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Ubers Arceus-Fairy [QC: 3/3] [GP: 2/2]
- Thread starter malefic
- Start date
Considering Taunt is staple on m-gar pretty much more than anything else it may run, Roar isn't great for that niche (not saying it's a bad move but it doesn't say fuck you to m-gar really)
efinitely mention Mega Gengar weakness in the overview.
For the comment about going ahead and switching in on dragon moves if fairy isn't revealed: I actually disagree wiht it as a lot of teams are using Fairies in some forme for their defensive cores. Fairy Arceus is probably one of the easier variants to sniff from looking at preview.
"An answer to geoxern is required." Wut, why? What does GeoXern have to do with Fairy Arc? I guess it can sorta easily setup on it but it's not particularly weak to it and Judgment bites. Idk it feels like this comment is more general teambuilding help than something that has to do with Fairy Arceus specifically.
"You should have an alternative Defog user if you choose to run this set. (stone edge) Giratina-O is a good choice, as fairyceus checks the dark-types that plague it; in return, gira can nail ho-oh with stone edge and provides some extra insurance against ekiller" Meh, I don't think Defog is required on teams at all. I don't mind you mentioning the benefits of having Defog someplace else or, rather, listing the options you have by giving it up on Fairy Arceus but I really dislike the "should".
Bulky Kyogre handles Fairy a lot better than MMY does. SpDef Xern handles the support set better as well. Tbh, I'm not a bright guy sometimes but I don't see why MMY is treated as such a good check to Fairy Arceus. It dislikes coming in on status and it may have a nice spdef stat but it never invests in that and rarely uses recovery. It's not hitting Arceus particularly hard, it actually can't break the Recover spam without CMing/Taunt.
Otherwise, looks good to me.
For the comment about going ahead and switching in on dragon moves if fairy isn't revealed: I actually disagree wiht it as a lot of teams are using Fairies in some forme for their defensive cores. Fairy Arceus is probably one of the easier variants to sniff from looking at preview.
"An answer to geoxern is required." Wut, why? What does GeoXern have to do with Fairy Arc? I guess it can sorta easily setup on it but it's not particularly weak to it and Judgment bites. Idk it feels like this comment is more general teambuilding help than something that has to do with Fairy Arceus specifically.
"You should have an alternative Defog user if you choose to run this set. (stone edge) Giratina-O is a good choice, as fairyceus checks the dark-types that plague it; in return, gira can nail ho-oh with stone edge and provides some extra insurance against ekiller" Meh, I don't think Defog is required on teams at all. I don't mind you mentioning the benefits of having Defog someplace else or, rather, listing the options you have by giving it up on Fairy Arceus but I really dislike the "should".
Bulky Kyogre handles Fairy a lot better than MMY does. SpDef Xern handles the support set better as well. Tbh, I'm not a bright guy sometimes but I don't see why MMY is treated as such a good check to Fairy Arceus. It dislikes coming in on status and it may have a nice spdef stat but it never invests in that and rarely uses recovery. It's not hitting Arceus particularly hard, it actually can't break the Recover spam without CMing/Taunt.
Otherwise, looks good to me.
Fair enough Furai
idk if it deserves a slash though, it's hard to give up defog
Aslo Melee Mewtwo
Fairyarc is not that much bait for Geoxern- Fairy Aura boosts Fairyceus attacks vs it. The calc is:
0 SpA Pixie Plate Arceus-Fairy Judgment vs. 152 HP / 0 SpD Fairy Aura Xerneas: 204-241 (47.3 - 55.9%) -- 79.3% chance to 2HKO
so the Xerneas bait thing is much less prevalent than for other support Arceus
idk if it deserves a slash though, it's hard to give up defog
Aslo Melee Mewtwo
Fairyarc is not that much bait for Geoxern- Fairy Aura boosts Fairyceus attacks vs it. The calc is:
0 SpA Pixie Plate Arceus-Fairy Judgment vs. 152 HP / 0 SpD Fairy Aura Xerneas: 204-241 (47.3 - 55.9%) -- 79.3% chance to 2HKO
so the Xerneas bait thing is much less prevalent than for other support Arceus
I think I'll hold back on giving roar a main slash and instead elaborate on its usefulness w the right team build in moves
Melee Mewtwo
I agree with all your points; just to clarify the Geoxern thing, what I meant was that teams should have a way to pick off a Judgment-weakened Geoxern - or just Geoxern if it switches in on fairyceus and you don't want to sac it
Will do abit of cleaning up w regard to all this and write this up soon. Hitting the sack now.
Melee Mewtwo
I agree with all your points; just to clarify the Geoxern thing, what I meant was that teams should have a way to pick off a Judgment-weakened Geoxern - or just Geoxern if it switches in on fairyceus and you don't want to sac it
Will do abit of cleaning up w regard to all this and write this up soon. Hitting the sack now.
Usage tips: Talk about what you can do if you see Mega Gengar in team preview.
Support's team options: When you list the ground types the wording comes out funny and it sounds like you are saying Groudon helps check Ho-Oh.
CM's team options: Talk a bit more about guys that can help clear out the stops it has to CM sweeping.
CC: Change the Fairy types bullet to bulky fairy types because it makes it sound like they check by virtue of their fairy typing when it's really just a group of bulky mons that are fairy type. Also, I think status is a btter check to Fairy arc than MMy is so I woudl bump it up in the list.
Support's team options: When you list the ground types the wording comes out funny and it sounds like you are saying Groudon helps check Ho-Oh.
CM's team options: Talk a bit more about guys that can help clear out the stops it has to CM sweeping.
CC: Change the Fairy types bullet to bulky fairy types because it makes it sound like they check by virtue of their fairy typing when it's really just a group of bulky mons that are fairy type. Also, I think status is a btter check to Fairy arc than MMy is so I woudl bump it up in the list.
Melee Mewtwo
good call, especially the bit about mega gengar which i feel is very important but neglected to mention :[ added this to usage tips:
Yet, Fairy Arceus's typing also leaves it vulnerable to a popular and potent trapper in Mega Gengar. If you see the opponent has a Gengar in Team Preview, caution should be exercised in switching in Fairy Arceus on Pokemon it checks, especially if Gengar has already Mega Evolved. A good way to prevent Mega Gengar from getting the better of Fairy Arceus would be to get prior damage on it before it Mega Evolves; Judgment does 37-43% to 0 HP / 0 SpD Gengar and 30-35% to Mega Gengar, meaning if you hit it once then switch out before it Mega Evolves, it will be hard-pressed to switch in on Fairy Arceus again if Stealth Rock is up.
the rest of the changes have also been implemented. Thanks!
good call, especially the bit about mega gengar which i feel is very important but neglected to mention :[ added this to usage tips:
Yet, Fairy Arceus's typing also leaves it vulnerable to a popular and potent trapper in Mega Gengar. If you see the opponent has a Gengar in Team Preview, caution should be exercised in switching in Fairy Arceus on Pokemon it checks, especially if Gengar has already Mega Evolved. A good way to prevent Mega Gengar from getting the better of Fairy Arceus would be to get prior damage on it before it Mega Evolves; Judgment does 37-43% to 0 HP / 0 SpD Gengar and 30-35% to Mega Gengar, meaning if you hit it once then switch out before it Mega Evolves, it will be hard-pressed to switch in on Fairy Arceus again if Stealth Rock is up.
the rest of the changes have also been implemented. Thanks!
Last edited:
malefic
REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS
1/2
REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS
Overview
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Gifted with the new and competitively viable Fairy typing, Fairy Arceus has wasted no time in establishing itself as a mainstay in Ubers. Being able to make use of its typing and great all-around base 120 base stats to function effectively in both offensive and supporting roles, Fairy Arceus is one of the best Arceus formes this generation, with very few real flaws. Resisting common and potent offensive types such as Dark and Fighting, in addition to possessing a coveted immunity to Dragon-types, Fairy Arceus can comfortably check some of the metagame's most potent offensive threats such as Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Kangaskhan, Yveltal, and Palkia. Yet, Fairy typing is a double-edged sword; the usage of Fairies have led to a corresponding spike in the usage of Steel-types to combat them, and these naturally are a pain for Fairy Arceus to maneuver around. Also, the newly introduced Mega Gengar is able to use its ability, Shadow Tag, along with super effective STAB Poison-type moves to trap and KO Fairy Arceus, which can do little to it in return. Finally, Fairy Arceus faces competition from other Calm Mind Arceus formes, and has to be wary of super effective coverage moves from Pokemon it otherwise checks.
Support
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Defog
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
item: Pixie Plate
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is Fairy Arceus's obligatory STAB move. It hits most targets neutrally for good damage, in addition to hitting important targets like Palkia, Mega Mewtwo X, and Giratina-O super effectively. Recover grants Fairy Arceus the longevity it requires to perform its supporting role throughout the match. Defog clears hazards from both sides of the field; it is a good move for Fairy Arceus to have as it can find many opportunities to switch in on Pokemon that it threatens, such as Palkia, and utilize these free turns to use Defog. In conjunction with its respectable natural bulk and Fairy typing's neutrality to most types, Will-O-Wisp allows Fairy Arceus to check most commonly seen physical attackers, such as Groudon, Mega Kangaskhan, and Extreme Killer Arceus. Toxic is an alternative status move that can be used, having certain merits that distinguish it from Will-O-Wisp. Firstly, it cripples one of Fairy Arceus's most common and potent checks, Ho-Oh, as it switches in. Secondly, Toxic can be used to pressure opposing Defog users, Calm Mind sweepers, and walls such as Lugia better than Will-O-Wisp can, as the cumulative nature of Toxic damage means that Pokemon stricken with it are essentially put on a timer that resets only if they switch out (as opposed to a burnt Pokemon, which can stick around indefinitely as long as it possesses reliable recovery). Note though, that using Toxic leaves you practically helpless against the numerous Steel-types that populate Ubers. Aside from the listed moves, Fairy Arceus has a couple of other options. Stone Edge can be run in the third moveslot to KO most variants of Ho-Oh (all if Stealth Rock is up). In the same vein, Earthquake hits two of Fairy Arceus's other checks, Mega Gengar and Heatran, super effectively. While being worthwhile options if one's team struggles with these Pokemon, keep in mind that Fairy Arceus will miss out on the general utility a status move provides it. Finally, and especially if your team has an alternative means of keeping entry hazards in check when needed, Roar can be used over Defog to phaze common switch-ins to Fairy Arceus. The most notable of these is Ho-Oh, which is 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Spikes support greatly increase Roar's effectiveness when phazing Steel-type switch-ins that are resistant to Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs allow Fairy Arceus to take and switch in on many moderately powerful neutral hits, such as Hydro Pump from Palkia in neutral weather. 112 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outspeed everything up to Jolly Garchomp—most significantly, this allows you Arceus to outspeed and KO Palkia with Judgment, as well as check Mega Kangaskhan with Will-O-Wisp. The remaining 144 EVs are invested in Defense, (RC) to better stomach physical hits such as Mewtwo's Psystrike; they also come in handy in the event of a Will-O-Wisp miss against Pokemon like Life Orb Groudon and Mega Kangaskhan. Alternatively, invest the 144 EVs in Special Defense for some added insurance against Palkia and Xerneas; (SC) standard Geomancy Xerneas's +2 Moonblast only has a 25% to OHKO after Stealth Rock damage. This spread can also better insure Fairy Arceus against +1 / +1 Calm Mind Arceus formes in a pinch—a +1 4 SpA Judgment from a type-neutral Arceus forme has a 8.2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage, as opposed to a guaranteed 2HKO if the 144 SpD EVs are not run. Note that with this spread, Roar should be used as Fairy Arceus's other moves are ineffectual against the Pokemon it is supposed to check.
Usage Tips
========
Make the best of Fairy Arceus's typing by not hesitating to switch it in on Pokemon it can force out with the threat of a burn or a super effective Judgment. Examples of such Pokemon include Mega Mewtwo X, Palkia, and Groudon. Yet However, Fairy Arceus's typing also leaves it vulnerable to a popular and potent trapper in Mega Gengar. If you see the opponent has a Gengar in Team Preview, caution should be exercised in switching in Fairy Arceus on Pokemon it checks, (AC) especially if Gengar has already Mega Evolved; a simple double switch could doom it. A good way to prevent Mega Gengar from getting the better of Fairy Arceus would be to get prior damage on it before it Mega Evolves; Judgment does 37-43% to 0 HP / 0 SpD Gengar and 30-35% to Mega Gengar, meaning if you hit it once then switch out before it Mega Evolves, it will be hard-pressed to switch in on Fairy Arceus again if Stealth Rock is up. Mega Gengar aside, also be wary of super effective coverage moves on Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise checks, such as Iron Tail/Poison Jab on Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai. Scout for these moves with your other Pokemon, as far as team structure permits. You should also be careful of switching Fairy Arceus into possible status moves, even if you can force out or kill the user afterwards, as status greatly diminishes Fairy Arceus's supporting capabilities. Paralysis destroys its Speed advantage over many Pokemon, and burn/poison wear away at its health, forcing it to use Recover more than otherwise necessary. Lastly, don't use Defog too hastily (basically, if it benefits your opponent more than you). Spamming Judgment or spreading status is the wiser option over using Defog if the opponent's entry hazard setter can set up hazards again with relative ease.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters, such as Landorus-T, (RC) and Gliscor, (AC) are good teammates, (AC) as they can set up Stealth Rock reliably and consistently, (RC) and can check Ho-Oh with their typing and physical bulk if the need arises. Groudon can also be a nice partner in this regard, although the sun brought on by Drought will strengthen Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, which is nasty. At any rate, none of these Pokemon have the means to switch into Brave Bird/Sacred Fire repeatedly and the best way to keep Ho-Oh at bay is really to make sure Stealth Rock stays up. When choosing among these Stealth Rock setters, keep in mind that each one also additionally provides its own unique brand of support to the team (Groudon gives sun support, learns Fire Punch, and can phaze with Roar/Dragon Tail; (SC) Landorus-T can gain momentum with U-Turn and has the useful Intimidate as its ability; (SC) Gliscor can sponge status from certain Pokemon and can stallbreak with Taunt). Furthermore, having a Ground-type and Fairy Arceus on your team keeps opposing Choiced Zekrom users guessing which of its STAB moves to use, with mispredictions being duly punished - this all the more makes Ground-type Pokemon useful teammates. Curiously enough, Ho-Oh is a much of a friend as it is a foe; it handily checks the Steel-types that give Fairy Arceus a hard time, and is hence a great partner. Moving on, Kyogre can threaten Fairy Arceus massively with rain-boosted stab; Palkia is a good partner as it is essentially the only Kyogre check that doesn't compound your team's Ho-Oh weakness. For that matter, specially defensive Kyogre can be a good teammate as it can check some Palkia, (RC) as well as check Geomancy Xerneas, which can set up on Fairy Arceus.
Calm Mind
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Thunder / Will-O-Wisp / Psyshock
item: Pixie Plate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is the obligatory STAB move. Calm Mind boosts Fairy Arceus's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage each; at +1 Special Attack, Judgment hits most neutral targets very hard, making this set a formidable mid-to-late-game cleaner. Recover aids Fairy Arceus in setting up multiple Calm Mind boosts, and ensures it can survive to clean up late-game while checking relevant threats early on. In the fourth moveslot, Thunder is slashed first because it hits one of Fairy Arceus's prime checks in Ho-Oh super effectively; Ho-Oh is otherwise a major deterrence to Fairy Arceus's cleanup. Thunder is also useful if your team has problems with specially defensive Kyogre. Next, Will-O-Wisp makes Fairy Arceus a middle ground between sweeper and supporter, allowing it to check the same physically oriented threats as on the support set while retaining its ability to clean up late-game with its excellent mono-attacking coverage. In the third slash, Psyshock deserves mention as it most notably allows Fairy Arceus to come out on top of Calm Mind wars with other Arceus by targeting their unboosted Defense stat. A couple of other options can be used in the fourth moveslot. Fire Blast handles pesky Steel-types bar Heatran; Flamethrower is a weaker but more accurate alternative. Refresh can also be run, however it Fairy Arceus is largely outclassed as a status-bypassing sweeper by Water Arceus, notably because the latter handles Ho-Oh better. The main draw of using Refresh Fairy Arceus over Water Arceus is that it can set up on Palkia much more effectively.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs make good use of Fairy Arceus's typing and natural bulk, while maximum Speed EVs allow it to outrun everything below its Speed tier and Speed tie any Arceus at worst. Alternatively, run the same spread as support Fairy Arceus (252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd) as both sets share a niche in checking the same threats. If you so wish, investing 96 EVs in SpA allows Fairy Arceus to OHKO 248 HP Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage; 88 SpA OHKOs 0 HP Mega Gengar with +1 Psyshock (196 SpA OHKOs the 248 HP Perish Trapper variant after Stealth Rock damage). The required EVs can be siphoned from HP or Speed; just note that minimally, Fairy Arceus should retain enough Speed to outrun Timid Palkia and (Jolly Mega Kangaskhan).
Usage Tips
========
Usage tips need to be written without the assumption the above set has been read. All sets must be independent of each other.
These are largely the same as on support Fairy Arceus. If anything, status is even more detrimental to this set as it stops it from cleaning effecively late-game. Again, as with support Fairy Arceus, Tread lightly around Mega Gengar; you don't want to lose your sweeper to a reckless switch early-game. Another pertinent point to add would be that it is inadvisable to be too hasty in setting up Calm Mind in an attempt to break holes in the opposing team early-to-mid-game (basically, as far long as Fairy Arceus's checks and counters are still healthy). Despite having sweeping potential, this set's main focus is still to stay healthy for the bulk of the game and check relevant threats with its defenses and typing; sweeping should only be attempted late-game, when the opposing team is weakened to the extent that Fairy Arceus can clean up with a single Calm Mind boost coupled with its great Speed.
Team Options
========
Again, these mirror that of support Fairy Arceus, Still have to say them anyway although Ho-Oh and specially defensive Kyogre are less problematic if Thunder is used. Note that using this set means you give up the utility of Defog; while it is not a necessity on every team, you should have a way to keep entry hazards in check. Giratina-O is a good teammate in this regard; besides being able to viably use Defog, it can also KO Ho-Oh with Stone Edge while Fairy Arceus checks the Dark-types it is weak to. Note that since because this set aims to clean with Calm Mind late game, teammates adept at applying offensive pressure on its checks are all the more strongly recommended. An example of these is Substitute Ho-Oh, which can switch in and set up on the majority of Fairy Arceus's checks such as, following which it can use its dual STAB moves to threaten the opposing team behind the safety of its Substitute. Life Orb Groudon can also accomplish much the same feat, threatening a sweep of its own if it manages to switch in on Pokemon like Ferrothorn or Aegislash that check Fairy Arceus.
Other Options
########
Thunder Wave can be used on the support set to slow down setup sweepers and cripple a common switch-in in Ho-Oh, but it isn't really hitting anything else of note that would switch into Fairy Arceus. At any rate, it is largely outclassed by Will-O-Wisp/Toxic. Perish Song can also be run on the support set, as can Magic Coat. The former prevents any last Pokemon sweep on the opponent's part, while the latter is situationally useful in reflecting status, entry hazards, and Taunt. Fairy Arceus's typing and bulk allow it to set up dual screens smoothly enough, but it is generally not worthwhile using your team's Arceus for this purpose. Finally, Punishment is a niche option to deal with boosting Gothitelle, an uncommonly seen but nonetheless viable check to Fairy Arceus.
Checks & Counters
########
**Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon deserves the top spot in this section if only because it can trap Fairy Arceus with Shadow Tag, rendering it unable to escape. It can then proceed to damage Fairy Arceus severely, if not kill it outright, (AC) with powerful STAB Poison-type moves, while Fairy Arceus not running Psyshock can do little to it in return. It can even force a double KO on boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus with Destiny Bond.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists Fairy Arceus's STAB Judgment, (RC) and can threaten it massively with its powerful dual STAB moves if Fairy Arceus does not run an appropriate coverage move. Along with Mega Gengar Ho-Oh possesses the most offensive presence among all Fairy Arceus's good checks and is hence also extremely dangerous.
**Steel-types**: Simply by virtue of their typing most Steel-types which are viable in Ubers are a bane to Fairy Arceus. Despite being a relatively rare sight, Steel Arceus is the best of these checks as it possesses reliable recovery and a super effective STAB Judgment to hit Fairy Arceus with (note that Judgment is a special attack hence its damage is not affected by burns; on the other hand this also means that Steel Arceus might lose out against Calm Mind Fairy Arceus that have attained too many boosts). Heatran is also a prime check; being immune to both Will-O-Wisp and Toxic and taking pittance from its attacks , it can use Fairy Arceus as a pivot to set up Stealth Rock/phaze/spread status. Scizor, Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Klefki, and Bronzong are all relatively commonly seen Pokemon that can all check Fairy Arceus with their typing and access to status moves. All of these Pokemon dislike Burns though, as their STAB attack of choice is often physical. Mega Mawile deserves a mention as an uncommonly seen Steel-type that can severely dent Fairy Arceus with STAB Iron Head.
**Poison-types**: Much like the above Steel-types, Poison-types can check Fairy Arceus with their favorable typing. Poison Arceus checks Fairy Arceus in the same way Steel Arceus does. Amoonguss can undo Calm Mind boosts with Clear Smog, (RC) and hits Fairy Arceus fairly hard with STAB Sludge Bomb while taking little damage in return. Tentacruel, albeit being much more uncommon this generation, is still a viable Poison-type that can hit Fairy Arceus with Toxic. Note that Poison types have to watch out for Psyshock if they are aiming to check Calm Mind Fairy Arceus.
**Kyogre**: Specially defensive Kyogre can phaze Calm Mind Fairy Arceus; Kyogre in general can deal heavy damage to both sets with its rain-boosted STAB moves.
**Chansey and Blissey**: These blobs counter both sets thanks to their enormous Special Defense and access to Toxic.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Xerneas stands out among these as it can set up on Fairy Arceus with Geomancy and proceed to pose a massive threat. Other bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon often carry Toxic, and can use this in conjunction with their bulk and access to reliable recovery to stall Fairy Arceus out.
**Status**: Fairy Arceus loathes status of any sort; paralysis gimps all its sets and burn/poison limit its longevity greatly, deterring it from spamming Judgment or setting up.
**Mega Mewtwo Y**: Good Speed and a powerful STAB Psyshock Psystrike allows Mega Mewtwo Y to pick off weakened Fairy Arceus.
**Fairy-Neutral Steel-types**: Dialga and Mega Lucario fall into this category as they do not resist Fairy Arceus's STAB Judgment (furthermore they do not have access to reliable recovery) and hence cannot afford to switch in on it. Mega Lucario has to watch out for Will-O-Wisp too. These Pokemon can come out on top of Fairy Arceus in a 1v1 situation, (AC) though.
**Super Effective Coverage Moves from faster Pokemon**: As with how Stone Edge is often run as a coverage move to deal with Ho-Oh, Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise check generally have access to, (RC) and will often choose to run coverage moves that can catch it off-guard. Examples of these are Mega Mewtwo X using Iron Tail or Poison Jab and Darkrai with Sludge Bomb.
########
Gifted with the new and competitively viable Fairy typing, Fairy Arceus has wasted no time in establishing itself as a mainstay in Ubers. Being able to make use of its typing and great all-around base 120 base stats to function effectively in both offensive and supporting roles, Fairy Arceus is one of the best Arceus formes this generation, with very few real flaws. Resisting common and potent offensive types such as Dark and Fighting, in addition to possessing a coveted immunity to Dragon-types, Fairy Arceus can comfortably check some of the metagame's most potent offensive threats such as Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Kangaskhan, Yveltal, and Palkia. Yet, Fairy typing is a double-edged sword; the usage of Fairies have led to a corresponding spike in the usage of Steel-types to combat them, and these naturally are a pain for Fairy Arceus to maneuver around. Also, the newly introduced Mega Gengar is able to use its ability, Shadow Tag, along with super effective STAB Poison-type moves to trap and KO Fairy Arceus, which can do little to it in return. Finally, Fairy Arceus faces competition from other Calm Mind Arceus formes, and has to be wary of super effective coverage moves from Pokemon it otherwise checks.
Support
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Defog
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
item: Pixie Plate
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is Fairy Arceus's obligatory STAB move. It hits most targets neutrally for good damage, in addition to hitting important targets like Palkia, Mega Mewtwo X, and Giratina-O super effectively. Recover grants Fairy Arceus the longevity it requires to perform its supporting role throughout the match. Defog clears hazards from both sides of the field; it is a good move for Fairy Arceus to have as it can find many opportunities to switch in on Pokemon that it threatens, such as Palkia, and utilize these free turns to use Defog. In conjunction with its respectable natural bulk and Fairy typing's neutrality to most types, Will-O-Wisp allows Fairy Arceus to check most commonly seen physical attackers, such as Groudon, Mega Kangaskhan, and Extreme Killer Arceus. Toxic is an alternative status move that can be used, having certain merits that distinguish it from Will-O-Wisp. Firstly, it cripples one of Fairy Arceus's most common and potent checks, Ho-Oh, as it switches in. Secondly, Toxic can be used to pressure opposing Defog users, Calm Mind sweepers, and walls such as Lugia better than Will-O-Wisp can, as the cumulative nature of Toxic damage means that Pokemon stricken with it are essentially put on a timer that resets only if they switch out (as opposed to a burnt Pokemon, which can stick around indefinitely as long as it possesses reliable recovery). Note though, that using Toxic leaves you practically helpless against the numerous Steel-types that populate Ubers. Aside from the listed moves, Fairy Arceus has a couple of other options. Stone Edge can be run in the third moveslot to KO most variants of Ho-Oh (all if Stealth Rock is up). In the same vein, Earthquake hits two of Fairy Arceus's other checks, Mega Gengar and Heatran, super effectively. While being worthwhile options if one's team struggles with these Pokemon, keep in mind that Fairy Arceus will miss out on the general utility a status move provides it. Finally, and especially if your team has an alternative means of keeping entry hazards in check when needed, Roar can be used over Defog to phaze common switch-ins to Fairy Arceus. The most notable of these is Ho-Oh, which is 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Spikes support greatly increase Roar's effectiveness when phazing Steel-type switch-ins that are resistant to Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs allow Fairy Arceus to take and switch in on many moderately powerful neutral hits, such as Hydro Pump from Palkia in neutral weather. 112 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outspeed everything up to Jolly Garchomp—most significantly, this allows you Arceus to outspeed and KO Palkia with Judgment, as well as check Mega Kangaskhan with Will-O-Wisp. The remaining 144 EVs are invested in Defense, (RC) to better stomach physical hits such as Mewtwo's Psystrike; they also come in handy in the event of a Will-O-Wisp miss against Pokemon like Life Orb Groudon and Mega Kangaskhan. Alternatively, invest the 144 EVs in Special Defense for some added insurance against Palkia and Xerneas; (SC) standard Geomancy Xerneas's +2 Moonblast only has a 25% to OHKO after Stealth Rock damage. This spread can also better insure Fairy Arceus against +1 / +1 Calm Mind Arceus formes in a pinch—a +1 4 SpA Judgment from a type-neutral Arceus forme has a 8.2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage, as opposed to a guaranteed 2HKO if the 144 SpD EVs are not run. Note that with this spread, Roar should be used as Fairy Arceus's other moves are ineffectual against the Pokemon it is supposed to check.
Usage Tips
========
Make the best of Fairy Arceus's typing by not hesitating to switch it in on Pokemon it can force out with the threat of a burn or a super effective Judgment. Examples of such Pokemon include Mega Mewtwo X, Palkia, and Groudon. Yet However, Fairy Arceus's typing also leaves it vulnerable to a popular and potent trapper in Mega Gengar. If you see the opponent has a Gengar in Team Preview, caution should be exercised in switching in Fairy Arceus on Pokemon it checks, (AC) especially if Gengar has already Mega Evolved; a simple double switch could doom it. A good way to prevent Mega Gengar from getting the better of Fairy Arceus would be to get prior damage on it before it Mega Evolves; Judgment does 37-43% to 0 HP / 0 SpD Gengar and 30-35% to Mega Gengar, meaning if you hit it once then switch out before it Mega Evolves, it will be hard-pressed to switch in on Fairy Arceus again if Stealth Rock is up. Mega Gengar aside, also be wary of super effective coverage moves on Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise checks, such as Iron Tail/Poison Jab on Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai. Scout for these moves with your other Pokemon, as far as team structure permits. You should also be careful of switching Fairy Arceus into possible status moves, even if you can force out or kill the user afterwards, as status greatly diminishes Fairy Arceus's supporting capabilities. Paralysis destroys its Speed advantage over many Pokemon, and burn/poison wear away at its health, forcing it to use Recover more than otherwise necessary. Lastly, don't use Defog too hastily (basically, if it benefits your opponent more than you). Spamming Judgment or spreading status is the wiser option over using Defog if the opponent's entry hazard setter can set up hazards again with relative ease.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters, such as Landorus-T, (RC) and Gliscor, (AC) are good teammates, (AC) as they can set up Stealth Rock reliably and consistently, (RC) and can check Ho-Oh with their typing and physical bulk if the need arises. Groudon can also be a nice partner in this regard, although the sun brought on by Drought will strengthen Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, which is nasty. At any rate, none of these Pokemon have the means to switch into Brave Bird/Sacred Fire repeatedly and the best way to keep Ho-Oh at bay is really to make sure Stealth Rock stays up. When choosing among these Stealth Rock setters, keep in mind that each one also additionally provides its own unique brand of support to the team (Groudon gives sun support, learns Fire Punch, and can phaze with Roar/Dragon Tail; (SC) Landorus-T can gain momentum with U-Turn and has the useful Intimidate as its ability; (SC) Gliscor can sponge status from certain Pokemon and can stallbreak with Taunt). Furthermore, having a Ground-type and Fairy Arceus on your team keeps opposing Choiced Zekrom users guessing which of its STAB moves to use, with mispredictions being duly punished - this all the more makes Ground-type Pokemon useful teammates. Curiously enough, Ho-Oh is a much of a friend as it is a foe; it handily checks the Steel-types that give Fairy Arceus a hard time, and is hence a great partner. Moving on, Kyogre can threaten Fairy Arceus massively with rain-boosted stab; Palkia is a good partner as it is essentially the only Kyogre check that doesn't compound your team's Ho-Oh weakness. For that matter, specially defensive Kyogre can be a good teammate as it can check some Palkia, (RC) as well as check Geomancy Xerneas, which can set up on Fairy Arceus.
Calm Mind
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Thunder / Will-O-Wisp / Psyshock
item: Pixie Plate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is the obligatory STAB move. Calm Mind boosts Fairy Arceus's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage each; at +1 Special Attack, Judgment hits most neutral targets very hard, making this set a formidable mid-to-late-game cleaner. Recover aids Fairy Arceus in setting up multiple Calm Mind boosts, and ensures it can survive to clean up late-game while checking relevant threats early on. In the fourth moveslot, Thunder is slashed first because it hits one of Fairy Arceus's prime checks in Ho-Oh super effectively; Ho-Oh is otherwise a major deterrence to Fairy Arceus's cleanup. Thunder is also useful if your team has problems with specially defensive Kyogre. Next, Will-O-Wisp makes Fairy Arceus a middle ground between sweeper and supporter, allowing it to check the same physically oriented threats as on the support set while retaining its ability to clean up late-game with its excellent mono-attacking coverage. In the third slash, Psyshock deserves mention as it most notably allows Fairy Arceus to come out on top of Calm Mind wars with other Arceus by targeting their unboosted Defense stat. A couple of other options can be used in the fourth moveslot. Fire Blast handles pesky Steel-types bar Heatran; Flamethrower is a weaker but more accurate alternative. Refresh can also be run, however it Fairy Arceus is largely outclassed as a status-bypassing sweeper by Water Arceus, notably because the latter handles Ho-Oh better. The main draw of using Refresh Fairy Arceus over Water Arceus is that it can set up on Palkia much more effectively.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs make good use of Fairy Arceus's typing and natural bulk, while maximum Speed EVs allow it to outrun everything below its Speed tier and Speed tie any Arceus at worst. Alternatively, run the same spread as support Fairy Arceus (252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd) as both sets share a niche in checking the same threats. If you so wish, investing 96 EVs in SpA allows Fairy Arceus to OHKO 248 HP Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage; 88 SpA OHKOs 0 HP Mega Gengar with +1 Psyshock (196 SpA OHKOs the 248 HP Perish Trapper variant after Stealth Rock damage). The required EVs can be siphoned from HP or Speed; just note that minimally, Fairy Arceus should retain enough Speed to outrun Timid Palkia and (Jolly Mega Kangaskhan).
Usage Tips
========
Usage tips need to be written without the assumption the above set has been read. All sets must be independent of each other.
These are largely the same as on support Fairy Arceus. If anything, status is even more detrimental to this set as it stops it from cleaning effecively late-game. Again, as with support Fairy Arceus, Tread lightly around Mega Gengar; you don't want to lose your sweeper to a reckless switch early-game. Another pertinent point to add would be that it is inadvisable to be too hasty in setting up Calm Mind in an attempt to break holes in the opposing team early-to-mid-game (basically, as far long as Fairy Arceus's checks and counters are still healthy). Despite having sweeping potential, this set's main focus is still to stay healthy for the bulk of the game and check relevant threats with its defenses and typing; sweeping should only be attempted late-game, when the opposing team is weakened to the extent that Fairy Arceus can clean up with a single Calm Mind boost coupled with its great Speed.
Team Options
========
Again, these mirror that of support Fairy Arceus, Still have to say them anyway although Ho-Oh and specially defensive Kyogre are less problematic if Thunder is used. Note that using this set means you give up the utility of Defog; while it is not a necessity on every team, you should have a way to keep entry hazards in check. Giratina-O is a good teammate in this regard; besides being able to viably use Defog, it can also KO Ho-Oh with Stone Edge while Fairy Arceus checks the Dark-types it is weak to. Note that since because this set aims to clean with Calm Mind late game, teammates adept at applying offensive pressure on its checks are all the more strongly recommended. An example of these is Substitute Ho-Oh, which can switch in and set up on the majority of Fairy Arceus's checks such as, following which it can use its dual STAB moves to threaten the opposing team behind the safety of its Substitute. Life Orb Groudon can also accomplish much the same feat, threatening a sweep of its own if it manages to switch in on Pokemon like Ferrothorn or Aegislash that check Fairy Arceus.
Other Options
########
Thunder Wave can be used on the support set to slow down setup sweepers and cripple a common switch-in in Ho-Oh, but it isn't really hitting anything else of note that would switch into Fairy Arceus. At any rate, it is largely outclassed by Will-O-Wisp/Toxic. Perish Song can also be run on the support set, as can Magic Coat. The former prevents any last Pokemon sweep on the opponent's part, while the latter is situationally useful in reflecting status, entry hazards, and Taunt. Fairy Arceus's typing and bulk allow it to set up dual screens smoothly enough, but it is generally not worthwhile using your team's Arceus for this purpose. Finally, Punishment is a niche option to deal with boosting Gothitelle, an uncommonly seen but nonetheless viable check to Fairy Arceus.
Checks & Counters
########
**Mega Gengar**: This Pokemon deserves the top spot in this section if only because it can trap Fairy Arceus with Shadow Tag, rendering it unable to escape. It can then proceed to damage Fairy Arceus severely, if not kill it outright, (AC) with powerful STAB Poison-type moves, while Fairy Arceus not running Psyshock can do little to it in return. It can even force a double KO on boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus with Destiny Bond.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists Fairy Arceus's STAB Judgment, (RC) and can threaten it massively with its powerful dual STAB moves if Fairy Arceus does not run an appropriate coverage move. Along with Mega Gengar Ho-Oh possesses the most offensive presence among all Fairy Arceus's good checks and is hence also extremely dangerous.
**Steel-types**: Simply by virtue of their typing most Steel-types which are viable in Ubers are a bane to Fairy Arceus. Despite being a relatively rare sight, Steel Arceus is the best of these checks as it possesses reliable recovery and a super effective STAB Judgment to hit Fairy Arceus with (note that Judgment is a special attack hence its damage is not affected by burns; on the other hand this also means that Steel Arceus might lose out against Calm Mind Fairy Arceus that have attained too many boosts). Heatran is also a prime check; being immune to both Will-O-Wisp and Toxic and taking pittance from its attacks , it can use Fairy Arceus as a pivot to set up Stealth Rock/phaze/spread status. Scizor, Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Klefki, and Bronzong are all relatively commonly seen Pokemon that can all check Fairy Arceus with their typing and access to status moves. All of these Pokemon dislike Burns though, as their STAB attack of choice is often physical. Mega Mawile deserves a mention as an uncommonly seen Steel-type that can severely dent Fairy Arceus with STAB Iron Head.
**Poison-types**: Much like the above Steel-types, Poison-types can check Fairy Arceus with their favorable typing. Poison Arceus checks Fairy Arceus in the same way Steel Arceus does. Amoonguss can undo Calm Mind boosts with Clear Smog, (RC) and hits Fairy Arceus fairly hard with STAB Sludge Bomb while taking little damage in return. Tentacruel, albeit being much more uncommon this generation, is still a viable Poison-type that can hit Fairy Arceus with Toxic. Note that Poison types have to watch out for Psyshock if they are aiming to check Calm Mind Fairy Arceus.
**Kyogre**: Specially defensive Kyogre can phaze Calm Mind Fairy Arceus; Kyogre in general can deal heavy damage to both sets with its rain-boosted STAB moves.
**Chansey and Blissey**: These blobs counter both sets thanks to their enormous Special Defense and access to Toxic.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Xerneas stands out among these as it can set up on Fairy Arceus with Geomancy and proceed to pose a massive threat. Other bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon often carry Toxic, and can use this in conjunction with their bulk and access to reliable recovery to stall Fairy Arceus out.
**Status**: Fairy Arceus loathes status of any sort; paralysis gimps all its sets and burn/poison limit its longevity greatly, deterring it from spamming Judgment or setting up.
**Mega Mewtwo Y**: Good Speed and a powerful STAB Psyshock Psystrike allows Mega Mewtwo Y to pick off weakened Fairy Arceus.
**Fairy-Neutral Steel-types**: Dialga and Mega Lucario fall into this category as they do not resist Fairy Arceus's STAB Judgment (furthermore they do not have access to reliable recovery) and hence cannot afford to switch in on it. Mega Lucario has to watch out for Will-O-Wisp too. These Pokemon can come out on top of Fairy Arceus in a 1v1 situation, (AC) though.
**Super Effective Coverage Moves from faster Pokemon**: As with how Stone Edge is often run as a coverage move to deal with Ho-Oh, Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise check generally have access to, (RC) and will often choose to run coverage moves that can catch it off-guard. Examples of these are Mega Mewtwo X using Iron Tail or Poison Jab and Darkrai with Sludge Bomb.
1/2
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It's a bit wordy, and I personally think the usage of semicolons is a little bit excessive at times. It's a solid analysis otherwise.
GP 2/2
Overview
########
Gifted with the new and competitively viable Fairy typing, Fairy Arceus has wasted no time establishing itself as a mainstay in Ubers. Making use of its typing and great all-around base 120 stats to function effectively in both offensive and supportive roles, Fairy Arceus is one of the best Arceus formes this generation, and has very few real flaws. Fairy Arceus possesses resistances to common and potent offensive types such as Dark and Fighting as well as a coveted immunity to Dragon. As a result, it can comfortably check some of the metagame's most potent offensive threats, including Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Kangaskhan, Yveltal, and Palkia. However, its Fairy typing is a double-edged sword; the usage of Fairies has led to a corresponding spike in the usage of Steel-types to combat them, and these are naturally a pain for Fairy Arceus to maneuver around. Also, the newly introduced Mega Gengar is able to use its ability, Shadow Tag, along with super effective STAB Poison-type moves to trap and KO Fairy Arceus, which can do little to it in return. Lastly, Fairy Arceus faces competition from other Calm Mind Arceus formes, and has to be wary of super effective coverage moves from Pokemon it otherwise checks.
Support
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Defog
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
item: Pixie Plate
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is Fairy Arceus's obligatory STAB move. It hits most targets neutrally for good damage, and hits important targets such as Palkia, Mega Mewtwo X, and Giratina-O super effectively. Recover grants Fairy Arceus the longevity it requires to perform its supportive role throughout the match. Defog clears all entry hazards from both sides of the field; Fairy Arceus can find many opportunities to switch in on Pokemon that it threatens, such as Palkia, and utilize these free turns to use the move. In conjunction with its respectable natural bulk and the Fairy typing's neutrality to most types, Fairy Arceus can utilize Will-O-Wisp to check most commonly seen physical attackers, such as Groudon, Mega Kangaskhan, and Extreme Killer Arceus. Toxic is an alternative status move that can be used, having certain merits that distinguish it from Will-O-Wisp. Firstly, Toxi cripples one of Fairy Arceus's most common and potent checks, Ho-Oh, as it switches in. Secondly, Toxic can be used to pressure opposing Defog users, Calm Mind sweepers, and walls such as Lugia better than Will-O-Wisp can, as the cumulative nature of Toxic damage means that Pokemon stricken with it are essentially put on a timer that resets only if they switch out (as opposed to a burnt Pokemon, which can stick around indefinitely as long as it possesses reliable recovery). Note that using Toxic leaves Fairy Arceus practically helpless against the numerous Steel-types that populate the Ubers tier. Aside from the listed moves, Fairy Arceus has a couple of other options. Stone Edge can be run in the third moveslot to KO most variants of Ho-Oh (all of them if Stealth Rock is up). In the same vein, Earthquake hits two of Fairy Arceus's other checks, Mega Gengar and Heatran, super effectively. While being worthwhile options if one's team struggles with these Pokemon, keep in mind that running these moves means that Fairy Arceus will miss out on the general utility a status move provides. Lastly, if your team has an alternative means of keeping entry hazards in check when needed, Roar can be used over Defog to phaze common switch-ins. The most notable of these is Ho-Oh, which is 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Spikes support greatly increases Roar's effectiveness when phazing Steel-type switch-ins that are resistant to Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs allow Fairy Arceus to switch in on many moderately powerful neutral hits, such as Hydro Pump from Palkia in neutral weather. 112 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outspeed everything up to Jolly Garchomp; most significantly, this allows Fairy Arceus to outspeed and KO Timid Palkia with Judgment as well as check Mega Kangaskhan with Will-O-Wisp. The remaining 144 EVs are invested in Defense For Fairy Arceus to better stomach physical hits such as Mewtwo's Psystrike; they also come in handy in the event of a Will-O-Wisp miss against Pokemon such as Life Orb Groudon and Mega Kangaskhan. Alternatively, the 144 EVs can be invested in Special Defense for some added insurance against Palkia and Xerneas; boosted Geomancy Xerneas's Moonblast only has a 25% to OHKO Fairy Arceus after Stealth Rock damage. This spread can also better insure Fairy Arceus against +1 / +1 Calm Mind Arceus formes in a pinch; a +1 4 SpA Judgment from a type-neutral Arceus forme has a 8.2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage, as opposed to a guaranteed 2HKO if the 144 SpD EVs are not run. Note that with this spread, Roar should be used as Fairy Arceus's other moves are ineffectual against the Pokemon it is supposed to check.
Usage Tips
========
Make the best of Fairy Arceus's typing by not hesitating to switch it in on Pokemon it can force out with the threat of a burn or a super effective Judgment. Examples of such Pokemon include Mega Mewtwo X, Palkia, and Groudon. However, Fairy Arceus's typing leaves it vulnerable to a popular and potent trapper: Mega Gengar. If you see the opponent has a Gengar in Team Preview, caution should be exercised in switching in Fairy Arceus on Pokemon it checks, especially if Gengar has already Mega Evolved; a simple double switch could doom it. A good way to prevent Mega Gengar from getting the better of Fairy Arceus would be to get prior damage on it before it Mega Evolves; Judgment does 37-43% to 0 HP / 0 SpD Gengar and 30-35% to Mega Gengar, meaning that if you hit it once then switch out before it Mega Evolves, it will be hard-pressed to switch in on Fairy Arceus again if Stealth Rock is up. Also, be wary of super effective coverage moves on Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise checks, such as Iron Tail and Poison Jab on Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai. Scout for these moves with your other Pokemon, as far as team structure permits. You should also be careful of switching Fairy Arceus into possible status moves, even if you can force out or KO the user afterwards, as status greatly diminishes Fairy Arceus's supporting capabilities. Paralysis destroys its Speed advantage over many Pokemon, and burns/poison wear away at its health, forcing it to use Recover more than otherwise necessary. Lastly, don't use Defog too hastily (basically, if it benefits your opponent more than you). Spamming Judgment or spreading status is the wiser option over using Defog if the opponent's entry hazard setter can set up hazards again with relative ease.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters such as Landorus-T and Gliscor are good teammates, as they can set up Stealth Rock reliably and consistently and can check Ho-Oh with their typing and physical bulk if the need arises. Similarly, Groudon can be a nice partner, although Drought has the nasty side effect of strengthening Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. At any rate, none of these Pokemon have the means to switch into Brave Bird/Sacred Fire repeatedly, and the best way to keep Ho-Oh at bay is by ensuring Stealth Rock stays up. When choosing among these Stealth Rock setters, keep in mind that each one is unique in the support it provides. Groudon has Drought, learns Fire Punch, and can phaze with Roar/Dragon Tail, Landorus-T can gain momentum with U-turn and has Intimidate, and Gliscor can sponge status from certain Pokemon and can stallbreak with Taunt. Furthermore, having a Ground-type and Fairy Arceus on your team keeps opposing Choice Zekrom users guessing as to which of its STAB moves to use, with mispredictions being duly punished. Curiously enough, Ho-Oh is a much of a friend as it is a foe; it handily checks the Steel-types that give Fairy Arceus a hard time, and is hence a great partner. Kyogre can threaten Fairy Arceus massively with its rain-boosted STAB moves. Palkia is a good partner as it is essentially the only Kyogre check that doesn't compound your team's weakness to Ho-Oh. For that matter, specially defensive Kyogre can be a good teammate as it can check some variants of Palkia as well as Geomancy Xerneas, which can set up on Fairy Arceus.
Calm Mind
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Thunder / Will-O-Wisp / Psyshock
item: Pixie Plate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is the obligatory STAB move. Calm Mind boosts Fairy Arceus's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage each; at +1 Special Attack, Judgment hits most neutral targets very hard, making this set a formidable mid-to-late-game cleaner. Recover aids Fairy Arceus in setting up multiple Calm Mind boosts, and ensures it can survive to clean up late-game while checking relevant threats early on. In the fourth moveslot, Thunder is slashed first because it hits Ho-Oh super effectively; Ho-Oh is otherwise a major check to Fairy Arceus's. Thunder is also useful if your team has problems with specially defensive Kyogre. Next, Will-O-Wisp makes Fairy Arceus a middle ground between sweeper and supporter. Will-O-Wisp allows Fairy Arceus to check physically oriented threats while retaining its ability to clean up late-game with its excellent mono-attacking coverage. In the third slash, Psyshock deserves mention as it allows Fairy Arceus to win Calm Mind wars with opposing Arceus formes by targeting their unboosted Defense stats. A couple of other options can be used in the fourth moveslot. Fire Blast handles pesky Steel-types bar Heatran, and Flamethrower is a weaker but more accurate alternative. Refresh can also be run, but Fairy Arceus is largely outclassed as a status-bypassing sweeper by Water Arceus, notably because the latter handles Ho-Oh better. The main draw of using Refresh Fairy Arceus over Water Arceus is that it can set up on Palkia much more effectively.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs make good use of Fairy Arceus's typing and natural bulk, while maximum Speed EVs allow it to outrun everything below its Speed tier and Speed tie any Arceus at worst. Alternatively, run the same spread as support Fairy Arceus (252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spe), as both sets share a niche in checking the same threats. If you so wish, investing 96 EVs in SpA allows Fairy Arceus to OHKO 248 HP Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage. 88 SpA EVs allow Fairy Arceus to OHKO 0 HP Mega Gengar with +1 Psyshock, and 196 SpA EVs allow it to KO the 248 HP Perish Trapper variant after Stealth Rock damage. The required EVs can be siphoned from HP or Speed; just note that Fairy Arceus should retain enough Speed to outrun Timid Palkia and Jolly Mega Kangaskhan.
Usage Tips
========
Although this set can sweep late-game, don't be hesitant to switch it into the threats it checks, though remain vigilant in steering clear of status moves and super effective coverage moves. Tread lightly around Mega Gengar; you don't want to lose your sweeper to a reckless switch early-game. Furthermore, it is inadvisable to be too hasty in setting up Calm Mind in an attempt to break holes in the opposing team early-to-mid-game, when Fairy Arceus's checks and counters are still healthy. Despite having sweeping potential, this set's main focus is still to stay healthy for the bulk of the game and check relevant threats with its defenses and typing; sweeping should only be attempted late-game, when the opposing team is weakened to the extent that Fairy Arceus can clean up with a single Calm Mind boost.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters make good teammates. Note that using this set means you give up the utility of Defog; while it is not a necessity on every team, you should have a way to keep entry hazards in check. Giratina-O is a good teammate in this regard; besides being able to use Defog, it can also KO Ho-Oh with Stone Edge while Fairy Arceus checks the Dark-types it is weak to. As this set aims to clean with Calm Mind-boosted Judgments late-game, teammates adept at applying offensive pressure on its checks are strongly recommended. An example is Substitute Ho-Oh, which can switch in and set up on the majority of the Steel-types that check Fairy Arceus, following which it can use its dual STAB moves to threaten the opposing team behind the safety of its Substitute. Life Orb Groudon can also accomplish the same feat, threatening a sweep of its own if it manages to switch in on Pokemon such as Ferrothorn or Aegislash that check Fairy Arceus.
Other Options
########
Thunder Wave can be used on the support set to slow down setup sweepers and cripple Ho-Oh, a common switch-in. However, it doesn't hit anything else of note that would switch into Fairy Arceus. At any rate, it is largely outclassed by Will-O-Wisp and Toxic. Perish Song can also be run on the support set, as can Magic Coat. The former prevents an opponent's last Pokemon from sweeping, while the latter is situationally useful in reflecting status moves, entry hazards, and Taunt. Fairy Arceus's typing and bulk allow it to set up dual screens smoothly enough, but it is generally not worthwhile using your team's Arceus forme for this purpose. Lastly, Punishment is a niche option to deal with boosting Gothitelle, an uncommonly seen but nonetheless viable check to Fairy Arceus.
Checks & Counters
########
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can trap Fairy Arceus with Shadow Tag and proceed to severely damage, if not outright KO it, with powerful STAB Poison-type moves. It can even force a double KO on boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus with Destiny Bond. Fairy Arceus not running Psyshock can do little to it in return.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists Judgment and can threaten Fairy Arceus massively with its powerful dual STAB moves if Fairy Arceus does not run an appropriate coverage move. Along with Mega Gengar, Ho-Oh possesses the most offensive presence among all of Fairy Arceus's good checks.
**Steel-types**: Simply by virtue of their typing, most Steel-types are a bane to Fairy Arceus. Despite being a relatively rare sight, Steel Arceus is the best of these checks as it possesses reliable recovery and a super effective STAB Judgment to hit Fairy Arceus with. Note that Judgment is a special attack, hence its damage is not affected by burns. However, this also means that Steel Arceus might lose against boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus. Heatran is also a prime check, as it is immune to both Will-O-Wisp and Toxic and takes pittance from Fairy Arceus's attacks. It can use Fairy Arceus to set up Stealth Rock, phaze, and/or spread status. Scizor, Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Klefki, and Bronzong are all relatively common Pokemon that can check Fairy Arceus with their typing and status moves. All of these Pokemon dislike burns though, as their STAB attack of choice is often physical. Mega Mawile deserves a mention as an uncommon Steel-type that can severely dent Fairy Arceus with STAB Iron Head.
**Poison-types**: With their favorable typing match-up, Poison-types can check Fairy Arceus effectively. Poison Arceus checks Fairy Arceus in the same way Steel Arceus does. Amoonguss can remove Calm Mind boosts with Clear Smog, hits Fairy Arceus fairly hard with STAB Sludge Bomb, and takes little damage in return. Tentacruel, albeit being much more uncommon this generation, is still a viable Poison-type that can hit Fairy Arceus with Toxic. Note that Poison types have to watch out for Psyshock if they are aiming to check Calm Mind Fairy Arceus.
**Kyogre**: Specially defensive Kyogre can phaze Calm Mind Fairy Arceus; Kyogre in general can deal heavy damage to both sets with its rain-boosted STAB moves.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey counter both Fairy Arceus sets thanks to their enormous special bulk and access to Toxic.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Xerneas can set up with Geomancy and pose a massive threat to Fairy Arceus. Other bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon often carry Toxic, and can use the move in conjunction with their bulk and reliable recovery moves to stall Fairy Arceus out.
**Status Conditions**: Fairy Arceus loathes status of any sort; paralysis gimps all its sets and burns/poison greatly limit its longevity, deterring it from spamming Judgment or setting up.
**Mega Mewtwo Y**: Superior Speed and a powerful STAB Psystrike allow Mega Mewtwo Y (as well as Life Orb Mewtwo) to pick off weakened Fairy Arceus.
**Fairy-Neutral Steel-types**: As Dialga and Mega Lucario do not resist Judgment and do not have access to reliable recovery, they cannot afford to switch in on Fairy Arceus. Furthermore, Mega Lucario has to watch out for Will-O-Wisp. However, they can beat Fairy Arceus one-on-one.
**Super Effective Coverage Moves**: Similar to how Stone Edge is often run to deal with Ho-Oh, coverage moves are often run by Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise checks in order to catch it off-guard. Examples include Iron Tail or Poison Jab on Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai.
########
Gifted with the new and competitively viable Fairy typing, Fairy Arceus has wasted no time establishing itself as a mainstay in Ubers. Making use of its typing and great all-around base 120 stats to function effectively in both offensive and supportive roles, Fairy Arceus is one of the best Arceus formes this generation, and has very few real flaws. Fairy Arceus possesses resistances to common and potent offensive types such as Dark and Fighting as well as a coveted immunity to Dragon. As a result, it can comfortably check some of the metagame's most potent offensive threats, including Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Kangaskhan, Yveltal, and Palkia. However, its Fairy typing is a double-edged sword; the usage of Fairies has led to a corresponding spike in the usage of Steel-types to combat them, and these are naturally a pain for Fairy Arceus to maneuver around. Also, the newly introduced Mega Gengar is able to use its ability, Shadow Tag, along with super effective STAB Poison-type moves to trap and KO Fairy Arceus, which can do little to it in return. Lastly, Fairy Arceus faces competition from other Calm Mind Arceus formes, and has to be wary of super effective coverage moves from Pokemon it otherwise checks.
Support
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Defog
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
item: Pixie Plate
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is Fairy Arceus's obligatory STAB move. It hits most targets neutrally for good damage, and hits important targets such as Palkia, Mega Mewtwo X, and Giratina-O super effectively. Recover grants Fairy Arceus the longevity it requires to perform its supportive role throughout the match. Defog clears all entry hazards from both sides of the field; Fairy Arceus can find many opportunities to switch in on Pokemon that it threatens, such as Palkia, and utilize these free turns to use the move. In conjunction with its respectable natural bulk and the Fairy typing's neutrality to most types, Fairy Arceus can utilize Will-O-Wisp to check most commonly seen physical attackers, such as Groudon, Mega Kangaskhan, and Extreme Killer Arceus. Toxic is an alternative status move that can be used, having certain merits that distinguish it from Will-O-Wisp. Firstly, Toxi cripples one of Fairy Arceus's most common and potent checks, Ho-Oh, as it switches in. Secondly, Toxic can be used to pressure opposing Defog users, Calm Mind sweepers, and walls such as Lugia better than Will-O-Wisp can, as the cumulative nature of Toxic damage means that Pokemon stricken with it are essentially put on a timer that resets only if they switch out (as opposed to a burnt Pokemon, which can stick around indefinitely as long as it possesses reliable recovery). Note that using Toxic leaves Fairy Arceus practically helpless against the numerous Steel-types that populate the Ubers tier. Aside from the listed moves, Fairy Arceus has a couple of other options. Stone Edge can be run in the third moveslot to KO most variants of Ho-Oh (all of them if Stealth Rock is up). In the same vein, Earthquake hits two of Fairy Arceus's other checks, Mega Gengar and Heatran, super effectively. While being worthwhile options if one's team struggles with these Pokemon, keep in mind that running these moves means that Fairy Arceus will miss out on the general utility a status move provides. Lastly, if your team has an alternative means of keeping entry hazards in check when needed, Roar can be used over Defog to phaze common switch-ins. The most notable of these is Ho-Oh, which is 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Spikes support greatly increases Roar's effectiveness when phazing Steel-type switch-ins that are resistant to Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs allow Fairy Arceus to switch in on many moderately powerful neutral hits, such as Hydro Pump from Palkia in neutral weather. 112 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outspeed everything up to Jolly Garchomp; most significantly, this allows Fairy Arceus to outspeed and KO Timid Palkia with Judgment as well as check Mega Kangaskhan with Will-O-Wisp. The remaining 144 EVs are invested in Defense For Fairy Arceus to better stomach physical hits such as Mewtwo's Psystrike; they also come in handy in the event of a Will-O-Wisp miss against Pokemon such as Life Orb Groudon and Mega Kangaskhan. Alternatively, the 144 EVs can be invested in Special Defense for some added insurance against Palkia and Xerneas; boosted Geomancy Xerneas's Moonblast only has a 25% to OHKO Fairy Arceus after Stealth Rock damage. This spread can also better insure Fairy Arceus against +1 / +1 Calm Mind Arceus formes in a pinch; a +1 4 SpA Judgment from a type-neutral Arceus forme has a 8.2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage, as opposed to a guaranteed 2HKO if the 144 SpD EVs are not run. Note that with this spread, Roar should be used as Fairy Arceus's other moves are ineffectual against the Pokemon it is supposed to check.
Usage Tips
========
Make the best of Fairy Arceus's typing by not hesitating to switch it in on Pokemon it can force out with the threat of a burn or a super effective Judgment. Examples of such Pokemon include Mega Mewtwo X, Palkia, and Groudon. However, Fairy Arceus's typing leaves it vulnerable to a popular and potent trapper: Mega Gengar. If you see the opponent has a Gengar in Team Preview, caution should be exercised in switching in Fairy Arceus on Pokemon it checks, especially if Gengar has already Mega Evolved; a simple double switch could doom it. A good way to prevent Mega Gengar from getting the better of Fairy Arceus would be to get prior damage on it before it Mega Evolves; Judgment does 37-43% to 0 HP / 0 SpD Gengar and 30-35% to Mega Gengar, meaning that if you hit it once then switch out before it Mega Evolves, it will be hard-pressed to switch in on Fairy Arceus again if Stealth Rock is up. Also, be wary of super effective coverage moves on Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise checks, such as Iron Tail and Poison Jab on Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai. Scout for these moves with your other Pokemon, as far as team structure permits. You should also be careful of switching Fairy Arceus into possible status moves, even if you can force out or KO the user afterwards, as status greatly diminishes Fairy Arceus's supporting capabilities. Paralysis destroys its Speed advantage over many Pokemon, and burns/poison wear away at its health, forcing it to use Recover more than otherwise necessary. Lastly, don't use Defog too hastily (basically, if it benefits your opponent more than you). Spamming Judgment or spreading status is the wiser option over using Defog if the opponent's entry hazard setter can set up hazards again with relative ease.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters such as Landorus-T and Gliscor are good teammates, as they can set up Stealth Rock reliably and consistently and can check Ho-Oh with their typing and physical bulk if the need arises. Similarly, Groudon can be a nice partner, although Drought has the nasty side effect of strengthening Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. At any rate, none of these Pokemon have the means to switch into Brave Bird/Sacred Fire repeatedly, and the best way to keep Ho-Oh at bay is by ensuring Stealth Rock stays up. When choosing among these Stealth Rock setters, keep in mind that each one is unique in the support it provides. Groudon has Drought, learns Fire Punch, and can phaze with Roar/Dragon Tail, Landorus-T can gain momentum with U-turn and has Intimidate, and Gliscor can sponge status from certain Pokemon and can stallbreak with Taunt. Furthermore, having a Ground-type and Fairy Arceus on your team keeps opposing Choice Zekrom users guessing as to which of its STAB moves to use, with mispredictions being duly punished. Curiously enough, Ho-Oh is a much of a friend as it is a foe; it handily checks the Steel-types that give Fairy Arceus a hard time, and is hence a great partner. Kyogre can threaten Fairy Arceus massively with its rain-boosted STAB moves. Palkia is a good partner as it is essentially the only Kyogre check that doesn't compound your team's weakness to Ho-Oh. For that matter, specially defensive Kyogre can be a good teammate as it can check some variants of Palkia as well as Geomancy Xerneas, which can set up on Fairy Arceus.
Calm Mind
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move 1: Judgment
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Thunder / Will-O-Wisp / Psyshock
item: Pixie Plate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is the obligatory STAB move. Calm Mind boosts Fairy Arceus's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage each; at +1 Special Attack, Judgment hits most neutral targets very hard, making this set a formidable mid-to-late-game cleaner. Recover aids Fairy Arceus in setting up multiple Calm Mind boosts, and ensures it can survive to clean up late-game while checking relevant threats early on. In the fourth moveslot, Thunder is slashed first because it hits Ho-Oh super effectively; Ho-Oh is otherwise a major check to Fairy Arceus's. Thunder is also useful if your team has problems with specially defensive Kyogre. Next, Will-O-Wisp makes Fairy Arceus a middle ground between sweeper and supporter. Will-O-Wisp allows Fairy Arceus to check physically oriented threats while retaining its ability to clean up late-game with its excellent mono-attacking coverage. In the third slash, Psyshock deserves mention as it allows Fairy Arceus to win Calm Mind wars with opposing Arceus formes by targeting their unboosted Defense stats. A couple of other options can be used in the fourth moveslot. Fire Blast handles pesky Steel-types bar Heatran, and Flamethrower is a weaker but more accurate alternative. Refresh can also be run, but Fairy Arceus is largely outclassed as a status-bypassing sweeper by Water Arceus, notably because the latter handles Ho-Oh better. The main draw of using Refresh Fairy Arceus over Water Arceus is that it can set up on Palkia much more effectively.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs make good use of Fairy Arceus's typing and natural bulk, while maximum Speed EVs allow it to outrun everything below its Speed tier and Speed tie any Arceus at worst. Alternatively, run the same spread as support Fairy Arceus (252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spe), as both sets share a niche in checking the same threats. If you so wish, investing 96 EVs in SpA allows Fairy Arceus to OHKO 248 HP Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage. 88 SpA EVs allow Fairy Arceus to OHKO 0 HP Mega Gengar with +1 Psyshock, and 196 SpA EVs allow it to KO the 248 HP Perish Trapper variant after Stealth Rock damage. The required EVs can be siphoned from HP or Speed; just note that Fairy Arceus should retain enough Speed to outrun Timid Palkia and Jolly Mega Kangaskhan.
Usage Tips
========
Although this set can sweep late-game, don't be hesitant to switch it into the threats it checks, though remain vigilant in steering clear of status moves and super effective coverage moves. Tread lightly around Mega Gengar; you don't want to lose your sweeper to a reckless switch early-game. Furthermore, it is inadvisable to be too hasty in setting up Calm Mind in an attempt to break holes in the opposing team early-to-mid-game, when Fairy Arceus's checks and counters are still healthy. Despite having sweeping potential, this set's main focus is still to stay healthy for the bulk of the game and check relevant threats with its defenses and typing; sweeping should only be attempted late-game, when the opposing team is weakened to the extent that Fairy Arceus can clean up with a single Calm Mind boost.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters make good teammates. Note that using this set means you give up the utility of Defog; while it is not a necessity on every team, you should have a way to keep entry hazards in check. Giratina-O is a good teammate in this regard; besides being able to use Defog, it can also KO Ho-Oh with Stone Edge while Fairy Arceus checks the Dark-types it is weak to. As this set aims to clean with Calm Mind-boosted Judgments late-game, teammates adept at applying offensive pressure on its checks are strongly recommended. An example is Substitute Ho-Oh, which can switch in and set up on the majority of the Steel-types that check Fairy Arceus, following which it can use its dual STAB moves to threaten the opposing team behind the safety of its Substitute. Life Orb Groudon can also accomplish the same feat, threatening a sweep of its own if it manages to switch in on Pokemon such as Ferrothorn or Aegislash that check Fairy Arceus.
Other Options
########
Thunder Wave can be used on the support set to slow down setup sweepers and cripple Ho-Oh, a common switch-in. However, it doesn't hit anything else of note that would switch into Fairy Arceus. At any rate, it is largely outclassed by Will-O-Wisp and Toxic. Perish Song can also be run on the support set, as can Magic Coat. The former prevents an opponent's last Pokemon from sweeping, while the latter is situationally useful in reflecting status moves, entry hazards, and Taunt. Fairy Arceus's typing and bulk allow it to set up dual screens smoothly enough, but it is generally not worthwhile using your team's Arceus forme for this purpose. Lastly, Punishment is a niche option to deal with boosting Gothitelle, an uncommonly seen but nonetheless viable check to Fairy Arceus.
Checks & Counters
########
**Mega Gengar**: Mega Gengar can trap Fairy Arceus with Shadow Tag and proceed to severely damage, if not outright KO it, with powerful STAB Poison-type moves. It can even force a double KO on boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus with Destiny Bond. Fairy Arceus not running Psyshock can do little to it in return.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists Judgment and can threaten Fairy Arceus massively with its powerful dual STAB moves if Fairy Arceus does not run an appropriate coverage move. Along with Mega Gengar, Ho-Oh possesses the most offensive presence among all of Fairy Arceus's good checks.
**Steel-types**: Simply by virtue of their typing, most Steel-types are a bane to Fairy Arceus. Despite being a relatively rare sight, Steel Arceus is the best of these checks as it possesses reliable recovery and a super effective STAB Judgment to hit Fairy Arceus with. Note that Judgment is a special attack, hence its damage is not affected by burns. However, this also means that Steel Arceus might lose against boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus. Heatran is also a prime check, as it is immune to both Will-O-Wisp and Toxic and takes pittance from Fairy Arceus's attacks. It can use Fairy Arceus to set up Stealth Rock, phaze, and/or spread status. Scizor, Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Klefki, and Bronzong are all relatively common Pokemon that can check Fairy Arceus with their typing and status moves. All of these Pokemon dislike burns though, as their STAB attack of choice is often physical. Mega Mawile deserves a mention as an uncommon Steel-type that can severely dent Fairy Arceus with STAB Iron Head.
**Poison-types**: With their favorable typing match-up, Poison-types can check Fairy Arceus effectively. Poison Arceus checks Fairy Arceus in the same way Steel Arceus does. Amoonguss can remove Calm Mind boosts with Clear Smog, hits Fairy Arceus fairly hard with STAB Sludge Bomb, and takes little damage in return. Tentacruel, albeit being much more uncommon this generation, is still a viable Poison-type that can hit Fairy Arceus with Toxic. Note that Poison types have to watch out for Psyshock if they are aiming to check Calm Mind Fairy Arceus.
**Kyogre**: Specially defensive Kyogre can phaze Calm Mind Fairy Arceus; Kyogre in general can deal heavy damage to both sets with its rain-boosted STAB moves.
**Chansey and Blissey**: Chansey and Blissey counter both Fairy Arceus sets thanks to their enormous special bulk and access to Toxic.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Xerneas can set up with Geomancy and pose a massive threat to Fairy Arceus. Other bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon often carry Toxic, and can use the move in conjunction with their bulk and reliable recovery moves to stall Fairy Arceus out.
**Status Conditions**: Fairy Arceus loathes status of any sort; paralysis gimps all its sets and burns/poison greatly limit its longevity, deterring it from spamming Judgment or setting up.
**Mega Mewtwo Y**: Superior Speed and a powerful STAB Psystrike allow Mega Mewtwo Y (as well as Life Orb Mewtwo) to pick off weakened Fairy Arceus.
**Fairy-Neutral Steel-types**: As Dialga and Mega Lucario do not resist Judgment and do not have access to reliable recovery, they cannot afford to switch in on Fairy Arceus. Furthermore, Mega Lucario has to watch out for Will-O-Wisp. However, they can beat Fairy Arceus one-on-one.
**Super Effective Coverage Moves**: Similar to how Stone Edge is often run to deal with Ho-Oh, coverage moves are often run by Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise checks in order to catch it off-guard. Examples include Iron Tail or Poison Jab on Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai.
Overview
########
Gifted with the new and competitively viable Fairy typing, Fairy Arceus has wasted no time establishing itself as a mainstay in Ubers.BeMaking able to make use of its typing and great all-around base 120 stats to function effectively in both offensive and supportingve roles, Fairy Arceus is one of the best Arceus formes this generation, withand has very few real flaws. RFairy Arceus possesses resistingances to common and potent offensive types such as Dark and Fighting, in addition to possessings well as a coveted immunity to Dragon-types, Fairy Arceus. As a result, it can comfortably check some of the metagame's most potent offensive threats such as, including Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Kangaskhan, Yveltal, and Palkia. YetHowever, its Fairy typing is a double-edged sword; the usage of Fairies haves led to a corresponding spike in the usage of Steel-types to combat them, and these are naturally are a pain for Fairy Arceus to maneuver around. Also, the newly introduced Mega Gengar is able to use its ability, Shadow Tag, along with super effective STAB Poison-type moves to trap and KO Fairy Arceus, which can do little to it in return. FinalLastly, Fairy Arceus faces competition from other Calm Mind Arceus formes, and has to be wary of super effective coverage moves from Pokemon it otherwise checks.
Support
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Defog
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
item: Pixie Plate
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is Fairy Arceus's obligatory STAB move. It hits most targets neutrally for good damage,in addition toand hittings important targets likesuch as Palkia, Mega Mewtwo X, and Giratina-O super effectively. Recover grants Fairy Arceus the longevity it requires to perform its supportingve role throughout the match. Defog clears all entry hazards from both sides of the field; it is a good move for Fairy Arceus to have as it can find many opportunities to switch in on Pokemon that it threatens, such as Palkia, and utilize these free turns to use Defogthe move. In conjunction with its respectable natural bulk and the Fairy typing's neutrality to most types, Will-O-Wisp allows Fairy Arceus can utilize Will-O-Wisp to check most commonly seen physical attackers, such as Groudon, Mega Kangaskhan, and Extreme Killer Arceus. Toxic is an alternative status move that can be used, having certain merits that distinguish it from Will-O-Wisp. Firstly, Toxit cripples one of Fairy Arceus's most common and potent checks, Ho-Oh, as it switches in. Secondly, Toxic can be used to pressure opposing Defog users, Calm Mind sweepers, and walls such as Lugia better than Will-O-Wisp can, as the cumulative nature of Toxic damage means that Pokemon stricken with it are essentially put on a timer that resets only if they switch out (as opposed to a burnt Pokemon, which can stick around indefinitely as long as it possesses reliable recovery). Note though, that using Toxic leaves youFairy Arceus practically helpless against the numerous Steel-types that populate the Ubers tier. Aside from the listed moves, Fairy Arceus has a couple of other options. Stone Edge can be run in the third moveslot to KO most variants of Ho-Oh (all of them if Stealth Rock is up). In the same vein, Earthquake hits two of Fairy Arceus's other checks, Mega Gengar and Heatran, super effectively. While being worthwhile options if one's team struggles with these Pokemon, keep in mind that running these moves means that Fairy Arceus will miss out on the general utility a status move provides it. FinalLastly, and especially if your team has an alternative means of keeping entry hazards in check when needed, Roar can be used over Defog to phaze common switch-ins. The most notable of these is Ho-Oh, which is 4x weak to Stealth Rock. Spikes support greatly increases Roar's effectiveness when phazing Steel-type switch-ins that are resistant to Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs allow Fairy Arceus totake and switch in on many moderately powerful neutral hits, such as Hydro Pump from Palkia in neutral weather. 112 Speed EVs with a Timid nature are used to outspeed everything up to Jolly Garchomp; most significantly, this allows Fairy Arceus to outspeed and KO Timid Palkia with Judgment, as well as check Mega Kangaskhan with Will-O-Wisp. The remaining 144 EVs are invested in Defense For Fairy Arceus to better stomach physical hits such as Mewtwo's Psystrike; they also come in handy in the event of a Will-O-Wisp miss against Pokemon likesuch as Life Orb Groudon and Mega Kangaskhan. Alternatively, invest the 144 EVs can be invested in Special Defense for some added insurance against Palkia and Xerneas; boostandared Geomancy Xerneas's +2 Moonblast only has a 25% to OHKO Fairy Arceus after Stealth Rock damage. This spread can also better insure Fairy Arceus against +1 / +1 Calm Mind Arceus formes in a pinch; a +1 4 SpA Judgment from a type-neutral Arceus forme has a 8.2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock damage, as opposed to a guaranteed 2HKO if the 144 SpD EVs are not run. Note that with this spread, Roar should be used as Fairy Arceus's other moves are ineffectual against the Pokemon it is supposed to check.
========
Make the best of Fairy Arceus's typing by not hesitating to switch it in on Pokemon it can force out with the threat of a burn or a super effective Judgment. Examples of such Pokemon include Mega Mewtwo X, Palkia, and Groudon. However, Fairy Arceus's typingalso leaves it vulnerable to a popular and potent trapper in: Mega Gengar. If you see the opponent has a Gengar in Team Preview, caution should be exercised in switching in Fairy Arceus on Pokemon it checks, especially if Gengar has already Mega Evolved; a simple double switch could doom it. A good way to prevent Mega Gengar from getting the better of Fairy Arceus would be to get prior damage on it before it Mega Evolves; Judgment does 37-43% to 0 HP / 0 SpD Gengar and 30-35% to Mega Gengar, meaning that if you hit it once then switch out before it Mega Evolves, it will be hard-pressed to switch in on Fairy Arceus again if Stealth Rock is up. Mega Gengar aside, aAlso, be wary of super effective coverage moves on Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise checks, such as Iron Tail/ and Poison Jab on Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai. Scout for these moves with your other Pokemon, as far as team structure permits. You should also be careful of switching Fairy Arceus into possible status moves, even if you can force out or killKO the user afterwards, as status greatly diminishes Fairy Arceus's supporting capabilities. Paralysis destroys its Speed advantage over many Pokemon, and burns/poison wear away at its health, forcing it to use Recover more than otherwise necessary. Lastly, don't use Defog too hastily (basically, if it benefits your opponent more than you). Spamming Judgment or spreading status is the wiser option over using Defog if the opponent's entry hazard setter can set up hazards again with relative ease.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters, such as Landorus-T and Gliscor are good teammates, as they can set up Stealth Rock reliably and consistently and can check Ho-Oh with their typing and physical bulk if the need arises. Similarly, Groudon can also be a nice partner in this regard, although the sun bDrought on by Drought willhas the nasty side effect of strengthening Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, which is nasty. At any rate, none of these Pokemon have the means to switch into Brave Bird/Sacred Fire repeatedly, and the best way to keep Ho-Oh at bay is really to make by ensureing Stealth Rock stays up. When choosing among these Stealth Rock setters, keep in mind that each one also additionally provides its own unique brand ofin the support to the team (it provides. Groudon gives sun supporhas Drought, learns Fire Punch, and can phaze with Roar/Dragon Tail;, Landorus-T can gain momentum with U-Tturn and has the useful Intimidate, as its ability;nd Gliscor can sponge status from certain Pokemon and can stallbreak with Taunt). Furthermore, having a Ground-type and Fairy Arceus on your team keeps opposing Choice Zekrom users guessing as to which of its STAB moves to use, with mispredictions being duly punished. Curiously enough, Ho-Oh is a much of a friend as it is a foe; it handily checks the Steel-types that give Fairy Arceus a hard time, and is hence a great partner. Moving on, Kyogre can threaten Fairy Arceus massively with its rain-boosted stab;STAB moves. Palkia is a good partner as it is essentially the only Kyogre check that doesn't compound your team's Ho-Oh weakness to Ho-Oh. For that matter, specially defensive Kyogre can be a good teammate as it can check some variants of Palkia as well as check Geomancy Xerneas, which can set up on Fairy Arceus.
Calm Mind
########
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Thunder / Will-O-Wisp / Psyshock
item: Pixie Plate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is the obligatory STAB move. Calm Mind boosts Fairy Arceus's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage each; at +1 Special Attack, Judgment hits most neutral targets very hard, making this set a formidable mid-to-late-game cleaner. Recover aids Fairy Arceus in setting up multiple Calm Mind boosts, and ensures it can survive to clean up late-game while checking relevant threats early on. In the fourth moveslot, Thunder is slashed first because it hitsone of Fairy Arceus's prime checks in Ho-Oh super effectively; Ho-Oh is otherwise a major deterrencecheck to Fairy Arceus's cleanup. Thunder is also useful if your team has problems with specially defensive Kyogre. Next, Will-O-Wisp makes Fairy Arceus a middle ground between sweeper and supporter,. Will-O-Wisp allowing its Fairy Arceus to check the same physically oriented threats as on the support set while retaining its ability to clean up late-game with its excellent mono-attacking coverage. In the third slash, Psyshock deserves mention as it most notably allows Fairy Arceus to come out owin top of Calm Mind wars with otherpposing Arceus formes by targeting their unboosted Defense stats. A couple of other options can be used in the fourth moveslot. Fire Blast handles pesky Steel-types bar Heatran;, and Flamethrower is a weaker but more accurate alternative. Refresh can also be run, but Fairy Arceus is largely outclassed as a status-bypassing sweeper by Water Arceus, notably because the latter handles Ho-Oh better. The main draw of using Refresh Fairy Arceus over Water Arceus is that it can set up on Palkia much more effectively.
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs make good use of Fairy Arceus's typing and natural bulk, while maximum Speed EVs allow it to outrun everything below its Speed tier and Speed tie any Arceus at worst. Alternatively, run the same spread as support Fairy Arceus (252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd)e), as both sets share a niche in checking the same threats. If you so wish, investing 96 EVs in SpA allows Fairy Arceus to OHKO 248 HP Ho-Oh after Stealth Rock damage;. 88 SpA EVs allow Fairy Arceus to OHKOs 0 HP Mega Gengar with +1 Psyshock (, and 196 SpA OHEVs allow it to KOs the 248 HP Perish Trapper variant after Stealth Rock damage). The required EVs can be siphoned from HP or Speed; just note that minimally, Fairy Arceus should retain enough Speed to outrun Timid Palkia and Jolly Mega Kangaskhan.
Usage Tips
========
Although this set can sweep late-game, don't be hesitant to switch it into the threats it checks whenever you deem fit, while, though remaining vigilant in steering clear of status moves and super effective coverage moves. Again, tTread lightly around Mega Gengar; you don't want to lose your sweeper to a reckless switch early-game. AnoFurther pertinent point to add would be thatmore, it is inadvisable to be too hasty in setting up Calm Mind in an attempt to break holes in the opposing team early-to-mid-game (basically, as long aswhen Fairy Arceus's checks and counters are still healthy). Despite having sweeping potential, this set's main focus is still to stay healthy for the bulk of the game and check relevant threats with its defenses and typing; sweeping should only be attempted late-game, when the opposing team is weakened to the extent that Fairy Arceus can clean up with a single Calm Mind boost coupled with its great Speed.
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock settersagain make good teammates. Note that using this set means you give up the utility of Defog; while it is not a necessity on every team, you should have a way to keep entry hazards in check. Giratina-O is a good teammate in this regard; besides being able to viably use Defog, it can also KO Ho-Oh with Stone Edge while Fairy Arceus checks the Dark-types it is weak to. Note that becauseAs this set aims to clean with Calm Mind-boosted Judgments late -game, teammates adept at applying offensive pressure on its checks are all the more strongly recommended. An example of these is Substitute Ho-Oh, which can switch in and set up on the majority of the Steel-types that check Fairy Arceus, following which it can use its dual STAB moves to threaten the opposing team behind the safety of its Substitute. Life Orb Groudon can also accomplish much the same feat, threatening a sweep of its own if it manages to switch in on Pokemon likesuch as Ferrothorn or Aegislash that check Fairy Arceus.
Other Options
########
Thunder Wave can be used on the support set to slow down setup sweepers and cripple Ho-Oh, a common switch-in in. Ho-Oh, butwever, it idoesn't really hitting anything else of note that would switch into Fairy Arceus. At any rate, it is largely outclassed by Will-O-Wisp/ and Toxic. Perish Song can also be run on the support set, as can Magic Coat. The former prevents any opponent's last Pokemon from sweep on the opponent's parting, while the latter is situationally useful in reflecting status moves, entry hazards, and Taunt. Fairy Arceus's typing and bulk allow it to set up dual screens smoothly enough, but it is generally not worthwhile using your team's Arceus forme for this purpose. FinalLastly, Punishment is a niche option to deal with boosting Gothitelle, an uncommonly seen but nonetheless viable check to Fairy Arceus.
Checks & Counters
########
**Mega Gengar**:This Pokemon deserves the top spot in this section if only because itMega Gengar can trap Fairy Arceus with Shadow Tag, rendering it unable to escape. It can thend proceed to damage Fairy Arceus severely damage, if not kill it outright KO it, with powerful STAB Poison-type moves, while Fairy Arceus not running Psyshock can do little to it in return. It can even force a double KO on boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus with Destiny Bond. Fairy Arceus not running Psyshock can do little to it in return.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists Fairy Arceus's STAB Judgment and can threaten itFairy Arceus massively with its powerful dual STAB moves if Fairy Arceus does not run an appropriate coverage move. Along with Mega Gengar, Ho-Oh possesses the most offensive presence among all of Fairy Arceus's good checks and is hence also extremely dangerous.
**Steel-types**: Simply by virtue of their typing, most Steel-types which are viable in Ubers are a bane to Fairy Arceus. Despite being a relatively rare sight, Steel Arceus is the best of these checks as it possesses reliable recovery and a super effective STAB Judgment to hit Fairy Arceus with (n. Note that Judgment is a special attack, hence its damage is not affected by burns; on the other hand. However, this also means that Steel Arceus might lose out against boosted Calm Mind Fairy Arceus that have attained too many boosts). Heatran is also a prime check; being, as it is immune to both Will-O-Wisp and Toxic and takinges pittance from itFairy Arceus's attacks , i. It can use Fairy Arceus as a pivot to set up Stealth Rock/, phaze, and/or spread status. Scizor, Aegislash, Ferrothorn, Jirachi, Klefki, and Bronzong are all relatively commonly seen Pokemon that can all check Fairy Arceus with their typing and access to status moves. All of these Pokemon dislike Bburns though, as their STAB attack of choice is often physical. Mega Mawile deserves a mention as an uncommonly seen Steel-type that can severely dent Fairy Arceus with STAB Iron Head.
**Poison-types**:Much likeWith their favorabove Steel-typesle typing match-up, Poison-types can check Fairy Arceus with their favorable typingeffectively. Poison Arceus checks Fairy Arceus in the same way Steel Arceus does. Amoonguss can undoremove Calm Mind boosts with Clear Smog and, hits Fairy Arceus fairly hard with STAB Sludge Bomb while, and takinges little damage in return. Tentacruel, albeit being much more uncommon this generation, is still a viable Poison-type that can hit Fairy Arceus with Toxic. Note that Poison types have to watch out for Psyshock if they are aiming to check Calm Mind Fairy Arceus.
**Kyogre**: Specially defensive Kyogre can phaze Calm Mind Fairy Arceus; Kyogre in general can deal heavy damage to both sets with its rain-boosted STAB moves.
**Chansey and Blissey**:These blobsChansey and Blissey counter both Fairy Arceus sets thanks to their enormous Sspecial Defensebulk and access to Toxic.
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Xerneas stands out among these as it can set up on Fairy Arceus with Geomancy and proceed to pose a massive threat to Fairy Arceus. Other bulky Fairy-types such as Clefable and Sylveon often carry Toxic, and can use thise move in conjunction with their bulk and access to reliable recovery moves to stall Fairy Arceus out.
**Status Conditions**: Fairy Arceus loathes status of any sort; paralysis gimps all its sets and burns/poison greatly limit its longevity greatly, deterring it from spamming Judgment or setting up.
**Mega Mewtwo Y**: Superior Speed and a powerful STAB Psystrike allow Mega Mewtwo Y (as well as Life Orb Mewtwo) to pick off weakened Fairy Arceus.
**Fairy-Neutral Steel-types**: As Dialga and Mega Lucario fall into this category as they do not resist Fairy Arceus's STAB Judgment (furthermore theyand do not have access to reliable recovery) and hence, they cannot afford to switch in on it.Fairy Arceus. Furthermore, Mega Lucario has to watch out for Will-O-Wisp too. These PokemonHowever, they can come out on top ofbeat Fairy Arceus in a 1v1 situation, thoughone-on-one.
**SupereEffective Coverage Moves**: As withSimilar to how Stone Edge is often run as ato deal with Ho-Oh, coverage moves are to deal with Ho-Oh,often run by Pokemon Fairy Arceus otherwise check generally have access to and will often choose to run covorderage moves that cano catch it off-guard. Examples of these are Mega Mewtwo X usingclude Iron Tail or Poison Jab and Darkrai withon Mega Mewtwo X and Sludge Bomb on Darkrai.
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Gifted with the new and competitively viable Fairy typing, Fairy Arceus has wasted no time establishing itself as a mainstay in Ubers.
Support
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move 1: Judgment
move 2: Recover
move 3: Defog
move 4: Will-O-Wisp / Toxic
item: Pixie Plate
evs: 252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Spd
nature: Timid
Moves
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Judgment is Fairy Arceus's obligatory STAB move. It hits most targets neutrally for good damage,
Set Details
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Maximum HP EVs allow Fairy Arceus to
========
Make the best of Fairy Arceus's typing by not hesitating to switch it in on Pokemon it can force out with the threat of a burn or a super effective Judgment. Examples of such Pokemon include Mega Mewtwo X, Palkia, and Groudon. However, Fairy Arceus's typing
Team Options
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Ground-type Stealth Rock setters
Calm Mind
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move 1: Judgment
move 2: Calm Mind
move 3: Recover
move 4: Thunder / Will-O-Wisp / Psyshock
item: Pixie Plate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Nature: Timid
Moves
========
Judgment is the obligatory STAB move. Calm Mind boosts Fairy Arceus's Special Attack and Special Defense by one stage each; at +1 Special Attack, Judgment hits most neutral targets very hard, making this set a formidable mid-to-late-game cleaner. Recover aids Fairy Arceus in setting up multiple Calm Mind boosts, and ensures it can survive to clean up late-game while checking relevant threats early on. In the fourth moveslot, Thunder is slashed first because it hits
Set Details
========
Maximum HP EVs make good use of Fairy Arceus's typing and natural bulk, while maximum Speed EVs allow it to outrun everything below its Speed tier and Speed tie any Arceus at worst. Alternatively, run the same spread as support Fairy Arceus (252 HP / 144 Def / 112 Sp
Usage Tips
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Although this set can sweep late-game, don't be hesitant to switch it into the threats it checks
Team Options
========
Ground-type Stealth Rock setters
Other Options
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Thunder Wave can be used on the support set to slow down setup sweepers and cripple Ho-Oh, a common switch-in
Checks & Counters
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**Mega Gengar**:
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh resists
**Steel-types**: Simply by virtue of their typing, most Steel-type
**Poison-types**:
**Kyogre**: Specially defensive Kyogre can phaze Calm Mind Fairy Arceus; Kyogre in general can deal heavy damage to both sets with its rain-boosted STAB moves.
**Chansey and Blissey**:
**Bulky Fairy-types**: Xerneas
**Status Conditions**: Fairy Arceus loathes status of any sort; paralysis gimps all its sets and burns/poison greatly limit its longevit
**Mega Mewtwo Y**: Superior Speed and a powerful STAB Psystrike allow Mega Mewtwo Y (as well as Life Orb Mewtwo) to pick off weakened Fairy Arceus.
**Fairy-Neutral Steel-types**: As Dialga and Mega Lucario
**Super
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