[OVERVIEW]
With its great defensive typing, high attack stat and good bulk, Necrozma-DM serves a defensive role in the Ubers metagame of checking Zacian-C, Calyrex-I, and Extreme Killer Arceus to some extent while also being a dangerous setup sweeper with Dragon Dance.
However, Necrozma-DM suffers from numerous drawbacks despite its strengths. Its below-average Speed tier leaves it vulnerable to revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Koraidon and Kyogre even after multiple Dragon Dance boosts. While bulky, Necrozma-DM must maintain high HP to remain effective in its roles, as boosted Zacian-C can power through with Tera boosted Wild Charge or Close Combat after minimal chip damage. Extreme Killer Arceus can eventually break through if it has Recover, and offensive variants of Eternatus can threaten Necrozma-DM with boosted Fire Blasts. As a result, Necrozma-DM is often forced to Terastallize to take on common threats such as Ho-Oh and Koraidon.
[SET]
Necrozma-Dusk Mane @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Covert Cloak
Ability: Prism Armor
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 120 Spe
Impish Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Morning Sun
- Sunsteel Strike / Photon Geyser
- Knock Off / Earthquake
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to its bulk, Prism Armor, and access to reliable recovery in Morning Sun, Necrozma-DM can set up easily in front of many threats. Once checks like Ting-Lu and Ho-Oh are removed, it becomes an effective endgame wincon. Sunsteel Strike is usually the main STAB move of choice as it can hit targets such as Ting-Lu, Zacian-C and Arceus-Fairy well while also dealing high damage to Tera fairy users such as Kyogre. But Photon Geyser is a good alternative as it hits targets such as Kyogre and Ho-Oh, while also having the advantage of being able to pick up the OHKO on Koraidon and Eternatus after a boost. It is also worth mentioning that Photon Geyser hits Unaware users such as Dondozo and Skeledirge hard. Knock Off is the most useful coverage move alongside Sunsteel Strike, as it is highly spammable into switchins, reducing their longevity by removing items such as Heavy Duty boots and Leftovers from targets like Ho-Oh and Kyogre. Earthquake paired with Photon Geyser is an alternative coverage move that hits Steel types such as Kingambit and opposing Necrozma-DM for good damage, while also being the strongest move Necrozma-DM has into Zacian-C. 120 Speed EVs with the rest of the EVs put into HP and Defense outspeeds Zacian-C and Deoxys-A after two Dragon Dances.
Defensive Necrozma-DM provides good role compression for hazard stack teams with its ability to check Zacian-C and Eternatus, while also providing invaluable support from Knock Off, allowing Necrozma-DM to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from common switchins such as Ho-Oh, Kyogre, and Ting-Lu, which helps chipping them down to enable teammates in the back and potentially sweep later on. However, due to its low speed, it struggles to outpace choice scarf users such as Koraidon without multiple Dragon Dance boosts. Since it cannot outpace Choice Scarf users such as Koraidon and Kyogre, checks to them such as Arceus-Fairy, Landorus-T, and Eternatus are appreciated. Hazard setters such as Ting-Lu, Groudon, defensive Arceus formes, and Landorus-T also benefits from the presence of Necrozma-DM removing Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off, and Choice Scarf Koraidon can help bolster the healing of Morning Sun while providing speed control for faster threats like Zekrom, Choice Scarf Kyogre and Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
A Specially Defensive EV spread can make Necrozma-DM more effective at taking on Calm Mind Arceus formes and Eternatus, but more vulnerable to physical threats that it would have otherwise been able to deal with. Brick Break is a coverage option that could be used over Earthquake to hit Kingambit harder, but it serves little to no other use outside of that.
Checks and Counters
====
**Bulky Water types**: Arceus-Water can take both Sunsteel Strike and Photon Geyser without too much issue and cripple it with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, while also punishing Tera Fire variants looking to prevent being burned by Sacred Fire or Will-O-Wisp. Kyogre could also take hits somewhat well while also heavily reducing the effectiveness of healing moves of Necrozma-DM with Drizzle, but it lacks the recovery to check Necrozma-DM long term.
**Ho-Oh**: Defensive Ho-Oh can stomach boosted attacks from defensive Necrozma-DM and phaze out Stored Power variants, but Knock Off can leave it vulnerable to Stealth Rocks and offensive sets could take it out with Stone Edge or a boosted Photon Geyser.
**Revenge Killers**: Due to its lackluster speed tier, Necrozma-DM fails to outpace common Choice Scarf users such as Koraidon and Kyogre without multiple speed boosts, and is often put into range of knockout from priority users such as Arceus and Kingambit.
**Ghost types**: Lunala can easily 1v1 Both Dragon Dance and Stored Power variants of Necrozma-DM at full health, but will take super effective damage from Knock Off, while Arceus-Ghost could easily tank Knock Off, terastallized Necrozma-DM can out damage it with Stored Power if it lacks taunt.
**Dark types**: Although not as commonly seen as the threats above, Dark types such as Ting-Lu and Air Balloon Kingambit can tank hits easily from Dragon Dance variants of Necrozma-DM and are immune to Stored Power.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pigbeeef.651906/
[your profile link]
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/taka.595062/
[QC checker 2's profile link]
Grammar checked by:
[GP checker's profile link]
With its great defensive typing, high attack stat and good bulk, Necrozma-DM serves a defensive role in the Ubers metagame of checking Zacian-C, Calyrex-I, and Extreme Killer Arceus to some extent while also being a dangerous setup sweeper with Dragon Dance.
However, Necrozma-DM suffers from numerous drawbacks despite its strengths. Its below-average Speed tier leaves it vulnerable to revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Koraidon and Kyogre even after multiple Dragon Dance boosts. While bulky, Necrozma-DM must maintain high HP to remain effective in its roles, as boosted Zacian-C can power through with Tera boosted Wild Charge or Close Combat after minimal chip damage. Extreme Killer Arceus can eventually break through if it has Recover, and offensive variants of Eternatus can threaten Necrozma-DM with boosted Fire Blasts. As a result, Necrozma-DM is often forced to Terastallize to take on common threats such as Ho-Oh and Koraidon.
[SET]
Necrozma-Dusk Mane @ Heavy-Duty Boots / Covert Cloak
Ability: Prism Armor
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 120 Spe
Impish Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Morning Sun
- Sunsteel Strike / Photon Geyser
- Knock Off / Earthquake
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to its bulk, Prism Armor, and access to reliable recovery in Morning Sun, Necrozma-DM can set up easily in front of many threats. Once checks like Ting-Lu and Ho-Oh are removed, it becomes an effective endgame wincon. Sunsteel Strike is usually the main STAB move of choice as it can hit targets such as Ting-Lu, Zacian-C and Arceus-Fairy well while also dealing high damage to Tera fairy users such as Kyogre. But Photon Geyser is a good alternative as it hits targets such as Kyogre and Ho-Oh, while also having the advantage of being able to pick up the OHKO on Koraidon and Eternatus after a boost. It is also worth mentioning that Photon Geyser hits Unaware users such as Dondozo and Skeledirge hard. Knock Off is the most useful coverage move alongside Sunsteel Strike, as it is highly spammable into switchins, reducing their longevity by removing items such as Heavy Duty boots and Leftovers from targets like Ho-Oh and Kyogre. Earthquake paired with Photon Geyser is an alternative coverage move that hits Steel types such as Kingambit and opposing Necrozma-DM for good damage, while also being the strongest move Necrozma-DM has into Zacian-C. 120 Speed EVs with the rest of the EVs put into HP and Defense outspeeds Zacian-C and Deoxys-A after two Dragon Dances.
Defensive Necrozma-DM provides good role compression for hazard stack teams with its ability to check Zacian-C and Eternatus, while also providing invaluable support from Knock Off, allowing Necrozma-DM to remove Heavy-Duty Boots from common switchins such as Ho-Oh, Kyogre, and Ting-Lu, which helps chipping them down to enable teammates in the back and potentially sweep later on. However, due to its low speed, it struggles to outpace choice scarf users such as Koraidon without multiple Dragon Dance boosts. Since it cannot outpace Choice Scarf users such as Koraidon and Kyogre, checks to them such as Arceus-Fairy, Landorus-T, and Eternatus are appreciated. Hazard setters such as Ting-Lu, Groudon, defensive Arceus formes, and Landorus-T also benefits from the presence of Necrozma-DM removing Heavy-Duty Boots with Knock Off, and Choice Scarf Koraidon can help bolster the healing of Morning Sun while providing speed control for faster threats like Zekrom, Choice Scarf Kyogre and Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
A Specially Defensive EV spread can make Necrozma-DM more effective at taking on Calm Mind Arceus formes and Eternatus, but more vulnerable to physical threats that it would have otherwise been able to deal with. Brick Break is a coverage option that could be used over Earthquake to hit Kingambit harder, but it serves little to no other use outside of that.
Checks and Counters
====
**Bulky Water types**: Arceus-Water can take both Sunsteel Strike and Photon Geyser without too much issue and cripple it with Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp, while also punishing Tera Fire variants looking to prevent being burned by Sacred Fire or Will-O-Wisp. Kyogre could also take hits somewhat well while also heavily reducing the effectiveness of healing moves of Necrozma-DM with Drizzle, but it lacks the recovery to check Necrozma-DM long term.
**Ho-Oh**: Defensive Ho-Oh can stomach boosted attacks from defensive Necrozma-DM and phaze out Stored Power variants, but Knock Off can leave it vulnerable to Stealth Rocks and offensive sets could take it out with Stone Edge or a boosted Photon Geyser.
**Revenge Killers**: Due to its lackluster speed tier, Necrozma-DM fails to outpace common Choice Scarf users such as Koraidon and Kyogre without multiple speed boosts, and is often put into range of knockout from priority users such as Arceus and Kingambit.
**Ghost types**: Lunala can easily 1v1 Both Dragon Dance and Stored Power variants of Necrozma-DM at full health, but will take super effective damage from Knock Off, while Arceus-Ghost could easily tank Knock Off, terastallized Necrozma-DM can out damage it with Stored Power if it lacks taunt.
**Dark types**: Although not as commonly seen as the threats above, Dark types such as Ting-Lu and Air Balloon Kingambit can tank hits easily from Dragon Dance variants of Necrozma-DM and are immune to Stored Power.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by: https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/pigbeeef.651906/
[your profile link]
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/taka.595062/
[QC checker 2's profile link]
Grammar checked by:
[GP checker's profile link]
Last edited: