Best Arceus forme coming through
QC Checks : 3/3 (Sweep, shrang, Blue Jay)
GP 2/2 (Electrolyte, Kingler12345)
Overview
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When Arceus can be any single type in the game, one would wonder why it would pick Ice. Its typing gives it great offensive potential, but just so happens to be its downfall as well. Boasting weaknesses to Fighting-, Fire-, Rock-, and Steel-type attacks, as well as a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock and no resistances other than against its own type, Ice Arceus isn't short of problems. It also has trouble switching in, and finds itself to be drawing in many of the metagame's top threats, such as Ho-Oh, Blaziken, and Mega Mewtwo X. Ice Arceus also faces a lot of competition as a Calm Mind sweeper with Electric Arceus, which does the same thing but with far more advantages. With the right support, however, Ice Arceus can still be very threatening.
Calm Mind Sweeper
========
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment / Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover / Fire Blast / Flamethrower
item: Icicle Plate
evs: 160 HP / 236 SpA / 112 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Calm Mind is the best thing that Ice Arceus can do, as Swords Dance is unviable due to the lack of a good physical Ice-type STAB attack. After one Calm Mind, Ice Arceus reaches a high 502 Special Attack with the given EV spread while also boosting its Special Defense, which is necessary to allow Ice Arceus to do heavy damage. Judgment is the best STAB move it gets, but Ice Beam can be used as well, as while it has a drop in power, it can be very useful in Calm Mind wars due to the freeze chance. Thunder completes the BoltBeam combination, as it can 2HKO offensive variants of Kyogre and does massive damage to anything that resists Judgment. Thunderbolt is a less powerful alternative, but makes up for power with reliability, as Thunder is very inaccurate outside of rain. The last move is a tough choice; Recover allows Ice Arceus to have greater longevity so it can set up Calm Minds without any worries, while Fire Blast and Flamethrower can hit the Steel-types that are bound to switch in on it for super effective damage. Another option is to use Blizzard over Judgment if you are running a hail team. Blizzard has 10 more Base Power than Judgment, has a small freeze rate as a bonus, and is also 100% accurate in hail.
Set Details
========
Ice Arceus runs a rather standard Calm Mind set but has some small changes. 160 HP EVs allow Ice Arceus to live a Bullet Punch from Scizor after Stealth Rock damage while also allowing you to take neutral attacks better. 112 EVs in Speed allow Ice Arceus to outspeed everything up to and including Garchomp, which is good because many of Ice Arceus's targets are Dragon-types that fall under this speed tier. One can also choose to run 252 Speed to Speed tie with other Arceus formes and outspeed everything under 120 base Speed. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Ice Arceus is better suited for the role of a late-game cleaner, as it offers no utility to a team outside of its offensive abilities. If it has Recover, then keeping it for late-game isn't always necessary. Keep entry hazards off the field so Ice Arceus has a much easier time doing work. Switch it in on things that have little offensive presence, such as other Arceus formes that are playing a support role and don't have a type advantage, as well as defensive entry hazard setters such as Shuckle that can't do too much to deter it. Use Calm Mind when the opponent is attempting to set up entry hazards, or when you can Recover off the damage from a special attacker after using Calm Mind, such as against Palkia. When you feel like the opponent is going to switch in a check to Ice Arceus, do not be afraid to just attack— Ice Arceus takes risks just from being there, so taking your chances to use Flamethrower against Scizor or a different Steel-type on the switch can prove to be well worth it. Status is something that you must be wary of when using Ice Arceus, as it can't stand being limited in any way as it is already fairly limited in its ability to sweep. Aside from that, it works like any other Calm Mind Arceus, although Ice Arceus is restricted because of it's typing. It resists nothing other than its own type, so it can't help much at all when checking other threats. Playing carefully is the one thing you have to bear in mind, although its 120 / 120 / 120 defenses mean that is by no means frail.
Team Options
========
The one thing Ice Arceus needs above all is a teammate with Defog to keep the field clear of entry hazards. Stealth Rock removes one-fourth of its health upon switch in, which is something that it must avoid as much as possible. On the flip side, having a teammate that can place Stealth Rock on the opponent's side of the field will be very beneficial to stop Ho-Oh from carelessly switching in on you. In terms of partners for Ice Arceus, Xerneas is good to have. Ice Arceus tends to lure out Xerneas's checks like Scizor, Ho-Oh, and Aegislash, which means if you can take them out, Xerneas can easily set up and sweep the opposing team. Physically defensive Kyogre is also a good partner, as it can check Ho-Oh and effectively neutralize Ice Arceus' Fire weakness and ensure that Thunder hits by bringing rain support, but will weaken the power of your Fire-type move should you choose to use it on your set. Groudon can also be used as a partner, but this comes as a double-edged sword; while Groudon can set up Stealth Rock and make your Fire-type move do more damage, Drought will cause Ice Arceus's Fire weakness to become very troublesome. Ho-Oh is probably the best partner, as it resists three of Ice Arceus's weaknesses and shuts down Scizor, who would otherwise give Ice Arceus trouble. This stacks Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock, however, so using Ho-Oh makes keeping your Defog user alive even more crucial. Finally, for Blizzard variants, Mega Abomasnow or Pokemon with hail holding an Icy Rock are very good for keeping Hail up, allowing Blizzard to be used at maximum effectiveness.
Other Options
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Stone Edge is a move to consider if you wish to lure in Ho-Oh and take it out; however, it takes significant Attack investment to land the OHKO and Ice Arceus can't really afford to give up the EVs for one Pokemon, it should consider a teammate that can handle Ho-Oh instead.
Earth Power is definitely worth considering, as it allows Ice Arceus to hit Fire-types like Heatran and Blaziken which would otherwise give it large problems by inflicting super effective damage. Will-O-Wisp is another option that could be used as Ice Arceus lures in many Pokemon that do not like being burned at all, such as Scizor.
A support set is possible but highly discouraged, due to Ice Arceus carrying multiple weaknesses including entry hazards as well as being completely outclassed by other Arceus formes for this role.
Checks & Counters
========
**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Blaziken and Ho-Oh are able to OHKO Ice Arceus rather easily and pressure the rest of your team, but are hit hard by Thunder on the switch in so your opponent has to be wary.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting Arceus can switch in and scare Ice Arceus out with its own Judgment. Mega Mewtwo X and Blaziken will also threaten to OHKO with an unboosted Low Kick.
**Steel-types**: The introduction of the popular Xerneas has also led to the rise in Steel-types. Scizor is a massive problem, as Bullet Punch is a 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage and priority is something Ice Arceus cannot handle very well. Heatran, Aegislash, and Steel Arceus are also very threatening as Heatran can effectively wall Ice Arceus without Earth Power and Steel Arceus can potentially set up on Ice Arceus.
**Rock Arceus**: Rock Arceus can switch in and threaten to potentially set up on Ice Arceus or outright KO with Judgment, and none of its moves can hit back super effectively bar Earth Power should you choose to run it.
**Entry hazards**: Ice Arceus hates entry hazards. Stealth Rock strips a quarter of its health upon switch in, while Spikes/Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web also limit any potential for it to actually accomplish something.
**Status**: Ice Arceus can't deal with anything that might limit it, and status is certainly no exception. Paralysis can leave it to be extremely vulnerable and being poisoned can also shorten its already limited time.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf Genesect can revenge kill Ice Arceus with Iron Head, and Choice Scarf Kyogre can also revenge kill it unless it has a few Calm Mind boosts up. Deoxys-Attack can also accomplish this with a Life Orb-boosted Low Kick. Mega Lucario can outspeed Ice Arceus with the given EV spread and OHKO with Close Combat easily. Even if Ice Arceus is running max Speed, Mega Lucario can pick Ice Arceus off if weakened with Bullet Punch.
QC Checks : 3/3 (Sweep, shrang, Blue Jay)
GP 2/2 (Electrolyte, Kingler12345)
Overview
========
When Arceus can be any single type in the game, one would wonder why it would pick Ice. Its typing gives it great offensive potential, but just so happens to be its downfall as well. Boasting weaknesses to Fighting-, Fire-, Rock-, and Steel-type attacks, as well as a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock and no resistances other than against its own type, Ice Arceus isn't short of problems. It also has trouble switching in, and finds itself to be drawing in many of the metagame's top threats, such as Ho-Oh, Blaziken, and Mega Mewtwo X. Ice Arceus also faces a lot of competition as a Calm Mind sweeper with Electric Arceus, which does the same thing but with far more advantages. With the right support, however, Ice Arceus can still be very threatening.
Calm Mind Sweeper
========
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment / Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover / Fire Blast / Flamethrower
item: Icicle Plate
evs: 160 HP / 236 SpA / 112 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Calm Mind is the best thing that Ice Arceus can do, as Swords Dance is unviable due to the lack of a good physical Ice-type STAB attack. After one Calm Mind, Ice Arceus reaches a high 502 Special Attack with the given EV spread while also boosting its Special Defense, which is necessary to allow Ice Arceus to do heavy damage. Judgment is the best STAB move it gets, but Ice Beam can be used as well, as while it has a drop in power, it can be very useful in Calm Mind wars due to the freeze chance. Thunder completes the BoltBeam combination, as it can 2HKO offensive variants of Kyogre and does massive damage to anything that resists Judgment. Thunderbolt is a less powerful alternative, but makes up for power with reliability, as Thunder is very inaccurate outside of rain. The last move is a tough choice; Recover allows Ice Arceus to have greater longevity so it can set up Calm Minds without any worries, while Fire Blast and Flamethrower can hit the Steel-types that are bound to switch in on it for super effective damage. Another option is to use Blizzard over Judgment if you are running a hail team. Blizzard has 10 more Base Power than Judgment, has a small freeze rate as a bonus, and is also 100% accurate in hail.
Set Details
========
Ice Arceus runs a rather standard Calm Mind set but has some small changes. 160 HP EVs allow Ice Arceus to live a Bullet Punch from Scizor after Stealth Rock damage while also allowing you to take neutral attacks better. 112 EVs in Speed allow Ice Arceus to outspeed everything up to and including Garchomp, which is good because many of Ice Arceus's targets are Dragon-types that fall under this speed tier. One can also choose to run 252 Speed to Speed tie with other Arceus formes and outspeed everything under 120 base Speed. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack.
Usage Tips
========
Ice Arceus is better suited for the role of a late-game cleaner, as it offers no utility to a team outside of its offensive abilities. If it has Recover, then keeping it for late-game isn't always necessary. Keep entry hazards off the field so Ice Arceus has a much easier time doing work. Switch it in on things that have little offensive presence, such as other Arceus formes that are playing a support role and don't have a type advantage, as well as defensive entry hazard setters such as Shuckle that can't do too much to deter it. Use Calm Mind when the opponent is attempting to set up entry hazards, or when you can Recover off the damage from a special attacker after using Calm Mind, such as against Palkia. When you feel like the opponent is going to switch in a check to Ice Arceus, do not be afraid to just attack— Ice Arceus takes risks just from being there, so taking your chances to use Flamethrower against Scizor or a different Steel-type on the switch can prove to be well worth it. Status is something that you must be wary of when using Ice Arceus, as it can't stand being limited in any way as it is already fairly limited in its ability to sweep. Aside from that, it works like any other Calm Mind Arceus, although Ice Arceus is restricted because of it's typing. It resists nothing other than its own type, so it can't help much at all when checking other threats. Playing carefully is the one thing you have to bear in mind, although its 120 / 120 / 120 defenses mean that is by no means frail.
Team Options
========
The one thing Ice Arceus needs above all is a teammate with Defog to keep the field clear of entry hazards. Stealth Rock removes one-fourth of its health upon switch in, which is something that it must avoid as much as possible. On the flip side, having a teammate that can place Stealth Rock on the opponent's side of the field will be very beneficial to stop Ho-Oh from carelessly switching in on you. In terms of partners for Ice Arceus, Xerneas is good to have. Ice Arceus tends to lure out Xerneas's checks like Scizor, Ho-Oh, and Aegislash, which means if you can take them out, Xerneas can easily set up and sweep the opposing team. Physically defensive Kyogre is also a good partner, as it can check Ho-Oh and effectively neutralize Ice Arceus' Fire weakness and ensure that Thunder hits by bringing rain support, but will weaken the power of your Fire-type move should you choose to use it on your set. Groudon can also be used as a partner, but this comes as a double-edged sword; while Groudon can set up Stealth Rock and make your Fire-type move do more damage, Drought will cause Ice Arceus's Fire weakness to become very troublesome. Ho-Oh is probably the best partner, as it resists three of Ice Arceus's weaknesses and shuts down Scizor, who would otherwise give Ice Arceus trouble. This stacks Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock, however, so using Ho-Oh makes keeping your Defog user alive even more crucial. Finally, for Blizzard variants, Mega Abomasnow or Pokemon with hail holding an Icy Rock are very good for keeping Hail up, allowing Blizzard to be used at maximum effectiveness.
Other Options
========
Stone Edge is a move to consider if you wish to lure in Ho-Oh and take it out; however, it takes significant Attack investment to land the OHKO and Ice Arceus can't really afford to give up the EVs for one Pokemon, it should consider a teammate that can handle Ho-Oh instead.
Earth Power is definitely worth considering, as it allows Ice Arceus to hit Fire-types like Heatran and Blaziken which would otherwise give it large problems by inflicting super effective damage. Will-O-Wisp is another option that could be used as Ice Arceus lures in many Pokemon that do not like being burned at all, such as Scizor.
A support set is possible but highly discouraged, due to Ice Arceus carrying multiple weaknesses including entry hazards as well as being completely outclassed by other Arceus formes for this role.
Checks & Counters
========
**Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Blaziken and Ho-Oh are able to OHKO Ice Arceus rather easily and pressure the rest of your team, but are hit hard by Thunder on the switch in so your opponent has to be wary.
**Fighting-types**: Fighting Arceus can switch in and scare Ice Arceus out with its own Judgment. Mega Mewtwo X and Blaziken will also threaten to OHKO with an unboosted Low Kick.
**Steel-types**: The introduction of the popular Xerneas has also led to the rise in Steel-types. Scizor is a massive problem, as Bullet Punch is a 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage and priority is something Ice Arceus cannot handle very well. Heatran, Aegislash, and Steel Arceus are also very threatening as Heatran can effectively wall Ice Arceus without Earth Power and Steel Arceus can potentially set up on Ice Arceus.
**Rock Arceus**: Rock Arceus can switch in and threaten to potentially set up on Ice Arceus or outright KO with Judgment, and none of its moves can hit back super effectively bar Earth Power should you choose to run it.
**Entry hazards**: Ice Arceus hates entry hazards. Stealth Rock strips a quarter of its health upon switch in, while Spikes/Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web also limit any potential for it to actually accomplish something.
**Status**: Ice Arceus can't deal with anything that might limit it, and status is certainly no exception. Paralysis can leave it to be extremely vulnerable and being poisoned can also shorten its already limited time.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf Genesect can revenge kill Ice Arceus with Iron Head, and Choice Scarf Kyogre can also revenge kill it unless it has a few Calm Mind boosts up. Deoxys-Attack can also accomplish this with a Life Orb-boosted Low Kick. Mega Lucario can outspeed Ice Arceus with the given EV spread and OHKO with Close Combat easily. Even if Ice Arceus is running max Speed, Mega Lucario can pick Ice Arceus off if weakened with Bullet Punch.
Overview
========
Calm Mind Sweeper
========
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment / Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover / Fire Blast / Flamethrower
ability: Multitype
item: Icicle Plate
evs: 160 HP / 236 SpA / 112 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
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- Great offensive typing
- Hits very hard and actually has some offensive presence with it's great coverage options
- Solid 120/120/120 bulk, however this is offset by it's multiple crippling weaknesses
- No resistances other than it's own type
- Is mainly an inferior Electric Arceus, but both give bad team synergy
- Weakness to SR limits it's switch in capabilities, hates hazards in general
- Has trouble finding a switch in opportunity
- Doesn't like status, especially paralysis/toxic
- Invites multiple threats such as Ho-Oh
- More of a gimmick than anything else
Calm Mind Sweeper
========
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment / Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 4: Recover / Fire Blast / Flamethrower
ability: Multitype
item: Icicle Plate
evs: 160 HP / 236 SpA / 112 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
- Judgment is the most reliable STAB move it gets, and while Ice Beam is a drop in base power it can help with possible Calm Mind wars
- Calm Mind is all Arceus-Ice can do, boosts Special Attack to a decent 508 while also boosting Special Defense, which is much needed
- Fire Blast hits Steel types like Scizor, Ferrothorn and Aegislash, which are common switch ins
- Flamethrower is a more accurate alternative, but at the cost of 20 base power
- Running a Fire move comes with it's disadvantages however, as being unable to use recovery limits your lifespan even more
- Thunder completes the BoltBeam combo, can 2HKO non-bulky Kyogre sets such as Scarfed variants as well as hitting Ho-Oh for higher damage, but is very unreliable without rain
- Thunderbolt provides more reliability at the cost of 20 base power, allows you to reliably damage opponents outside of rain
- Recover can add longevity, could be very useful when setting up on Pokemon that can only hit you neutrally and when switching in on entry hazards
- Blizzard on Hail Offense is also an option as it out-damages Judgment and gives an additional 10% chance to freeze as a bonus as well as being 100% accurate in Hail
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- 160 HP allows you to live a Bullet Punch from Scizor after Stealth Rock, however banded variants have a 12.5% chance to OHKO, also gives Ice Arceus much needed bulk
- 236 SpA allows Ice Arceus to do large damage to any dragon in the tier, even unboosted with Judgment
- 112 Speed with a Timid nature allows you to outspeed everything up to and including Garchomp, a useful trait since this allows you to outspeed many of your targets (dragons)
- An alternative spread of 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Speed with a Timid nature is also an option to speed tie with other Arceus and outspeed as much as you possibly can (4 HP means you take 25% damage when switching into SR while having an odd number can allow you to live 4 possible switch ins)
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- Switch in on things that have little offensive presence, other Arceus formes that are playing a support role that don't have a type advantage, as well as defensive hazard setters (be wary of status as it is very likely)
- Try to preserve Ice Arceus for late-game, the fact it has zero relevant resistances means you have nothing to work with, but make sure entry hazards are off the field and it can function as a late game cleaner
- Works just like any other Calm Mind Arceus, only differences are that it has more trouble switching in and can't help when checking threats. Once it does get a Calm Mind boost however it can cause trouble for the opponent.
- Play carefully, it's typing limits it defensively although it still has 120/120/120 defenses to work with.
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- Having Stealth Rock is very beneficial to stop Ho-Oh being too switch-happy
- Xerneas is a good partner as Ice Arceus can lure out it's checks (Scizor,other Steel or Fire types) allowing Xerneas to cause chaos if you can successfully remove them
- A defogger / spinner is an absolute must have if you plan to use this seriously to allow you to have more switch in opportunities
- An answer to Ho-Oh is necessary, as you can't do much to it and are forced to switch out
- Groudon is a nice partner as it can bring sunshine and set up Stealth Rocks, however it is a double edged sword - While it boosts your own Fire Blast, it also makes you even more vulnerable to opposing Fire types and turns your Thunder into a 50% accurate move
- On the opposite side, physically defensive Kyogre can also be a great partner as it can check Ho-Oh as well as help to neutralize Ice Arceus' fire weakness by bringing rain support and allows you to have 100% accurate Thunders, but this will weaken Fire Blast
- Mega Abomasnow or a Pokemon that can bring Hail holding an Icy Rock are good teammates for Blizzard variants to maximize effectiveness + accuracy
- Ho-Oh is also a good partner as it can resist Steel, Fire, and Fighting type moves helping to cover Ice Arceus' weaknesses
========
- Stone Edge is a worthwhile option to stop you being complete Ho-Oh bait, however you need significant Attack investment to secure an OHKO and Ice Arceus can't afford to give up the EVs
- Earth Power allows you to hit Heatran and other Fire types for super effective damage, and is worth considering
- A support set with Defog is a possibility, but due to Ice Arceus carrying multiple weaknesses including entry hazards as well as being completely outclassed by other Arceus formes, this is highly discouraged
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- Fire Types - Pokemon such as Blaziken and Ho-Oh are given the chance to switch into Ice Arceus rather easily and can proceed to immediately threaten your entire team, especially since either of Blaziken's STABs can crush you. However neither appreciate switching in on Thunder so your opponent has to be wary
- Fighting Types- Arceus-Fighting can also switch in and can scare it out with Judgment, the aforementioned Blaziken will also threaten to OHKO with an unboosted Low Kick. Mega Mewtwo X threatens in the same way as Blaziken
- Steel Types - The popular introduction of Xerneas has also led to the rise in Steel types. Scizor is a massive problem as Bullet Punch is a near certain 2HKO after SR and priority is something Arceus-Ice cannot handle very well. Heatran, Aegislash and Steel Arceus are also very threatening as Heatran can effectively wall you without Earth Power and Steel Arceus can potentially set up in your face.
- Rock Types - While Rock type Pokemon are not commonly seen in ubers, Rock type moves such as Stone Edge are very common as coverage moves and they will hit Ice Arceus fairly hard. Rock Arceus can switch in on any move rather easily and scarf Terrakion is also very threatening.
- Hazards- Ice Arceus hates hazards. Stealth Rocks strips a quarter of it's health upon switch in, while Spikes/Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web also limit any potential for you to actually accomplish something.
- Status - Arceus-Ice can't deal with anything that might limit it, and status is certainly no exception. Paralysis can leave it to be extremely vulnerable to anything that has a type advantage, and Poison/Toxic can also shorten your already limited time.
- Deoxys-Attack - Deoxys-Attack can revenge kill you with a Life Orb boosted Low Kick.
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