Deoxys-Attack [QC 3/3][GP 3/3]

[Checkmater]

[OVERVIEW]
Possessing high Attack and Speed stats along with access to a powerful STAB move in Psycho Boost, Deoxys-A fits very well on hyper offense teams as a check to fast Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Mega Diancie. Its Psycho Boost hits most threats neutrally, which, when combined with Fighting-type coverage, covers a significant portion of the metagame. On the other hand, Deoxys-A has a poor matchup against Mega Kangaskhan, which threatens Deoxys-A with Fake Out and can also OHKO it through its Focus Sash with a Parental Bond-boosted Sucker Punch. In addition, Psycho Boost and Superpower lower Deoxys-A's damage output, making it a poor answer to bulkier threats in the metagame. Its extremely poor defenses leave it susceptible to even the weakest of moves and force it to run Focus Sash to compensate for them. Deoxys-A is especially vulnerable to priority attacks, as they will bring it down to its Focus Sash or finish it off after its Focus Sash has been broken before it can move. Opposing speed control such as Trick Room, Tailwind, and Thunder Wave take away Deoxys-A's Speed, which is its biggest asset.

[SET]
name: Fast Mixed Attacker
move 1: Psycho Boost
move 2: Superpower
move 3: Extreme Speed / Knock Off
move 4: Detect
item: Focus Sash
ability: Pressure
nature: Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Psycho Boost OHKOes most Pokemon that it hits neutrally, except for particularly bulky Pokemon such as Suicune and Zapdos. Superpower lets Deoxys-A cover Steel- and Dark-types such as Heatran, Bisharp, and Hydreigon, which resist or are immune to Psycho Boost. Extreme Speed is a +2 priority move, which allows Deoxys-A to move before opposing priority moves, such as Sucker Punch, Talonflame's Brave Bird, and Thundurus's Thunder Wave, letting Deoxys-A revenge kill these priority users or at least deal damage to them before it faints. Knock Off is an option that enables Deoxys-A to hit Psychic-types such as Latios and Cresselia as well as Aegislash, which resists Psycho Boost and is immune to Superpower. Detect is an all-around good move in Doubles OU, allowing Deoxys-A to avoid being targeted while its partner maneuvers to improve the position for it. In addition, Detect can be used to stall out field conditions such as weather, Trick Room, and Tailwind.

Set Details
========
Maximizing Special Attack enables Deoxys-A's Psycho Boost to deal the most damage possible. A Naive nature and maximum Speed EVs let Deoxys-A outspeed Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T and some +1 Pokemon, such as Blaziken and Volcarona. The remaining 4 EVs are put into Attack for a slight boost to Deoxys-A's physical moves. An alternative EV spread of 48 Atk / 208 SpA / 252 Spe guarantees an OHKO on Hydreigon with Superpower, and another EV spread of 112 Atk / 144 SpA / 252 Spe can be used to OHKO Latios with Knock Off.

Usage Tips
========
Deoxys-A's extremely poor bulk means that it can't switch in on any opposing moves, so bring it into play primarily as a lead or after a teammate faints. Deoxys-A works best against other hyper offense teams, as it is the fastest viable Pokemon in the metagame, outspeeding and KOing many Pokemon before they can act, so utilize it to keep opposing offensive threats such as Keldeo and Landorus-T out of the fight. Avoid using Deoxys-A to confront bulky threats it has difficulty breaking down such as Suicune and Aegislash. In addition, Deoxys-A needs to avoid opposing speed control effects such as Trick Room, Tailwind, and Thunder Wave, as these cripple its offensive pressure by forcing it to move slower. Keep it paired with offensively focused Pokemon so that it can maintain the offensive pressure necessary to keep the opposing team at bay in terms of momentum. When using Deoxys-A be conscious of how the stat drops from Psycho Boost, Superpower, and Intimidate severely cripple its damage output; switching it out allows it to restore its damage output when necessary or convenient. Be aware that that possible chip damage from switch-ins with Rocky Helmet or Iron Barbs can break Deoxys-A's Focus Sash or KO it after it has used its Focus Sash should it hit the switch-in with Superpower or Extreme Speed.

Team Options
========
Deoxys-A appreciates being paired with offensive Pokemon such as Keldeo and Talonflame, which can keep up offensive pressure and appreciate its ability to threaten foes like Mega Diancie. In addition, Pokemon that appreciate Choice Scarf Landorus-T removed, such as Mega Charizard Y and Mega Diancie, greatly benefit from having Deoxys-A as a partner. Fake Out users such as Mega Kangaskhan complement Deoxys-A greatly, as it appreciates the free turn that Fake Out provides. Pokemon like Keldeo have good matchups against Aegislash and Mega Kangaskhan, two of Deoxys-A's biggest threats. Keldeo not only can 2HKO Aegislash with Hydro Pump and OHKO Mega Kangaskhan with Secret Sword but also can support Deoxys-A with Quick Guard or Taunt, depending on the set, which alleviates Deoxys-A's weaknesses to priority moves or Trick Room, respectively. Ghost-types such as Aegislash and Gengar help Deoxys-A against Psychic-types such as Jirachi and Cresselia as well as opposing Aegislash. Redirectors such as Amoonguss and Jirachi alleviate Deoxys-A's frailty while also having good matchups against bulkier threats that it struggles against. In addition, they appreciate Deoxys-A clearing offensive threats out of the way.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ice Beam is an option that OHKOes Landorus-T without dropping Deoxys-A's Special Attack like Psycho Boost does. However, the other coverage options typically work better for either giving Deoxys-A the ability to outprioritize other threats or helping it cover Aegislash and Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Jirachi. Life Orb greatly augments Deoxys-A's damage output, but forgoing Focus Sash sacrifices its ability to take a hit.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Typing Advantage**: Aegislash and Jirachi can both take Deoxys-A's Psychic- and Fighting-type moves easily and capitalize on its frailty.

**Speed**: Priority attacks such as Fake Out, Talonflame's Brave Bird, and Mega Kangaskhan's Sucker Punch go before Deoxys-A's attacks bar Extreme Speed, possibly KOing Deoxys-A or its partner before either of them can move. Certain very fast threats, most notably Jolly Choice Scarf Landorus-T, nullify Deoxys-A's most important advantage in its Speed; however, such fast threats are uncommon.

**Speed Control**: Tailwind, Trick Room, Thunder Wave, and Icy Wind all reduce Deoxys-A's offensive presence by forcing it to move slower, with Icy Wind breaking Deoxys-A's Focus Sash in the process.

**Intimidate and Burns**: While Psycho Boost is a special move, Deoxys-A still relies heavily on its physical attacks. As such, Intimidate and Will-O-Wisp users such as Landorus-T and Rotom-W, respectively, can heavily cripple it.

 

[Arcticblast]

I honestly don't think there's much of a reason to run max Speed Naive if you're not using Ice Beam; you simply get so much more power running a nature that boosts your Attack or SpA. I'd say slash it and maybe give Ice Beam a stronger mention. Looks good at a glance though

 

[Idyll]

252 SpA Deoxys-A Psycho Boost vs. 44 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 352-415 (106.6 - 125.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Considering Psycho Boost OHKOs Ice Beam's most notable target, I'd say Ice Beam is fine right where it is right now. Also reducing Speed sucks because you lose out on Adamant Scarf Lando-T i.e. a bad idea.

Also Superpower is non-negotiable and shouldn't be slashed with anything tbh. Knock Off should be slashed with ESpeed imo.

 

[Checkmater]

implemented

 

[Pastelle]

Where are the bullet points? Shouldn't this not be written up yet?

 

[Checkmater]

idk I was writing it and went too far I guess
I could seperate the setences back into bullets but it'd still be the same thing

 

[Pastelle]

Starting off in bullets makes it easier for QC to stop errors and crank out more checks since they won't have to read an essay in order to find every detail. I mean if the other QC members don't mind I guess its ok, but I would personally want it reverted back into bullets.

 

[Idyll]

I already said the same in chat yesterday, but this should be in bullet form. For readability's sake, at least.

 

[Checkmater]

sry Memoric I must've missed it or been being a tired fuckboy

implemented

 

[Pastelle]

If you're gonna make a deoxys lol joke in the title that's fine, but at least change to say Attack instead of Speed so there's no confusion of what Pokemon you're analyzing.

anyways here's so more #checks4check

Overview

• Stress how shit its defenses are by saying that it has some of the weakest defenses out of any viable DOU mon, leaving you no choice but to run Sash.
• To be honest the way you word the last bullet doesn't make much sense, but I do get what you're trying to say. Rephrase it to something like "Because Deoxys-A is unable to run Life Orb, it isn't always guaranteed to OHKO bulkier Pokemon, allowing them to retaliate hard."
• "Deoxys-Attack is primarily good for being a fast check to some of the fastest pokemon in the meta, such as Landorus-Therian or Diancie" should be a separate bullet

Moves

• Make Knock Off a separate bullet
• Specify in the ESpeed bullet that you're specifically talking about a Brave Bird from Talonflame and Sucker Punch from Kangaskhan (I'm assuming that was the mon you were referring to?)
• Combine the last two bullets, and change Protect to Detect in the descriptions so it matches the set.

Set Details

• Add a quick little bullet saying " The remaining 4 EVs are put into Attack to give a slight boost to it's physical attacks."

Usage Tips

• Talk about how Kang is literally Deo's worst enemy, as it's strong af and doesn't give two shits about Sash due to Parental Bond.

Team Options

• Give examples of offensive Pokemon in the first bullet. Some that come to mind are Talonflame and Lando-T

 

[Idyll]

^do that, including the title thing lol. My check at a later time

Don't do the Usage Tips above though, that's a Checks and Counters thing!

 

[Checkmater]

someone edited my title >.>

implemented

 

[Idyll]

QC

Overview

• First bullet and last bullet should be condensed. The last bullet, backed up by the first bullet's mentioning of its stats, show why it fits in HO. Also, mention what the move in question (Psycho Boost) is.
• "Good Coverage options that let Deoxys-Attack hit a majority of the metagame" Rephrase this to something about Psycho Boost alone being able to hit many foes hard, with coverage moves backing it up nicely or w/e
• "Not running Life Orb leaves Deoxys-Attack weaker than other offensive attackers such as Hydreigon and makes it unable to pick up KOs on bulkier targets." Get rid / fix of this point lol. I know what you're trying to say, but mentioning LO here is too specific. Just say that it can't take on bulkier foes effectively due to relying on burst power from stat-lowering moves rather than on consistent damage.
  • On a related note, it can be a good idea to make this flow with the Psycho / Superpowers drop bullet.
• "Psycho Boost drops and Superpower drops lower Deoxys-Attack's damage output after a few attacks" Not a few attacks. Either can lower Deo-A's damage output by just one use. Also, mention why this is a bad thing: practically takes away its offensive presence.
• "Speed Control such as Trick Room, Tailwind, or Thunder Wave absolutely destroys Deoxys-Attack's ability to threaten the opponent effectively." How? They take away its Speed advantage. Also, instead of saying "absolutely destroys" say that it "prevents it from being able to threaten..." Also use the word "opposing" as in "opposing speed control"

Moves

• ESpeed: Before you go specific, say that, in general, the move lets it beat opposing priority. Also, some mention of being able to get a last hit on faster foes (foes in speed control or something) is cool too!
  
• On another note, fix the order. The ESpeed bullet should come first, then the Knock Off bullet.
• You still have a Protect mention lol.\

Usage Tips

• Bullet 1: "...bring it in on a Pokemon on your team fainting." This sounds weird. Did you mean "switch it in after a teammate gets KOd" or something?
  
• "Deoxys-Attack works best against other Hyper-Offense Pokemon..." why? You said that it's essentially the fastest Pokemon in the meta, but that by itself is not convincing. Say that Deo-A is able to outspeed and OHKO common pokemon found on HO builds such as Landorus-T and Keldeo, making Deo-A an asset against the said matchup.
• "Avoid using Deoxys-Attack to confront bulky threats it has difficulty fighting such as Suicune or Aegislash." give a reason why
  
• "In addition, Deoxys-Attack needs to avoid opposing speed control effects such as Trick Room, Tailwind, and Thunder Wave." give a reason why (hint: overview)

Team Options

• "Deoxys-Attack appreciates being paired with offensive Pokemon that help it keep up offensive pressure." Examples EXAMPLES
  
• Also, you can probably add something about mons that appreciate the offensive pressure deo-a is able to provide. You could probably condense this with the above tag.

Checks and Counters

• Speed: Give some examples of priority attacks brother.
• Speed Control: Tell how these nullify Deo-A offensive pressure in the first place. TAKES AWAY ITS SPEED ADVANTAGE. Also where is Thunder Wave. Mention Icy Wind too.
• Intimidate and Burns: give me examples of things that can burn and intim respectively.

1/3

 

[Checkmater]

did this, forgot to hit save or update or w/e, forgot about it, did it again

implemented

 

[shaian]

[Overview]

- mention being weak to literally every priority move in the game here
- in your point about being weak to speed control also mention that its dependence on speed also gives it a much harder time vs scarfers than most mons

[Set Details]

- mention a spread thats +Atk / +SpA and enough Spe to outrun 130's (20 Atk / 252 SpA / 236 Spe) if you want slightly more power -> note that you should heavily emphasize that Deoxys typically wants the +Spe spread

[Usage Tips]

- "... bring it into play primarily to switch on a predicted switch" i get what this means, but if you wanna keep it in rephrase this because the wording is very messy -> also i think this is scenario is too risky to be mentioned, as you would have to be expecting either a) both the opposing mons to double switch, or b) one opposing pokemon to switch out and the other to attack the slot that you're not bringing deo-a in to or to set up in a way that deo still has the advantage in (ie not a substitute)

[Team Options]

- Mention some of the other benefits to each of these partners -> for example, Keldeo frequently uses taunt to combat opposing speed control, and also frequently uses Quick Guard which helps vs priority

 

[Checkmater]

only scarfer is like landot which deoxys-attack beats unless jolly which I mentioned but I feel isn't worth putting in overview?

can't rly think of any scarfers that deoxys-attack is afraid of that outspeed it that are metathreats enough to get a mention in the overview

also I feel like that spread doesn't deserve a mention

implemented the rest

 

[Idyll]

kyu-b is literally the only other scarfer lellers

agreeing that an offensive nature isn't worth it, too

 

[Checkmater]

combined bullets, made the overview a writeup, tried to improve word flow

written

 

[Idyll]

Not really checking this but this just stuck out to me:

• Speed tag, C&C: "Faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Jolly Landorus-Therian, while uncommon, are capable of out-speeding Deoxys-Attack."

I'm surprised a faster Pokemon can outspeed Deo-A!!! Find some way to reword what you're trying to say in this line l o l

 

[shaian]

prose could use a bit of work, but otherwise looks good for 2/3

 

[Idyll]

you're only at 2/3 wtf

 

[Checkmater]

Wtf shay said 3/3 beforehand

 

[shaian]

BECAUSE IT WAS MARKED 2/3 BEFORE I STAMPED IT SO I ASSUMED SOMEONE ALREADY GAVE IT 2/3 AND GAVE IT A 3/3 3:

 

[finally]

tfw youre writing an article on deo's brother
deoxys speed would be dissapointed

 

[Yoda2798]

Please don't change to 3/3 until officially stamped this time check :PPP. Also first official check as QC hype \o/. Tag me once you implement so I can stamp it, and so we can get this analysis done and dusted as soon as possible.

Overview

• Choice Scarf Landorus-T (you do say fast :P), Mega Diancie, Mega Kangaskhan
• "as any priority attack will break its sash" (just a little bit of prose :P)

Set Details

• Mention that an alternate EV spread of 48 Atk / 208 SpA / 252 Spe can be used to ensure that Superpower always OHKOes 4 HP Hydreigon, while also not missing out on any notable KOes with Psycho Boost.
• Remove mention of Choice Scarf Kyurem-B, as they always run +Speed nature to outspeed even Jolly Scarf Landorus-T, and so will also always outspeed Deoxys-Attack.
• You have an extra blank line here (lol not the biggest deal but still :P)

Usage Tips

• conscious not concious (:B)
  
• "switching out Deoxys-Attack to refresh its damage when necessary or convenient" - really not the best prose here at all tbh :/ change to "switching out Deoxys-Attack allows it to refresh its damage output when necessary or convenient" or something similar.
  
• Mention Rocky Helmet/Iron Barbs can also knock out Deoxys-Attack if it has already been brought down to sash.

Team Options

• Give some mention to redirectors such as Amoonguss, which can help alleviate Deo-A's frailty problem by taking attacks for it. Amoonguss is probably the best option, as it's the redirector least weak to Aegislash, while also performing well against the bulky Suicune and Zapdos which Deo-A cannot OHKO.
• Ghost-type, and add the hyphen in Psychic-type as well (:P)
• Change the second 'and' (the one just before Aegislash) to something like "as well as" since a double 'and' isn't the best (more prose :P)

Other Options

• Remove mention of Dark- and Steel-types for Ice Beam, as it would be used in the Extreme Speed/Knock Off slot, not Superpower slot. Replace with mention of Psychic-types and Aegislash instead (i.e. Knock Off), and providing useful priority (i.e. Extreme Speed).

Checks and Counters

• Psychic- and Fighting-type coverage (:B)
• Mega Kangaskhan, also add in 'most' before Deoxys Attack's attacks, as Extreme Speed is main set and out-prioritizes both of these moves.
• "by forcing it" (:P)
• Intimidate users and remove 'damage' at the end of the sentence as it's unnecessary fluff IMO (it also kind of implies its using physical non-damaging moves in a sense).