Tera Didn't Steal My Gig: Arceus's Adventures in National Dex Ubers

By bumboclaat. Released: 2025/07/31.
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Tera Didn't Steal My Gig: Arceus's Adventures in National Dex Ubers art

Art by Pissog.

Tera Didn't Steal My Gig: Arceus's Adventures in National Dex Ubers

The concept of a mandatory slot is blasphemous to modern tiering philosophy. A Pokémon threading the needle of being mandatory whilst providing a healthy presence is a near impossibility in modern generations. Hence, the "mandatory slot" is typically associated with bygone generations where the antiquity of these metagames provides an impenetrable barrier that even the most virulent policy review posters are unable to scratch. Although the mandatory slot does exist in some modern tiers, it exists exclusively within the domain of Ubers.

This is ostensibly due to Ubers's identity first and foremost as a ban list as opposed to a competitive tier. This mentality started shifting a decade ago with the release of Mega Rayquaza, but the vestiges continue to rear their head when discussing whether a Pokémon is too strong, even for Ubers. Despite being treated as a tier rather than a ban list, the power level deemed acceptable by the Ubers player base far exceeds other tiers. This leads to a level of centralization where some Pokémon can provide enough value to any team to be deemed "mandatory" such as Primal Groudon in ORAS and SM or Yveltal in SS.

National Dex Ubers is not the exception, as Primal Groudon is frequently touted as mandatory. Primal Groudon may be the undisputed best Pokémon in the tier, but calling it mandatory is often done so in service of time when talking to newer players, as successfully filling that hole requires metagame knowledge that inexperienced teambuilders do not yet have. In tournaments, Primal Groudon has 75% use—not 95% due to being a poor fit on hyper offense and stall.

The only truly ubiquitous Pokémon is Arceus. The inclusion of Arceus is such a foregone conclusion that "the Arceus slot" became part of our lexicon. Why? In short—flexibility. As this is an article, not a throwaway line on Discord, space and time are not a constraint. Arceus may be God, but the devil is in the details.

Why Arceus?

The world is a rapidly changing place where little is guaranteed. Consequently, we take solace in the few things that are: the sun will rise tomorrow, someone spouts utter tomfoolery in the OU discussion thread, and various Arceus formes litter the top of the viability rankings. Life may be increasingly complex, but every now and then it is important to appreciate the simple things in life and in Pokémon, and Arceus is chief among them. In a world where Pokémon have multiple abilities crammed into one and moves carry an ever-increasing litany of secondary effects, a mono typing and base 120 stats across the board appear rather dated—at least on the surface. To the contrary, Arceus is a blank canvas of a Pokémon packaged with a dizzying diversity of moves befitting of a god. Xerneas may have been the ultimate weapon, but Arceus is the ultimate tool. Let's take a look at how it is put to use in NatDex Ubers.

The Top Llamas

Arceus-Dark

Set(s)

Arceus-Dark

In the beginning, there was light. Unfortunately, it took some time to reach Arceus-Dark, which spent its first two generations in the shadows of more viable Arceus formes before establishing a solid niche in SM Ubers. As quickly as Arceus-Dark had started establish a name for itself, it was sidelined due to Dexit. Fortunately, NDUbers does not operate under constraints, and upon the creation of NDUbers, Arceus-Dark was eager to make up for lost time and prove its success in SM was no fluke.

Arceus-Dark entered the fray as the Arceus forme best poised to utilize fully the new tools bestowed upon it in Foul Play, Taunt, and Terastallization. Despite some shiny new tools, new threats such as Zacian-C and Koraidon and old foes in Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy resulted in some uncertainty over whether Arceus-Dark would be able to reach its on-paper potential as a physical wall at the outset of the generation.

Arceus-Dark hit the ground running sporting a defensive set with Foul Play, Taunt, and a status move alongside Tera Poison. Arceus-Dark's solid bulk and typing alongside Foul Play enabled it to serve as a solid check to Pokémon such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus while also countering Ultra Necrozma and Coil Zygarde. Tera Poison served to expand Arceus-Dark's defensive reach, as it allowed it to beat Zacian-C and Koraidon in a pinch while providing a Toxic immunity and the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes. This amalgamation of defensive utility resulted in defensive Arceus-Dark being a strong option to shore up the defensive backbones of balance and bulky offense teams. Additionally, defensive Arceus-Dark has been a near-permanent fixture on stall teams, as the role compression of countering Ultra Necrozma, setting Stealth Rock, and serving as a decent physical wall is immensely valuable.

As the metagame continued to develop, little would change for Arceus-Dark, as it continued to establish itself as a defensive stalwart across a variety of playstyles and firmly cemented itself as the second-best Arceus forme. Arceus-Dark paid scant attention to the increased dissatisfaction expressed with the metagame, as it was more concerned with whether it should run Toxic or Will-O-Wisp.

Surprisingly, Koraidon's ban in October 2023 was net neutral for Arceus-Dark. While Koraidon naturally beat Arceus-Dark, Foul Play and Tera Poison enabled Arceus-Dark to serve as an emergency check in a pinch while dissuading Swords Dance sets from setting up. Although Xerneas may have increased its stranglehold on the metagame in Koraidon's absence, Arceus-Dark remained as essential as ever to check many of its most common teammates such as Ultra Necrozma, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Zacian-C with Tera Poison.

This period of NDUbers would be characterized by the dominance of hyper offense structures, which ruthlessly overwhelmed bulky offense and balance teams. The playerbase was once again at their wits end, but whether Zacian-C or Xerneas was the primary source of the metagame's problems resulted in many heated discussions. Ultimately, Xerneas was suspect tested and given the boot, but in the aftermath, the times were a-changin'.

The biggest benefactor of Xerneas's ban was Life Orb Yveltal, which immediately began to warp the metagame around itself. Until this point, Bold Arceus formes with investment to outspeed the congested base 90 Speed tier had been the standard, but Yveltal would effortlessly plow through them with its faster Taunt and unresisted STAB combination. Consequently, Timid Arceus formes that were able to outspeed it became the standard, but defensive Arceus-Dark was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Bold Arceus formes were previously the standard not because they were necessary, but because they were able to afford it with minimal drawback in a physically oriented metagame. As special attackers such as Life Orb Yveltal and wallbreaker Eternatus rose to the forefront of the metagame, these Arceus formes seamlessly shifted towards specially bulky EV spreads. As a dedicated physical wall, defensive Arceus-Dark was not afforded this luxury, as it was reliant on this physical bulk to check Pokémon such as offensive Primal Groudon, Zacian-C, and Choice Band Marshadow with Tera Poison. If Arceus-Dark wanted the ability to check Yveltal, it would have to forgo the ability to check these Pokémon, and having your Dark-resistant Pokémon lose to Yveltal is a significant issue when Arceus is one of the few Pokémon with the tools to defensively check it.

This posed a significant problem, as Arceus-Dark was never the best blanket physical wall; that title belonged to Coil Zygarde. Instead, Arceus-Dark's success stemmed from being the sole unconditional defensive counter to Ultra Necrozma while also being able to check most physical attackers in a pinch. Despite being intuitive to pair these two sets together, this results in overly passive teams that are easily overwhelmed. Consequently, defensive Arceus-Dark began to fade from use on balance and bulky offense structures, as the opportunity cost is usually too high to justify. However, defensive Arceus-Dark has retained its near-mandatory status on stall structures because its passivity is not a concern, and its role in countering Ultra Necrozma, providing Stealth Rock, and providing insurance against most physical attackers is as valuable as ever.

As of this writing, the fact that Arceus-Dark is not only peaking, but universally considered to be the best Arceus forme may be surprising. Defensive Arceus-Dark may have fallen by the wayside, but Calm Mind Arceus-Dark started gaining traction following the Xerneas ban. Initially popularized by Adem, this Arceus-Dark entered the scene sporting Refresh and Tera Fairy, but it shifted to Taunt and Tera Poison.

Calm Mind Arceus-Dark has seen a boom because it is still able to check much of what defensive Arceus-Dark did without any of the passivity. For example, it still counters Ultra Necrozma, but instead of the uncomfortable conundrum with Yveltal, it uses it as setup fodder. Additionally, Calm Mind Arceus-Dark is also able to set up on defensive Ho-Oh and Coil Zygarde while flipping the script and using wallbreaker Eternatus as setup fodder. Defensive Arceus-Dark may have a high peak, but even that has been eclipsed by Calm Mind sets.

Furthermore, any non-hyper offense team has to juxtapose using an alternate Arceus forme, as none are able to provide the consistent blend of offensive and defensive value that Arceus-Dark does. No one knows what the future holds, but Arceus-Dark's seems bright.

Sample(s)

Groudon-Primal Ho-Oh Arceus-Dark Zygarde-Complete Marshadow Rayquaza
Groudon-Primal Ho-Oh Arceus-Dark Landorus-Therian Fezandipiti Deoxys-Attack

Arceus-Ground

Arceus-Ground

Set(s)

Competitive Pokémon players are people—despite possessing only superficial similarities to the average person at times. One such universal human trait is the comfort we find in familiarity; although, precisely what this entails differs from person to person. For Ubers players, this is Arceus-Ground's evergreen presence within the highest tiers of the viability rankings. Arceus-Ground is the purest distillation of the trait that Arceus leverages to lay claim as the best Pokémon of all time: its versatility.

From the outset, Arceus-Ground seemed primed for yet another generation of dominance, as not only did Pokémon it feasts on such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM returned to rule the roost, it was blessed with additional Ground-weak Pokémon at the top of the metagame in Eternatus and Zacian-C.

Despite finding itself in somehow an even more favorable metagame than SM Ubers, the good news did not stop here for Arceus-Ground, as it was blessed with an expanded movepool, now including Dragon Dance and Taunt while being a stellar user of Terastallization. These additions only served to augment Arceus-Ground's jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none playstyle.

While Arceus-Ground as a whole was containable, most teams found themselves vulnerable to at least one set. Offensive teams would find seemingly secure wins dissipate after Arceus-Ground found the turn it needed to use Dragon Dance and clean up, while support and Calm Mind sets featuring Taunt and the right Tera type would often lock down endgames against defensive ones. The NatDex Ubers metagame underwent significant changes in 2023, including the ban of Koraidon, but one constant was loading into the one Arceus-Ground set that stymied your team. As the calendar flipped over, Arceus-Ground seemed poised to retain its position atop the metagame.

There were rumblings of dissatisfaction amongst players with the state of the tier, but Arceus-Ground was unconcerned, as complaints were centered around the negative influence of Xerneas and Zacian-C. Debate raged over which Pokémon should be the subject of tiering action, culminating in Xerneas receiving a suspect test and subsequent ban in the spring.

Arceus-Ground did not have a particularly strong relationship with Xerneas, as its contentious presence stemmed from the hyper offense teams it anchored by and large opted for Extreme Killer Arceus. However, Arceus-Ground would not find itself isolated from the effects of such a monumental departure, as metagames are far more complex than the relationships between individual Pokémon. Xerneas's restrictive presence extended well beyond tiptoeing around it around in games and into the teambuilder. Many otherwise excellent Pokémon only saw sporadic use during the Xerneas metagame, as they provided the deer or its canine companion with one too many setup opportunities.

One such set that immediately surged to the forefront of the metagame was Life Orb Yveltal. Yveltal has always been an oppressive force into the defensive metagame, but only giving Zacian-C instead of both Zacian-C and Xerneas free setup opportunities made it much easier to fit.

This resulted in the first crack in Arceus-Ground's seemingly impenetrable façade, as raw bulk alone is rarely sufficient to withstand Yveltal's immensely powerful Dark Pulses. Not only is a Dark resistance important, but defensive checks also need to be able handle its speedy Taunt while being able to threaten it and prevent it from healing off attacks with Oblivion Wing. Arceus-Ground is one of the few Pokémon capable fulfilling these conditions, so surely the most flexible Arceus forme would be able to adapt to this rapidly shifting landscape?

Unfortunately for our protagonist, this proved rather difficult despite having access to the tools required to check Yveltal. Even should Arceus-Ground opt for Tera Fairy, this comes with some significant issues due to using such a valuable resource while making Arceus-Ground weak to Pokémon it is supposed to check such as Zacian-C and Eternatus. Consequently, players started to shift towards other Arceus formes such as Fairy and Dark, coming to the consensus that your Yveltal counterplay being able to switch in was pretty important, especially given the dearth of viable options outside of the Arceus formes.

Rather than a slight stumble as players figured out how to use Arceus-Ground, this was a harbinger of things to come. Until now, Arceus-Ground's success as a defensive Pokémon largely hinged on the offensive threat of its Judgment. Ground, while not a bad defensive typing, lacks any notable resistances in NatDex Ubers. Consequently, Arceus-Ground's reliance on its natural bulk became increasingly exploitable as the metagame continued to develop. Yveltal's dominance compounds this issue, as its Taunt puts immense pressure on the Arceus formes to outspeed it or face significant consistency issues in performing defensively, resulting in a shift from a Bold nature to a Timid one.

As threatening as Arceus-Ground's Judgment is, nearly every team having a Ground-immune Pokémon only exacerbated Arceus-Ground's existing four-moveslot syndrome. This was only compounded by the increased demand for specialization from the Arceus slot as opposed to Arceus-Ground's jack-of-all-trades approach. If Arceus-Ground was unable to adapt to the evolving demands of the developing metagame, the once untamable wild stallion was at risk of becoming a lame mare.

Fortunately for Arceus-Ground, the summer sunlight gave a spotlight to the overlooked Dragon Dance sets. These sets turned out to be more than a passing metagame trend, as Arceus-Ground has cemented itself as a staple on offensive structures and even gives the fabled Extreme Killer Arceus serious competition on hyper offense.

Arceus has a shockingly sparse physical movepool, but Arceus-Ground is the umpteenth Pokémon to demonstrate that EdgeQuake is timeless and all one really needs. Although base 120 Attack is meager by Ubers standards, the boost from Earth Plate and Terastallization or the one-time nuke of Tectonic Rage more than compensates. These offensive structures appreciate Arceus-Ground's overall bulk, as it enables it to withstand a hit from most Pokémon and set up a Dragon Dance. This plays a pivotal role in helping firm up otherwise problematic matchups against Pokémon such as Choice Band Marshadow, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Zacian-C. The latter is particularly important, as Arceus-Ground is not forced into a Jolly nature to outspeed Zacian-C at +1 unlike its Dragon Dancing compatriots in Rayquaza, Kyurem-B, and Zekrom.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that only three moves were discussed thus far. True to form, Arceus-Ground's last moveslot retains its signature flexibility. Taunt is the most popular option to maintain entry hazards, turn Coil Zygarde into setup fodder, and prevent opposing Pokémon from setting up. Recover is useful for obvious reasons, but Healing Wish has been picking up steam on hyper offense structures. Predicting the future is a fool's errand, but it seems likely that Arceus-Ground will at least remain a fixture in NDUbers. Although Arceus-Ground was facing extinction on balance structures, the discovery of Fezandipiti, which solves the Life Orb Yveltal conundrum, may be a glimmer of hope.

Sample(s)

Shuckle Yveltal Arceus-Ground Eternatus Zacian-Crowned Kyogre
Groudon-Primal Ho-Oh Arceus-Ground Zygarde-Complete Zacian-Crowned Kyogre

Arceus

Arceus

Set(s)

Skimming through photographs of bygone eras evokes a wide range of emotions, particularly when it comes to fashion. Scattered amongst them is likely somebody dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Maybe the cut of the jeans or the shirt differs slightly, but the look is timeless. It worked back in the day, it works now, and it will likely work in the decades to come. While the avant-garde may capture the eye and imagination, it is often the simple things that endure. Such is the case with Extreme Killer Arceus. There may have been some minor tweaks throughout the years, but Arceus's gameplan has remained the same since its inception: boost up with Swords Dance and sweep—often with Extreme Speed. Arceus is an adaptable Pokémon, as different formes wax and wane in viability depending on the demands of the metagame. Extreme Killer Arceus is the llama that forges its own path, as Swords Dance + Extreme Speed is, and likely always will be, fundamentally solid. NDUbers has not yet proven to be the exception.

Every generation brings new movepool additions, and the standouts for Extreme Killer Arceus were newfound access to Taunt and Dragon Dance. Dragon Dance seemed intriguing at a glance, but it has been relegated to sporadic use on dual screens teams, which themselves are niche, as the immediate power Swords Dance provides is required to reach damage thresholds against important Pokémon such as Primal Groudon, Eternatus, Ho-Oh, and Zygarde, making it more valuable than flipping the matchup with Zacian-C. Taunt, on the other hand, has established itself as a mainstay due to maintaining entry hazards and enabling Arceus to turn Zygarde lacking Dragon Tail into setup fodder.

Despite a bag of new tricks, little about Extreme Killer Arceus has fundamentally changed. On day one, it was a familiar face on most hyper offense structures with the same old schtick of Swords Dance + Extreme Speed. However, this time around, the immense value of Taunt resulted in some serious moveset considerations. Extreme Speed and Shadow Claw is already near-perfect coverage, but Arceus also appreciates Earthquake for Primal Groudon and Garganacl or Recover for longevity. This minor variation in moveset in conjunction with Terastallization makes Extreme Killer Arceus nothing short of a nuisance to handle, as it can turn the tables on even many of its hard checks at the drop of a hat.

Speaking of, this is where Extreme Killer Arceus separates itself from the herd, as it is the only Arceus forme that is an avid user of the new mechanic. Most other Arceus formes appreciate having access to Terastallization, but they keep it in the back pocket for specific scenarios as opposed to regularly using it. As with most things, Extreme Killer Arceus keeps it simple, usually sporting Tera Ghost or Normal. Tera Ghost enables Arceus to bypass its most common counterplay in Zacian-C and Marshadow and enables Shadow Claw to OHKO Giratina-O after minor chip damage and a Swords Dance. Arceus utilizes Tera Normal to go all in on wallbreaking for that little extra oomph to OHKO Pokémon such as Eternatus, Yveltal, and offensive Ho-Oh with +2 Extreme Speed. It is so effective at utilizing both Tera types that Extreme Killer Arceus became emblematic of the unhealthy aspects of Terastallization, as incorrectly deciphering the Tera type frequently swings the outcome of games. However, two suspect tests later, Extreme Killer Arceus and its shenanigans are here to stay.

As the metagame continued to develop various sets and Pokémon cycled in and out of prominence, Extreme Killer Arceus remained static. After all, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Arceus would continue to trudge along, wallbreaking and cleaning up weakened teams. However, Xerneas's ban sent ripples through the tier that impacted even the most oblivious llama. As a new pecking order settled the previously unthinkable happened—the development of a new Arceus set.

This set would feature Normalium Z, which resulted in a truly nuclear Breakneck Blitz courtesy of Giga Impact or Double-Edge. This set became quite trendy in the summer of 2024 despite the a significant opportunity cost for forgoing Ultra Necrozma or Chi-Yu, as Breakneck Blitz enabled Arceus to OHKO even the most impenetrable physical wall, Coil Zygarde. Although Extreme Killer Arceus was capable of breaking Zygarde via Taunt and Swords Dance, the ability to immediately dispatch it without concern for Dragon Tail is quite the boon. The cherry on top was the ability to OHKO defensive Ho-Oh, which can survive +2 Silk Scarf Tera Normal Extreme Speed and cripple Arceus in return with a burn. The ability to OHKO Primal Groudon was also appreciated, especially by Zacian-C, which would have little trouble cleaning up the wreckage after the removal of its most common checks.

This set would prove to be a fad, but it would have a lasting impact. As of this writing, Double-Edge remains a mainstay, but alongside the traditional Silk Scarf and Tera Normal. These damage amplifiers allow Arceus to retain the same damage thresholds but require significantly less precision. However, this does come at the cost of the means to bypass Marshadow and Close Combat Zacian-C. Consequently, Arceus has faced some competition with Arceus-Ground, which mitigates these issues, but Extrem Killer Arceus remains the de facto Arceus forme on hyper offense structures. It may have failed to establish a niche outside of hyper offense, but by Arceus is it amazing on them. There are some Pokémon Arceus cannot bypass, but for everything else, there's Extreme Speed.

Sample(s)

Deoxys-Speed Yveltal Arceus Groudon-Primal Zacian-Crowned Necrozma-Dusk-Mane
Smeargle Yveltal Arceus Chi-Yu Zacian-Crowned Lunala

Arceus-Fairy

Arceus-Fairy

Set(s)

  • Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
  • Ability: Multitype
  • Tera Type: Poison
  • EVs: 248 HP / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 52 SpD / 136 Spe
  • Timid Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Taunt
  • - Calm Mind
  • - Recover
  • - Judgment
  • Arceus-Fairy @ Pixie Plate
  • Ability: Multitype
  • Tera Type: Dark / Water / Poison
  • EVs: 248 HP / 68 Def / 4 SpA / 52 SpD / 136 Spe
  • Timid Nature
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • - Stealth Rock / Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
  • - Taunt
  • - Recover
  • - Judgment

Quite a bit of ink has been spilled on the forums over the years as Smogonites endlessly debate whether Game Freak actively strives to balance Pokémon or whether the balance we do have is merely a happy accident. Everybody has their own opinion, but the introduction of the Fairy type was clearly an attempt to curtail the strength of Dragon-types and the stranglehold they had over various metagames. Fairy-types certainly managed to reel the rampaging Dragon-types in, but their stellar offensive and defensive profile has led many to proclaim that they are a tad overtuned. Regardless of your view on the matter, a new type means a new Arceus forme! Arceus is great, and Fairy-types are great, but how GREAT is Arceus-Fairy in NatDex Ubers ACTUALLY?

It should come as little surprise that Arceus-Fairy has been a mainstay amongst the upper echelon of Arceus formes. Arceus-Fairy certainly benefits from Game Freak's penchant for slapping Dragon onto most box legendaries' typings, but it also benefits from a lack of competition. Surprisingly, Xerneas is the only other Fairy-type designed to be used in such a high-octane environment three generations later. Furthermore, despite access to Aromatherapy, a lack of reliable recovery alongside the allure of simply clicking Geomancy en route to a sweep leads most players to opt for offensive sets, leaving Arceus-Fairy with minimal competition as a defensive Fairy-type.

Arceus-Fairy flourished in this role courtesy of its deep support movepool, bolstered by newfound access to Taunt. Will-O-Wisp dissuaded Pokémon such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Zacian-C from errantly switching in and attempting to use Arceus-Fairy as setup fodder, while Taunt enabled it to effortlessly stymie Coil Zygarde and serve as a solid Stealth Rock setter due to a solid matchup into the Defoggers. Arceus-Fairy also played a crucial role in fending off the fearsome Koraidon as a natural check as opposed to those reliant on Terastallization such as Primal Kyogre or and Zygarde. These traits in addition to Arceus-Fairy's solid matchups into wallbreakers such as Marshadow and specially offensive Yveltal made it a valued component of the defensive backbone on many balance and bulky offense structures. Although Arceus-Fairy sported a Calm Mind set on occasion to lethal results, its support set was the most common.

Throughout the early period and into NatDex Ubers's middle age, little would change for Arceus-Fairy. It was not the best or even second-best Arceus forme, but it was nonetheless excellent, albeit a bit boring—the epitome of honesty. Arceus-Fairy may not have been the only viable defensive Fairy-type, as defensive Xerneas sets existed and Magearna was still viable, but it was the only one that was remotely flexible. If you wanted a defensive Fairy-type, Arceus-Fairy was the go-to option, and it would trudge along reliably performing its duties as the metagame continued to develop throughout the summer of 2023.

The Teal Mask DLC granted many Pokémon moveset buffs, but in a twist of irony, Koraidon receiving Scale Shot freed up a moveslot for the previously uncommon Flare Blitz, enabling Swords Dance sets to incinerate Arceus-Fairy. Fortunately, Koraidon also blitzed through just about everything else, resulting in a swift ban. Arceus-Fairy may have been happy to see the backside of the bike, but it was struggling to find its footing for the first time in a hostile metagame that was ridiculously centralized even by Ubers standards.

Hyper offense structures consisting of a lead, Extreme Killer Arceus, Ultra Necrozma, Xerneas, Zacian-C, and a variable last Pokémon reigned supreme. Arceus-Fairy's futility into most of these Pokémon, save Ultra Necrozma if it opted for the uncommon Tera Dark, made it increasingly hard to justify over defensive Arceus-Dark despite a positive matchup into most of the rest of the metagame. Arceus-Fairy may still have been a good Pokémon, but it's hard to justify using in a matchup-fishy metagame as its positive matchups became increasingly scarce.

Eventually, something had to give, as Xerneas and Zacian-C were simply too effective at overwhelming their shared counterplay. The council elected to suspect Xerneas, and the deer was quickly sent scurrying back into the forest. However, this time around, things would be a little different.

Xerneas differed from other broken Pokémon in that it necessitated multiple defensive checks, as even Ho-Oh would succumb after minor chip damage. Furthermore, the immediate threat that Xerneas posed required minimizing its entry points due to the immediate threat it posed compared to Pokémon such as Koraidon and Zacian-C. Consequently, many sets such as Calm Mind Arceus-Dark, wallbreaker Eternatus, Giratina-O, and specially offensive Yveltal sprang to the forefront of the metagame.

A dime, a dollar, they're all the same when Arceus-Fairy comes in to bust your game. Even wallbreaker Eternatus disliked Arceus-Fairy, as it dropped Sludge Bomb for Recover, and the Tera Fairy that could help it break through Arceus-Dark was useless here. During this realignment, Arceus-Dark rose up as the new top llama, but Arceus-Fairy was hot on its trail. Arceus-Dark could set up on Yveltal, but many balance and bulky offense structures appreciated Arceus-Fairy's ability to immediately threaten it while having a better matchup into stall.

Arceus-Fairy developed in tandem with the metagame rather than being solely a passive beneficiary of metagame trends. Support sets shifted from a status move to Stealth Rock and saw enough success to share the podium with Primal Groudon as the only good Stealth Rock setters. However, this success would be short-lived, as Yveltal would start to run Tera Fire to flip the tables on Arceus-Fairy and the defensive Ho-Oh it was often paired with, impeding both from making any semblance of progress while maintaining entry hazards. Consequently, Arceus-Fairy took the tried-and-true approach of Calm Mind + Taunt.

With Primal Groudon on the vast majority of teams and Ho-Oh on roughly half, the roadblocks may appear insurmountable, but this is nothing new for Arceus-Fairy structures. Sourcing counterplay isn't difficult, and Pokémon such as Double-Edge Arceus, Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM, and Ultra Necrozma are far greater concerns. Regardless, Arceus-Fairy has always had a polarizing matchup spread against top-tier Pokémon, but it has always been defined by what it does beat due to a dearth of viable alternatives.

Unfortunately for Arceus-Fairy, another defensive Fairy-type in Fezandipiti has been discovered and has firmly established a niche. Fezandipiti does not outclass Arceus-Fairy but offers significant competition, as it walls the vast majority of the special metagame, and its shallow but surprisingly effective support movepool has enabled it to be a disruptive pivot while passively spreading Toxic and not taking up the Arceus slot. This silly little bird has not dethroned Arceus-Fairy, but it does provide significant competition for support sets despite access to far fewer tools. This isn't to say that Arceus-Fairy has allegations of being washed, but it does once again find itself at a crossroads, as teambuilders are forced to evaluate whether the support Arceus-Fairy requires is worth the price of admission. Arceus-Fairy is still an excellent Pokémon, but the structures it fits on are less varied than they were a few months ago. Nobody knows what the future holds, but all indications point towards this being a minor stumble rather than the monumental drop off that some of Arceus-Fairy's brethren experienced.

Sample(s)

Groudon-Primal Giratina-Origin Arceus-Fairy Chi-Yu Zacian-Crowned Lunala
Groudon-Primal Ho-Oh Arceus-Fairy Yveltal Ditto Necrozma-Dusk-Mane

Wandering Off the Beaten Path

Arceus-Grass

Arceus-Grass

Set(s)

The slander Grass-types receive is excessive to a degree that one is left with an impression that the peanut gallery spends too much time smoking it. Despite a share of offensive and defensive flaws, the positives are often overlooked and more than compensate. There is perhaps no Pokémon more emblematic of this dichotomy than Arceus-Grass, which has managed to solidify a niche in NatDex Ubers despite the flaws of its Grass typing and taking up the Arceus slot. Simply being an Arceus forme is not an assurance of viability. To the contrary, most Arceus formes are considered unviable, but Arceus-Grass has maintained a C+ ranking throughout the entirety of NatDex Ubers, so what is it bringing to the table?

A Ground-type glue Pokémon can be found atop the viability rankings in most tiers, and NatDex Ubers does not buck this trend. Primal Groudon may be the best Pokémon in the tier, but it is shockingly easy to handle despite dazzling set variety on account of its vulnerability to entry hazards, middling special bulk, and lack of recovery. Although Arceus-Grass has the potential to check Primal Groudon, Primal Groudon utilizes Fire-type moves with enough frequency that relying on Arceus-Grass as consistent counterplay will end poorly despite dissuading Primal Groudon from switching in.

Where Arceus-Grass distinguishes itself is its ability to compress counterplay to Primal Groudon's S+ compatriot, Zygarde, and its eternal rival in Primal Kyogre. Most Arceus formes are solid checks to Coil Zygarde, as Taunt prevents Zygarde from accumulating the boosts it needs to hit harder than a limp noodle while locking it out of Rest. Even defensive Arceus-Dark will win the war of attrition despite Foul Play tickling Zygarde. Additionally, Arceus-Grass is unconcerned about whether Zygarde opts to use Tera Fairy and welcomes Tera Water. However, Dragon Dance Zygarde flips the script on the Arceus formes, as it poses an immediate threat and is capable of 2HKOing them with +1 Tera Ground Thousand Arrows.

This ability to flip the outcome of a game on a single turn has led to Zygarde's continued presence in the tier being somewhat contentious due to a scarcity of defensive counterplay. Consequently, Tera Fairy Coil Zygarde has resurfaced after a period of dormancy, as it invalidates Dragon Tail, which turns otherwise solid checks such as defensive Whirlwind Ho-Oh into setup fodder. This is where Arceus-Grass shines, as its natural bulk coupled with its Ground resistance leaves it with little fear. Furthermore, should Zygarde opt to use Tera Ground, it will find itself OHKOed by Grass Knot. While offensive Arceus-Water is the only other Arceus forme capable of OHKOing Dragon Dance Zygarde, it is setup fodder for the more common Coil Zygarde. This leaves Arceus-Grass as the only Arceus forme that can truly claim to counter Zygarde. This claim is also unique amongst Grass-types, as Ferrothorn and Mega Venusaur have trouble with Dragon Dance Zygarde because their secondary typings provide a Ground neutrality.

Unlike Zygarde, Arceus-Grass serves as a hard check to Primal Kyogre rather than a counter, as it is 2HKOed by Ice Beam. However, Grass Knot does 2HKO in return. Primal Kyogre infamously has little in the way of switch-ins, as even Ferrothorn, the gold standard, is shaky if Scald burns on the switch in and will succumb with time. Primal Groudon is hailed as a solid Primal Kyogre check, but in reality, it's quite poor— albeit better than most other Pokémon. Arceus-Grass may not be perfect, but it is still serviceable and will leave Primal Kyogre as easy pickings for a teammate in a worst-case scenario. Wrangling the snake and the whale in a single slot, especially without the need to Terastallize, will always provide inherent value in NatDex Ubers. The Grass typing does have some other offensive applications in checking Primal Groudon, Arceus-Ground, and the uncommon Arceus-Water.

Unfortunately, Grass's shoddy reputation as a poor offensive typing does have some truth to it, as Pokémon resistant to it are common. While this may lock Arceus-Grass out of the Calm Mind mono-attacking sets that other Arceus formes have wielded to great success, its coverage in Earth Power, Ice Beam, and Power Gem makes it a nuisance to switch into, as these moves 2HKO their targets such as Eternatus, Ho-Oh, Zacian-C, and Yveltal. While this does result in mild four-moveslot syndrome, it is not unmanageable—that is what teammates are for! Unlike many of its low-ranked companions, Arceus-Grass is largely held back due to taking up the Arceus slot as opposed to consistency issues. Grass may have flaws, but Arceus-Grass shows how potent it can be! One just has to be realistic and provide it with the proper support. If you are willing to do so, you will be pleasantly surprised by how Arceus-Grass rewards you!

Sample(s)

Groudon-Primal Ho-Oh Arceus-Grass Fezandipiti Zygarde-Complete Deoxys-Attack

Arceus-Rock

Arceus-Rock

Set(s)

Some curmudgeons claim to be unmoved by rainbows or dazzling sunsets, but even the staunchest contrarians cannot deny the tranquility that stems from the knowledge that not only will their Pokémon's Rock-type move land, but that OHKOing Ho-Oh is possible. Every person has Pokémon that they intend to use, yet as time marches on, they procrastinate for one reason or another. For many NatDex Ubers players, that Pokémon is Arceus-Rock.

When juxtaposed with the other viable Rock-type, Garganacl, Arceus-Rock evokes an appreciation for the simpler things in life. It isn't strutting around with multiple abilities masquerading as one. Nor is it carried by a move with a secondary effect that would be rejected by the most lenient of Pet Mods. To the contrary, Arceus-Rock has opted for an honest life where there isn't much more than what meets the eye.

True to its name, Arceus-Rock has remained unyielding in the face of the unrelenting change and chaos. It has always been a niche Arceus forme but consistently makes an appearance or two over the course of a tournament. Rock is as solid an offensive typing in NatDex Ubers as any other tier, and Arceus-Rock puts it to good use, as our Rock-resistant Pokémon are predominantly physical attackers and loathe to switch into Will-O-Wisp. With a solid matchup into the preeminent Defoggers of Giratina-O, Ho-Oh, and Choice Scarf Yveltal, it is an effective Stealth Rock setter that easily maintains them. Should this role already be filled, Arceus-Rock is happy to try out a new toy in Taunt to help maintain progress and lock down endgames, while the classic Refresh is still viable, albeit rare.

Arceus-Rock, similar to Arceus-Grass, is an otherwise excellent Pokémon that is constrained largely due to taking up the Arceus slot. However, it is also relatively underexplored; it is often glazed over in favor of Arceus formes that require less support, as its typing provides little outside of making Ho-Oh cry. Perhaps you can be the one to put your own spin on Arceus-Rock! If not, give this sample team a whirl!

Sample(s)

Groudon-Primal Yveltal Arceus-ROck Gothitelle Salamence-Mega Kyogre

Fallen Titans

Arceus-Water

Arceus-Water

Set(s)

  • Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
  • Ability: Multitype
  • EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
  • IVs: 0 Atk
  • Tera Type: Ground / Grass
  • Timid Nature
  • - Calm Mind
  • - Judgment
  • - Earth Power / Grass Knot
  • - Recover
  • Arceus-Water @ Splash Plate
  • Ability: Multitype
  • EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 Spe
  • Tera Type: Fairy
  • Timid Nature
  • - Calm Mind
  • - Refresh
  • - Recover
  • - Judgment

In the not-so-distant past, Arceus-Water ranked amongst the crème de la crème. While it may have been the lowliest of the "great" Arceus formes, it was inarguably in elite company. Bulky Water-types are a staple in most metagames, and Arceus-Water was ours. Arceus-Water exemplified that most important of Arceus traits—flexibility. In terms of sheer set variety, Arceus-Ground was the only Pokémon rivalling Arceus-Water. Unless one sought a physical attacker, Arceus-Water could serviceably fill at least some role a team needed.

The primary reason why Arceus-Water was considered the weakest of the good Arceus formes was not because of what it was, but what it wasn't—Arceus-Ground. Both Arceus formes leveraged their versatility to fill a jack-of-all-trades playstyle, but often, Arceus-Ground was simply better, as its flaws required less resources to mitigate. Arceus-Water's kryptonite was that Water is a surprisingly poor offensive typing in NatDex Ubers, although it is significantly better defensively than Ground.

Surprisingly, Primal Groudon was the least of Arceus-Water's problems. While Primal Groudon may be able to evaporate Judgment, it is one of the easiest Pokémon to whittle down—either via Arceus-Water itself or with support. The issue primarily stemmed from the ubiquity of Water-resistant Pokémon that required more effort to account for than Ho-Oh or Yveltal in Arceus-Ground's case. For example, Koraidon not only weakened Judgment but also set up sun, enabling Ho-Oh to avoid the catch-22 of losing to either Arceus-Water or a teammate such as Overheat Primal Groudon. These sorts of conundrums were certainly solvable but required conscientious effort in the teambuilder compared to the plug-and-play playstyle of Arceus-Ground. Arceus-Water certainly was a good Pokémon during this period, but its flaws and the support it mandated to perform consistently were reflected in its A- ranking.

Arceus-Water would continue to hold onto this ranking for quite some time, as its flaws, while present, were not massive, and the reward was well worth a minor amount of effort. Arceus-Water rarely made a splash but would continue to diligently provide consistent value to bulky offense and balance teams in need of its services.

Arceus-Water would continue to trudge along, happily enjoying its place on the fringes of the core metagame until Xerneas's ban sent ripple effects throughout the tier. The most impactful was specially offensive Yveltal rising and beginning to centralize the Arceus metagame around itself. Although Arceus-Water was able to threaten Yveltal, its lack of a Dark-type resistance also meant it struggled to switch in. Rather than just being an additional poor matchup that could be alleviated with the right support, this was indicative of larger issues, as players began expecting more specialization from their Arceus slot, as opposed to Arceus-Water's generalist approach.

Arceus-Water's flaws became progressively difficult to work around. It was no longer enough for Arceus formes to not be bad in certain matchups; they needed to have good ones as well. Unfortunately, this was a department Arceus-Water was sorely lacking in. Arceus-Water always had some four-moveslot syndrome, but it became near impossible for most sets to perform consistently unless their flaws were meticulously accounted for during every step of the teambuilding process. Given the level of support required, many teambuilders shifted away from Arceus-Water, and it nearly vanished from the balance and bulky offense teams where it was once common.

Teambuilders collectively realized that although Arceus-Water could succeed when given this level of support, so could many other Pokémon. Ironically, when using mid- or low-ranked Pokémon, this support often comes from the Arceus slot, which makes Arceus-Water even more frustrating to build with. Currently, Arceus-Water is far from terrible, but it is also an ocean away from being good. Its descent down the viability rankings has been slow, hence its current B ranking, but Arceus-Water's presence in tournaments has been scant to say the least. Perhaps it is time to pour one out and just remember the good old days.

Sample(s)

Groudon-Primal Yveltal Arceus-ROck Gothitelle Salamence-Mega Kyogre

Arceus-Ghost

Arceus-Ghost

Set(s)

The notoriety of Extreme Killer Arceus—and to a lesser extent, Arceus-Ground— papers over the vapidity of Arceus's physical movepool. Earthquake, Extreme Speed, and Stone Edge are all decent moves, but past these its slim pickings. Furthermore, the lack of STAB and boosting items really leave a lot be desired, especially coming from a pedestrian base 120 Attack. Despite this, Arceus-Ghost managed to hold onto a B+ ranking for much of NatDex Ubers's existence. In retrospect, this feat is nothing short of astonishing given the limited tools it is given to work with. Furthermore, this was during a period where Extreme Killer Arceus and Ultra Necrozma were considered near mandatory on hyper offense structures, and using Arceus-Ghost required forgoing both. So, what made Arceus-Ghost a threat capable of staking a claim as the best anti-meta Arceus forme?

In NatDex Ubers, most teams want a Ghost-resistant teammate somewhere, but a better descriptor would be "Marshadow switch-in". Arceus-Dark and Yveltal may resist Ghost but are sent to a new plane of existence by Low Kick. Consequently, this role often falls upon Zygarde, as its sheer physical bulk enables to switch into Marshadow without being exploited the turn after. Arceus-Ghost was able to exploit this dynamic, as Taunt turned Zygarde into setup fodder, while its Never-Ending Nightmare cleaved through neutral targets such as defensive Ho-Oh for the benefit of teammates such as Koraidon, Xerneas, and Zacian-C. These Pokémon in turn would threaten the actual Ghost-resistant Pokémon in Arceus-Dark and Yveltal, which would be forced to Terastallize if they wanted to check them.

This is how hyper offense teams function, but Arceus-Ghost provided more than just a serviceable Pokémon for those looking to stray off the beaten path. Its bulk and defensive typing were boons as a natural check to Extreme Killer Arceus, as hyper offense's options for a Normal-resistant Pokémon outside of Zacian-C were limited to using Tera Ghost. Arceus-Ghost also had a solid matchup into Pokémon that struck fear into hyper offense structures such as Koraidon and Zacian-C, has enough bulk to survive Choice Band Marshadow’s Tera Ghost Shadow Sneak, and is not susceptible to Ditto reverse sweeps due to Shadow Force. Additionally, its fast Taunt prevented Pokémon such as Xerneas and Extreme Killer Arceus from attempting to initiate their sweeps and helped maintain the entry hazards its teams were reliant on.

These traits enabled Arceus-Ghost to often play an important role in securing wins. However, a glance at the viability rankings reveals Arceus-Ghost scraping the bottom. Going from the fringes of the core metagame to sharing the company of Trick Room cheese is quite the fall from grace. How exactly did it happen? For example, with a Pokémon such as Magearna, it's fairly obvious. If its niche solely consists of countering two Pokémon in Xerneas and Yveltal in a single slot, and Xerneas is banned, it is hard to justify dedicating a whole slot simply to counter a single Pokémon. Arceus-Ghost's story is a little more complicated.

Arceus-Ghost, while a good Pokémon, was not one that one could just slap on a team and call it a day. It only fit on hyper offense teams and came with quite an opportunity cost. Arceus-Ghost has its flaws, but these can be worked around, and those willing to do so were handsomely rewarded. However, Arceus-Ghost was never a self-sufficient Pokémon in the same vein as Extreme Killer Arceus, as it heavily relied on its teammates to bypass Dark-types. The Dark-types were common but nowhere near ubiquitous. It isn't even so much Arceus-Ghost requiring broken Pokémon to function so much as the metagame that formed in their absence.

Koraidon's ban didn't move the needle despite opening up more room for Ultra Necrozma on hyper offense teams, as using Arceus-Ghost already meant forgoing it, and Xerneas and Zacian-C effortlessly ripped through the Dark-types anyways. However, Xerneas's ban would have an enormous impact on the internal dynamics of the tier upon which Arceus-Ghost relied. Arceus-Ghost may not have loved Yveltal catapulting from a good Pokémon to one of the best, but that was manageable. The nail in the coffin would be the degree to which Ultra Necrozma would centralize the tier around itself.

While Ultra Necrozma has counters, it has little in the way of soft checks unlike other top-tier Pokémon. Some Pokémon such as Arceus-Fairy, Eternatus, and Ho-Oh can afford to use Tera Dark to attempt to soft check it, but this comes at the cost of better Tera types. Additionally, Arceus-Fairy and Eternatus are inconsistent, as they are reliant on teammates to pressure Ultra Necrozma to Ultra Burst; they otherwise lack the means to meaningfully damage it. Accordingly, most teambuilders have increasingly opted for the more consistent options of Arceus-Dark, Marshadow, and Yveltal. This strain is felt in the builder to a degree that these three Pokémon cumulatively eclipsed 100% use in National Dex Blind Draft, the most recent tournament.

Arceus-Ghost may be a bystander, but it has seen its stocks plummet. The viability of most Arceus is tied to the metagame surrounding them, and Arceus-Ghost has found itself in an increasingly hostile metagame. Currently, most teams can easily handle Arceus-Ghost simply as a byproduct of preparing for Ultra Necrozma, resulting in significant consistency issues and poor results in tournament play for quite some time. As of this writing, the constraints Ultra Necrozma imposes in the teambuilder are increasingly viewed as excessive and potentially worthy of tiering action.

However, even if Ultra Necrozma were banned, Arceus-Ghost appears unlikely to return to its former glory, as its niche on Sticky Web teams has largely been supplanted by Chi-Yu. Chi-Yu also requires a Z-Crystal but is just as apt at maintaining Sticky Web due to Taunt and a solid Speed tier, and it is a potent stallbreaker and superior wallbreaker, albeit a significantly frailer one. Most BW Ubers players would be aghast with their mouths agape if they were told that the best Arceus forme would one day find itself outclassed by a little fish, but that is just the way she goes.

Sample(s)

Shuckle Yveltal Arceus-Ghost Groudon-Primal Salamence-Mega Zacian-Crowned

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