Revamp in a nutshell:
[8:19 PM] Dr Shrange: fuck defog
[10:59 AM] Hack: instead of fucking defog
[4:25 PM] Highlord: Yeah fuck defog
[4:25 PM] Dr Shrange: fuck yea no defog
[2:26 PM] Joyverse: lol defog Waterceus in sm
[2:26 PM] DMDW: fuck defog
[OVERVIEW]
* The combination of a lone Water typing, solid bulk, and good Speed enables Arceus-Water to blanket check a massive portion of the tier, including some of the more common and dangerous Pokemon like Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, Arceus-Ground, Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Mega Lucario.
* Arceus-Water's very valuable defensive presence justifies its place on many teams and enables it to diversify its moveset to fit utility moves like Stealth Rock and Will-O-Wisp, which not many support Arceus formes can afford to do.
* Although Arceus-Water can provide various utility options, its four-moveslot syndrome somewhat limits the size of its role compression. While it is not entirely impossible for Arceus-Water to forgo its common moves like Judgment and Ice Beam, replacing them results in dire consequences; forgoing Judgment no longer enables Arceus-Water to effectively handle Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground, while not employing Ice Beam diminishes Arceus-Water's effectiveness against Zygarde-C and Mega Salamance.
* Arceus-Water's tendency to rely on super effective hits or Toxic stalling to check foes and inability to be a solid check for anything leave it vulnerable to threats like Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Ultra Necrozma, and other wallbreakers that it cannot pose an immediate threat against. Reliance on status means that Arceus-Water also struggles to handle bulky foes that aren't hindered by Toxic, such as Ferrothorn and Chansey.
* Much like other support Arceus formes, Arceus-Water is vulnerable to all types of entry hazards, status, and Shadow Tag users.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic
item: Splash Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* STAB Judgment enables Arceus-Water to offensively check Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground and retain offensive presence against Necrozma-DM, Mega Gengar, and Mega Lucario.
* Ice Beam targets prevalent Dragon-types like Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza, 2HKOing Zygarde-C and OHKOing offensive Mega Salamence and Rayquaza to enable Arceus-Water to take them down when it is healthy enough.
* Recover increases Arceus-Water's longevity, letting it consistently stomach hits from threatening Pokemon like Necrozma-DM and Ho-Oh.
* Toxic is a crucial status move that is needed to pressure foes like Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and opposing Arceus-Water, which Arceus-Water struggles to properly hit with Judgment and Ice Beam.
* Arceus-Water's favorable defensive typing against Necrozma-DM and Mega Lucario allows it to viably opt for Will-O-Wisp to neuter their damage output. Will-O-Wisp also punishes Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, but the lack of Toxic will let Primal Groudon and Calm Mind Arceus formes to easily take advantage of Arceus-Water. While this move can be justified over Judgment, Arceus-Water will be unable to threaten Mega Gengar and Ho-Oh as a result.
Set Details
========
* 192 Speed EVs with a Timid nature ensure that Arceus-Water is faster than Mega Lucario, letting it pick off on Mega Lucario with Judgment before +2 Mega Lucario can OHKO Arceus-Water with Close Combat.
* Maximizing HP EVs and investing the remainder of the EVs in Defense improve Arceus-Water's overall bulk, augmenting its ability to take hits from Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Mega Salamence. To specify, extra investment in Defense enables Arceus-Water to survive +2 Necrozma-DM's Searing Sunraze Smash after Stealth Rock most of the time.
* An EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe can be used to Speed tie with other maximum Speed Arceus formes and Jolly Mega Salamence and prevent them from aggressively taking on Arceus-Water.
* A slower, bulkier EV spread of 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 Spe with a Bold nature increases Arceus-Water's bulk to the point where it can survive +2 Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades and still take on boosted Mega Lucario with considerable chances. The increased bulk also aids Arceus-Water's matchup against Zygarde-C and Mega Salamence.
* Splash Plate is required to use Arceus-Water with Water-type STAB Judgment.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Water's Water typing enables it to pivot into various threatening Pokemon like Necrozma-DM, Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh. While Arceus-Water does not handle every common attack from said foes well, it can reliably be used to scout them and potentially generate a predictable play from them. For example, pivoting into Primal Kyogre with Arceus-Water on a resisted attack can allow Primal Groudon to switch in unharmed if Arceus-Water successfully baited Thunder.
* Prevent Arceus-Water from taking excessive damage. Unless Arceus-Water is running a bulkier spread, it will have to remain as healthy as possible to survive some important attacks like +2 Searing Sunraze Smash from Necrozma-DM and +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence. This means that Recover should be used frequently to ensure that Arceus-Water remains healthy. Toxic should also be generally avoided in this regard, as it significantly reduces Arceus-Water's effectiveness as a pivot.
* Arceus-Water will have a considerable number of opportunities to use one of its utility options if it safely switched into a non-threatening attack like Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike or Arceus-Ground's Ice Beam. While Judgment has the highest damage output, Primal Groudon being the most common Pokemon in the tier makes this option generally inefficient. It is generally recommended to observe how an opponent reacts to Arceus-Water and then use an appropriate move. Should Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre attempt to take advantage of Arceus-Water, they can be punished with Toxic, while Steel-types like Magearna and Celesteela can be chunked hard if they switched in to attempt to absorb Toxic.
* Do not unnecessarily leave Arceus-Water on the field against offensive foes in hopes of wearing them down. Be quick to switch it out of foes like Swords Dance variants of Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma to prevent their sweep. Arceus-Water can punish some setup sweepers with Will-O-Wisp, but it usually lacks enough offensive pressure to effectively weaken them.
Team Options
========
* Arceus-Water's valuable defensive presence is valued on most balanced teams. Defensive cores can be appropriately formed with Pokemon that create good defensive synergy with Arceus-Water, and wallbreakers can be paired with Arceus-Water to make up for its somewhat meager offensive presence.
* Most Steel-types appreciate Arceus-Water's ability to take on Fire- and Ground-types. As Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh offensively threaten Steel-types and some Arceus-Ground variants can take advantage of them, Arceus-Water will be frequently obligated to pivot into their respective STAB attacks and threaten them back with Judgment or, in Primal Groudon's case, put it on timer with Toxic. In return, Steel-types can switch into Toxic and provide different utility options. Magearna can handle powerful attackers like Xerneas and Yveltal and functions as a safety net against Refresh + Calm Mind Arceus formes that can set up on Arceus-Water. Ferrothorn checks support Necrozma-DM and other Arceus formes that usually carry Toxic. Furthermore, Leech Seed eases Arceus-Water's ability to pivot into foes that threaten Ferrothorn, and Spikes support prevents grounded foes like Primal Groudon and opposing Ferrothorn from consistently being annoyances. Offensive variants of Necrozma-DM can make up for Arceus-Water's lack of offensive presence and benefit from Arceus-Water hindering Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh.
* A more durable check to Primal Groudon is needed, as Arceus-Water fails to properly handle setup variants. Giratina-O and Skarmory are teammates that can prevent Double Dance Primal Groudon from setting up on Arceus-Water and rampaging through the team. Arceus-Water's ability to keep mixed Rock Polish Primal Groudon in line especially allows Skarmory and Arceus-Water to keep most Primal Groudon sets under control.
* While Arceus-Water is a check to Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground, it does not prevent them from setting Stealth Rock. Defog users like Mega Salamence, Ho-Oh, and Giratina-O can prevent Stealth Rock from chipping away at Arceus-Water's health, and they can also function as secondary checks to Primal Groudon. Mega Salamence can take advantage of Primal Groudon's Toxic to boost its Facade, while Ho-Oh outlasts it thanks to Regenerator. Giratina-O is notable for checking Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, which Arceus-Water will be a shaky check against due to +2 Tectonic Rage OHKOing it.
* While Arceus-Water can effectively deal with common Ground-immune Pokemon with Ice Beam, Stealth Rock support is still handy to wear down the opposing team. Primal Groudon is an option that can deal with problematic Steel-types like Ferrothorn and pressure a lot of Pokemon with its STAB attacks and Toxic. Necrozma-DM is another Stealth Rock user that can absorb Toxic relatively well and check certain support Arceus formes that Arceus-Water would avoid facing due to them potentially carrying Toxic. Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM both benefit from Arceus-Water handling Zygarde-C and Arceus-Ground.
* Magearna and Xerneas can provide cleric support for Arceus-Water, and Choice Scarf Xerneas can revenge kill dangerous sweepers like Ultra Necrozma and Zygarde-C. As both of them struggle with Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, Arceus-Water's defensive presence against them is appreciated.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Recover
item: Splash Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 144 SpA / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Arceus-Water is justifiable as a Stealth Rock setter thanks to the limited number of Defog users that can contend against it. Favorable matchups against Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground makes it difficult for many teams to check Arceus-Water without preventing Stealth Rock.
* Judgment hits Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground super effectively, and with a sizeable amount of investment, it can pressure most foes that are neutrally hit by it and notably 2HKO physically defensive Mega Sableye, preventing it from bouncing Stealth Rock back.
* Ice Beam provides Arceus-Water with coverage against Dragon-types and a way to damage Primal Groudon. It is important to note that invested Ice Beam can OHKO most offensive untransformed Zygarde after Stealth Rock damage.
* Recover ensures that Arceus-Water stays healthy enough to consistently pivot in to set Stealth Rock through the match.
* Toxic serves as a much more effective way to punish Primal Groudon than Ice Beam would, but it is hard to justify.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples Steel-types like Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn, preventing them from taking advantage of Arceus-Water for free.
Set Details
========
* 144 Special Attack EVs allow Arceus-Water to 2HKO Mega Sableye so it can set Stealth Rock against it. The investment also allows Arceus-Water to 2HKO offensive Necrozma-DM with Judgment after Stealth Rock damage and 2HKO offensive Yveltal most of the time with Ice Beam.
* 96 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Arceus-Water to outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon and below, making it faster than important threats like Xerneas and Yveltal.
* The remainder of the EVs are used to maximize Arceus-Water's HP and increase Defense a little, allowing it to survive +2 Searing Sunraze Smash from Necrozma-DM and +1 Mega Salamence's Double-Edge from full HP.
* Splash Plate is required to use Arceus-Water with Water-type STAB Judgment.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Water's primary objective is to ensure that Stealth Rock remains on the field, and Arceus-Water's offensive typing and investment help fulfill this goal. As Judgment and Ice Beam threaten Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground, many balanced teams will generally struggle to prevent Arceus-Water from setting Stealth Rock. Arceus-Water's ability to pressure Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie should also be noted, as they struggle taking Judgment and thus cannot safely utilize Magic Bounce.
* Setting Stealth Rock first is usually the most productive thing to do when Arceus-Water is given an opportunity to switch in, as this helps pressure the opposing team. Observe how an opponent reacts to Arceus-Water; since opponents tend to switch Toxic-immune foes or Pokemon that do not mind its attacks into it, knowing what Pokemon is sent to deal with Arceus-Water means that it can hit them with appropriate moves on the switch. Most Steel-types except Ferrothorn that switch in expecting Toxic take considerable amounts of damage from Judgment, and Primal Groudon dislikes switching into Ice Beam multiple times, especially when Stealth Rock is up, so carefully evaluate your opponent to benefit the most from this set.
* Unless a foe is confirmed to lack status moves or a significant way to threaten Arceus-Water, switch Arceus-Water out after setting Stealth Rock or attacking a foe. The lack of Toxic means that Arceus-Water can do little to foes that are bulky enough to take its attacks, such as other Arceus formes, in the long run, and it is likely that they will use Toxic after switching in. If given a favorable matchup, hit something hard with Judgment or use Recover so Arceus-Water will be healthy enough to pivot into foes again.
* As this set runs less Speed investment, faster foes like Mega Salamence and Mega Lucario can pick off weakened Arceus-Water. This means health management is more important to ensure that Arceus-Water can take a hit from naturally faster or Speed-boosted foes and retaliate.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon that appreciate a Stealth Rock user that can pressure bulky Defog users make good partners to this set. The likes of Primal Groudon and Marshadow, which dislike certain Flying-types, can benefit from the pressure that Arceus-Water applies to them with Stealth Rock.
* Arceus-Water also frees up a moveslot for other, more standard Stealth Rock users like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM. Depending on the sets they run, both of these Pokemon naturally struggle against Ho-Oh and Yveltal, so they can benefit from Stealth Rock keeping both foes at bay and can run offensive sets to contend against them better. Primal Groudon also appreciates Arceus-Water pressuring Zygarde-C, which it can threaten to OHKO with invested Ice Beam.
* As Arceus-Water can do very little against Primal Groudon, Pokemon like Zygarde-C, Ho-Oh, and Giratina-O can act as a secondary check to it. Arceus-Water's ability to scout Ice- and Rock-type moves from Primal Groudon for the former two is beneficial, and they can handle Primal Groudon with Toxic.
* Arceus-Water's lack of Toxic means it cannot threaten Primal Kyogre and other support Arceus formes in a significant way. Primal Groudon checks Primal Kyogre and some support Arceus formes, and support sets can run Toxic to poison them so they cannot consistently take advantage of Arceus-Water. Mega Gengar can trap and remove some support Arceus formes and problematic special walls or force a trade with Defog users that Arceus-Water cannot threaten. In return, Arceus-Water is capable of pivoting into foes like Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh that tend to switch into Mega Gengar on its Mega Evolution.
* Offensive Pokemon like Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Marshadow, and Rayquaza require Stealth Rock support to successfully break through opposing teams. As Arceus-Water's matchup against offensive teams isn't great due to less Speed investment, the aforementioned teammates can patch up this weakness.
* Clerics like Xerneas and Magearna can help Arceus-Water stay healthy and consistently set Stealth Rock throughout the match. Choice Scarf Xerneas can revenge kill various foes like Ultra Necrozma and other setup sweepers that Arceus-Water fails to check properly due to less Speed investment.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Arceus-Water is one of the very few viable support Arceus formes that can anti-lead against Cloyster, and its ability to blanket check Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM may make Defog seem like a viable option, but both Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM commonly run Toxic when running Stealth Rock. Arceus-Water is also faster than both of them, and this means it struggles to properly remove Stealth Rock from field even if has traded Toxic with the former.
* Fire Blast takes advantage of Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor's extreme vulnerability to Fire, preventing them from persistently switching into Arceus-Water. Fire Blast also provides Arceus-Water with a considerable chance to OHKO Mega Lucario after Stealth Rock damage.
* Waterium Z, Aqua Tail, and some Attack investment can be run to surprise Gothitelle by KOing it with Hydro Vortex after Ice Beam, but using a Z-Crystal and forgoing Judgment solely to achieve this benchmark isn't usually worth the cost.
* Earth Power hits Primal Groudon, Mega Gengar, and Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Magearna, and Dialga, but it struggles to justify use.
* As one of the biggest annoyances for Arceus-Water is Toxic poison, Refresh may seem like an interesting way to completely wall support Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, but forgoing Toxic or another utility move for this significantly hampers Arceus-Water's usefulness against foes that it otherwise has the upper hand against.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types That Resist Judgment**: Ferrothorn completely walls Arceus-Water lacking Fire Blast and is only annoyed by Will-O-Wisp. After switching into Arceus-Water, Ferrothorn can proceed to set Spikes or use Leech Seed or Toxic on Arceus-Water or its switch-ins. Dialga isn't significantly threatened by any attacks from Arceus-Water and therefore can pivot into it multiple times and threaten back with Thunder or Toxic or proceed to set Stealth Rock of its own.
**Water-types**: Primal Kyogre resists Judgment and Ice Beam and can easily break through Arceus-Water with Thunder or Calm Mind-boosted Origin Pulse. Toxapex also resists every common attack that Arceus-Water carries and can freely set up Toxic Spikes.
**Gothitelle**: Arceus-Water cannot significantly threaten Gothitelle and thus is prone to getting trapped and eliminated.
**Specially Defensive Foes**: Both Chansey and Blissey aren't threatened by Arceus-Water at all due to them taking pathetic damage from any attacks and curing themselves of Toxic with Nature Cure. They can threaten to poison Arceus-Water with Toxic in return. Specially defensive Necrozma-DM avoids the 2HKO from Judgment and can stall out Arceus-Water with Toxic or set Stealth Rock on it.
**Zekrom**: Although it takes sizeable damage from Ice Beam, Zekrom can force out Arceus-Water by threatening to OHKO it with Bolt Strike.
**Grass-types**: Arceus-Grass is not 2HKOed by Ice Beam without Stealth Rock and additional prior damage and can OHKO Arceus-Water with Grass Knot after Stealth Rock. Shaymin-S is OHKOed by Ice Beam, but if given a safe switch, it can threaten to outspeed and OHKO Arceus-Water with Life Orb-boosted Seed Flare.
**Setup Sweepers**: Arceus-Water's tendency to directly switch into foes to take resisted hits occasionally results in giving away free turns for foes set up. To specify, Arceus-Water is capable of pivoting into foes like Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ultra Necrozma before Ultra Burst, but it can't threaten them in any significant way with its conventional movesets. This issue is further exacerbated by Arceus-Water's reliance on its resistances to defensively check the aforementioned foes, meaning Arceus-Water can't reliably Toxic stall them before it is KOed by boosted attacks. This means that Swords Dance Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma can easily overwhelm Arceus-Water with boosts when Arceus-Water switches into them with an intention to scout their moveset or blanket check them. Apart from putting them on a timer with Toxic, Arceus-Water can do little against these setup sweepers.
**Toxic**: Toxic greatly reduces Arceus-Water's ability to pivot into foes it is tasked to switch into and consistently set Stealth Rock throughout the match.
[8:19 PM] Dr Shrange: fuck defog
[10:59 AM] Hack: instead of fucking defog
[4:25 PM] Highlord: Yeah fuck defog
[4:25 PM] Dr Shrange: fuck yea no defog
[2:26 PM] Joyverse: lol defog Waterceus in sm
[2:26 PM] DMDW: fuck defog
[OVERVIEW]
* The combination of a lone Water typing, solid bulk, and good Speed enables Arceus-Water to blanket check a massive portion of the tier, including some of the more common and dangerous Pokemon like Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, Arceus-Ground, Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Mega Lucario.
* Arceus-Water's very valuable defensive presence justifies its place on many teams and enables it to diversify its moveset to fit utility moves like Stealth Rock and Will-O-Wisp, which not many support Arceus formes can afford to do.
* Although Arceus-Water can provide various utility options, its four-moveslot syndrome somewhat limits the size of its role compression. While it is not entirely impossible for Arceus-Water to forgo its common moves like Judgment and Ice Beam, replacing them results in dire consequences; forgoing Judgment no longer enables Arceus-Water to effectively handle Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground, while not employing Ice Beam diminishes Arceus-Water's effectiveness against Zygarde-C and Mega Salamance.
* Arceus-Water's tendency to rely on super effective hits or Toxic stalling to check foes and inability to be a solid check for anything leave it vulnerable to threats like Swords Dance Primal Groudon, Ultra Necrozma, and other wallbreakers that it cannot pose an immediate threat against. Reliance on status means that Arceus-Water also struggles to handle bulky foes that aren't hindered by Toxic, such as Ferrothorn and Chansey.
* Much like other support Arceus formes, Arceus-Water is vulnerable to all types of entry hazards, status, and Shadow Tag users.
[SET]
name: Support
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Recover
move 4: Toxic
item: Splash Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* STAB Judgment enables Arceus-Water to offensively check Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground and retain offensive presence against Necrozma-DM, Mega Gengar, and Mega Lucario.
* Ice Beam targets prevalent Dragon-types like Zygarde-C, Mega Salamence, and Rayquaza, 2HKOing Zygarde-C and OHKOing offensive Mega Salamence and Rayquaza to enable Arceus-Water to take them down when it is healthy enough.
* Recover increases Arceus-Water's longevity, letting it consistently stomach hits from threatening Pokemon like Necrozma-DM and Ho-Oh.
* Toxic is a crucial status move that is needed to pressure foes like Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and opposing Arceus-Water, which Arceus-Water struggles to properly hit with Judgment and Ice Beam.
* Arceus-Water's favorable defensive typing against Necrozma-DM and Mega Lucario allows it to viably opt for Will-O-Wisp to neuter their damage output. Will-O-Wisp also punishes Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, but the lack of Toxic will let Primal Groudon and Calm Mind Arceus formes to easily take advantage of Arceus-Water. While this move can be justified over Judgment, Arceus-Water will be unable to threaten Mega Gengar and Ho-Oh as a result.
Set Details
========
* 192 Speed EVs with a Timid nature ensure that Arceus-Water is faster than Mega Lucario, letting it pick off on Mega Lucario with Judgment before +2 Mega Lucario can OHKO Arceus-Water with Close Combat.
* Maximizing HP EVs and investing the remainder of the EVs in Defense improve Arceus-Water's overall bulk, augmenting its ability to take hits from Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Mega Salamence. To specify, extra investment in Defense enables Arceus-Water to survive +2 Necrozma-DM's Searing Sunraze Smash after Stealth Rock most of the time.
* An EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe can be used to Speed tie with other maximum Speed Arceus formes and Jolly Mega Salamence and prevent them from aggressively taking on Arceus-Water.
* A slower, bulkier EV spread of 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 Spe with a Bold nature increases Arceus-Water's bulk to the point where it can survive +2 Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades and still take on boosted Mega Lucario with considerable chances. The increased bulk also aids Arceus-Water's matchup against Zygarde-C and Mega Salamence.
* Splash Plate is required to use Arceus-Water with Water-type STAB Judgment.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Water's Water typing enables it to pivot into various threatening Pokemon like Necrozma-DM, Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh. While Arceus-Water does not handle every common attack from said foes well, it can reliably be used to scout them and potentially generate a predictable play from them. For example, pivoting into Primal Kyogre with Arceus-Water on a resisted attack can allow Primal Groudon to switch in unharmed if Arceus-Water successfully baited Thunder.
* Prevent Arceus-Water from taking excessive damage. Unless Arceus-Water is running a bulkier spread, it will have to remain as healthy as possible to survive some important attacks like +2 Searing Sunraze Smash from Necrozma-DM and +1 Double-Edge from Mega Salamence. This means that Recover should be used frequently to ensure that Arceus-Water remains healthy. Toxic should also be generally avoided in this regard, as it significantly reduces Arceus-Water's effectiveness as a pivot.
* Arceus-Water will have a considerable number of opportunities to use one of its utility options if it safely switched into a non-threatening attack like Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike or Arceus-Ground's Ice Beam. While Judgment has the highest damage output, Primal Groudon being the most common Pokemon in the tier makes this option generally inefficient. It is generally recommended to observe how an opponent reacts to Arceus-Water and then use an appropriate move. Should Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre attempt to take advantage of Arceus-Water, they can be punished with Toxic, while Steel-types like Magearna and Celesteela can be chunked hard if they switched in to attempt to absorb Toxic.
* Do not unnecessarily leave Arceus-Water on the field against offensive foes in hopes of wearing them down. Be quick to switch it out of foes like Swords Dance variants of Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma to prevent their sweep. Arceus-Water can punish some setup sweepers with Will-O-Wisp, but it usually lacks enough offensive pressure to effectively weaken them.
Team Options
========
* Arceus-Water's valuable defensive presence is valued on most balanced teams. Defensive cores can be appropriately formed with Pokemon that create good defensive synergy with Arceus-Water, and wallbreakers can be paired with Arceus-Water to make up for its somewhat meager offensive presence.
* Most Steel-types appreciate Arceus-Water's ability to take on Fire- and Ground-types. As Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh offensively threaten Steel-types and some Arceus-Ground variants can take advantage of them, Arceus-Water will be frequently obligated to pivot into their respective STAB attacks and threaten them back with Judgment or, in Primal Groudon's case, put it on timer with Toxic. In return, Steel-types can switch into Toxic and provide different utility options. Magearna can handle powerful attackers like Xerneas and Yveltal and functions as a safety net against Refresh + Calm Mind Arceus formes that can set up on Arceus-Water. Ferrothorn checks support Necrozma-DM and other Arceus formes that usually carry Toxic. Furthermore, Leech Seed eases Arceus-Water's ability to pivot into foes that threaten Ferrothorn, and Spikes support prevents grounded foes like Primal Groudon and opposing Ferrothorn from consistently being annoyances. Offensive variants of Necrozma-DM can make up for Arceus-Water's lack of offensive presence and benefit from Arceus-Water hindering Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh.
* A more durable check to Primal Groudon is needed, as Arceus-Water fails to properly handle setup variants. Giratina-O and Skarmory are teammates that can prevent Double Dance Primal Groudon from setting up on Arceus-Water and rampaging through the team. Arceus-Water's ability to keep mixed Rock Polish Primal Groudon in line especially allows Skarmory and Arceus-Water to keep most Primal Groudon sets under control.
* While Arceus-Water is a check to Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground, it does not prevent them from setting Stealth Rock. Defog users like Mega Salamence, Ho-Oh, and Giratina-O can prevent Stealth Rock from chipping away at Arceus-Water's health, and they can also function as secondary checks to Primal Groudon. Mega Salamence can take advantage of Primal Groudon's Toxic to boost its Facade, while Ho-Oh outlasts it thanks to Regenerator. Giratina-O is notable for checking Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, which Arceus-Water will be a shaky check against due to +2 Tectonic Rage OHKOing it.
* While Arceus-Water can effectively deal with common Ground-immune Pokemon with Ice Beam, Stealth Rock support is still handy to wear down the opposing team. Primal Groudon is an option that can deal with problematic Steel-types like Ferrothorn and pressure a lot of Pokemon with its STAB attacks and Toxic. Necrozma-DM is another Stealth Rock user that can absorb Toxic relatively well and check certain support Arceus formes that Arceus-Water would avoid facing due to them potentially carrying Toxic. Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM both benefit from Arceus-Water handling Zygarde-C and Arceus-Ground.
* Magearna and Xerneas can provide cleric support for Arceus-Water, and Choice Scarf Xerneas can revenge kill dangerous sweepers like Ultra Necrozma and Zygarde-C. As both of them struggle with Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, Arceus-Water's defensive presence against them is appreciated.
[SET]
name: Stealth Rock
move 1: Stealth Rock
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Recover
item: Splash Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 16 Def / 144 SpA / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Arceus-Water is justifiable as a Stealth Rock setter thanks to the limited number of Defog users that can contend against it. Favorable matchups against Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground makes it difficult for many teams to check Arceus-Water without preventing Stealth Rock.
* Judgment hits Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground super effectively, and with a sizeable amount of investment, it can pressure most foes that are neutrally hit by it and notably 2HKO physically defensive Mega Sableye, preventing it from bouncing Stealth Rock back.
* Ice Beam provides Arceus-Water with coverage against Dragon-types and a way to damage Primal Groudon. It is important to note that invested Ice Beam can OHKO most offensive untransformed Zygarde after Stealth Rock damage.
* Recover ensures that Arceus-Water stays healthy enough to consistently pivot in to set Stealth Rock through the match.
* Toxic serves as a much more effective way to punish Primal Groudon than Ice Beam would, but it is hard to justify.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples Steel-types like Necrozma-DM and Ferrothorn, preventing them from taking advantage of Arceus-Water for free.
Set Details
========
* 144 Special Attack EVs allow Arceus-Water to 2HKO Mega Sableye so it can set Stealth Rock against it. The investment also allows Arceus-Water to 2HKO offensive Necrozma-DM with Judgment after Stealth Rock damage and 2HKO offensive Yveltal most of the time with Ice Beam.
* 96 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Arceus-Water to outspeed base 100 Speed Pokemon and below, making it faster than important threats like Xerneas and Yveltal.
* The remainder of the EVs are used to maximize Arceus-Water's HP and increase Defense a little, allowing it to survive +2 Searing Sunraze Smash from Necrozma-DM and +1 Mega Salamence's Double-Edge from full HP.
* Splash Plate is required to use Arceus-Water with Water-type STAB Judgment.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Water's primary objective is to ensure that Stealth Rock remains on the field, and Arceus-Water's offensive typing and investment help fulfill this goal. As Judgment and Ice Beam threaten Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, and Arceus-Ground, many balanced teams will generally struggle to prevent Arceus-Water from setting Stealth Rock. Arceus-Water's ability to pressure Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie should also be noted, as they struggle taking Judgment and thus cannot safely utilize Magic Bounce.
* Setting Stealth Rock first is usually the most productive thing to do when Arceus-Water is given an opportunity to switch in, as this helps pressure the opposing team. Observe how an opponent reacts to Arceus-Water; since opponents tend to switch Toxic-immune foes or Pokemon that do not mind its attacks into it, knowing what Pokemon is sent to deal with Arceus-Water means that it can hit them with appropriate moves on the switch. Most Steel-types except Ferrothorn that switch in expecting Toxic take considerable amounts of damage from Judgment, and Primal Groudon dislikes switching into Ice Beam multiple times, especially when Stealth Rock is up, so carefully evaluate your opponent to benefit the most from this set.
* Unless a foe is confirmed to lack status moves or a significant way to threaten Arceus-Water, switch Arceus-Water out after setting Stealth Rock or attacking a foe. The lack of Toxic means that Arceus-Water can do little to foes that are bulky enough to take its attacks, such as other Arceus formes, in the long run, and it is likely that they will use Toxic after switching in. If given a favorable matchup, hit something hard with Judgment or use Recover so Arceus-Water will be healthy enough to pivot into foes again.
* As this set runs less Speed investment, faster foes like Mega Salamence and Mega Lucario can pick off weakened Arceus-Water. This means health management is more important to ensure that Arceus-Water can take a hit from naturally faster or Speed-boosted foes and retaliate.
Team Options
========
* Pokemon that appreciate a Stealth Rock user that can pressure bulky Defog users make good partners to this set. The likes of Primal Groudon and Marshadow, which dislike certain Flying-types, can benefit from the pressure that Arceus-Water applies to them with Stealth Rock.
* Arceus-Water also frees up a moveslot for other, more standard Stealth Rock users like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM. Depending on the sets they run, both of these Pokemon naturally struggle against Ho-Oh and Yveltal, so they can benefit from Stealth Rock keeping both foes at bay and can run offensive sets to contend against them better. Primal Groudon also appreciates Arceus-Water pressuring Zygarde-C, which it can threaten to OHKO with invested Ice Beam.
* As Arceus-Water can do very little against Primal Groudon, Pokemon like Zygarde-C, Ho-Oh, and Giratina-O can act as a secondary check to it. Arceus-Water's ability to scout Ice- and Rock-type moves from Primal Groudon for the former two is beneficial, and they can handle Primal Groudon with Toxic.
* Arceus-Water's lack of Toxic means it cannot threaten Primal Kyogre and other support Arceus formes in a significant way. Primal Groudon checks Primal Kyogre and some support Arceus formes, and support sets can run Toxic to poison them so they cannot consistently take advantage of Arceus-Water. Mega Gengar can trap and remove some support Arceus formes and problematic special walls or force a trade with Defog users that Arceus-Water cannot threaten. In return, Arceus-Water is capable of pivoting into foes like Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh that tend to switch into Mega Gengar on its Mega Evolution.
* Offensive Pokemon like Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Marshadow, and Rayquaza require Stealth Rock support to successfully break through opposing teams. As Arceus-Water's matchup against offensive teams isn't great due to less Speed investment, the aforementioned teammates can patch up this weakness.
* Clerics like Xerneas and Magearna can help Arceus-Water stay healthy and consistently set Stealth Rock throughout the match. Choice Scarf Xerneas can revenge kill various foes like Ultra Necrozma and other setup sweepers that Arceus-Water fails to check properly due to less Speed investment.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Arceus-Water is one of the very few viable support Arceus formes that can anti-lead against Cloyster, and its ability to blanket check Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM may make Defog seem like a viable option, but both Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM commonly run Toxic when running Stealth Rock. Arceus-Water is also faster than both of them, and this means it struggles to properly remove Stealth Rock from field even if has traded Toxic with the former.
* Fire Blast takes advantage of Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor's extreme vulnerability to Fire, preventing them from persistently switching into Arceus-Water. Fire Blast also provides Arceus-Water with a considerable chance to OHKO Mega Lucario after Stealth Rock damage.
* Waterium Z, Aqua Tail, and some Attack investment can be run to surprise Gothitelle by KOing it with Hydro Vortex after Ice Beam, but using a Z-Crystal and forgoing Judgment solely to achieve this benchmark isn't usually worth the cost.
* Earth Power hits Primal Groudon, Mega Gengar, and Steel-types like Necrozma-DM, Magearna, and Dialga, but it struggles to justify use.
* As one of the biggest annoyances for Arceus-Water is Toxic poison, Refresh may seem like an interesting way to completely wall support Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, but forgoing Toxic or another utility move for this significantly hampers Arceus-Water's usefulness against foes that it otherwise has the upper hand against.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Steel-types That Resist Judgment**: Ferrothorn completely walls Arceus-Water lacking Fire Blast and is only annoyed by Will-O-Wisp. After switching into Arceus-Water, Ferrothorn can proceed to set Spikes or use Leech Seed or Toxic on Arceus-Water or its switch-ins. Dialga isn't significantly threatened by any attacks from Arceus-Water and therefore can pivot into it multiple times and threaten back with Thunder or Toxic or proceed to set Stealth Rock of its own.
**Water-types**: Primal Kyogre resists Judgment and Ice Beam and can easily break through Arceus-Water with Thunder or Calm Mind-boosted Origin Pulse. Toxapex also resists every common attack that Arceus-Water carries and can freely set up Toxic Spikes.
**Gothitelle**: Arceus-Water cannot significantly threaten Gothitelle and thus is prone to getting trapped and eliminated.
**Specially Defensive Foes**: Both Chansey and Blissey aren't threatened by Arceus-Water at all due to them taking pathetic damage from any attacks and curing themselves of Toxic with Nature Cure. They can threaten to poison Arceus-Water with Toxic in return. Specially defensive Necrozma-DM avoids the 2HKO from Judgment and can stall out Arceus-Water with Toxic or set Stealth Rock on it.
**Zekrom**: Although it takes sizeable damage from Ice Beam, Zekrom can force out Arceus-Water by threatening to OHKO it with Bolt Strike.
**Grass-types**: Arceus-Grass is not 2HKOed by Ice Beam without Stealth Rock and additional prior damage and can OHKO Arceus-Water with Grass Knot after Stealth Rock. Shaymin-S is OHKOed by Ice Beam, but if given a safe switch, it can threaten to outspeed and OHKO Arceus-Water with Life Orb-boosted Seed Flare.
**Setup Sweepers**: Arceus-Water's tendency to directly switch into foes to take resisted hits occasionally results in giving away free turns for foes set up. To specify, Arceus-Water is capable of pivoting into foes like Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Ultra Necrozma before Ultra Burst, but it can't threaten them in any significant way with its conventional movesets. This issue is further exacerbated by Arceus-Water's reliance on its resistances to defensively check the aforementioned foes, meaning Arceus-Water can't reliably Toxic stall them before it is KOed by boosted attacks. This means that Swords Dance Primal Groudon and Ultra Necrozma can easily overwhelm Arceus-Water with boosts when Arceus-Water switches into them with an intention to scout their moveset or blanket check them. Apart from putting them on a timer with Toxic, Arceus-Water can do little against these setup sweepers.
**Toxic**: Toxic greatly reduces Arceus-Water's ability to pivot into foes it is tasked to switch into and consistently set Stealth Rock throughout the match.
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