Water Arceus (analysis)

1) SD should have EQ/Extremespeed in AC at the very least. At +2, you can OHKO Skymin with Extremespeed if it comes into SR and has taken a bit of prior damage. Similarly, you can curbstomp Dialga with EQ so it doesn't destroy you with Thunder.

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2) No bulky Water sets?? It can pretty much run the same "Tank" sets that Kyogre does with better bulk but less firing power and reliable recovery and an immunity to Trick (Hell you can even run something like Surf/Ice Beam/Thunder/Recover and you've got yourself quite a good utility counter right there).

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3) Groudon should be counter #1 for the SD set, IMO. Shaymin-S should named as a check for both Arceus'.

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definitely want to see a bulky set like shrangs, and I also think that a general support set like surf, recover, t-wave, roar or something would be good. I think that water's great defensive aspects are what needs to be capitalized on with this arceus because we already have kyogre, palkia, and kingdra for the offensive role (NOT saying that this arceus is outclassed in the least!!) but the uber metagame lacks a strong defensive water type that does not have to rely on rest + sleep talk to stay healthy, so this is a niche that arceus can fill rather easily.

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alex 67 said:

Looks great but you may want to tone down the overview a little.

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Be wary against this form the the omnipotent Arceus or face his divine wrath in the form of a torrential and merciless flood, that will wash all but the sturdiest away.

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alex 67 said:

Alright that's better now. Also you may want to mention Electric Arceus and Grass Arceus (if it you lack ice beam of course) as counters or at least checks as they have a good chance to win the calm mind war

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[Overview]

<p>From the raging maelstrom rises Water Arceus. As a Water-type, Arceus must compete with the great creator of the seas, Kyogre. While the mighty Arceus may not have Kyogre's sheer power, Arceus does having many glorious qualities. Arceus's ability to move like a raging torrent is the biggest advantage, being as he (or another phrase describing Arceus) is able to outpace the space-bending Palkia and the ruler of the air, Rayquaza. With Recover, Arceus can repair any wound inflicted upon his majestic form, unlike Kyogre who can only use Rest to heal. Arceus is also much more devastating as a physical attacker thanks to the great Swords Dance. While Water-type Arceus and Kyogre may seem like rivals, one should not underestimate their offensive prowess on the same team. With Kyogre's eternal rain beingwrought (this word is a bit odd sounding) on the battlefield, the power of Arceus's own Water-type moves is increased to a terrifying powerful level. Be wary against this form of the omnipotent Arceus or face his divine wrath in the form of a torrential and merciless flood that will wash the weak away.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Recover
item: Splash Plate
evs: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
nature: Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>It may seem odd to use a Swords Dance set for Water Arceus over something like Kabutops, who has higher Speed and Attack due to Swift Swim and Arceus' EV limit, respectively. However, Arceus is bulkier than other rain sweepers, and has access to Recover, which sets Arceus it apart and makes it a force to be reckoned with.</p> (in the overview Arceus is referred to as "he"; this must be consistent within your analysis)

<p>Swords Dance is the crux of this set as it allows Arceus to raise its Attack to sky-high levels and deal insane damage; after Stealth Rock, Waterfall 2HKOes even Giratina-O! Waterfall is the STAB of choice for this set as it gains a "double STAB" in the rain, and can letting Arceus muscle through even Pokemon who resist Water with its handy 20% flinch rate and sheer power. Dragon Claw is the ideal move to complement Waterfall in terms of coverage as it hits Dragon-types that resist Waterfall for super effective damage. Dragon and Water also receive phenomenal coverage, hitting everything in Ubers for at least neutral damage. As a word of caution, a not very effective 2x resisted Waterfall in the rain has more power than a neutral Dragon Claw. Therefore, Dragon Claw should only be used is against opposing Dragon-types, or when facing a Pokemon with a 4x resistance to Water, such as Ludicolo or Palkia. Against Giratina-O Waterfall is the better course of action, (comma) however, as both Dragon Claw and Waterfall fail to OHKO it after a Swords Dance boost, but Waterfall has a nice chance to flinch and still 2HKOes despite the resistance. Garchomp is another Dragon that you are better off using Waterfall against, as a +2 Waterfall in the rain will always OHKO it, which can't be said about for Dragon Claw. Recover rounds off the set nicely by giving Arceus a way to capitalize on its great bulk. With it, Arceus can set up a Swords Dance or two on a wide variety of Pokemon and simply heal off any damage taken before sweeping. A Jolly nature is needed to outspeed the numerous base 90 Speed Pokemon in Ubers, as a max Speed base 90 with a Speed boosting nature outspeeds outruns a neutral Arceus due to Arceus' EV limit.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Waterfall is generally the best option for reliability, but if more power is absolutely, necessary Aqua Tail can be used. However, the difference in power between Aqua Tail and Waterfall is so insignificant that you are better off using Waterfall for its chance to flinch and perfect accuracy. Another possible option for Water Arceus is Substitute. Substitute allows Water Arceus to scout for switch-ins and block status from Pokemon like Blissey. Even with its EV limit, Arceus can still make 101 HP Substitutes, which Blissey will struggle to be unable to break with a single Seismic Toss. If you opt to use Substitute, it's best used over Dragon Claw, although Arceus will miss the coverage. You should avoid using Substitute over Recover, however, as Arceus will lose large chunks of HP and relinquish one of its biggest assets - longevity. In a similar vein, Arceus can use Refresh to rid itself of troublesome status, but once again it will miss the coverage provided by Dragon Claw. ExtremeSpeed is also an option to pick off faster weakened Pokemon, but it is rather weak, even after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

<p>Water Arceus will have problems with Pokemon that use Thunder, such as Kyogre, Dialga, Latias, and Palkia, as it will easily 2HKO. Furthermore, a Choice Specs Thunder coming from 150 Special Attack (which all of the aforementioned Pokemon, bar Latias, have) will always OHKO Water Arceus after Stealth Rock. There are several Pokemon who can help Arceus in this regard, the most prominent being Garchomp. Garchomp can easily switch into a Choice-locked Thunder due to its Ground-typing and proceed to use Swords Dance as the opponent is forced to switch. If you want to deal with them directly, Latias and can switch into all of the aforementioned Pokemon, bar opposing Latias, and hit them with a powerful Dragon Pulse or Thunder. However, she must watch out for Thunder's pesky 30% paralysis rate. It is worth noting that all of the aforementioned checks can be 2HKOed (or OHKOed) by either Dragon Claw or Waterfall, but it's risky to stay in as they may be holding a Choice Scarf. Groudon can also cause problems because it can take away the rain that Arceus loves and replace it with sun, which weakens Water Arceus' STAB. Groudon isn't always 2HKOed by Waterfall either. Once again, Latias can make a good check if Groudon lacks Thunder Wave, being able to as it can switch into Earthquake and crush it with a Soul Dew-boosted Grass Knot. Kyogre can also take any attack Groudon can throw at it and drown it with a powerful Surf, while bringing back the rain that Arceus loves back into play. That being said, Kyogre should always be paired with this Arceus due to its ability to summon rain and boost Waterfall's power.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment / Surf
move 3: Substitute / Ice Beam
move 4: Recover
item: Splash Plate
evs: 100 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
nature: Timid

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>At a glance this set may seem inferior to Calm Mind Kyogre due to Kyogre's superior Special Attack; however, on a closer look, one will find that Calm Mind Water Arceus has several advantages over the giant whale. First and foremost is Arceus' access to Recover, which means that it does not have to sleep for two turns when it needs to regain health. Arceus also has more Speed then Kyogre, even with the EV limit, allowing it to always outspeed Rayquaza and base 90 Speed Pokemon. In addition, unlike Kyogre, Arceus has the ability to make 101 HP Substitutes, meaning Arceus can better fit the role of a mono-attacking Water-type.</p>

<p>The first slot of this set goes to Calm Mind, which allows Arceus to raise its Special Attack and Defense to obscene levels, and after a few uses, it is nearly unbreakable on the special side. The second slot depends on whether you want to use a mono-attacker set or a regular Calm Mind set. If you wish to use mono-attacker Water Arceus, the best option is Surf due to its superior PP. If you do choose Surf, then your third slot should be Substitute, as it allows Arceus to scout for switch-ins and gives it an easier setup on foes like Blissey, who cannot break Arceus' Substitute with a single Seismic Toss. If you choose to use Judgment for added power, Ice Beam becomes the better choice for the third slot to provide Water Arceus with better coverage. Ice Beam allows Arceus to crush the Dragon-type Pokemon it would normally struggle against with, such as Palkia. However, no matter which one you choose, Kyogre is always a required teammate due to its Drizzle boosting Arceus' Judgment or Surf to astounding levels. Recover is recommended in the last slot as it complements Arceus' great bulk, and lets it set up on all but the fiercest special attackers by alternating between Calm Mind and Recover. Finally, Timid should always be used with this set as it allows Arceus to always outspeed Pokemon like Rayquaza and Dialga, provided they aren't holding a Choice Scarf.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As stated before, Calm Mind Water Arceus can be used in two different ways: it can be used as a regular Calm Mind set with Judgment and Ice Beam, or it can be used as a mono-attacker with Surf and Substitute over Judgment and Ice Beam respectively. In addition to this, there are a few other options to consider. If you want a way to deal with Kyogre without having to resort to teammates, Thunder is an option over Ice Beam or Recover, but if placed over the former Arceus will struggle to take down Dragon-type Pokemon, and if used over Recover, Arceus will lose one of its biggest advantages over Calm Mind Kyogre. Spacial Rend is another lesser option, but it's worth mentioning for its ability to 2HKO Palkia at +1 compared to Ice Beam's feeble 3HKO. Lastly, if you are taking the mono-attacker route, Refresh is an option over Substitute as it to allows Arceus to rid itself of poison from Toxic Spikes, but Substitute is generally the better option as it can also be used to scout switch-ins.</p>

<p>There is one Pokemon that should always be used alongside Water Arceus: Kyogre. Kyogre provides the rain, that boosting the power of Arceus' Water-type attacks to sky-high levels and allowing it to smash through even Pokemon who resist Water. However, Kyogre and Water Arceus have the same typing, which means they compound each other's weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-type attacks. Therefore, it is a good idea to pack a teammate who can take those two attacks of these types (given Grass-type attacks are very rare in Ubers), such as Latias. Latias also has the bonus of being able to handle opposing Kyogre, Grass- and Electric-type Arceus, Manaphy, Palkia (who poses a problem to the mono-attacker set) and Groudon (if it carries Grass Knot it needs Grass Knot to handle Groudon), all of whom pose a major threat to Water Arceus. You can also use a Ground-type, like Garchomp, to switch into choiced Thunders that Arceus will often encounter and use the turn to set up a sweep of its own. Speaking of Thunder, most users of it can cause problems for Water Arceus due to the eventuality that it will be paralyzed and struck down, so it is crucial to pack a teammate that can help with this Since Thunder carries a chance of paralysis, which cripples Water Arceus, it is worth packing a teammate to help with this. Calm Mind Water Arceus also has trouble with Latias, due to her ability to as she can Calm Mind up alongside Arceus and strike it down with a 2HKO from with Thunder at any time. A Pursuit user like Scizor or Metagross can help eliminate Latias, but it is a bad idea to use Tyranitar because it gets rid of the rain Water Arceus loves. If you lack Substitute or Refresh, Blissey can be a major problem as she can easily Toxic Arceus and proceed to repeatedly heal until Arceus succumbs to the poison. A strong physical attacker can help eliminate Blissey; Garchomp in particular gets special mention due to its ability to switch into Thunder. Both mono-attacker and regular Calm Mind Water Arceus enjoy Toxic Spikes support, as with it Arceus can stall out opponents that would otherwise give it trouble; such as Blissey, and Calm Mind Kyogre.</p>

[TEAM OPTIONS]

<p>As stated before, Kyogre should always be used to provide this Arceus with rain support which boosts the power of its STAB attacks to incredible heights. Latias is also a good choice to pair with Water Arceus, as it covers both of Arceus' weaknesses, and can deal with many things that give it Water Arceus trouble. For instance, Latias has no trouble switching into Kyogre, barring paralysis from Thunder unless Thunder paralyzes it, and striking it down with a powerful Thunder or Grass Knot. Latias can also help against Manaphy, who can trouble Arceus with Grass Knot and a Calm Mind set of its own. Latias's useful doesn't stop there however, as it (you really need to focus on consistency; you referred to Latias as she earlier) can easily switch into an Earthquake from Groudon, thanks to Levitate, and crush it with Grass Knot; Latias must be wary if switching into of Thunder Wave, however. A Pursuit user like Metagross or Scizor is also helpful, as they both can smash a fleeing Latias, who can cause problems for Water Arceus with Calm Mind and Thunder. In addition, they can both can help against Shaymin-S, with their resistance to Grass-type moves, and in Metagross's case, Flying-type moves resistances. Since Water Arceus' biggest fear is Thunder, a Ground-type Pokemon like Garchomp is a fine teammate. Garchomp can easily switch into a choiced Thunder, and proceed to set up a Swords Dance and attempt a sweep of its own. Garchomp can also easily deal with Blissey, who troubles Arceus if it lacking Refresh or Substitute. For the Calm Mind set, Toxic Spikes support can be useful to allow Arceus to stall out Blissey and Calm Mind Kyogre, who would otherwise defeat it 1 on 1. Like most offensive Pokemon, Arceus enjoys Stealth Rock support, which allows to allow it to gain important OHKOs and 2HKOs, such as the 2HKO with Waterfall against Giratina-O after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

<p>The options listed above are superior, but there are still a few other possibilities. First off, Shadow Claw can be used over Dragon Claw on the Swords Dance set to hit Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon harder, but Waterfall ensures nearly all the KOs that Shadow Claw does, and Dragon Claw is useful for coverage against Dragon-type Pokemon. Another interesting option is a bulky Water set, making use of Arceus' great natural bulk and Recover. However, it would be generally inferior to Kyogre, who may not have access to Recover, but has superior Special Attack. In general, a tank Arceus set is a bad idea due to the species clause; meaning you need to use your one Arceus teamslot wisely. There are a near-infinite number of possibilities, but most of them are best left to other Pokemon or Arceus types. It may be tempting to use an Attack- or Special Attack-boosting nature for more power, but it is never a good idea for Water Arceus, as it needs to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon and below to reach its full potential.</p>

[COUNTERS]

<p>Water Arceus may be mighty, but both sets are perfectly counterable. Without any Special Defense boosts, Arceus is OHKOed by a Choice Specs boosted Thunder off 150 Special Attack after it takes Stealth Rock damage, and 2HKO even at +2 Special Defense. Therefore, Choice Specs Kyogre, Dialga, and Mewtwo can easily switch in on Swords Dance or Calm Mind and strike Arceus down with Thunder, but they must be careful of a Ground-type switch in. Also, Kyogre and Dialga must beware of Waterfall's 20% chance to flinch, as they will both be 2HKOed by it after a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock damage. Groudon can also be a problem for Water Arceus, as it isn't always 2HKOed by Waterfall after Stealth Rock due to its ability (Drought) terminating the rain and summoning sun in its place. The Calm Mind set may be able to 2HKO Groudon, but it still hates the rain being taken away. Groudon can also cripple Arceus with Thunder Wave, or use Roar to nullify its boosts and force it to take damage from entry hazards again. Grass- and Electric-type Arceus resist Water Arceus' STAB, and can crush it with their own super effective STABs. If Arceus uses Substitute over a secondary attacking option, it will be completely walled by Pokemon with Water Absorb, like Quagsire. In addition to Pokemon with Water Absorb, Palkia will also be able to crush mono-attacking Arceus if it goes the mono-attacking route thanks to its 4x resistance to Water-type attacks and its access to Thunder. Shaymin-S can also be a problem because an Air Slash flinch followed by Seed Flare will always kill a Water Arceus without any Special Defense boosts, and even if Arceus has a few Special Defense boosts under its belt, Seed Flare has a 64% chance to make it plummet back down.</p>

<p>For the Calm Mind set in particular, Latias can switch into anything Water Arceus has, Calm Mind alongside it, and strike it with Thunder for a 2HKO, while Arceus' Ice Beam fails to 3HKO a large percentage of the time, assuming they both have an equal number of Calm Minds. Calm Mind Kyogre easily counters Calm Mind Water Arceus, as it can 2HKO Arceus with Surf if they have an equal number of Calm Minds, while Arceus can only muster a 4HKO. If Arceus lacks Substitute or Refresh, Blissey can easily Toxic stall it due to its massive Special Defense and HP. Finally, Toxic Spikes are deadly to this Arceus' efficacy, particularly that of the Calm Mind set in.</p>

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[Overview]

<p>From the raging maelstrom rises Water Arceus. As a Water-type, Arceus must compete with the great creator of the seas, Kyogre. While the mighty Arceus may not have Kyogre's sheer power, Arceus does have having many glorious qualities. Arceus's ability to move like a raging torrent is its the biggest advantage, as it is able to outpace both the space-bending Palkia and the ruler of the air, Rayquaza. With Recover, Arceus can repair any wound inflicted upon his majestic form, unlike Kyogre, who is forced to can only use Rest to heal. Arceus is also much more devastating as a physical attacker, thanks to the great Swords Dance. While Water-type Arceus and Kyogre may seem like rivals, one should not underestimate their offensive prowess on the same team. With Kyogre's eternal rain on the battlefield, the power of Arceus's own Water-type moves is increased to a terrifying level. Be wary against this form of the omnipotent Arceus, or face his divine wrath in the form of a torrential flood that will wash the weak away [this ending seems "meh" to me, I would make it more dramatic].</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Waterfall
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Recover
item: Splash Plate
evs: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
nature: Jolly

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>It may seem odd to use a Swords Dance Water Arceus over something like Kabutops, who has higher Speed and Attack due to Swift Swim and Arceus's EV limit, respectively. However, Arceus is bulkier than other rain sweepers, and has access to Recover, which sets it apart and makes it a force to be reckoned with.</p>

<p>Swords Dance is the crux of this set, as it allows Arceus to raise its Attack to sky-high levels and deal insane damage; after Stealth Rock, Waterfall 2HKOes even Giratina-O! Waterfall is the STAB of choice for this set as it gains "double STAB" in the rain, letting Arceus muscle through even Pokemon who resist Water with its handy 20% flinch rate. Dragon Claw is the ideal move to complement Waterfall in terms of coverage, as it hits Dragon-types that resist Waterfall for super effective damage. Dragon and Water also combine to provide receive phenomenal type coverage, hitting everything in Ubers for at least neutral damage. As A word of caution: a 2x resisted has Waterfall in the rain has more power than a neutral Dragon Claw. Therefore, Dragon Claw should only be used against opposing Dragon-types, or when facing a Pokemon with a 4x resistance to Water, such as Ludicolo or Palkia. Against Giratina-O, Waterfall is the better course of action, however, as both Dragon Claw and Waterfall fail to OHKO it after a Swords Dance boost, but Waterfall has a nice chance to flinch and still 2HKOes despite the resistance. Garchomp is another Dragon that Arceus is you are better off using Waterfall against, as a +2 Waterfall in the rain will always OHKO, unlike which can't be said for Dragon Claw. Recover rounds off the set nicely by giving Arceus a way to capitalize on its great bulk. With Recover it, Arceus can set up a Swords Dance or two on a wide variety of Pokemon and simply heal off any damage taken before sweeping. A Jolly nature is needed to outspeed the numerous base 90 Speed Pokemon in Ubers, as a max Speed base 90 with a Speed boosting nature outruns a neutral Arceus due to Arceus's EV limit.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Waterfall is generally the best option for reliability, but if more power is absolutely necessary Aqua Tail can be used. However, the difference in power between Aqua Tail and Waterfall is so insignificant that you are better off using Waterfall for its chance to flinch and perfect accuracy. Another possible option for Water Arceus is Substitute. Substitute allows Water Arceus to scout for switch-ins and block status from Pokemon like Blissey. Even with its EV limit, Arceus can still make 101 HP Substitutes, which Blissey will be unable to break with a single Seismic Toss. If you opt to use Substitute, it's best used over Dragon Claw, although Arceus will miss the coverage. You should avoid using Substitute over Recover, however, as Arceus will lose large chunks of HP and relinquish one of its biggest assets - longevity. In a similar vein, Arceus can use Refresh to rid itself of troublesome status, but once again it will miss the coverage provided by Dragon Claw. ExtremeSpeed is also an option to pick off faster weakened Pokemon, but it is rather weak, even after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

<p>Water Arceus has will have problems with Pokemon that use Thunder, such as Kyogre, Dialga, Latias, and Palkia, as it will easily 2HKO. Furthermore, a Choice Specs Thunder coming from 150 Special Attack (which all of the aforementioned Pokemon, bar Latias, have) will always OHKO Water Arceus after Stealth Rock. There are several Pokemon who can help Arceus in this regard, the most prominent being Garchomp. Garchomp can easily switch into a Choice-locked Thunder due to its Ground-typing and proceed to use Swords Dance as the opponent is forced to switch. If you want to deal with them directly, Latias and can switch into all of the aforementioned Pokemon, bar opposing Latias, and hit them with a powerful Dragon Pulse or Thunder. However, it she must watch out for Thunder's pesky 30% paralysis rate. It is worth noting that all of the aforementioned checks can be 2HKOed (or OHKOed) by either Dragon Claw or Waterfall, but it's risky to stay in as they may be holding a Choice Scarf. Groudon can also cause problems with its Drought ability because it can take away the rain that Arceus loves and replace it with sun, which weakens Water Arceus's STAB. Groudon isn't always 2HKOed by Waterfall, either. Once again, Latias can make a good check if Groudon lacks Thunder Wave, as it can switch into Earthquake and crush it with a Soul Dew-boosted Grass Knot. Kyogre can also take any attack Groudon can throw at it and drown it with a powerful Surf, while bringing back the rain that Arceus loves. That being said, Kyogre should always be paired with this Arceus due to its ability to summon rain and boost Waterfall's power.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment / Surf
move 3: Substitute / Ice Beam
move 4: Recover
item: Splash Plate
evs: 100 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
nature: Timid

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>At first a glance, this set may seem inferior to Calm Mind Kyogre due to Kyogre's superior Special Attack; however, upon a closer observation look, one will find that Calm Mind Water Arceus has several advantages over the giant whale [i don't think Kyogre classifies as a whale, but that's your choice]. First and foremost is Arceus's access to Recover, which is largely superior to Kyogre's Rest means that it does not have to sleep for two turns when it needs to regain health. Arceus also has more Speed then Kyogre, even with the EV limit, allowing it to always outspeed Rayquaza and base 90 Speed Pokemon. In addition, unlike Kyogre, Arceus has the ability to make 101 HP Substitutes, meaning Arceus can better fit the role of a mono-attacking Water-type.</p>

<p>The first slot of this set goes to Calm Mind, which allows Arceus to raise its Special Attack and Special Defense to obscene levels, and after a few uses, it is nearly unbreakable on the special side. The second slot depends on whether you want to use a mono-attacker set or a regular Calm Mind set. If one wishes you wish to use mono-attacker Water Arceus, the best option is Surf due to its superior PP. If one does you do choose Surf, then the your third slot should be Substitute, as it allows Arceus to scout for switch-ins and gives it an easier setup on foes like Blissey, who cannot break Arceus's Substitute with a single Seismic Toss. If one chooses you choose to use Judgment for added power, Ice Beam becomes the better choice for the third slot to provide Water Arceus with better coverage. Ice Beam allows Arceus to crush the Dragon-type Pokemon it would normally struggle against, such as Palkia. However, no matter what which one you choose, Kyogre is always a required teammate due to its Drizzle boosting the power of Arceus's Judgment or Surf to astounding levels. Recover is recommended in the last slot as it complements Arceus's great bulk, and lets it set up on all but the fiercest special attackers by alternating between Calm Mind and Recover. Finally, Timid should always be used with this set, as it allows Arceus to outspeed Pokemon like Rayquaza and Dialga, provided they aren't holding a Choice Scarf.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As stated before, Calm Mind Water Arceus can be used in two different ways: it can be used as a regular Calm Mind set with Judgment and Ice Beam, or it can be used as a mono-attacker with Surf and Substitute over Judgment and Ice Beam, respectively. If you want a way to deal with Kyogre without having to resort to teammates, Thunder is an option over Ice Beam or Recover, but if placed over the former Arceus will struggle to take down Dragon-type Pokemon, and if used over Recover, Arceus will lose one of its biggest advantages over Calm Mind Kyogre. Spacial Rend is another lesser option, but it's worth mentioning for its ability to 2HKO Palkia at +1 compared to Ice Beam's feeble 3HKO. Lastly, if Arceus is you are taking the mono-attacker route, Refresh is an option over Substitute, as it allowing Arceus to rid itself of poison from Toxic Spikes, but Substitute is generally the better option as it can be used to scout switch-ins.</p>

<p>There is one Pokemon that should always be used alongside Water Arceus: Kyogre. Kyogre provides rain, boosting the power of Arceus's Water-type attacks to sky-high levels and allowing it to smash through even Pokemon who resist Water. However, Kyogre and Water Arceus have the same typing, which means they compound each other's weaknesses to Grass- and Electric-type attacks. Therefore, it is a good idea to pack a teammate who can take attacks of these types, such as Latias. Latias also has the bonus of being able to handle opposing Kyogre, Grass- and Electric-type Arceus, Manaphy, Palkia, and Groudon (if it carries Grass Knot), all of whom pose a major threat to Water Arceus. One You can also use a Ground-type, like Garchomp, to switch into Choiced Thunders, which that Arceus will often encounter and use the turn to set up a sweep of its own. Since Thunder carries a high chance of paralysis, wich cripples Water Arceus, it is worth packing a teammate to help with this. Calm Mind Water Arceus also has trouble with Latias, as it he can to Calm Mind alongside Arceus and 2HKO with Thunder at any time. A Pursuit user like Scizor or Metagross can help eliminate Latias, but it is a bad idea to use Tyranitar because it gets rid of the rain Water Arceus loves. If Arceus lacks you lack Substitute or Refresh, Blissey can be a major problem, as she can easily use Toxic against Arceus and proceed to repeatedly heal until Arceus succumbs to the poison. A strong physical attacker can help eliminate Blissey; Garchomp in particular gets special mention due to its ability to switch into Thunder. Both mono-attacker and regular Calm Mind Water Arceus enjoy Toxic Spikes support, as with it Arceus can stall out opponents that would otherwise give it trouble, such as Blissey, and Calm Mind Kyogre.</p>

[TEAM OPTIONS]

<p>As stated before, Kyogre should always be used to provide this Arceus with rain support, which boosts the power of its STAB attacks to incredible heights. Latias is also a good choice to pair with Water Arceus, as it covers both of Arceus's weaknesses, and can deal with many things that give it trouble. For instance, Latias has no trouble switching into Kyogre (barring paralysis from Thunder) and striking it down with a powerful Thunder or Grass Knot. Latias can also help against Manaphy, who can trouble Arceus with Grass Knot and a Calm Mind set of its own. Latias's usefulness doesn't stop there, however, as it can easily switch into an Earthquake from Groudon, thanks to Levitate, and crush it with Grass Knot; Latias must be wary of Thunder Wave, however. A Pursuit user like Metagross or Scizor is also helpful, as they both can smash a fleeing Latias, who can cause problems for Water Arceus with Calm Mind and Thunder. In addition, they can both help against Shaymin-S, with their resistance to Grass-type moves, and in Metagross's case, Flying-type moves. Since Water Arceus's biggest fear is Thunder, a Ground-type Pokemon like Garchomp is a fine teammate. Garchomp can easily switch into a Choiced Thunder, set up a Swords Dance, and attempt a sweep of its own. Garchomp can also easily deal with Blissey, who troubles Arceus lacking Refresh or Substitute. For the Calm Mind set, Toxic Spikes support can be useful to allow Arceus to stall out Blissey and Calm Mind Kyogre, who would otherwise defeat it one-on-one 1 on 1. Like most offensive Pokemon, Arceus enjoys Stealth Rock support, which allows it important OHKOs and 2HKOs, such as the 2HKO with Waterfall against Giratina-O with a +2 Waterfall after a Swords Dance boost.</p>

[OPTIONAL CHANGES]

<p>The options listed above are superior, but there are still a few other possibilities. Firstly off, Shadow Claw can be used over Dragon Claw on the Swords Dance set to hit Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon harder, but Waterfall ensures nearly all the same KOs that Shadow Claw does, and Dragon Claw is useful for coverage against Dragon-type Pokemon. Another interesting option is a bulky Water set, making use of Arceus's great natural bulk and Recover. However, it would be generally inferior to Kyogre, who may not have access to Recover, but has superior Special Attack. In general, a tank Arceus set is a bad idea due to Species Clause; one needs you need to use your one Arceus wisely. There are a near-infinite number of possibilities, but most of them are best left to other Pokemon or Arceus types. It may be tempting to use an Attack- or Special Attack-boosting nature for more power, but it is never a good idea for Water Arceus, as it needs to outspeed base 95 Speed Pokemon and below to reach its full potential.</p>

[COUNTERS]

<p>Water Arceus may be mighty, but both sets are perfectly counterable. Without any Special Defense boosts, Arceus is OHKOed by a Choice Specs boosted Thunder from a Pokemon with base 150 Special Attack after it takes Stealth Rock damage. Therefore, Choice Specs Kyogre, Dialga, and Mewtwo can easily switch in on Swords Dance or Calm Mind and strike Arceus down with Thunder, but they must be careful of a Ground-type switch-in. Also, Kyogre and Dialga must be aware of Waterfall's 20% chance to flinch, as they will both be 2HKOed by it after a Swords Dance boost and Stealth Rock damage. Groudon can also be a problem for Water Arceus, as it isn't always 2HKOed by Waterfall after Stealth Rock due to its ability (Drought) terminating the rain and summoning sun in its place. The Calm Mind set may be able to 2HKO Groudon, but it still hates the rain being taken away. Groudon can also cripple Arceus with Thunder Wave, or use Roar to nullify its boosts and force it to take damage from entry hazards again. Grass- and Electric-type Arceus resist Water Arceus's STAB, and can crush it with their own super effective STABs. If Arceus uses Substitute over a secondary attacking option, it will be completely walled by Pokemon with Water Absorb, like Quagsire. In addition to Pokemon with Water Absorb, Palkia will also be able to crush mono-attacking Arceus thanks to its 4x resistance to Water-type attacks and its access to Thunder. Shaymin-S can also be a problem, because an Air Slash followed by Seed Flare will always kill a Water Arceus without any Special Defense boosts, and even if Arceus has a few Special Defense boosts under its belt, Seed Flare has a 64% chance to make it plummet back down.</p>

<p>For the Calm Mind set in particular, Latias can switch into anything Water Arceus has, Calm Mind alongside it, and strike it with Thunder for a 2HKO, while Arceus's Ice Beam fails to 3HKO a large percentage of the time, assuming they both have an equal number of Calm Minds. Calm Mind Kyogre easily counters Calm Mind Water Arceus, as it can 2HKO Arceus with Surf if they have an equal number of Calm Minds, while Arceus can only muster a 4HKO. If Arceus lacks Substitute or Refresh, Blissey can easily Toxic stall it due to its massive Special Defense and HP. Finally, Toxic Spikes are deadly to this Arceus's efficacy, particularly that of the Calm Mind set.</p>

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