Furai
we will become who we are meant to be
Code:
[B][U]QC checks:[/U][/B] syrim, Donkey, Theorymon, Melee Mewtwo[B][4/3]
[U]GP checks:[/U][/B] Rohail, GatoDelFuego [B][2/2][/B]
<p>The fifth generation was definitely not kind to Pokemon's sovereign of speed. Newcomers with fantastic abilities—Prankster and Magic Bounce, the former used by Thundurus-I and Sabeleye, and the latter used by Xatu and Espeon—mess with the alien in its Speed forme. Additionally, BW brought Team Preview with it, drastically hindering Deoxys-S's main role as a lead, as your foe can simply change its lineup order to effectively counter Deoxys-S's attempts. Lack of offensive prowess also puts Deoxys-S in a disadvantage versus most of Ubers's threats. Yet, Deoxys-S still remains one of the best leads in the game. With a gigantic arsenal of support moves, such as Stealth Rock, Spikes, Magic Coat, Taunt, Reflect, and Light Screen, under its belt, Deoxys is a real team player. Its Speed stat is unmatched and allows it to outspeed Ubers's finest Choice Scarf users, Genesect and Palkia. Play carefully with or against Deoxys-S, as with every turn that goes by, another layer of entry hazards is set or another turn of a screen is wasted.</p>
[SET]
name: Hazard Lead
move 1: Spikes / Stealth Rock
move 2: Magic Coat / Stealth Rock
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Fire Punch
item: Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Faster than the entire game, has access to two forms of entry hazards, can combat opposing entry hazard leads with Magic Coat and Taunt—what more can you ask for? Deoxys-S is the epitome of Pokemon's entry hazard leads, and because of that, this is what you'd call Deoxys-S's standard set. As Deoxys-S is faster than Genesect, a commonly seen Choice Scarf user, it can utilize Fire Punch to leave a huge dent in Genesect, as it only has 12.5% chance to survive. Taunt and Magic Coat are mainly to combat opposing entry hazard leads. However, both come with a bonus: Taunt stops setup boosters like Arceus and Rayquaza and Magic Coat can play mindgames with opposing Deoxys-S and cripple Prankster users, namely Tornadus, Thundurus, and Sableye. Spikes is a fantastic entry hazard that many teams appreciate, and allows many Pokemon to sweep effectively. Stealth Rock is another entry hazard Deoxys-S gets access to, however, it is less preferred as Stealth Rock is not a rare sight in many other Pokemon's movepools. Fire Punch is better than Hidden Power Fire, as it will do more damage to Excadrill, a common spinner.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>252 Attack EVs are used to score an OHKO on Genesect 87.5% of the time. 252 Speed EVs allow Deoxys-S be faster than every other Pokemon in the game, and Speed tie with opposing Deoxys-S if needed. The leftover 4 EVs are dropped into Defense to grant Genesect a Special Attack boost, which will allow Deoxys-S to tank U-turn better. Feel free to move the 252 EVs from Attack to HP to increase Deoxys-S's bulk, and it doing so, use Stealth Rock in Fire Punch's moveslot. Deoxys-S's bulk is often underestimated; With a little defensive investment, it can avoid the 2HKO from positive-natured Giratina-O's Shadow Sneak. To achieve this, Deoxys-S will need to use Impish nature with 252 HP and 148 Defense EVs and Leftovers as its item. If interested in special bulk as well, 252 HP and 92 SpD EVs will allow Deoxys-S to tank maximum invested neutral-natured Giratina-O's Draco Meteor without a Focus Sash. If you use a bulky spread and are interested in Stealth Rock, you should use it over one of the last two moves listed on the set.</p>
<p>Rocky Helmet can be used as an item to defeat Custap Berry leads, mainly Forretress, and get pinch damage on physical attackers. However, this item is extremely situational and will often result in just a single layer of entry hazards instead of multiple. You can sacrifice a move from the ones listed above, but generally the others are more effective and make Deoxys-S harder to play the mindgames against. Leppa Berry, while also extremely situational, can be used to win PP wars against opposing Deoxys-S and other Magic Coat Pokemon, as it restores PP. Lastly, Mental Herb can be used to cure Taunt.</p>
<p>ExtremeSpeed can be used to have a shot at preventing Forretress's Custap Berry activation, as Fire Punch damages it right into the activation range. ExtremeSpeed's new mechanics allow Deoxys-S to bypass Forretress's Custap Berry-influenced moves. Dark Pulse is a possibility to hit opposing Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, and Mewtwo. It also hits Espeon and Xatu for a 2HKO, which think they can use their ability to take on Deoxys-S. Its flinch rate might also be useful, as Deoxys-S is the fastest Pokemon in the game. The combination of ExtremeSpeed and Dark Pulse can be used to take out opposing Deoxys-S and Deoxys-A leads as well. Superpower can nuke Tyranitar, Darkrai, and Dialga and get some damage on Arceus. Psycho Boost is Deoxys-S's strongest attack, and it can be utilized to leave dents in Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. Ice Beam can be used to hit Salamence, Rayquaza, and Groudon for some damage, but other than these targets it's fairly useless and weak. Hidden Power Fire can be used to hit Skarmory and Forretress harder, but as mentioned, Fire Punch is generally better as it comes with the bonus of hitting Excadrill. Skill Swap is another cool move to render switch-ins such as Xatu, Espeon, and Sableye useless, as they rely on their ability to defeat Deoxys-S. A moveset of one entry hazard and three attacks or two entry hazards and two attacks of the aforementioned ones can be used to have some coverage, but Deoxys-S will not be able to keep entry hazards off your side of the field.</p>
<p>Priority users, such as Giratina-O, Rayquaza, and Arceus, are this set's biggest nightmare. They hit strong enough to 2HKO Deoxys-S, limiting it to only a single layer of hazards. Darkrai and Dialga can tear Giratina-O apart, Genesect can beat Rayquaza with Ice Beam, and Terrakion can beat Rayquaza and Arceus. Ghost Arceus is capable of beating all three while also spinblocking for Deoxys-S, but it will take severe damage, especially from Rayquaza. Tentacruel is a complete stop to this set as it can beat Deoxys-S with Scald and Rapid Spin away the precious hazards it has worked hard for. Earthquake Giratina-O can spinblock for Deoxys-S and 2HKO Tentacruel. While Groudon cannot spinblock, it is capable of OHKOing Tentacruel and laying down Stealth Rock. Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus excel as spinblockers in order to preserve Deoxys-S work, especially if it's not using a Fire-type move.</p>
[SET]
name: Dual Screens
move 1: Reflect
move 2: Light Screen
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Stealth Rock / Fire Punch
item: Light Clay
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Like the previous set, Deoxys-S utilizes its gigantic Speed stat in order to aid teams, however, this set is meant to aid hyper offensive teams more than balanced teams. Hyper offensive teams use the pressure created by multiple setup sweepers in order to overwhelm the opponent's team with boosted attacks. Thus, the combination of Reflect and Light Screen is perfect for said teams. By halving the power of opponent's attacks for eight turns with Light Clay, Deoxys-S grants its teammates enough time to set up and pull off a sweep. Taunt is used to stop opposing setup sweepers like Rayquaza and Arceus. Stealth Rock is the most basic entry hazard and is necessary for offensive teams in order to break Focus Sash users and get pinch damage. Fire Punch can be used to severely damage Forretress and Genesect.</p>
[ADITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs with Jolly nature grant Deoxys-S as much bulk as possible and allow it to outspeed the entire game, both of which allow it to set up at least one screen. Focus Sash can be used to ensure the setup of both screens, however, if you use moves properly (set up the screen which halves the power of your opponent's moves), you will ensure Deoxys-S has enough time to set up both. Magic Coat can be used to beat opposing Taunt users, such as opposing Deoxys-S or Sableye, but hyper offensive teams appreciate the full stop of entry hazard or setup Pokemon more. Spikes is an option over Stealth Rock if you can find a member on your team to use it. However, most of the hyper offensive teams are fast-paced and don't have the time to set up Spikes. Moreover, Spikes takes away turns from dual screens.</p>
<p>As mentioned before, setup sweepers pair best with this set. Arceus formes, Rayquaza, Terrakion, Groudon, Darkrai, Mewtwo, Omastar, Kabutops, Landorus-T, Zekrom, Bisharp, Cloyster, and Excadrill are all superb setup sweepers in the Ubers metagame that can wreak havoc once boosted. Gorebyss can use the screens to boost her subpar bulk in order to get a Shell Smash boost under her belt and pass it to some other sweeper.</p>
[SET]
name: TrickScarf
move 1: Trick
move 2: Spikes
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Fire Punch / Superpower
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 HP / 148 Def / 100 SpD / 8 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Deoxys-S's Speed makes it viable as a Choice Scarf user. Yes, this is no joke. The same way you did not see this coming, your opponent will not as well! Thanks to its unparalleled Speed, when equipped with Choice Scarf, it is almost guaranteed that Deoxys-S will move first, allowing it to Trick away its Choice Scarf to an opposing lead, or, more importantly, an enemy setup sweeper. Trick helps Deoxys-S buy time to set up Spikes on a Choice-locked setup move, such as Rock Polish or Stealth Rock. Even without Tricking away its Choice Scarf, Deoxys-S can use the bulk it now has to just rapidly stack up Spikes. Taunt also helps in shutting the locked Pokemon down completely, forcing them to use Struggle. It also helps stop opposing entry hazard leads, such as Deoxys-S, Forretress, or Froslass. Fire Punch allows Deoxys-S to get damage on Genesect and other entry hazard Pokemon, such as Forretress and Ferrothorn. However, Superpower helps Deoxys-S get damage on Darkrai, Tyranitar, and Dialga, which can come in handy.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread might look a bit weird, but it has its purposes. 252 HP with 100 SpD EVs allows Deoxys-S to tank maximum invested Giratina-O's Draco Meteor and maximum invested neutral-natured Lustrous Orb Palkia's Hydro Pump out of rain, while maximum invested neutral-natured non-Life Orb Darkrai's Dark Pulse only has 12.5% chance to OHKO. Jolly nature and 8 Speed EVs allow Deoxys-S do some crazy stuff. With Choice Scarf still active, Deoxys-S will still outspeed +2 positive-natured Rayquaza and +3 neutral-natured Blaziken. Without Choice Scarf, it still outspeeds Choice Scarfed base 90s such as Kyogre and Dialga, +2 Beartic, and +2 Omastar.</p>
<p>There are a couple of alternate moves you can use in the last slot. Ice Punch can be used to hit Rayquaza, Salamence, and many other Dragon-type Pokemon lurking in Ubers for super effective damage. Stealth Rock can be used to have another entry hazard on Deoxys-S, but due to Choice Scarf, dual entry hazards won't work properly.</p>
<p>Some sort of entry hazard control is actually needed for this set. Deoxys-S might Trick its item onto an opponent that will use Spikes, and while it can effectively Taunt, a layer of entry hazards is already up. Moreover, if you choose to initiate a stack war, both sides will end with three layers of Spikes on their side. Excadrill is an amazing partner for this reason as it can also set up Stealth Rock. If choosing the Taunt route, Groudon and Dialga are excellent picks, as they can lay down Stealth Rock as well and eliminate opposing Spikers with Fire Punch and Fire Blast, respectively. A spinblocker is advised as well, so Giratina-O and Ghost Arceus make fine partners, as they can also make use of Deoxys-S's Spikes by shuffling or aiding for sweep, respectively. Once again, setup partners love entry hazards, so Arceus formes, Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and Darkrai are all excellent choices.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>An offensive set with Life Orb as its item consisting moves such as Psycho Boost, Ice Beam, Superpower, Grass Knot, Thunder, Dark Pulse, Hidden Power Fire, or Fire Punch can be used in order to make use of Deoxys-S's ridiculously high Speed stat, which allows it to outpace common threats such as Mewtwo, Darkrai, Rayquaza, and all Choice Scarf users up to base 100 Speed. Nasty Plot can be used to boost Deoxys-S's usable Special Attack, but it won't be able to find the time to boost and do enough damage. However, as mentioned before, Deoxys-S's offensive presence is lackluster, so you'd probably be better off using another attacker. Skill Swap can be used to catch Magic Bounce and Prankster users, such as Xatu, Espeon, and Sableye on the switch, making Deoxys-S's job much easier to do. Counter and Magic Coat help Deoxys-S use its mediocre bulk and lack of offensive prowess in order to eliminate certain targets or U-turn switches, but require a decent amount of prediction.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Due to Deoxys-S's lack of offensive presence, countering it pretty much means to not enable it from setting up multiple layers of entry hazards. Therefore, Xatu makes a phenomenal counter (as long as Deoxys-S doesn't have Skill Swap!); it doesn't take much from Fire Punch, has Roost to recover lost damage, and thanks to its Magic Bounce ability, it completely messes Deoxys-S up by bouncing Taunt or entry hazards back. Espeon also has Magic Bounce which can be very useful if you manage to evade Fire Punch, as lack of recovery and lackluster defenses means that the damage will stack and Espeon will no longer be able to do its job. Tentacruel is also a brilliant way to beat Deoxys-S. Thanks to its high Special Defense, it can easily shrug many Psycho Boosts, it resists Fire Punch, carries Rapid Spin, and if rain is up, it can gain lost health back quickly.</p>
<p>Magic Bounce, however, is not the only new ability the fifth generation has brought. Prankster users now have priority for non-attacking moves, making Taunt usually go first. Thus, Tornadus-I, Thundurus-I, and Sableye are brilliant ways to attempt to block Deoxys-S's attempts. Be wary though, Deoxys-S can use Magic Coat to bounce back Taunt, throwing your attempts to waste. Another extremely effective way to limit Deoxys-S's setup turns is by utilizing priority. Giratina-O's Shadow Sneak is a guaranteed 2HKO, whereas Deoxys-S cannot do much in return. ExtremeSpeed Rayquaza or Arceus formes are also effective, as thanks to the Fire-type resistance or high bulk, Deoxys-S won't do much in return. Scizor does not like Fire Punch but Deoxys-S does not OHKO 200 HP variants, whereas they 2HKO with Bullet Punch. All of the aforementioned priority users are also capable of finishing off a weakened Deoxys-S.</p>
<p>Dedicated anti-leads like Froslass, Deoxys-A, and Cloyster are capable of limiting Deoxys-S to a single layer of entry hazards. Tyranitar, while not liking Superpower, brings Deoxys-S down to its Focus Sash with its STAB Crunch, and thanks to its Sand Stream ability, sandstorm damage finishes Deoxys-S off. A Magic Coat coming from Pokemon such as Arceus, Giratina-O, Latias, Latios, and Mewtwo can surprise Deoxys-S and bounce back its moves. Opposing Deoxys formes can also run Magic Coat, engaging a mindgame each turn. Deoxys-S's high base Speed means that if you want to revenge kill it with a Choice Scarf user, you can't just use any ordinary one. Common users of Choice Scarf such as Salamence, Palkia, and Genesect are outsped. For a Choice Scarf Pokemon to outspeed Deoxys-S, it must have a Speed stat of more than 337. This means that Terrakion, Mewtwo, Shaymin-S, and Darkrai all outspeed Deoxys-S with a Choice Scarf equipped.</p>
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