[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]
* Arceus-Ghost's singular Ghost typing gives it a unique presence 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 that 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 it. There's also the issue of it 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 it being naturally Imposter-proof against Ditto, carves it a small niche.
* 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 allows 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, as well as Necrozma-DM and Giratina-O with +1 Shadow Force, even if its wallbreaking capabilities are limited.
* Shadow Force is mostly used to provide the strongest possible Never-Ending Nightmare for Arceus-Ghost. Its two-turn nature can be awkward, which is why Ghostium Z is needed for circumvent this issue . More notably though, this makes Arceus-Ghost Imposter-proofed against Ditto, since the latter will always outspeed it, thus never hitting it if they both use Shadow Force at the same time.
* Stone Edge allows Arceus-Ghost to snipe Ho-Oh and Yveltal, removing Arceus-Ghost's need to use its Z-Move to OHKO the former to prevent it from phazing. Unboosted Stone Edge OHKOes offensive Ho-Oh and can more reliably OHKO defensive Ho-Oh and specially offensive Yveltal after a boost.
* Alternatively, Brick Break enables Arceus-Ghost to 2HKO Arceus-Dark and Arceus at +1. It also hits more niche targets, such as Chien-Pao, Garganacl, and Kingambit, that may 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 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 and poison from Alomomola's Toxic, and limits Yveltal's and Chien-Pao's ability to revenge kill it with priority moves. Dragon Dance variants also benefit from Substitute limiting Marshadow's ability to pick it off with Shadow Sneak too; however, it can simply outspeed and bypass Substitute with Spectral Thief against Swords Dance variants.
* Alternatively, Taunt denies status moves, whether it be entry 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 that 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, allowing Arceus-Ghost to survive Choice Band Marshadow's Tera Ghost Shadow Sneak, and maximum Speed investment lets it 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. 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 wallbreaker Primal Kyogre's Origin Pulse. However, it also makes Arceus-Ghost significantly slower; it is unable to outspeed fully invested Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, but it does still outspeed Deoxys-A after a boost.
* Arceus-Ghost relies heavily on Ghostium Z to maximize 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 and Mega Mewtwo Y. This is especially true for Swords Dance variants that focus more on wallbreaking early- or mid game than sweeping.
* Dragon Dance variants of Arceus-Ghost should be preserved until 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. Waiting until late-game also minimizes the risk of a sudden Terastalization, such as Tera Dark Ho-Oh and Arceus-Fairy, even if these are niche situations. Arceus-Ghost does not need significant boosts to clean up weakened teams.
* Pokemon that are able to break through Dark-types are greatly appreciated. Zacian-C can use offensive variants of Yveltal and Arceus-Dark 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. 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 are essential for supporting Arceus-Ghost. Smeargle and Shuckle are great for Swords Dance variants, making up for its low Speed and 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 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/bobsican.434487/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
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]
* Arceus-Ghost's singular Ghost typing gives it a unique presence 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 that 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 it. There's also the issue of it 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 it being naturally Imposter-proof against Ditto, carves it a small niche.
* 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 allows 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, as well as Necrozma-DM and Giratina-O with +1 Shadow Force, even if its wallbreaking capabilities are limited.
* Shadow Force is mostly used to provide the strongest possible Never-Ending Nightmare for Arceus-Ghost. Its two-turn nature can be awkward, which is why Ghostium Z is needed for circumvent this issue . More notably though, this makes Arceus-Ghost Imposter-proofed against Ditto, since the latter will always outspeed it, thus never hitting it if they both use Shadow Force at the same time.
* Stone Edge allows Arceus-Ghost to snipe Ho-Oh and Yveltal, removing Arceus-Ghost's need to use its Z-Move to OHKO the former to prevent it from phazing. Unboosted Stone Edge OHKOes offensive Ho-Oh and can more reliably OHKO defensive Ho-Oh and specially offensive Yveltal after a boost.
* Alternatively, Brick Break enables Arceus-Ghost to 2HKO Arceus-Dark and Arceus at +1. It also hits more niche targets, such as Chien-Pao, Garganacl, and Kingambit, that may 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 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 and poison from Alomomola's Toxic, and limits Yveltal's and Chien-Pao's ability to revenge kill it with priority moves. Dragon Dance variants also benefit from Substitute limiting Marshadow's ability to pick it off with Shadow Sneak too; however, it can simply outspeed and bypass Substitute with Spectral Thief against Swords Dance variants.
* Alternatively, Taunt denies status moves, whether it be entry 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 that 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, allowing Arceus-Ghost to survive Choice Band Marshadow's Tera Ghost Shadow Sneak, and maximum Speed investment lets it 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. 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 wallbreaker Primal Kyogre's Origin Pulse. However, it also makes Arceus-Ghost significantly slower; it is unable to outspeed fully invested Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, but it does still outspeed Deoxys-A after a boost.
* Arceus-Ghost relies heavily on Ghostium Z to maximize 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 and Mega Mewtwo Y. This is especially true for Swords Dance variants that focus more on wallbreaking early- or mid game than sweeping.
* Dragon Dance variants of Arceus-Ghost should be preserved until 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. Waiting until late-game also minimizes the risk of a sudden Terastalization, such as Tera Dark Ho-Oh and Arceus-Fairy, even if these are niche situations. Arceus-Ghost does not need significant boosts to clean up weakened teams.
* Pokemon that are able to break through Dark-types are greatly appreciated. Zacian-C can use offensive variants of Yveltal and Arceus-Dark 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. 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 are essential for supporting Arceus-Ghost. Smeargle and Shuckle are great for Swords Dance variants, making up for its low Speed and 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 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/bobsican.434487/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited:
