Dragon Arceus (Analysis)

[OVERVIEW]

<p>God, arriving in arguably its best form, the Dragon-type! Dragon Arceus is extremely difficult to counter, due to a combination of massive bulk, wide movepool, and a great typing. Dragon Arceus is an excellent boosting sweeper for both offensive stats, allowing it to power through opposing teams with either its physical or special attacks. Dragon Arceus can dish out powerful Dragon-type attacks, hitting a lot of Pokemon in the tier for super effective damage, while even being able to take even opposing Dragon-type attacks such as Draco Meteor after just a handful of Calm Minds! Overall, Dragon Arceus is a force to be reckoned with, and definitely should not be taken lightly.</p>

[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Recover
item: Draco Plate
nature: Timid
evs: 100 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
(remove extra space)
[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Arceus has the ideal combination of attributes for a Calm Mind user. It has great coverage in it’s powerful STAB Judgment and this, combined with bulk, high Speed and Recover, allows it to tear through teams. Its powerful STAB Judgment grants Dragon Arceus fantastic coverage, allowing it to easily tear through teams. Its decent bulk, high Speed, and access to Recover is just icing on the cake. Defensive teams in particular can will have serious problems, as the Substitutes Arceus creates cannot be broken by a Seismic Toss from Blissey.</p>

<p>Holding a Draco Plate, Dragon Arceus has a good set of resistances to complement its bulk and it can manufacture plenty of opportunities to switch in and set up. Its powerful STAB Judgment hits many Pokemon in the tier for super effective damage, while the majority of common resists are simply setup fodder. Recover is a useful tool that allows Arceus to shake off damage and completely shut down several common threats, such as Groudon. Substitute completes the set; one of its major functions is to block status, but it is also useful for scouting switch-ins; the likes of Garchomp, Latias, or and Latios often hope to get in for free on a Calm Mind, and Substitute allows will allow Dragon Arceus to OHKO the former and dent the latter two with Judgment.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p> Fire Blast and Flamethrower are options over Substitute, allowing Dragon Arceus to fry Steel-type Pokemon such as Scizor. With a Fire-type attack Fire- and Dragon-type attacks in its arsenal, Arceus has perfect neutral coverage against every single Pokemon bar Heatran, but becomes more vulnerable to status, such as the crippling Toxic, which could easily end Arceus's sweep. Refresh can also be used instead of Substitute, as Toxic Spikes are the bane of to Dragon Arceus. However, if Refresh is used, Dragon Arceus will have trouble setting up, as Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp can easily come in to OHKO Dragon Arceus with Outrage. If Refresh is not used, then a Rapid Spinner can greatly benefit Dragon Arceus. Forretress it is the best spinner by far, having with great typing and the ability , the ability to Rapid Spin, and being able to set up its own entry hazards.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake / Overheat
move 4: Recover
item: Draco Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
(remove extra space)
[SET COMMENTS]

<p>At first glance, Swords Dance Dragon Arceus may seem to be outclassed by Rayquaza, who can hit harder due to its higher base Attack, more EVs invested, and Life Orb. However, Dragon Arceus has a few niches, which prevent it from being outclassed at all eclipsed by the competition. Dragon Arceus has access to a lot of bulk, and when coupled with Recover, means Recover and quite a lot of bulk, which means it can easily nab a couple of Swords Dances. Thanks to its extra bulk, it does not require as much team support as Rayquaza, who often has to rely of on Wobbuffet to allow it to set up. Though Rayquaza has ExtremeSpeed, Arceus has a higher Speed stat, is not weak to Stealth Rock, and does not get knocked out by random Ice attacks such as Ice Shard. Dragon Claw and Earthquake has excellent coverage, hitting every Pokemon bar Skarmory for neutral damage. Overheat is an option over Earthquake, allowing Arceus to easily knock out Forretress, and has gives it a much easier time against Skarmory.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Claw is used over Outrage to gain the most from Recover, and emphasizes Arceus as a bulky sweeper. Outrage can be used for more power, but it makes Arceus easy to revenge kill, and the confusion hurts, especially after a couple of Swords Dances. Recover allows Arceus to take advantage of its bulk, and differentiate itself from Rayquaza. Arceus can make use of ExtremeSpeed, but loses this means losing out on either valuable coverage or bulk, both of which are very important in setting up a successful Dragon Arceus sweep. Substitute can be used over Earthquake or Overheat in order to take advantage of overcome checks such as Soul Dew Latias, though the loss in coverage is not good. Jolly nature allows Arceus to outspeed non-Choice Scarfed Timid Palkia, and anything below that. Adamant is not recommended even though it has access to ExtremeSpeed, because without the extra Speed, Arceus is as this will make Arceus slower than positive natured base 90 Speed Pokemon, allowing even Dialga to easily dispose of Dragon Arceus. </p>

[Team Options]

<p>Rapid Spin support is greatly appreciated, as Toxic Spikes can prevent Dragon Arceus from successfully sweeping. Forretress is a good teammate, being able to Rapid Spin away the Toxic Spikes, and set up its own hazards; it Forretress also has excellent synergy with Dragon Arceus, being able to take Dragon-type attacks fired at Dragon Arceus, while Dragon Arceus can absorb Fire- attacks aimed at Forretress as they cover each other's weaknesses perfectly. Calm Mind Dragon Arceus has problems with Latias, making Thunder Wave Kyogre a great teammate; it's being able to lure Latias in, cripple it with Thunder Wave, and hit it hard with Ice Beam. Dragon Arceus benefits from the removal of Steel-type Pokemon, therefore making Magnezone a great teammate; it also has also having great synergy with Dragon Arceus, and being able to trap and eliminate Steel-type Pokemon with Magnet Pull and Thunderbolt. Latias can also do the job, being able to lure in Steel-types while it she Calm Minds, and knock out and severely dent Metagross and Scizor, respectively. (knock out with what?) Mixed Rayquaza is a great partner to Swords Dance Arceus, severely hurting as it can severely dent physical walls such as Groudon and Lugia with Draco Meteor. Finally, Wobbuffet makes setting up easier, is able to take on Choice Scarf Dragon-types such as Dialga, Palkia, and Garchomp, and can revenge kill them all with either Mirror Coat or Counter.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Dragon Arceus, like all other Arceus, has a very large movepool. However, most of the moves are outclassed, and are better off on another Arceus type Forme. Cosmic Power is a viable option on the Swords Dance set, becoming making Arceus almost impossible to take down after just one or two boosts. After that, Dragon Arceus can set up multiple Swords Dances, healing with Recover when low in on health. Thunder Wave, Toxic, and Will-O-Wisp are all unexpected options that can be used, allowing Dragon Arceus to cripple an opposing counter, and is very unexpected. It has access to Roar, which allows it Arceus to phaze a setup sweeper thanks to its immense bulk, and Perish Song, which prevents last Pokemon sweeps from the likes of RestTalk Dialga. Finally, Dual Screens can be used to allow other Pokemon to set up, but is mostly outclassed by support Pokemon such as Uxie, who would be able to perform the job much better dedicated support Pokemon such as Uxie can perform the job much better.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Steel-type Pokemon with may seem like they can do well against Calm Mind Dragon Arceus, but unfortunately, most of them cannot do significant enough damage to Dragon Arceus it. For example, 56 Attack Choice Band Scizor only manages to deal 37.2% maximum, while Dragon Arceus can set up Calm Mind and heal itself with Recover when needed. Adamant max Attack Choice Band Metagross is a good counter, being able to 2HKO Dragon Arceus with Meteor Mash, but boosted Judgements will still do reasonable damage in return. Choice Scarf Garchomp can OHKO Dragon Arceus with Outrage, but it will get knocked out first if Garchomp switches in on a Substitute. Latias can deal around 75% to Dragon Arceus with Draco Meteor after a Calm Mind, and will not get OHKOed in return by Judgement thanks to Soul Dew boosting its already high Special Defense stat. Latios can switch in on a Calm Mind, and OHKO Dragon Arceus with Draco Meteor even after the boost, but must watch out for a predicted Substitute. Swords Dance Dragon Arceus is harder to counter, and just like Rayquaza, usually has to be revenge killed. 188 Speed Timid Lugia can outspeed Arceus, set up a Reflect, and fire off Ice Beams, while being able to PP stall with Pressure and Roost. Jolly Garchomp can survive a +2 ExtremeSpeed from Dragon Arceus, and KO Dragon Arceus back with Outrage. Swords Dance Dragon Arceus suffers from moveslot syndrome, meaning if Dragon Arceus it lacks Overheat, Skarmory can come in and set up entry hazards or phaze it, while Heatran can easily come in and hit Dragon Arceus hard with Dragon Pulse or Explosion if it does not carry Earthquake.</p>

Blue is changes/additions
Red is removals
Green is comments

[OVERVIEW]

<p>God, arriving in arguably its best form, the Dragon-type! Dragon Arceus is extremely difficult to counter, due to a combination of massive bulk, wide movepool, and great typing. With the ability to boost either offensive stat, it can smash through opposing teams with powerful physical or special Dragon-type attacks, while its excellent defenses allow it to take even opposing Dragon-type attacks and Recover the damage off. Dragon Arceus is an excellent boosting sweeper for both offensive stats, allowing it to power through opposing teams with either its physical or special attacks. Dragon Arceus can dish out powerful Dragon-type attacks, hitting a lot of Pokemon in the tier for super effective damage, while being able to take even opposing Dragon-type attacks such as Draco Meteor after just a handful of Calm Minds! (You don't have to make this change exactly, but try to mix up the sentence structure instead of starting each one with "Dragon Arceus is...") Overall, Dragon Arceus is a force to be reckoned with, and definitely should not be taken lightly.</p>

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

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Arceus has the ideal combination of attributes for a Calm Mind user. Its powerful STAB Judgment has fantastic coverage, allowing it to easily tear through teams. Its decent bulk, high Speed, and access to Recover are just icing on the cake. Defensive teams in particular will have serious problems with this set, as the Substitutes Arceus creates cannot be broken by a Seismic Toss from Blissey.</p>

<p>Dragon Arceus has a good set of resistances to complement its bulk,(comma) and it can manufacture plenty of opportunities to switch in and set up. Its powerful STAB Judgment hits many Pokemon in the tier for super effective damage, while most of the common Pokemon that resist it are simply setup fodder. Recover is a useful tool that allows Arceus to shake off damage and completely shut down several common threats, such as Groudon. Substitute completes the set; one of its major functions is to block status, but it is also useful for scouting switch-ins. (two semicolons in one sentence is probably a bad idea) the likes of Garchomp, Latias, and Latios often hope to get in for free on a Calm Mind, but Substitute allows Dragon Arceus to OHKO the former and dent the latter two with Judgment.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Fire Blast and Flamethrower are options over Substitute, allowing Dragon Arceus to fry Steel-type Pokemon such as Scizor. With Fire- and Dragon-type attacks in its arsenal, Arceus has perfect neutral coverage against every single Pokemon bar Heatran, but becomes more vulnerable to status, such as the crippling Toxic, which could easily end Arceus's sweep. Refresh can also be used to counteract Toxic Spikes, but Dragon Arceus will have trouble setting up without Substitute, as Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp can easily come in to OHKO with Outrage. If Refresh is not used, then a Rapid Spinner can greatly benefit Dragon Arceus. Forretress is the best spinner by far,(no comma) thanks to its great typing and the ability to set up its own entry hazards.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Dragon Claw
move 3: Earthquake / Overheat
move 4: Recover
item: Draco Plate
nature: Jolly
evs: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 100 SpD / 100 Spe (shouldn't there be some SpA for Overheat?)

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>At first glance, Swords Dance Dragon Arceus may seem to be outclassed by Rayquaza, who can hit harder due to its higher base Attack, unrestricted EVs, and Life Orb. However, Dragon Arceus has a few niches,(no comma) that prevent it from being eclipsed by the competition. Dragon Arceus has access to Recover and quite a lot of bulk, which means it can easily nab multiple Swords Dances. Thanks to its extra bulk, it does not require as much team support as Rayquaza, who often has to rely on Wobbuffet to allow it to set up. Though Rayquaza has ExtremeSpeed, Arceus has a higher Speed stat, is not weak to Stealth Rock, and does not get knocked out by random Ice attacks such as Ice Shard. Dragon Claw and Earthquake have excellent coverage, hitting every Pokemon bar Skarmory for neutral damage. Overheat is an option over Earthquake, allowing Arceus to easily knock out Forretress,(no comma) and heavily damage Skarmory.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Dragon Claw is used over Outrage to gain the most from Recover, and emphasizes Arceus as a bulky sweeper. Outrage can be used for more power, but it makes Arceus easy to revenge kill, and the confusion hurts, especially after a couple of Swords Dances. Recover allows Arceus to take advantage of its bulk,(no comma) and differentiate itself from Rayquaza. Arceus can make use of ExtremeSpeed, but this means losing out on either valuable coverage or bulk, both of which are very important in setting up a successful Dragon Arceus sweep. Substitute can be used over Earthquake or Overheat in order to overcome checks such as Soul Dew Latias, though the loss in coverage is not good. A Jolly nature allows Arceus to outspeed non-Choice Scarfed Timid Palkia,(no comma) and anything below that. Adamant is not recommended even with ExtremeSpeed as this will make Arceus slower than positive natured base 90 Speed Pokemon such as Dialga, which can easily dispose of Dragon Arceus.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Rapid Spin support is greatly appreciated, as Toxic Spikes can prevent Dragon Arceus from successfully sweeping. Forretress is a good teammate, being able to Rapid Spin away the Toxic Spikes,(no comma) and set up its own hazards; it also has excellent synergy with Dragon Arceus, as they cover each other's weaknesses perfectly. Calm Mind Dragon Arceus has problems with Latias, making Thunder Wave Kyogre a great teammate; it's able to lure Latias in, cripple it with Thunder Wave, and hit it hard with Ice Beam. Dragon Arceusbenefits from the removal of Steel-type Pokemon, therefore making Magnezone a great teammate; it also has great synergy with Dragon Arceus,(no comma) and can trap and eliminate Steel-type Pokemon with Magnet Pull and Thunderbolt. Latias lures in Steel-types while she Calm Minds, and can knock out and severely dent Metagross and Scizor with Thunder, respectively. Mixed Rayquaza is a great partner to Swords Dance Arceus, as it can heavily damage physical walls such as Groudon and Lugia with Draco Meteor. Finally, Wobbuffet makes setting up easier, and can revenge kill Choice Scarf Dragon-types such as Dialga, Palkia, and Garchomp, and can revenge kill them all with either Mirror Coat or Counter.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>Dragon Arceus, like all other Arceus, has a very large movepool. However, most of the moves are outclassed, and are better off on another Arceus Forme. (does Arceus actually have Formes, or are they called something else?) Cosmic Power is a viable option on the Swords Dance set, making Arceus almost impossible to take down after just one or two boosts. After that, Dragon Arceus can set up multiple Swords Dances, healing with Recover when low on health. Thunder Wave, Toxic, and Will-O-Wisp are all unexpected options that allow Dragon Arceus to cripple an opposing counter. It also has access to Roar, which allows Arceus to phaze a setup sweeper, and Perish Song, which prevents last Pokemon sweeps from the likes of RestTalk Dialga. Finally, dual screens can be used to allow other Pokemon to set up, but dedicated support Pokemon such as Uxie can perform that job much better.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Steel-type Pokemon may seem like they can do well against Calm Mind Dragon Arceus, but unfortunately, most of them cannot do significant enough damage to it. For example, 56 Attack Choice Band Scizor only manages to deal 37.2% maximum, while Dragon Arceus can set up Calm Mind and heal itself with Recover as needed. Adamant max Attack Choice Band Metagross is a good counter, being able to 2HKO Dragon Arceus with Meteor Mash, but boosted Judgements will still do reasonable damage in return. Choice Scarf Garchomp can OHKO Dragon Arceus with Outrage, but it will get knocked out first if Garchomp switches in on a Substitute. Latias can deal around 75% to Dragon Arceus with Draco Meteor after a Calm Mind, and will not get OHKOed by Judgement thanks to Soul Dew boosting its already high Special Defense stat. Latios can switch in on a Calm Mind,(no comma) and OHKO Dragon Arceus with Draco Meteor even after the boost, but must watch out for a predicted Substitute. Swords Dance Dragon Arceus is harder to counter, and, just like Rayquaza, usually has to be revenge killed. 188 Speed Timid Lugia can outspeed Arceus, set up a Reflect, and fire off Ice Beams, while being able to PP stall with Pressure and Roost. Jolly Garchomp can survive a +2 ExtremeSpeed from Dragon Arceus,(no comma) and KO back with Outrage. Swords Dance Dragon Arceus suffers from moveslot syndrome, meaning if it lacks Overheat, Skarmory can come in and set up entry hazards or phaze it, while Heatran can easily come in and hit Dragon Arceus hard with Dragon Pulse or Explosion if it does not carry Earthquake.</p>