Taken over from GtM.
[Overview]
<p>In this forme, The Creator descends from the heavens itself to smite the evil and unjust with His extraordinarily powerful Judgment. Flying Arceus is not common due to two major downfalls. The first one is a weakness to Stealth Rock; taking 25% each time Arceus switches in is not pleasant. However, Arceus doesn't take any damage from Spikes or get poisoned by Toxic Spikes, which makes Him an efficient stall-breaker. The second one is that Flying is a poor defensive typing, having no real resistances besides Fighting and an immunity to Ground. However, Arceus's STAB Flying-type attacks are only resisted by a few Pokemon in this metagame; the common ones are Dialga, Zekrom, Tyranitar, and Jirachi. Whilst other Flying-types, such as Ho-Oh and Shaymin-S, might seem to outclass Arceus in the role of an offensive Flying-type due to their abilities and better STAB combinations, Flying Arceus is the only Flying-type that can reliably boost His offenses to tremendous levels. Furthermore, Arceus possesses great overall bulk. After a Calm Mind or two, even super effective moves will fail to dent Him, and few Pokemon will be able to stand up before His wrath.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Refresh / Earth Power
move 4: Recover
item: Sky Plate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The main advantages of using Flying Arceus over other Arceus formes, or other Flying-types for that matter, are its excellent mono-attacking STAB and the ability to further boost its power. Many of the Steel-types in the tier, such as Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Scizor, have a secondary typing that makes them vulnerable to Judgment and allows Arceus to capitalize on its Flying-type STAB quite effectively. Arceus outspeeds the vast majority of the Uber tier and has great power and coverage with a single move, so it can easily wreak havoc if left unchallenged.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Arceus's Flying typing gives it an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness. However, thanks to its incredible overall bulk and access to Recover, this problem is somewhat mitigated. Arceus can augment its bulk further by using Refresh to prevent opponents from crippling it with status, and subsequently outstalling it. However, if you prefer better offensive coverage to the ability to alleviate status, Earth Power is a viable option that can score a neutral hit on almost every Pokemon in the tier that resists Flying-type attacks. Foes that resist this Flying / Ground combination, such as Skarmory and Thundurus, are both outsped and 2HKOed by Arceus's +1 Judgment.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Arceus has a fairly poor defensive typing but an excellent offensive STAB, and the given set of EVs complement this by maximizing Arceus's Special Attack and Speed, which allows it to outspeed the majority of the metagame. A Modest nature can also be used, which leaves Arceus enough Speed to Speed-tie with positive natured base 105 Speed Pokemon whilst giving a buff to Arceus's Special Attacks. However, Speed-tying with other Arceus variants can be very important depending on your team, so a Timid nature is the primary option.</p>
<p>Flying Arceus can also use various coverage moves to complement its STAB. Focus Blast deals more damage to Dialga and Tyranitar than Earth Power, OHKOes offensive Dialga, and, with a Calm mind boost, manages the OHKO on specially defensive Tyranitar in Sandstorm. However, the low accuracy and inability to hit Zekrom hard make it a somewhat inferior option. Surf and Fire Blast can also be useful options when supported by rain or sun, respectively. Both moves sport impressive base power, but don't have exceptional coverage. If you are comfortable using Judgment as Arceus's sole offensive move, Will-O-Wisp can be a useful support option, as it enables Arceus to deal with physically based threats, such as Groudon and Zekrom, more effectively. It also prevents Tyranitar from doing much to Arceus, as the former almost never runs Stone Edge.</p>
<p>In terms of team support, Flying Arceus appreciates Rapid Spin support from the likes of Forretress and Excadrill, as Stealth Rock strips off 25% of Arceus's health every time it switches in and can hamper its ability to tank hits while boosting. If you're running a mono-attacking set, Groudon can be a very helpful teammate, as it can check all the Pokemon that give Flying Arceus trouble with its STAB Earthquake. Stealth Rock support from Groudon also helps Arceus secure some 2HKOs and OHKOs. In addition, the sun that Groudon summons reduces the accuracy of Thunder, which might otherwise deal significant damage to Arceus.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Flying Arceus can also run a Swords Dance set somewhat effectively, using Fly and Earthquake for coverage, but this is largely outclassed by Normal Arceus and its STAB ExtremeSpeed. Furthermore, the fact that Fly takes two turns to execute makes it much easier for opponents to switch in checks, such as Dialga and Skarmory, and neutralize Arceus's efforts. With Toxic Spikes support, however, Arceus can stall for more residual damage while it is up in the sky, which causes the opponent to lose health much faster. Otherwise, shoehorning Flying Arceus into other roles simply highlights its poor defensive typing; if you're looking for a bulky supporter that deals with Groudon, Grass Arceus is far superior.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The mono-attacking set is wrecked by Zekrom, who can take even a +4 Judgment if necessary and OHKO Arceus with Bolt Strike or Fusion Bolt. Tyranitar can wall this set to infinity and beyond, although it can't do much in return to Arceus if it lacks Stone Edge. A +6 Judgment can 2HKO specially defensive Tyranitar, however, so if you want to counter Flying Arceus successfully, Stone Edge is mandatory. Skarmory takes 58% maximum from a +2 Judgment, which allows it to Toxic or phaze Flying Arceus, out and then Roost off the damage. Bronzong falls into the same category. It can set up Light Screen in front of Arceus and Toxic it while shrugging off hits with ease. Unfortunately, Bronzong is not capable of phazing. Jirachi can shrug off as well most of Arceus's attack, paralyze it, and proceed to hit it with Iron Head or recover health by using Wish. However, it has to be wary of Earth Power. Chansey and Blissey can also wall Arceus, but it can set up on them if it has Refresh. A +6 Judgment comes close to OHKOing physically defensive Blissey, and will 2HKO specially defensive Chansey. It's only wise to use these as checks should Arceus lack Refresh, or should you be using Snatch or Calm Mind. Choice Scarf Terrakion outspeeds Flying Arceus and has a 79.49% chance to OHKO with Stone Edge, Stealth Rock taken into account. Ho-Oh needs Stealth Rock off the field in order to reliably counter Flying Arceus, as the rainbow phoenix is 2HKOed by +1 Judgment, and can only OHKO with sun-boosted Sacred Fire if Stealth Rock is down. Choice Scarf Palkia can 2HKO Flying Arceus with rain-boosted Surf and the aid of Stealth Rock, even if Arceus sets up a Calm Mind as Palkia uses Surf. Thundurus can take a +1 Judgment and OHKO back with a super effective Thunder, but again, only with Stealth Rock damage. Steel, Electric, and Rock Arceus also pose significant threats, taking little damage from Judgment, using Flying Arceus as set up bait, and threatening to KO with their own STAB Judgment.</p>
Code:
[B]QC checks:[/B] trickroom, Fireburn
[B]GP checks:[/B] NixHex, V0x (+ November Blue, and barry4ever)
[B]AF Checks:[/B] shrang, barry4ever, bojangles<p>In this forme, The Creator descends from the heavens itself to smite the evil and unjust with His extraordinarily powerful Judgment. Flying Arceus is not common due to two major downfalls. The first one is a weakness to Stealth Rock; taking 25% each time Arceus switches in is not pleasant. However, Arceus doesn't take any damage from Spikes or get poisoned by Toxic Spikes, which makes Him an efficient stall-breaker. The second one is that Flying is a poor defensive typing, having no real resistances besides Fighting and an immunity to Ground. However, Arceus's STAB Flying-type attacks are only resisted by a few Pokemon in this metagame; the common ones are Dialga, Zekrom, Tyranitar, and Jirachi. Whilst other Flying-types, such as Ho-Oh and Shaymin-S, might seem to outclass Arceus in the role of an offensive Flying-type due to their abilities and better STAB combinations, Flying Arceus is the only Flying-type that can reliably boost His offenses to tremendous levels. Furthermore, Arceus possesses great overall bulk. After a Calm Mind or two, even super effective moves will fail to dent Him, and few Pokemon will be able to stand up before His wrath.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Refresh / Earth Power
move 4: Recover
item: Sky Plate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>The main advantages of using Flying Arceus over other Arceus formes, or other Flying-types for that matter, are its excellent mono-attacking STAB and the ability to further boost its power. Many of the Steel-types in the tier, such as Ferrothorn, Forretress, and Scizor, have a secondary typing that makes them vulnerable to Judgment and allows Arceus to capitalize on its Flying-type STAB quite effectively. Arceus outspeeds the vast majority of the Uber tier and has great power and coverage with a single move, so it can easily wreak havoc if left unchallenged.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Arceus's Flying typing gives it an unfortunate Stealth Rock weakness. However, thanks to its incredible overall bulk and access to Recover, this problem is somewhat mitigated. Arceus can augment its bulk further by using Refresh to prevent opponents from crippling it with status, and subsequently outstalling it. However, if you prefer better offensive coverage to the ability to alleviate status, Earth Power is a viable option that can score a neutral hit on almost every Pokemon in the tier that resists Flying-type attacks. Foes that resist this Flying / Ground combination, such as Skarmory and Thundurus, are both outsped and 2HKOed by Arceus's +1 Judgment.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Arceus has a fairly poor defensive typing but an excellent offensive STAB, and the given set of EVs complement this by maximizing Arceus's Special Attack and Speed, which allows it to outspeed the majority of the metagame. A Modest nature can also be used, which leaves Arceus enough Speed to Speed-tie with positive natured base 105 Speed Pokemon whilst giving a buff to Arceus's Special Attacks. However, Speed-tying with other Arceus variants can be very important depending on your team, so a Timid nature is the primary option.</p>
<p>Flying Arceus can also use various coverage moves to complement its STAB. Focus Blast deals more damage to Dialga and Tyranitar than Earth Power, OHKOes offensive Dialga, and, with a Calm mind boost, manages the OHKO on specially defensive Tyranitar in Sandstorm. However, the low accuracy and inability to hit Zekrom hard make it a somewhat inferior option. Surf and Fire Blast can also be useful options when supported by rain or sun, respectively. Both moves sport impressive base power, but don't have exceptional coverage. If you are comfortable using Judgment as Arceus's sole offensive move, Will-O-Wisp can be a useful support option, as it enables Arceus to deal with physically based threats, such as Groudon and Zekrom, more effectively. It also prevents Tyranitar from doing much to Arceus, as the former almost never runs Stone Edge.</p>
<p>In terms of team support, Flying Arceus appreciates Rapid Spin support from the likes of Forretress and Excadrill, as Stealth Rock strips off 25% of Arceus's health every time it switches in and can hamper its ability to tank hits while boosting. If you're running a mono-attacking set, Groudon can be a very helpful teammate, as it can check all the Pokemon that give Flying Arceus trouble with its STAB Earthquake. Stealth Rock support from Groudon also helps Arceus secure some 2HKOs and OHKOs. In addition, the sun that Groudon summons reduces the accuracy of Thunder, which might otherwise deal significant damage to Arceus.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Flying Arceus can also run a Swords Dance set somewhat effectively, using Fly and Earthquake for coverage, but this is largely outclassed by Normal Arceus and its STAB ExtremeSpeed. Furthermore, the fact that Fly takes two turns to execute makes it much easier for opponents to switch in checks, such as Dialga and Skarmory, and neutralize Arceus's efforts. With Toxic Spikes support, however, Arceus can stall for more residual damage while it is up in the sky, which causes the opponent to lose health much faster. Otherwise, shoehorning Flying Arceus into other roles simply highlights its poor defensive typing; if you're looking for a bulky supporter that deals with Groudon, Grass Arceus is far superior.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>The mono-attacking set is wrecked by Zekrom, who can take even a +4 Judgment if necessary and OHKO Arceus with Bolt Strike or Fusion Bolt. Tyranitar can wall this set to infinity and beyond, although it can't do much in return to Arceus if it lacks Stone Edge. A +6 Judgment can 2HKO specially defensive Tyranitar, however, so if you want to counter Flying Arceus successfully, Stone Edge is mandatory. Skarmory takes 58% maximum from a +2 Judgment, which allows it to Toxic or phaze Flying Arceus, out and then Roost off the damage. Bronzong falls into the same category. It can set up Light Screen in front of Arceus and Toxic it while shrugging off hits with ease. Unfortunately, Bronzong is not capable of phazing. Jirachi can shrug off as well most of Arceus's attack, paralyze it, and proceed to hit it with Iron Head or recover health by using Wish. However, it has to be wary of Earth Power. Chansey and Blissey can also wall Arceus, but it can set up on them if it has Refresh. A +6 Judgment comes close to OHKOing physically defensive Blissey, and will 2HKO specially defensive Chansey. It's only wise to use these as checks should Arceus lack Refresh, or should you be using Snatch or Calm Mind. Choice Scarf Terrakion outspeeds Flying Arceus and has a 79.49% chance to OHKO with Stone Edge, Stealth Rock taken into account. Ho-Oh needs Stealth Rock off the field in order to reliably counter Flying Arceus, as the rainbow phoenix is 2HKOed by +1 Judgment, and can only OHKO with sun-boosted Sacred Fire if Stealth Rock is down. Choice Scarf Palkia can 2HKO Flying Arceus with rain-boosted Surf and the aid of Stealth Rock, even if Arceus sets up a Calm Mind as Palkia uses Surf. Thundurus can take a +1 Judgment and OHKO back with a super effective Thunder, but again, only with Stealth Rock damage. Steel, Electric, and Rock Arceus also pose significant threats, taking little damage from Judgment, using Flying Arceus as set up bait, and threatening to KO with their own STAB Judgment.</p>
