A meme no more!
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[OVERVIEW]
* Excellent base defenses and valuable resistances to Ghost- and Dark-type attacks make Arceus-Dark a sturdy check to strong offensive threats such as Lunala, Yveltal, Arceus-Ghost, and Giratina-O.
* Arceus-Dark is one of the better Calm Mind Arceus formes, as Dark has good neutral coverage and hits every type. This frees up a moveslot for Refresh, making Arceus-Dark a good wincon against stall and balanced teams.
* In addition, Arceus-Dark's niche as a bulky Pokemon that resists Ghost and Dark allows it to viably run a support set with Defog.
* Arceus-Dark struggles to deal with common Fairy-types as well as Fighting-types, particularly Mega Lucario.
* Ghost- and Psychic-types frequently carry Fighting-type coverage moves, which will heavily damage Arceus-Dark. This is especially an issue if Arceus-Dark is against a faster Pokemon such as Mewtwo or Deoxys-A.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Recover
move 4: Refresh / Will-O-Wisp / Sludge Bomb
item: Dread Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Calm Mind gives Arceus-Dark sweeping potential due to its good offensive STAB, allowing it to set up against Yveltal and Ghost-types such as Lunala and Giratina-O.
* Judgment is Arceus-Dark's best STAB option due to its power and reliability.
* Recover keeps Arceus-Dark healthy, giving it more room to accumulate Calm Mind boosts against weaker offensive threats.
* Refresh allows Arceus-Dark to remove status ailments, enabling it to set up on most walls such as support Arceus formes, Lugia, and Zygarde.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples Mega Lucario on the switch in and can let Arceus-Dark check certain physical threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus to an extent.
* Sludge Bomb allows a boosted Arceus-Dark to 2HKO Xerneas and OHKO Tapu Koko, also enabling it to defeat Arceus-Fairy if it does not also have Calm Mind.
Set Details
========
* A Timid nature and maximum Speed investment enable Arceus-Dark to Speed tie with Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost and outpace Mega Lucario.
* 248 HP EVs maximize Arceus-Dark's overall bulk while keeping its HP indivisible by 4, granting it an extra switch into Stealth Rock.
* The remaining EVs are put into Special Attack to give Judgment a touch more power.
* An EV spread of 248 HP / 56 Def / 204 Spe with a Bold nature can also be used, allowing Arceus-Dark to withstand attacks from support Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh more effectively while still being fast enough to outspeed Timid Yveltal.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Dark can set up on Yveltal, Lunala, and, if it has Refresh, most walls such as Lugia, support Arceus formes, Mega Slowbro, and Zygarde, so try to switch in on those Pokemon to begin boosting.
* Arceus-Dark should tread lightly around Mewtwo and Deoxys-A. Although it is immune to Psychic-type attacks, these Pokemon are faster than it and usually carry strong Fighting-type coverage moves to hit it hard.
* If Refresh is not used, avoid switching Arceus-Dark into status-inducing moves, as they will ruin its sweeping potential.
* If Arceus-Dark is not needed defensively, try not to reveal it to the opponent until its checks are weakened or removed. An unexpected Arceus-Dark late-game can prove to be a nasty surprise to the opponent.
* Without the appropriate coverage move, Arceus-Dark is setup fodder for Xerneas, Darkrai, and Mega Lucario - do not waste time using Calm Mind if these threats are still healthy, and try to pivot around them with double switches if possible.
Team Options
========
* Mega Gengar can trap and KO Fairy-types that threaten Arceus-Dark while providing a useful immunity to Fighting-type attacks.
* Lunala is a useful teammate for handling Fighting-types and softening up checks to Arceus-Dark such as Ho-Oh, while Arceus-Dark covers its main weaknesses in return.
* Giratina-O provides Defog support so that Arceus-Dark is forced to use Recover less, and also provides a good check to Fighting-types as well as a backup against Mewtwo and Deoxys-A.
* Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh put immense pressure on Fairy-types for Arceus-Dark. Primal Groudon also sets up Stealth Rock to keep opposing Ho-Oh at bay, while Ho-Oh itself can also check Fighting-types for Arceus-Dark.
* Solgaleo checks Fairy-types for Arceus-Dark and appreciates its ability to handle Ghost-types and Yveltal in return. Other Steel-types such as Klefki, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, Aegislash, and Magearna also act as solid checks to Fairy-types.
* Lugia, Zygarde, and Mega Salamence can take on Ho-Oh for Arceus-Dark. Mega Salamence also appreciates Arceus-Dark's ability to pressure some of its checks, including Lugia and support Arceus formes.
* Fairy-types such as Klefki, Magearna, and Xerneas can handle Darkrai, which can otherwise set up on Arceus-Dark.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Toxic
move 3: Defog / Ice Beam
move 4: Recover
item: Dread Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 56 Def / 204 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Judgment is a consistent STAB attack with good neutral coverage, notably hitting Lunala and Arceus-Ghost.
* Toxic punishes Ho-Oh attempting to switch in and enables Arceus-Dark to defeat defensive Primal Groudon and Yveltal one-on-one.
* Arceus-Dark is an acceptable user of Defog, as it has the raw bulk to defeat support Primal Groudon, does solid damage to most Stealth Rock users with STAB Judgment, and can find time to use the move against common offensive threats such as Yveltal.
* Ice Beam can be used instead to allow Arceus-Dark to check Mega Salamence and Rayquaza.
* Recover keeps Arceus-Dark healthy throughout the match.
* Will-O-Wisp can be used as the status-inducing option to ward off Mega Lucario, but it makes handling Primal Groudon much more difficult.
Set Details
========
* 204 Speed EVs allow Arceus-Dark to outspeed Timid Yveltal and Lunala, hitting them with Toxic and Judgment, (comma) respectively, before they can react.
* The remaining EVs go towards maximizing physical bulk for handling support Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost while also minimizing entry hazard damage. A Bold nature is chosen to increase bulk further, allowing Arceus-Dark to survive a +1 Double-Edge from Adamant Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage.
* More Defense investment can be used if Arceus-Dark is relied upon to check Mega Salamence. 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe allows Arceus-Dark to switch into attacks from Mega Salamence comfortably while remaining fast enough to outspeed Adamant Primal Groudon.
Usage Tips
========
*Support Arceus-Dark works best on teams that need a Defog user and already have strong Primal Groudon checks. Otherwise, another Arceus forme with a more favorable matchup against Primal Groudon such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Dragon, or Arceus-Ground is preferred.
* Arceus-Dark should primarily be used as a switch-in to Yveltal and strong Ghost-types such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, and Giratina-O. It can check Deoxys-A as well, although it will need to tread lightly around the threat of Superpower.
* Do not let Arceus-Dark take Toxic, as that will cripple its walling ability.
* If using Ice Beam, Arceus-Dark will need to stay healthy in order to check Mega Salamence and Rayquaza, as it does not resist any of their attacks.
* Although Arceus-Dark is bulky enough to take on support Primal Groudon, it cannot defeat offensive variants by itself, so it shouldn't be relied upon as a primary answer to Primal Groudon.
Team Options
========
* Ho-Oh is an excellent teammate, benefiting immensely from Defog support while taking on Fairy- and Fighting-types for Arceus-Dark.
* Primal Groudon works well for pressuring Fairy-types and Primal Kyogre, also providing Stealth Rock support to help against opposing Ho-Oh.
* A check to Swords Dance Primal Groudon is recommended. Giratina-O, Celesteela, Buzzwole, Landorus-T, and Mega Slowbro can all take it on to varying extents. Giratina-O is especially useful because it can use Defog, freeing up a moveslot on Arceus-Dark.
* Zygarde is a useful teammate to assist Arceus-Dark against Primal Groudon, and it takes on Ho-Oh, Mega Lucario, and Tyranitar comfortably.
* Mega Salamence takes on Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh pretty well and can help Arceus-Dark against Mega Lucario to an extent. Mega Salamence appreciates the Defog support in return.
* Bulky Steel-types such as Klefki, Mega Scizor, Magearna, Ferrothorn, and Aegislash are useful partners to deal with Fairy-types. Aegislash also checks most Fighting-types for Arceus-Dark.
* In addition to checking Xerneas, Clefable can provide Heal Bell support to keep Arceus-Dark free of status.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Whirlpool + Perish Song enables Arceus-Dark to trap and KO most defensive Pokemon, making it a good stallbreaker. However, such a set is rather ineffective against offensive teams.
* Fire Blast allows Arceus-Dark to OHKO Mega Lucario and deal with certain Steel-types that would annoy it, such as Klefki, Magearna, and Ferrothorn.
* Thunder can be used on the Calm Mind set to smack Primal Kyogre and Ho-Oh for decent damage as well as do increased damage against Yveltal.
* Roar can be used on the Calm Mind set to avoid Calm Mind wars against other Arceus-Dark and prevent Xerneas from setting up.
* Thunder Wave is a decent option to cripple Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy on the switch in; Ground-types usually do not switch directly into Arceus-Dark, so using it is fairly safe.
* Dark Pulse is an alternative Dark-type STAB move, having a useful 20% flinch chance. However, it is significantly weaker than Judgment.
* Focus Blast OHKOes Tyranitar and Darkrai after a Calm Mind boost.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Xerneas, Clefable, Arceus-Fairy, and Magearna wall Arceus-Dark and KO it easily with Fairy-type STAB moves. Magearna can also use Heart Swap to completely shut down the Calm Mind set and is immune to Toxic and Sludge Bomb. Klefki can set up Spikes on Arceus-Dark and hit it hard with Play Rough, but Arceus-Dark's Prankster immunity means that Klefki cannot defeat Arceus-Dark by itself. Tapu Koko cannot switch into Judgment too many times, but it can use Taunt to stop Arceus-Dark from recovering HP and weaken it significantly with Nature's Madness.
**Fighting-types**: Mega Lucario and Blaziken can easily set up on Arceus-Dark and OHKO it with Fighting-type STAB moves, though their low bulk means they should avoid switching directly into Judgment too many times. Pheromosa outspeeds Arceus-Dark and easily OHKOes it with High Jump Kick. Buzzwole has Roost and just enough special bulk to withstand Arceus-Dark's Judgment, taking it down with Toxic and Hammer Arm. Though it is uncommon, Arceus-Fighting is a solid answer to Arceus-Dark due to its bulk and type advantage.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh has the raw special bulk to shrug off Judgment, hitting Arceus-Dark back with a powerful Sacred Fire or Brave Bird or phazing it with Whirlwind.
**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar takes very little damage from Arceus-Dark's Judgment and can take it down in return with Toxic or Low Kick.
**Blissey**: If Blissey carries Snatch, it can defeat even Refresh Calm Mind Arceus-Dark courtesy of Toxic and its massive special bulk.
**Darkrai**: Darkrai resists Judgment, is faster than Arceus-Dark, and can defeat it with a Nasty Plot-boosted Focus Blast. However, Darkrai's relatively low bulk means it cannot switch in repeatedly.
**Toxapex**: Toxapex can use Haze to block Arceus-Dark's sweeping attempts, then punish it with Toxic Spikes.
**Alolan Muk**: Alolan Muk doesn't take much damage from Arceus-Dark's attacks and can annoy it with poison or Clear Smog, though it usually cannot defeat Arceus-Dark by itself unless it's running a specialized set.
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