not that useful. Taunt can be considered in order to stop on their tracks Trick Room users or Pokemon such as Amoonguss from using sleep-inducing moves such as Spore. Sludge Bomb is another good option against Fairy-types such as Sylveon, and also Togekiss, (AC) and Azumarill, (RC) if not you aren't using Thunderbolt, but it provides less useful coverage than other moves.
(remove blank line)
Checks & Counters
########
**Type Advantage**: Fairies like such as Sylveon, Mega Diancie, Azumarill, (AC) and Mega-Gardevoir Mega Gardevoir can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with their fairy Fairy-type STAB moves, though they must pay attention against need to watch out for Sludge Bomb. Assault Vest Conkeldurr can tank any hit from Darkrai and kill Darkrai OHKO it with Drain Punch, (RC) or hit a weakened Darkrai with a priority Mach Punch. Escavalier and Volcarona are good checks, as they can tank a hit from Darkrai fairly well, (RC) and threaten it with their Bug-type STAB moves, and Volcarona is immune be careful to Will-O-Wisp. Keldeo can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with Secret Sword.
**Speed Control**: Thunder Wave makes it Darkrai useless, (AC) so watch out for Thunder Wave users such as Thundurus. Moves that causes "Speed Control" Darkrai's Speed to drop such as like Thunder Wave, Trick Room, (AC) and Icy Wind causes direct harm towards Darkrai's main quality: high speed Speed, especially if we consider the fact that because Darkrai does not have the bulk to tank attacks from faster Pokemon. Darkrai is virtually useless in Trick Room, (AC) as it will almost always move last and gets hit hard by common slow Trick Room sweepers such as Scrafty.
**Speed**: Choice Scarfed Landorus-T and Genesect can outspeed and deal heavy damage to it Darkrai with Superpower or U-turn, but they can't switch-in to switch in on any of Darkrai's its moves.
Last edited:
2/2
add
Overview
########
Darkrai has a very high base Speed, letting it outpace most of the DOU metagame with little investment, and thanks to its great Special Attack, itis allowed to can deal great damage to all of the DOU metagame, 2HKOing most of them and opening up spaces for other team members to set up or sweep the opponent's team. Darkrai also has access to great coverage moves such as Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Focus Blast, (remove comma) and Will-O-Wisp for utility, making it an unpredictable and dangerous threat; however, its bulk and typing make for a big drawback, as they are mediocre and make Darkrai weak to very common types, therefore lacking resistances to switch in safely.
Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
move 4: Protect
ability: Bad Dreams (apparently if it's the only ability you don't need to include this)
item: Life Orb
evs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Dark Pulse is Darkrai's main STAB move, as it is quite powerful and has an extra 20% chance to cause the foe to flinchthe foe. Ice Beam is mainly for coverage, as it is able to hit common Pokemon such as Thundurus, Togekiss, and Amoonguss hard. Focus Blast is a strong move that hits Pokemon that resist Darkrai's STAB type such as Tyranitar, Scrafty, and Terrakion hard; however, it is a bit unreliable because of its low accuracy. Thunderbolt hits Keldeo and Azumarill, which both resist Darkrai's STAB type, hard and it also hits Mega Charizard Y super effectively. Will-O-Wisp is used to burn and threaten common physical threats, as it is very annoying because it is guaranteed to burn non-Fire-type foes and is more reliable than Focus Blast versus foes such as Bisharp and Terrakion. Protect scouts the opposing Pokemon's moves, helps with avoiding Fake Out, and gives Darkrai's partner a chance to KO opposing threats such as Conkeldurr or other powerful Fairy- and Fighting-types. You can also give Darkrai Blizzard in the place of Ice Beam if you are using it on a hail team.
Set Details
========
252 Special Attack EVs are given to maximize the damage Darkrai deals, especially with Life Orb. 176 Speed EVs are given so Darkrai can outspeed all Pokemon up to those with base 115 Speed, such as Raikou. However, if the situation requires it, Darkrai can run more Speed at the cost of HP. The remaining EVs are put into HP to allow Darkrai to gain some bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Darkrai is able to scare off all common Follow Me and Rage Powder users such as Togekiss, Jirachi, and Amoonguss with Dark Pulse and Ice Beam. Darkrai should be brought in on a free switch due to its lackluster bulk and weakness to common types. Darkrai can be used at any point in the game depending on the opponent's team, as it can easily deal with early-game Pokemon such as Aegislash but can also perform well late-game when every Pokemon is weak enough for Darkrai to clean.
Team Options
========
Redirection partners such as Amoonguss, Togekiss, and Jirachi are excellent due to Darkrai's lackluster bulk. Pokemon with Wide Guard such as Aegislash and Hitmontop help a lot against Sylveon's Hyper Voice, and Aegislash also covers Darkrai's weaknesses well. Pokemon with Quick Guard are good too, as Darkrai is very frail and struggles against Fighting-types,(semicolon) therefore(comma) Talonflame is a good partner, as it can take on Fighting-types, scares off Bug- and Fighting-types, can set up Tailwind, resists Fairy-type attacks, and can tank priority moves such as Mach Punch well. Pokemon with a Fairy-type resistance are good to cover Darkrai's weakness, such as Heatran, Aegislash, and Amoonguss. Teammates that can hit Fighting-types hard such as Sylveon, Latios, and Cresselia are good options. Pokemon with Intimidate such as Landorus-T help against most Fighting-types, as most of them are physical attackers. Finally, Darkrai has access to Blizzard, so it can be used in conjunction with Abomasnow, and its Dark(remove dash)typing helps scare off Aegislash, which greatly threatens Hail hail teams otherwise.
Other Options
########
Psychic can be considered as an answer against Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Hitmontop, but it's not that useful. Taunt can be considered in order to stop Trick Room users or Pokemon such as Amoonguss from using sleep-inducing moves such as Spore. Sludge Bomb is another good option against Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Togekiss, and Azumarill if you aren't using Thunderbolt, but it provides less useful coverage than other moves.
Checks & Counters
########
**Type Advantage**: Fairies such as Sylveon, Mega Diancie, Azumarill, and Mega Gardevoir can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with their Fairy-type STAB moves, though they need to watch out for Sludge Bomb. Assault Vest Conkeldurr can tank any hit from Darkrai and OHKO it with Drain Punch or hit a weakened Darkrai with a priority Mach Punch. Escavalier and Volcarona are good checks, as they can tank a hit from Darkrai fairly well and threaten it with their Bug-type STAB moves, and Volcarona is immune to Will-O-Wisp. Keldeo can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with Secret Sword.
**Speed Control**: Thunder Wave makes Darkrai useless, so watch out for Thunder Wave users such as Thundurus. Moves that cause Darkrai's Speed to drop such as Thunder Wave, Trick Room, and Icy Wind cause direct harm towards Darkrai's main quality: high Speed, especially because Darkrai does not have the bulk to tank attacks from faster Pokemon. Darkrai is virtually useless in Trick Room, as it will almost always move last and gets hit hard by common Trick Room sweepers such as Scrafty.
**Speed**: ChoiceScarfed Scarf Landorus-T and Genesect can outspeed and deal heavy damage to Darkrai with Superpower or U-turn, but they can't switch in on any of its moves.
########
Darkrai has a very high base Speed, letting it outpace most of the DOU metagame with little investment, and thanks to its great Special Attack, it
Special Attacker
########
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Will-O-Wisp / Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
move 4: Protect
item: Life Orb
evs: 80 HP / 252 SpA / 176 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Dark Pulse is Darkrai's main STAB move, as it is quite powerful and has an extra 20% chance to cause the foe to flinch
Set Details
========
252 Special Attack EVs are given to maximize the damage Darkrai deals, especially with Life Orb. 176 Speed EVs are given so Darkrai can outspeed all Pokemon up to those with base 115 Speed, such as Raikou. However, if the situation requires it, Darkrai can run more Speed at the cost of HP. The remaining EVs are put into HP to allow Darkrai to gain some bulk.
Usage Tips
========
Darkrai is able to scare off all common Follow Me and Rage Powder users such as Togekiss, Jirachi, and Amoonguss with Dark Pulse and Ice Beam. Darkrai should be brought in on a free switch due to its lackluster bulk and weakness to common types. Darkrai can be used at any point in the game depending on the opponent's team, as it can easily deal with early-game Pokemon such as Aegislash but can also perform well late-game when every Pokemon is weak enough for Darkrai to clean.
Team Options
========
Redirection partners such as Amoonguss, Togekiss, and Jirachi are excellent due to Darkrai's lackluster bulk. Pokemon with Wide Guard such as Aegislash and Hitmontop help a lot against Sylveon's Hyper Voice, and Aegislash also covers Darkrai's weaknesses well. Pokemon with Quick Guard are good too, as Darkrai is very frail and struggles against Fighting-types
Other Options
########
Psychic can be considered as an answer against Fighting-types, such as Conkeldurr and Hitmontop, but it's not that useful. Taunt can be considered in order to stop Trick Room users or Pokemon such as Amoonguss from using sleep-inducing moves such as Spore. Sludge Bomb is another good option against Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Togekiss, and Azumarill if you aren't using Thunderbolt, but it provides less useful coverage than other moves.
Checks & Counters
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**Type Advantage**: Fairies such as Sylveon, Mega Diancie, Azumarill, and Mega Gardevoir can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with their Fairy-type STAB moves, though they need to watch out for Sludge Bomb. Assault Vest Conkeldurr can tank any hit from Darkrai and OHKO it with Drain Punch or hit a weakened Darkrai with a priority Mach Punch. Escavalier and Volcarona are good checks, as they can tank a hit from Darkrai fairly well and threaten it with their Bug-type STAB moves, and Volcarona is immune to Will-O-Wisp. Keldeo can take any hit from Darkrai and KO it back with Secret Sword.
**Speed Control**: Thunder Wave makes Darkrai useless, so watch out for Thunder Wave users such as Thundurus. Moves that cause Darkrai's Speed to drop such as Thunder Wave, Trick Room, and Icy Wind cause direct harm towards Darkrai's main quality: high Speed, especially because Darkrai does not have the bulk to tank attacks from faster Pokemon. Darkrai is virtually useless in Trick Room, as it will almost always move last and gets hit hard by common Trick Room sweepers such as Scrafty.
**Speed**: Choice