Archen (Analysis)

Diana

Diana

This isn't even my final form
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Archen

566.png

Status: Done, thanks for all the help!
QC Checks: Elevator Music, Aerrow
GP Checks: wekhter, Calm Pokemaster


[Overview]

<p>When looking at Archen's stats and movepool, it seems to have a lot going for it. Base 112 Attack and base 70 Speed, along with great moves such as Acrobatics, Stone Edge, and Earthquake, make Archen look quite menacing. Sadly for Archen, however, the one thing holding it back is its terrible ability, Defeatist. When Archen's HP falls below 50%, its Attack and Special Attack stats are cut in half, effectively crippling it. The large number of priority users in Little Cup can prey on this easily, meaning Archen needs a good deal of team support to work. Its poor defensive typing also leaves it weak to Stealth Rock, meaning Rapid Spin support is an absolute must to use the bird. Nevertheless, Archen can be a potent force in Little Cup on the right team and shouldn't be underestimated.</p>

[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 4: Earthquake
item: Oran Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Archen gets a good move to boost its Speed in Agility, allowing it to reach 32 Speed along with 22 Attack after a single turn. That outspeeds all Choice Scarf users, meaning Archen will outspeed the entire tier outside of Chlorophyll and Swift Swim users. Stone Edge is the move to use early on before Oran Berry activates, boosted by STAB and dealing heavy damage. Once Oran Berry kicks in, usually bringing Archen back above Defeatist range, Acrobatics is the move of choice for both accuracy and power. Earthquake is a coverage move for powering through Pokemon who resist Acrobatics, such as Chinchou and Magnemite.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Rock Slide is a viable option over Stone Edge for the accuracy boost, as Archen absolutely hates missing, but the loss in power is quite a problem. If reliability is more desired, however, it can be used effectively.</p>

<p>Since Archen is weak to Stealth Rock and is crippled when at lower HP, it desperately needs Rapid Spin support. Kabuto shares an Electric-type weakness with Archen but can use Rapid Spin and set up Stealth Rock to help Archen sweep, making it a good teammate.</p>

<p>Some other teammates can be used to help deal with the priority users that Archen hates. Wynaut can take the weaker priority moves and eliminate their users while having utility to use Encore on setup moves to give Archen a turn to set up. Duskull deals with Mach Punch users nicely. Bulk Up Croagunk sets up on Mach Punch and Aqua Jet and can also weaken opposing teams for Archen to clean up later. It also has good synergy with Archen, resisting Rock-type attacks while Archen has a Ground-type immunity and resists Flying-type moves aimed at Croagunk. Duskull can switch into Slowpoke, Bullet Punch Meditite, Gligar, and Ferroseed and use Will-O-Wisp to burn things, letting Archen take weak hits much more easily. Finally, Magnemite can be used to help eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed, making it much harder to wall Archen.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Pluck
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Because it reaches 25 Speed when using a Choice Scarf, Archen can make a good revenge killer to any slower set-up Pokemon without priority. Stone Edge and Earthquake combine for good coverage, allowing Archen to hit many Pokemon for good damage. U-turn is the typical Choice Scarf user's scouting move, being able to switch to a counter to the opponent's switch in for Archen. Pluck is much weaker but has an interesting niche in Little Cup, as it eats the opponent's berries and uses them for itself. With a decent amount of Pokemon using Oran Berries in the tier, Archen can get some nice healing and stop opposing Pokemon from doing so.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Staryu again makes a good teammate, as it can deal with Gligar nicely and has Rapid Spin which is absolutely necessary to let Archen do its job. Kabuto and Tentacool can work as well for Rapid Spin support depending on the team's needs. Magnemite works as a teammate for this set as well for the same reasons as the previous set, as Bronzor and Ferroseed are as much of a problem here as always. Note that Shell Smash Clamperl and Choice Scarf Gastly still outspeed Archen with a Choice Scarf, so having a Pokemon who can deal with those threats is helpful.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Head Smash is the alternative Rock-type STAB move that Archen gets. It has incredible power, but the recoil can cripple Archen easily and it can't afford to have low HP.</p>

<p>Archen also has a few other physical moves in its arsenal. Crunch can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types and Dragon Claw can hit Dragon-types a bit harder, but these moves have limited utility outside of that. Even when super effective, they barely outdamage a neutral Stone Edge, and are therefore poor options. Hone Claws can boost Archen's Attack and accuracy, letting it fire off Stone Edge with confidence, but Archen doesn't have enough Speed or defenses to set up safely. Quick Attack is a priority move Archen gets but it usually would like added coverage more than a neutral priority move.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bronzor is a great Archen counter, resisting every move it typically runs other than U-turn, which it can still shrug off. It can hit hard with a super effective Flash Cannon as well. Ferroseed is a similarly good counter despite having a few issues with a boosted Acrobatics, and has the option to either use Gyro Ball or just cripple Archen with Thunder Wave.</p>

<p>Other defensive Pokemon can take hits fairly well if they can heal off the damage. Slowpoke and Wooper are good options, since they can also heal and can use Scald to hit hard and possibly score a burn.</p>

<p>Less specific ways to handle Archen include getting Stealth Rock up, which can ruin Archen quite quickly, and using priority attacks such as Mach Punch and Aqua Jet. Timburr is just an example of a Pokemon with access to these attacks. Hippopotas is just one of many examples of a Stealth Rock user.</p>
 
*stamp*
seems good, it can't really do anything else.

Perhaps mention staryu as a teammate as it can rapid spin and helps to check Gligar. Also, you should probably beef up the Checks and Counters section, stuff like Slowpoke and Wooper can probably beat Archen fairly easily.... ummm I can't really think of anything else off the top off the top of my head but w/e.

I may give this another look once I get to my real computer but again it seems fine at a glance :)
 
All right, made quick mentions of all that, thanks! If you find anything else I'll be glad to fix things!
 
(QC Approved 2/2)

Looks good. Just remember to emphasize the importance of Rapid Spin support when you get to writing the analysis.
 
I'll make sure to, and I'll get to writing that later today!

Edit: And by later today I mean I'm writing now but...
 
I think HP Ice could be slashed in somewhere on the Agility set in order to lure in and beat Gligar, although the defensive variants can't really do much back other than Toxic or a weak, resisted Aerial Ace.

BU Croagunk can set up on Mach Punch and Aqua Jet users such as Timburr and Carvanha, so you might wanna mention that.

Bulky Misdreavus provides a good switch-in into Slowpoke, Gligar, BP Meditite and Ferroseed and can spread Burn throughout the opponents team, allowing Archen to take priority and beat it's counters a little easier.
 
I'll mention that all in AC, it sounds fine. HP Ice seems like an AC mention too just because Acrobatics, Stone Edge, and Earthquake all are quite important, but otherwise it sounds like it would work.

Edit: Written up, hopefully this is good. It's my first actual write-up.
 
proofread
hi
bye
comment

[box][Overview]

<p>Archen, wWhen looking at Archen's stats and movepool, it seems to have a lot going for it. A bBase 112 Attack and 70 Speed stats and base 70 Speed stat, along with great moves like such as Acrobatics, Stone Edge, and Earthquake, make Archen look quite menacing. Sadly for Archen, however, there is one thing holding it back in the terrible ability, Defeatist. When Archen's HP falls below 50%, its Attack and Special Attack stats are cut in half, effectively crippling it. The large amount of priority in Little Cup can prey on this easily, meaning Archen needs a good deal of team support to work. Its poor defensive typing also leaves it weak to Stealth Rock, meaning Rapid Spin support is an absolute must to use the bird. Nevertheless Despite these flaws, Archen can be a force in Little Cup on the right team and shouldn't be underestimated.</p>

[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 4: Earthquake
item: Oran Berry
ability: Defeatist
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[Set Comments SET COMMENTS]

<p>Archen gets a good move to boost its Speed in Agility, allowing it to reach 32 Speed along with 22 Attack after a single turn. That outspeeds all Choice Scarf users, meaning it will outspeed the entire tier outside of Chlorophyll and Swift Swim users. Stone Edge is the move to use early on before Oran Berry activates, dealing heavy STAB damage. Once Oran Berry kicks in, usually bringing Archen back above Defeatist range, Acrobatics is the move of choice for an accurate and powerful move. Earthquake is for coverage on Pokemon like who resist Acrobatics such as Chinchou and Magnemite which resist Acrobatics, giving it Archen a way to power through those Pokemon.</p>

[Additional Comments ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Rock Slide is a viable option over Stone Edge for the accuracy boost, as Archen absolutely hates missing, but the loss in power is quite the a problem. If reliability is more desired, however, it can be used effectively. Hidden Power Ice can be used over Earthquake as well if one wants to act as a Gligar lure, but normally Earthquake's added coverage is usually preferred. If paired with a Pokemon who needs a way to get through Gligar, it can be a very useful option, however.</p>

<p>Since Archen is weak to Stealth Rock and is crippled when at lower HP, it desperately needs Rapid Spin support. Kabuto shares an Electric weakness with Archen but can Rapid Spin and set up Stealth Rock to help Archen sweep, making it a good teammate. Staryu also has the Electric weakness but has access to Rapid Spin and beats Gligar one-on-one.</p>

<p>Some other teammates can be used to help deal with priority users that Archen hates. Wynaut can take the weaker priority moves and eliminate them, their users while having utility to use eEncore on set-up moves to give Archen a turn to set up. Gligar deals with Mach Punch users nicely, only fearing ones also running Ice Punch. Bulk Up Croagunk sets up on Mach Punch and Aqua Jet and can also weaken opposing teams for Archen to clean up later. It also has good synergy with Archen, resisting Rock moves while Archen resists Ground and Flying moves aimed at Croagunk. Bulky Misdreavus can switch into Slowpoke, Bullet Punch Meditite, Gligar, and Ferroseed and use Will-O-Wisp to burn things, letting Archen take weak hits much more easily. Finally, Magnemite can be used to help eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed, leaving Archen able to be walled much less easily making it much harder to wall Archen.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Pluck
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Defeatist
nature: Jolly
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[Set Comments SET COMMENTS]

<p>Reaching 25 Speed when using a Choice Scarf, Archen can make a good revenge killer to any slower set-up Pokemon without priority. Stone Edge and Earthquake combine for good coverage, allowing Archen to hit many things Pokemon for good damage. U-turn is the typical Choice Scarf user's scouting move, being able to switch to a counter to the opponent's switch for Archen. Pluck is much weaker but has an interesting effect for niche in Little Cup, as it eats the opponent's berries and uses them for itself. With the many Oran Berries in the tier, it can get some nice healing and stop opposing Pokemon from doing so.</p>

[Additional Comments ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Rock Slide again can be an alternative to Stone Edge, but the loss in power is worse here due to the lack of another powerful STAB move. It is more reliable though, so if it's really needed, it can still be run.</p> Already mentioned.

<p>Staryu, again, makes a good teammate, as it can deal with Gligar nicely and has Rapid Spin which is absolutely necessary to let Archen do its job, which is absolutely a necessity Mixed modifiers, heh. Kabuto and Tentacool can work as well for Rapid Spin support depending on the team's needs. Magnemite also works as a teammate for this set as well for the same reasons as the previous set, as Bronzor and Ferroseed are as much of a problem here as always. Note that Shell Smash Clamperl and Choice Scarf Gligar and Gastly still outspeed this Archen with a Choice Scarf, so having a Pokemon that who can deal with those threats can be is helpful.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Head Smash is the alternative STAB move that Archen gets which has incredible power, but the recoil can cripple Archen easily, and it can't afford to have low HP.</p>

<p>Archen also has a few other physical moves in its arsenal. Crunch can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types, and Dragon Claw can hit Dragon-types a bit harder, but they mentioned moves have limited utility. The moves barely outdamage a neutral Stone Edge when super<space>effective, so it's not much of an option. Hone Claws can boost Archen's Attack and Accuracy, letting it fire off Stone Edge safely, but Archen doesn't have enough Speed or defenses to set that up safely. Quick Attack is a priority move it Archen gets, but Archen it usually would like the added coverage more than a neutral priority move.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bronzor is a great Archen counter, resisting every move it typically runs other than U-turn, which it can shrug off. It can hit hard with a supereffective Flash Cannon as well. Ferroseed is similar despite having a few issues with a boosted Acrobatics and has the option to either use Gyro Ball or just cripple Archen with Thunder Wave.</p>

<p>Other defensive Pokemon can take hits all right if they can heal off the damage. Gligar can take a few hits and has Roost to heal off the damage, but needs Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, or Stone Edge to do much back. Slowpoke and Wooper are good since they can also heal and can use Scald to hit hard and possibly score a burn.</p>

<p>Less specific ways to handle Archen include getting Stealth Rock up, which can ruin Archen quite quickly, and priority like Mach Punch and Aqua Jet. Meditite, Timburr, and Carvanha are just a few examples of Pokemon with priority. Hippopotas is just one of many examples of a Stealth Rock user.</p>

[Dream World]

<p>Archen does not receive a Dream World ability.</p> [/box]

Nice job overall. Nice to see new LC writers!
 
Thanks! I added the changes, they all looked good and I can already tell where some of my weak points are from it so I can work on fixing those in the future.
 
Deletions
Additions/Corrections
(Comments)

[Overview]

<p>When looking at Archen's stats and movepool, it seems to have a lot going for it. Base 112 Attack stat and base 70 Speed stats, along with great moves such as Acrobatics, Stone Edge, and Earthquake, make Archen look quite menacing. Sadly for Archen, however, there is the one thing holding it back in the it its terrible ability, (comma) Defeatist. When Archen's HP falls below 50%, its Attack and Special Attack stats are cut in half, effectively crippling it. The large amount number of priority users in Little Cup can prey on this easily, meaning Archen needs a good deal of team support to work. Its poor defensive typing also leaves it weak to Stealth Rock, meaning Rapid Spin support is an absolute must to use the bird. Nevertheless, Archen can be a potent force in Little Cup on the right team, (comma) and shouldn't be underestimated.</p>

[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 4: Earthquake
item: Oran Berry
ability: Defeatist (it's the only option)
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Archen gets a good move to boost its Speed in Agility, allowing it to reach 32 Speed along with 22 Attack after a single turn. That outspeeds all Choice Scarf users, meaning it will outspeed the entire tier outside of Chlorophyll and Swift Swim users. Stone Edge is the move to use early on before Oran Berry activates, dealing heavy STAB damage. Once Oran Berry kicks in, usually bringing Archen back above Defeatist range, Acrobatics is the move of choice for an accurate and powerful move both accuracy and power. Earthquake is for a coverage move for powering through on Pokemon who resist Acrobatics, such as Chinchou and Magnemite, giving Archen a way to power through those Pokemon.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Rock Slide is a viable option over Stone Edge for the accuracy boost, as Archen absolutely hates missing, but the loss in power is quite a problem. If reliability is more desired, however, it can be used effectively. Hidden Power Ice can be used over Earthquake as well if one wants to act as a Gligar lure, but Earthquake's added coverage is usually preferred. If However, if Archen is paired with a Pokemon who needs a way to get through Gligar, it can be a very useful option, however.</p>

<p>Since Archen is weak to Stealth Rock and is crippled when at lower HP, it desperately needs Rapid Spin support. Kabuto shares an Electric weakness with Archen but can Rapid Spin and set up Stealth Rock to help Archen sweep, making it a good teammate. Staryu also has the an Electric weakness but has and access to Rapid Spin, (comma) and beats Gligar one-on-one.</p>

<p>Some other teammates can be used to help deal with the priority users that Archen hates. Wynaut can take the weaker priority moves and eliminate their users while having the utility to use Encore on set-up moves to give Archen a turn to set up. Gligar deals with Mach Punch users nicely, only fearing ones also running Ice Punch. Bulk Up Croagunk sets up on Mach Punch and Aqua Jet and can also weaken opposing teams for Archen to clean up later. It also has good synergy with Archen, resisting Rock moves while Archen resists the Ground and Flying moves aimed at Croagunk. Bulky Misdreavus can switch into Slowpoke, Bullet Punch Meditite, Gligar, and Ferroseed, (comma) and use Will-O-Wisp to burn things, letting Archen take weak hits much more easily. Finally, Magnemite can be used to help eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed, making it much harder to wall Archen.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Pluck
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Defeatist
nature: Jolly
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Because it reaches Reaching 25 Speed when using a Choice Scarf, Archen can make a good revenge killer to any slower set-up Pokemon without priority. Stone Edge and Earthquake combine for good coverage, allowing Archen to hit many Pokemon for good damage. U-turn is the typical Choice Scarf user's scouting move, being able to switch to a counter to the opponent's switch in for Archen. Pluck is much weaker but has an interesting niche in Little Cup, as it eats the opponent's berries and uses them for itself. With the many Oran Berries in the tier, it can get some nice healing and stop opposing Pokemon from doing so.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Staryu again makes a good teammate, as it can deal with Gligar nicely and has Rapid Spin which is absolutely necessary to let Archen do its job. Kabuto and Tentacool can work as well for Rapid Spin support depending on the team's needs. Magnemite works as a teammate for this set as well for the same reasons as the previous set, as Bronzor and Ferroseed are as much of a problem here as always. Note that Shell Smash Clamperl and Choice Scarf Gligar and Gastly still outspeed Archen with a Choice Scarf, so having a Pokemon who can deal with those threats is helpful.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Head Smash is the alternative Rock-type STAB move that Archen gets which. It has incredible power, but the recoil can cripple Archen easily and it can't afford to have low HP.</p>

<p>Archen also has a few other physical moves in its arsenal. Crunch can hit Ghost- (hyphen) and Psychic-types and Dragon Claw can hit Dragon-types a bit harder, but these mentioned moves have limited utility outside of that. The moves barely outdamage a neutral Stone Edge when super effective so it's not much of an option. Even when super effective, they barely outdamage a neutral Stone Edge, and are therefore poor options. Hone Claws can boost Archen's Attack and accuracy, letting it fire off Stone Edge safely with confidence, but Archen doesn't have enough Speed or defenses to set that up safely. Quick Attack is a priority move Archen gets but it usually would like added coverage more than a neutral priority move.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bronzor is a great Archen counter, resisting every move it typically runs other than U-turn, which it can still shrug off. It can hit hard with a super effective (space) Flash Cannon as well. Ferroseed is a similarly good counter, despite having a few issues with a boosted Acrobatics, (comma) and has the option to either use Gyro Ball or just cripple Archen with Thunder Wave.</p>

<p>Other defensive Pokemon can take hits all right fairly well if they can heal off the damage. Gligar can take a few hits and has Roost to heal off the damage, but needs Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, or Stone Edge to do much back. Slowpoke and Wooper are good since they can also heal and can use Scald to hit hard and possibly score a burn.</p>

<p>Less specific ways to handle Archen include getting Stealth Rock up, which can ruin Archen quite quickly, and using priority attacks such as like Mach Punch and Aqua Jet. Meditite, Timburr, and Carvanha are just a few examples of Pokemon with access to these attacks priority. Hippopotas is just one of many examples of a Stealth Rock user.</p>

Seemed pretty good to me, hopefully not just because I rather like Archen. GP 1/2.
 
Staryu also has the an Electric weakness but has and access to Rapid Spin, (comma) and beats Gligar one-on-one.

I'll implement all but the second on this line, only because if I replace "but has" with "and" it sounds like the Electric-weakness it shares with Archen is a good thing. If there's a better way I can put that I'm up for suggestions.
 
if you keep but has, do "Staryu also has an Electric weakness, but it has access to Rapid Spin....." because you need a comma to merge two clauses or something. I know it's right though.
 
-Charmander- said:
if you keep but has, do "Staryu also has an Electric weakness, but it has access to Rapid Spin....." because you need a comma to merge two clauses or something. I know it's right though.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, it looks right now.
 
Sorry about that, I actually changed that sentence a few times and it appears I mixed up my edits when I clicked "submit". It looks good now, though.
 
Deletions
Additions / Corrections
Comments

[Overview]

<p>When looking at Archen's stats and movepool, it seems to have a lot going for it. Base 112 Attack and base 70 Speed stats, along with great moves such as Acrobatics, Stone Edge, and Earthquake, make Archen look quite menacing. Sadly for Archen, however, the one thing holding it back is its terrible ability, Defeatist. When Archen's HP falls below 50%, its Attack and Special Attack stats are cut in half, effectively crippling it. The large number of priority users in Little Cup can prey on this easily, meaning Archen needs a good deal of team support to work. Its poor defensive typing also leaves it weak to Stealth Rock, meaning Rapid Spin support is an absolute must to use the bird. Nevertheless, Archen can be a potent force in Little Cup on the right team and shouldn't be underestimated.</p>

[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 4: Earthquake
item: Oran Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Archen gets a good move to boost its Speed in Agility, allowing it to reach 32 Speed along with 22 Attack after a single turn. That outspeeds all Choice Scarf users, meaning it Archen will outspeed the entire tier outside of Chlorophyll and Swift Swim users. Stone Edge is the move to use early on before Oran Berry activates, boosted by STAB and dealing heavy STAB damage. Once Oran Berry kicks in, usually bringing Archen back above Defeatist range, Acrobatics is the move of choice for both accuracy and power. Earthquake is a coverage move for powering through Pokemon who resist Acrobatics, such as Chinchou and Magnemite.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Rock Slide is a viable option over Stone Edge for the accuracy boost, as Archen absolutely hates missing, but the loss in power is quite a problem. If reliability is more desired, however, it can be used effectively. Hidden Power Ice can be used over Earthquake as well if one wants to act as a Gligar lure, but Earthquake's added coverage is usually preferred. However, if Archen is paired with a Pokemon who needs a way to get through Gligar, it can be a very useful option.</p>

<p>Since Archen is weak to Stealth Rock and is crippled when at lower HP, it desperately needs Rapid Spin support. Kabuto shares an Electric-type weakness with Archen, but can use Rapid Spin and set up Stealth Rock to help Archen sweep, making it a good teammate. Staryu also has an Electric-type weakness, but it has access to Rapid Spin and beats Gligar one-on-one.</p>

<p>Some other teammates can be used to help deal with the priority users that Archen hates. Wynaut can take the weaker priority moves and eliminate their users while having utility to use Encore on setup moves to give Archen a turn to set up. Gligar deals with Mach Punch users nicely, only fearing ones also running Ice Punch. Bulk Up Croagunk sets up on Mach Punch and Aqua Jet and can also weaken opposing teams for Archen to clean up later. It also has good synergy with Archen, resisting Rock-type attacks while Archen resists the has a Ground-type immunity and resists Flying-type moves aimed at Croagunk. Bulky Misdreavus can switch into Slowpoke, Bullet Punch Meditite, Gligar, and Ferroseed, and use Will-O-Wisp to burn things, letting Archen take weak hits much more easily. Finally, Magnemite can be used to help eliminate Bronzor and Ferroseed, making it much harder to wall Archen.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Stone Edge / Rock Slide
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Pluck
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Jolly
evs: 76 HP / 196 Atk / 196 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Because it reaches 25 Speed when using a Choice Scarf, Archen can make a good revenge killer to any slower set-up Pokemon without priority. Stone Edge and Earthquake combine for good coverage, allowing Archen to hit many Pokemon for good damage. U-turn is the typical Choice Scarf user's scouting move, being able to switch to a counter to the opponent's switch in for Archen. Pluck is much weaker, but has an interesting niche in Little Cup, as it eats the opponent's berries and uses them for itself. With the so many Pokemon using Oran Berries in the tier, it Archen can get some nice healing and stop opposing Pokemon from doing so.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Staryu again makes a good teammate, as it can deal with Gligar nicely and has Rapid Spin which is absolutely necessary to let Archen do its job. Kabuto and Tentacool can work as well for Rapid Spin support depending on the team's needs. Magnemite works as a teammate for this set as well for the same reasons as the previous set, as Bronzor and Ferroseed are as much of a problem here as always. Note that Shell Smash Clamperl and Choice Scarf Gligar and Gastly still outspeed Archen with a Choice Scarf, so having a Pokemon who can deal with those threats is helpful.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Head Smash is the alternative Rock-type STAB move that Archen gets. It has incredible power, but the recoil can cripple Archen easily and it can't afford to have low HP.</p>

<p>Archen also has a few other physical moves in its arsenal. Crunch can hit Ghost- and Psychic-types, and Dragon Claw can hit Dragon-types a bit harder, but these moves have limited utility outside of that. Even when super effective, they barely outdamage a neutral Stone Edge, and are therefore poor options. Hone Claws can boost Archen's Attack and accuracy, letting it fire off Stone Edge with confidence, but Archen doesn't have enough Speed or defenses to set that up safely. Quick Attack is a priority move Archen gets, but it usually would like added coverage more than a neutral priority move.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Bronzor is a great Archen counter, resisting every move it typically runs other than U-turn, which it can still shrug off. It can hit hard with a super effective Flash Cannon as well. Ferroseed is a similarly good counter despite having a few issues with a boosted Acrobatics, and has the option to either use Gyro Ball or just cripple Archen with Thunder Wave.</p>

<p>Other defensive Pokemon can take hits fairly well if they can heal off the damage. Gligar can take a few hits and has Roost to heal off the damage, but needs Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, or Stone Edge to do much back. Slowpoke and Wooper are also good options, since they can also heal and can use Scald to hit hard and possibly score a burn.</p>

<p>Less specific ways to handle Archen include getting Stealth Rock up, which can ruin Archen quite quickly, and using priority attacks such as Mach Punch and Aqua Jet. Meditite, Timburr, and Carvanha are just a few examples of Pokemon with access to these attacks. Hippopotas is just one of many examples of a Stealth Rock user.</p>

contrib_gp.png


GP 2 / 2
 
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