[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance / Dragon Dance
move 2: Shadow Force
move 3: Stone Edge / Brick Break
move 4: Substitute / Taunt
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Multitype
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 20 Def / 252 Spe or 32 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Def / 4 SpD / 68 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Its singular Ghost-type gives Arceus-Ghost a unique presence in the tier both offensively and defensively. For the hyper offense structures it fits on, it serves as a check to Extreme Killer Arceus, as well as a spinblocker against Rapid Spin Smeargle. With Ghostium Z, Arceus-Ghost makes for a strong wallbreaker that is able to push past would-be checks such as Zygarde and defensive Ho-Oh. However, Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark are a major nuisance for Arceus-Ghost, especially their defensive variants which can take hits with ease, meanwhile other Ghost-types, such as Marshadow and Lunala, don't have to worry about them as much due to their superior coverage combined with access to Terastalization. Additionally, taking up a Z-Move slot on the hyper offense teams it is mandatory on makes it hard to justify over Ultra Necrozma and Chi Yu, both of which perform similar roles to Arceus-Ghost. There's also the issue of taking up the Arceus slot compared to using Extreme Killer Arceus or Arceus-Ground, both of which are more consistent. Regardless, Arceus-Ghost's combination of offensive and defensive traits, as well as being naturally Imposter-proof against Ditto, carves it a small niche in the tier.
* Swords Dance allows Arceus-Ghost to OHKO Zygarde and defensive Primal Groudon with +2 Never-Ending Nightmare, as well as offensive Eternatus with +2 Shadow Force. Alternatively, Dragon Dance provides Arceus-Ghost with speed, allowing it to outspeed Chien Pao, Zacian-C, and Deoxys-A, preventing the former from revenge-killing it as easily. Arceus-Ghost can still OHKO defensive Ho-Oh and defensive Primal Kyogre with +1 Never-Ending Nightmare, alongside Necrozma-DM and Giratina-O with +1 Shadow Force, even if its offensive capabilities are limited. However, Shadow Force is mostly used to provide the strongest possible Never-Ending Nightmare for Arceus-Ghost. Its two-turn nature can be awkward for Arceus-Ghost though, which is why Ghostium Z is needed for circumvent this issue entirely. More notably though, it makes Arceus-Ghost Imposter-proofed against Ditto, since the latter will always outspeed with Shadow Force, thus never hitting Arceus-Ghost if they both use Shadow Force at the same time.
* Stone Edge allows Arceus-Ghost to snipe Ho-Oh and Yveltal. This removes Arceus-Ghost's need to OHKO the former with its Z-Move to prevent it from phasing, since unboosted Stone Edge OHKOes offensive Ho-Oh, while it can more reliably OHKO defensive Ho-Oh and specially offensive Yveltal after a boost. Alternatively, Brick Break enables Arceus-Ghost to hit Arceus-Dark and Arceus for super-effective, being able to 2HKO both after at +1. It also hits more niche targets, such as Chien-Pao, Garganacl, and Kingambit, that may all be annoying for Arceus-Ghost to deal with. It should be noted that both coverage options hit Chi-Yu super effectively, although +2 Shadow Force OHKOes it regardless. Extreme Speed is a niche option that can snipe Deoxys-A for Swords Dance variants, while still limiting Yveltal and Chien Pao's ability to revenge kill it with Sucker Punch, but it is quite weak and only works well against opposing offense teams, not bulkier ones.
* Substitute protects Arceus-Ghost from harmful status conditions, such as burn from Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, or bad poison from Alomomola's Toxic and limits specially offensive Yveltal's and Chien Pao's ability to revenge-kill Arceus-Ghost with priority moves. This limits Marshadow's ability to pick it off with Shadow Sneak too, although only Dragon Dance variants benefit from this interaction, since Marshadow can simply outspeed and bypass Substitute with Spectral Thief against Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost. Substitute also protects Arceus-Ghost from Smeargle's Nuzzle and Spore, thus walling it completely, granting it free setup. Alternatively, Taunt denies status moves, whether it be hazards from Ferrothorn, or opposing setup such as Coil Zygarde and Curse Dondozo, preventing the former from reliably checking it. It also maintains hazards against Ho-Oh and Giratina-O. Recover is a niche option which provides Arceus-Ghost more longevity, but it is much less useful than the other two options.
* The first given EV spread is ideal for Swords Dance variants, since it allows Arceus-Ghost to survive Choice Band Marshadow's Tera Ghost Shadow Sneak, while maximum Speed investment lets Arceus-Ghost Speed tie with Modest Palkia-O and Adamant Mega Salamence, although this may be problematic against Substitute variants of the former. Alternatively, the second EV spread is used for Dragon Dance variants, but it still avoids the OHKO from Choice Band Marshadow's Tera Ghost Shadow Sneak—now after Stealth Rock—as well as Choice Band Tera Flying Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and Primal Kyogre's Origin Pulse; however, it also makes Arceus-Ghost significantly slower, with it now being unable to outspeed fully invested Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, although it does still outspeed Deoxys-A after a boost.
* Arceus-Ghost relies heavily on Ghostium Z to maximise its wallbreaking capabilities against Coil Zygarde, defensive Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes. It should only be used against these bulkier foes, and not frailer targets such as Deoxys-A or Mega Mewtwo Y. This is especially true for Swords Dance variants that focus more on wallbreaking in the early-to-mid game than sweeping, due to the lesser Speed yet greater Attack. Dragon Dance variants of Arceus-Ghost should be preserved until the late-game where Dark-types such as Arceus-Dark and Yveltal have been worn down significantly either by hazards or by teammates such as Meteor Beam Eternatus and Mega Salamence. This is because Arceus-Ghost does not need significant boosts to clean up weakened teams, due to Ghost-type resists being limited in the tier outside of the aforementioned Arceus-Dark, Arceus, and Yveltal.
* As mentioned before, Arceus-Ghost despises Dark-types, such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark, that limit its wallbreaking capabilities significantly. Thus, Pokemon that are able to break through these are greatly appreciated. Zacian-C can use offensive variants of either as setup fodder due to resisting all their STAB options barring the niche Heat Wave from Yveltal. Meteor Beam Eternatus does well against defensive Yveltal and defensive Arceus-Dark, while also sniping Ho-Oh for Arceus-Ghost. Both of these partners appreciate Arceus-Ghost's ability to break past common defensive Pokemon, such as Primal Groudon, Zygarde, and Ho-Oh.
* Suicide leads for the hyper offense teams that Arceus-Ghost fits on, are essential for supporting it. Smeargle and Shuckle are great for Swords Dance variants, making up for the minimal speed it has, preventing Chien Pao and Marshadow from easily revenge-killing it. Deoxys-S and Glimmora work well with Dragon Dance variants, making up for its lesser power with hazard support; this also limits Choice Scarf Yveltal's ability to switch into Arceus-Ghost, since it can be OHKOed by +1 Stone Edge after Stealth Rock. They all appreciate Arceus-Ghost discouraging Giratina-O and Ho-Oh from removing their hazards via Defog, if not just denying removal entirely with Taunt.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sami.604820/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bumboclaat.523420/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
name: Setup Sweeper
move 1: Swords Dance / Dragon Dance
move 2: Shadow Force
move 3: Stone Edge / Brick Break
move 4: Substitute / Taunt
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Multitype
nature: Adamant
evs: 236 Atk / 20 Def / 252 Spe or 32 HP / 252 Atk / 152 Def / 4 SpD / 68 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Its singular Ghost-type gives Arceus-Ghost a unique presence in the tier both offensively and defensively. For the hyper offense structures it fits on, it serves as a check to Extreme Killer Arceus, as well as a spinblocker against Rapid Spin Smeargle. With Ghostium Z, Arceus-Ghost makes for a strong wallbreaker that is able to push past would-be checks such as Zygarde and defensive Ho-Oh. However, Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark are a major nuisance for Arceus-Ghost, especially their defensive variants which can take hits with ease, meanwhile other Ghost-types, such as Marshadow and Lunala, don't have to worry about them as much due to their superior coverage combined with access to Terastalization. Additionally, taking up a Z-Move slot on the hyper offense teams it is mandatory on makes it hard to justify over Ultra Necrozma and Chi Yu, both of which perform similar roles to Arceus-Ghost. There's also the issue of taking up the Arceus slot compared to using Extreme Killer Arceus or Arceus-Ground, both of which are more consistent. Regardless, Arceus-Ghost's combination of offensive and defensive traits, as well as being naturally Imposter-proof against Ditto, carves it a small niche in the tier.
* Swords Dance allows Arceus-Ghost to OHKO Zygarde and defensive Primal Groudon with +2 Never-Ending Nightmare, as well as offensive Eternatus with +2 Shadow Force. Alternatively, Dragon Dance provides Arceus-Ghost with speed, allowing it to outspeed Chien Pao, Zacian-C, and Deoxys-A, preventing the former from revenge-killing it as easily. Arceus-Ghost can still OHKO defensive Ho-Oh and defensive Primal Kyogre with +1 Never-Ending Nightmare, alongside Necrozma-DM and Giratina-O with +1 Shadow Force, even if its offensive capabilities are limited. However, Shadow Force is mostly used to provide the strongest possible Never-Ending Nightmare for Arceus-Ghost. Its two-turn nature can be awkward for Arceus-Ghost though, which is why Ghostium Z is needed for circumvent this issue entirely. More notably though, it makes Arceus-Ghost Imposter-proofed against Ditto, since the latter will always outspeed with Shadow Force, thus never hitting Arceus-Ghost if they both use Shadow Force at the same time.
* Stone Edge allows Arceus-Ghost to snipe Ho-Oh and Yveltal. This removes Arceus-Ghost's need to OHKO the former with its Z-Move to prevent it from phasing, since unboosted Stone Edge OHKOes offensive Ho-Oh, while it can more reliably OHKO defensive Ho-Oh and specially offensive Yveltal after a boost. Alternatively, Brick Break enables Arceus-Ghost to hit Arceus-Dark and Arceus for super-effective, being able to 2HKO both after at +1. It also hits more niche targets, such as Chien-Pao, Garganacl, and Kingambit, that may all be annoying for Arceus-Ghost to deal with. It should be noted that both coverage options hit Chi-Yu super effectively, although +2 Shadow Force OHKOes it regardless. Extreme Speed is a niche option that can snipe Deoxys-A for Swords Dance variants, while still limiting Yveltal and Chien Pao's ability to revenge kill it with Sucker Punch, but it is quite weak and only works well against opposing offense teams, not bulkier ones.
* Substitute protects Arceus-Ghost from harmful status conditions, such as burn from Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, or bad poison from Alomomola's Toxic and limits specially offensive Yveltal's and Chien Pao's ability to revenge-kill Arceus-Ghost with priority moves. This limits Marshadow's ability to pick it off with Shadow Sneak too, although only Dragon Dance variants benefit from this interaction, since Marshadow can simply outspeed and bypass Substitute with Spectral Thief against Swords Dance Arceus-Ghost. Substitute also protects Arceus-Ghost from Smeargle's Nuzzle and Spore, thus walling it completely, granting it free setup. Alternatively, Taunt denies status moves, whether it be hazards from Ferrothorn, or opposing setup such as Coil Zygarde and Curse Dondozo, preventing the former from reliably checking it. It also maintains hazards against Ho-Oh and Giratina-O. Recover is a niche option which provides Arceus-Ghost more longevity, but it is much less useful than the other two options.
* The first given EV spread is ideal for Swords Dance variants, since it allows Arceus-Ghost to survive Choice Band Marshadow's Tera Ghost Shadow Sneak, while maximum Speed investment lets Arceus-Ghost Speed tie with Modest Palkia-O and Adamant Mega Salamence, although this may be problematic against Substitute variants of the former. Alternatively, the second EV spread is used for Dragon Dance variants, but it still avoids the OHKO from Choice Band Marshadow's Tera Ghost Shadow Sneak—now after Stealth Rock—as well as Choice Band Tera Flying Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent and Primal Kyogre's Origin Pulse; however, it also makes Arceus-Ghost significantly slower, with it now being unable to outspeed fully invested Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, although it does still outspeed Deoxys-A after a boost.
* Arceus-Ghost relies heavily on Ghostium Z to maximise its wallbreaking capabilities against Coil Zygarde, defensive Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes. It should only be used against these bulkier foes, and not frailer targets such as Deoxys-A or Mega Mewtwo Y. This is especially true for Swords Dance variants that focus more on wallbreaking in the early-to-mid game than sweeping, due to the lesser Speed yet greater Attack. Dragon Dance variants of Arceus-Ghost should be preserved until the late-game where Dark-types such as Arceus-Dark and Yveltal have been worn down significantly either by hazards or by teammates such as Meteor Beam Eternatus and Mega Salamence. This is because Arceus-Ghost does not need significant boosts to clean up weakened teams, due to Ghost-type resists being limited in the tier outside of the aforementioned Arceus-Dark, Arceus, and Yveltal.
* As mentioned before, Arceus-Ghost despises Dark-types, such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark, that limit its wallbreaking capabilities significantly. Thus, Pokemon that are able to break through these are greatly appreciated. Zacian-C can use offensive variants of either as setup fodder due to resisting all their STAB options barring the niche Heat Wave from Yveltal. Meteor Beam Eternatus does well against defensive Yveltal and defensive Arceus-Dark, while also sniping Ho-Oh for Arceus-Ghost. Both of these partners appreciate Arceus-Ghost's ability to break past common defensive Pokemon, such as Primal Groudon, Zygarde, and Ho-Oh.
* Suicide leads for the hyper offense teams that Arceus-Ghost fits on, are essential for supporting it. Smeargle and Shuckle are great for Swords Dance variants, making up for the minimal speed it has, preventing Chien Pao and Marshadow from easily revenge-killing it. Deoxys-S and Glimmora work well with Dragon Dance variants, making up for its lesser power with hazard support; this also limits Choice Scarf Yveltal's ability to switch into Arceus-Ghost, since it can be OHKOed by +1 Stone Edge after Stealth Rock. They all appreciate Arceus-Ghost discouraging Giratina-O and Ho-Oh from removing their hazards via Defog, if not just denying removal entirely with Taunt.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sami.604820/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bumboclaat.523420/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
Last edited:
