[OVERVIEW]
* Darkrai is a strong, special attacking threat that can abuse its large array of coverage options and Nasty Plot to bust its way through more defensive teams.
* Darkrai is also particularly fast, reaching 125 speed with Blastoisinite and 185 speed with Diancite. This therefore makes it tough to kill in a traditional way.
* Darkrai's modest bulk with Blastoisinite also allows for it to pivot into some weaker attacks, giving it plenty of setup opportunity.
* A weakness to Pixilate Extreme Speed severely limits Darkrai's capabilities as a strong wallbreaker, as any sort of Pokemon carrying it will easily be able to revenge kill Darkrai.
* Whilst it in general lacks counters, Magearna, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame can be a severe threat to Darkrai's effectiveness as a wallbreaker.
* It's rare Dark typing can prove to be a boon for teams with a Ghost weakness, and can help matchups against Lunala and Arceus-Ghost as a result.
[SET]
name: Blastosinite Nasty Plot
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Substitute / Taunt
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Blastoisinite
ability: Bad Dreams
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is a solid STAB move that is boosted by Mega Launcher, being able to 2HKO neutral defensive Arceus formes unboosted.
* Sludge Bomb makes for a great combo with Dark Pulse as it is able to super-effectively hit most of the common Fairy types in the metagame.
* Substitute is useful for making setup easier from the likes of Psywave Blissey and Toxapex.
* Taunt is an alternative to Substitute that can make Darkrai a stronger breaker, but makes Darkrai more reliant on prediction.
* Nasty Plot boosts Darkrai's Special Attack through the roof, such so that it can start to 2HKO walls like Sablenite Blissey after a single boost.
* Focus Blast is an alternative over Substitute or Taunt that hits targets like Magearna, Terrakion and Gyaradosite Toxapex harder.
Set Details
========
* A Timid nature and maximum Speed allows Darkrai to outspeed a sizable portion of the metagame, most notably Salamencite Landorus-Therian and maximum speed Arceus formes. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack to maximize damage output.
* 4 EVs are put into Defense gives Genesect a Special Attack boost.
* Blastoisinite gives Darkrai a +50 Special Attack boost whilst incrementing its modest defenses. Mega Launcher boosts Dark Pulse's power by 50%.
*Bad Dreams is Darkrai's only ability and is rarely useful due to the lack of sleep users in MnM.
Usage Tips
========
* Utilize pivoting moves from other teammates to lure in targets vulnerable to Dark Pulse so that Darkrai can have an easier time setting up.
* Whilst Darkrai does not have the best defenses, do not be afraid to use Pokemon such as Lunala to soft-check them as Darkrai often does not need its HP to break targets.
* Substitute should be used to help make setup easier as well as dodge potential Toxic or paralyzing status moves. Substitute will also prevent Darkrai from being revenge killed.
* Darkrai should Nasty Plot where there is a worn down wall or a passive check available for it to abuse.
* Force double switches with Darkrai, as the momentum gained from checks such as Magearna will help out Darkrai in the lategame.
* With Taunt, Darkrai is able to prevent hazards from the likes of Shuckle from going up.
Team Options
========
* Diancite Tapu Lele is one of Darkrai's best partners, being able to heavily damage Magearna, bait in other Steel-types and damage them with Nature's Madness, paving the way for Darkrai to sweep.
* Kartana pairs well with Darkrai as it capitalizes on a worn down Buzzwole as well as potentially luring one with its Pinsirite set. It is also capable of taking on Altarianite users such as Zygarde and Landorus-Therian.
* Ground-types such as Primal Groudon, Zygarde and Landorus-Therian are able to pivot on Darkrai's checks, such as Magearna and Ho-oh, and retaliate with super effective attacks, status, or Stealth Rock.
* Terrakion forms a great offensive core with Darkrai, as it is able to force in checks like Mew and Giratina for Darkrai to switch in and use them as setup fodder.
* Steels like Magearna and Necrozma-DM can take on the Fairy-types that Darkrai brings in and potentially use this opportunity to break the opponent's team.
* Pixilate Extreme Speed users like Entei and Zygarde pair well with Darkrai as they take on the Fighting-types that Darkrai brings in, such as Keldeo and Terrakion.
* Toxic Spikes from the likes of Gyaradosite Toxapex as well as Substitute can help Darkrai wear down its other miscellaneous checks.
* Sticky Web can also help Blastoisinite Darkrai deal with faster revenge killers and checks as well as help against other Sticky Web users with Taunt. It is also able to prevent or discourage Defog with the likes of Taunt or Substitute.
[SET]
name: Diancite Nasty Plot
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Sludge Bomb / Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Diancite
ability: Bad Dreams
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is a relatively strong STAB move that helps Darkrai fulfill its niche as a fast Dark type.
* Sludge Bomb targets Fairy-types such as Arceus-Fairy and Altarianite Entei.
* Ice Beam is an alternate option over Sludge Bomb which can take out more relevant targets, such as Altarianite Landorus-Therian, and revenge kill more targets, such as a +1 Lucarionite Zygarde.
* Thunder is a strong but inaccurate coverage move that hits Flying tanks like Ho-oh and Pinsirite Magearna.
* Nasty Plot allows Darkrai to utilize passive targets like Blissey as setup fodder.
* Focus Blast is another option over Thunder that surprises checks such as Terrakion and hurts Blissey and Magearna.
Set Details
========
* A Timid Nature with maximum investment in Speed allows Darkrai to be as fast as possible.
* The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack, allowing Darkrai to hit as hard as possible without sacrificing Speed.
* Diancite provides an incredible +60 Special Attack and Speed boost, at the sacrifice of defenses. It also grants Darkrai Magic Bounce, which allows it to avoid status from the majority of users.
* Bad Dreams is Darkrai's only ability, and is rarely useful.
* 4 Defense EVs are used to give Genesect a Special Attack boost.
Usage Tips
========
* This Darkrai should be used to force switches as a revenge killer due to its blazing fast Speed stat.
* If the opponent has a hard counter, such as Magearna, making a double to a check is advisable to prevent loss of momentum.
* Avoid switching in recklessly to attempt to bounce back Stealth Rock as Darkrai lacks the initial power to heavily damage the majority of Stealth Rock users.
* Use Nasty Plot only when the opportunity presents itself as Darkrai is easily revenge killed by opposing priority, such as Entei and Zygarde.
* Sludge Bomb can be used to force Poison status on certain targets. It can be particularly useful against Altarianite Landorus-Therian, as the extra Poison damage will often force it to click Explosion earlier.
* Preserve Mega Evolution if there is a target that cannot KO standard Darkrai, as the decrease in bulk will often leave Darkrai easy to pick off by miscellaneous priority, such as Aqua Jet from Golisopod.
* Magic Bounce can be used to completely pacify certain variants of Blissey and gives increased setup opportunities.
Team Options
========
* Pixilate Extreme Speed checks such as Altarianite Entei and Arceus-Ground pair well with Darkrai as they take on its biggest form of momentum loss.
* Fire-types such as Primal Groudon pair well with Darkrai as they are able to take on Darkrai's best checks, such as Magearna. They can also wear down opposing checks such as Altarianite Zygarde for Darkrai.
* Assisting wallbreakers like Terrakion can help break down Darkrai's checks, such as Altarianite Zygarde and Lunala.
* Pivots such as Magearna and Mew can help Darkrai break a team as they give it more setup opportunities through a slow Volt Switch or U-turn.
* Sticky Web countermeasures such as Noivern and Zeraora also pair well with Darkrai as they are able to take advantage of Sticky Web teams or pull off a fast Defog.
* Fighting-type checks such as Altarianite Landorus-Therian and Arceus-Fairy pair well with Darkrai as they are able to absorb the loss of momentum against Pokemon like Terrakion.
[SET]
name: Red Orb
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Incinerate
move 3: Ice Beam / Thunderbolt
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Diancite
ability: Bad Dreams
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is a relatively strong STAB move that takes care of threats such as Lunala that would otherwise freely check it.
* Incinerate allows Darkrai to bypass traditional Dark resists such as Buzzwole and Magearna.
* Ice Beam is Darkrai's primary coversge option, taking care of threats such as Altarianite Zygarde and Arceus-Ground.
* Thunderbolt is a secondary option that takes care of Ho-oh and severely damages Primal Kyogre in exchange for reduced effectiveness against more common targets.
* Nasty Plot allows Darkrai to utilize passive targets like Blissey as setup fodder, as well as boost through tanks such as Mandibuzz.
* Focus Blast allows for Darkrai to OHKO Terrakion on a switch and heavily damage Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar.
Set Details
========
* A Timid Nature with maximum investment in Speed allows Darkrai to be as fast as possible.
* The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack, allowing Darkrai to hit as hard as possible without sacrificing Speed.
* Red Orb gives Darkrai Desolate Land and a Fire typing, allowing for Darkrai to utilize Incinerate, an otherwise underpowered coverage move. The Fire typing grants Darkrai a neutrality to Pixilate Extreme Speed, making it tougher to kill. It also grants Darkrai a +50 boost in Special Attack as well as a handy +20 Defense.
* Bad Dreams is Darkrai's only ability, and is rarely useful.
* 4 Defense EVs are used to give Genesect a Special Attack boost.
Usage Tips
========
* This Darkrai should be played as a midgame breaker once the opposing team's Fire resists are worn down.
* Try to avoid switching Darkrai in early-game to attempt to lure out and damage checks such as Primal Groudon and Entei, as the potential assumptions of another set may grant Darkrai the capability to sweep.
* However, if the lure factor is not desired, then Darkrai can opt to utilize Desolate Land to force out common Blue Orb users.
Team Options
========
* Terrakion checks such as Altarianite Zygarde and Altarianite Landorus-Therian help immensely with this set as this Darkrai has no safe way to damage Terrakion.
* Fire-type checks, such as Primal Kyogre, Golisopod and Arceus-Ground can help out Darkrai as they force out important checks like Entei. Primal Kyogre also forms an offensive core with Red Orb Darkrai due to its capability to heavily punish Red Orb users such as Primal Groudon and Mew.
* Late-game wallbreakers such as Kartana help out Red Orb Darkrai immensely as they capitalize on the damage done to Fire-type checks, such as Entei.
* Pivots such as Magearna and Mew can help Darkrai break a team as they give it more setup opportunities through a slow Volt Switch or U-turn.
* Shuckle helps Darkrai out, particularly the Thunderbolt variant, by setting Sticky Web, allowing Darkrai to bypass Terrakion as a check, if boosted. Shuckle also sets Stealth Rock, which heavily damages other checks like Entei.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Cameruptite can be used over Blastoisinite to power up coverage but the loss in speed and power of Dark Pulse is usually not worth it.
* Absolite and Manectite are options over Diancite to sustain bulk however the loss in Speed and Special Attack leaves it generally outclassed.
* Other coverage moves such as Incinerate are usable but do not provide the same compression that other moves do.
* Hypnosis is an option over Substitute or Sludge Bomb on Blastoisinite Darkrai to attempt to incapacitate some of its checks, however it is extremely inconsistent and fails to beat Sablenite Magearna and Buzzwole.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Priority**: Pixilate ESpeed from the likes of Entei and Zygarde can prove very problematic for Darkrai as it can stop it from sweeping by threatening an OHKO. However, both take heavy damage from Sludge Bomb, and therefore have a hard time switching in.
**Magearna**: Fleur Cannon variants of Magearna are the hardest counters to Darkrai and require heavy chip to muscle through and exploitation of Pain Split. Cameruptite is also difficult to beat for both sets, and can use Diancite Darkrai as setup fodder.
**Fighting-types**: Sablenite Buzzwole, although niche, is able to take any boosted hit from Darkrai and OHKO with either of its STABs. Terrakion, Cobalion and Keldeo can also switch in on Darkrai, however, the former two are surprised by Focus Blast and Keldeo cannot switch into Thunder.
**Specific Specially-defensive Walls**: SpDef walls like Ho-oh can potentially take a hit from Blastoisinite Darkrai and deal heavy damage back. However, most of these are easy to chip into range of coverage moves.
**Specific Fairy-types**: Specific Fairy-types such as Altarianite Landorus-Therian can take two Sludge Bombs from both Darkrai variants and retaliate with their Fairy STAB. Tapu Lele can also revenge kill Blastoisinite variants, and Arceus-Fairy can take any one hit from an unboosted Darkrai.
* Darkrai is a strong, special attacking threat that can abuse its large array of coverage options and Nasty Plot to bust its way through more defensive teams.
* Darkrai is also particularly fast, reaching 125 speed with Blastoisinite and 185 speed with Diancite. This therefore makes it tough to kill in a traditional way.
* Darkrai's modest bulk with Blastoisinite also allows for it to pivot into some weaker attacks, giving it plenty of setup opportunity.
* A weakness to Pixilate Extreme Speed severely limits Darkrai's capabilities as a strong wallbreaker, as any sort of Pokemon carrying it will easily be able to revenge kill Darkrai.
* Whilst it in general lacks counters, Magearna, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame can be a severe threat to Darkrai's effectiveness as a wallbreaker.
* It's rare Dark typing can prove to be a boon for teams with a Ghost weakness, and can help matchups against Lunala and Arceus-Ghost as a result.
[SET]
name: Blastosinite Nasty Plot
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Substitute / Taunt
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Blastoisinite
ability: Bad Dreams
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is a solid STAB move that is boosted by Mega Launcher, being able to 2HKO neutral defensive Arceus formes unboosted.
* Sludge Bomb makes for a great combo with Dark Pulse as it is able to super-effectively hit most of the common Fairy types in the metagame.
* Substitute is useful for making setup easier from the likes of Psywave Blissey and Toxapex.
* Taunt is an alternative to Substitute that can make Darkrai a stronger breaker, but makes Darkrai more reliant on prediction.
* Nasty Plot boosts Darkrai's Special Attack through the roof, such so that it can start to 2HKO walls like Sablenite Blissey after a single boost.
* Focus Blast is an alternative over Substitute or Taunt that hits targets like Magearna, Terrakion and Gyaradosite Toxapex harder.
Set Details
========
* A Timid nature and maximum Speed allows Darkrai to outspeed a sizable portion of the metagame, most notably Salamencite Landorus-Therian and maximum speed Arceus formes. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Attack to maximize damage output.
* 4 EVs are put into Defense gives Genesect a Special Attack boost.
* Blastoisinite gives Darkrai a +50 Special Attack boost whilst incrementing its modest defenses. Mega Launcher boosts Dark Pulse's power by 50%.
*Bad Dreams is Darkrai's only ability and is rarely useful due to the lack of sleep users in MnM.
Usage Tips
========
* Utilize pivoting moves from other teammates to lure in targets vulnerable to Dark Pulse so that Darkrai can have an easier time setting up.
* Whilst Darkrai does not have the best defenses, do not be afraid to use Pokemon such as Lunala to soft-check them as Darkrai often does not need its HP to break targets.
* Substitute should be used to help make setup easier as well as dodge potential Toxic or paralyzing status moves. Substitute will also prevent Darkrai from being revenge killed.
* Darkrai should Nasty Plot where there is a worn down wall or a passive check available for it to abuse.
* Force double switches with Darkrai, as the momentum gained from checks such as Magearna will help out Darkrai in the lategame.
* With Taunt, Darkrai is able to prevent hazards from the likes of Shuckle from going up.
Team Options
========
* Diancite Tapu Lele is one of Darkrai's best partners, being able to heavily damage Magearna, bait in other Steel-types and damage them with Nature's Madness, paving the way for Darkrai to sweep.
* Kartana pairs well with Darkrai as it capitalizes on a worn down Buzzwole as well as potentially luring one with its Pinsirite set. It is also capable of taking on Altarianite users such as Zygarde and Landorus-Therian.
* Ground-types such as Primal Groudon, Zygarde and Landorus-Therian are able to pivot on Darkrai's checks, such as Magearna and Ho-oh, and retaliate with super effective attacks, status, or Stealth Rock.
* Terrakion forms a great offensive core with Darkrai, as it is able to force in checks like Mew and Giratina for Darkrai to switch in and use them as setup fodder.
* Steels like Magearna and Necrozma-DM can take on the Fairy-types that Darkrai brings in and potentially use this opportunity to break the opponent's team.
* Pixilate Extreme Speed users like Entei and Zygarde pair well with Darkrai as they take on the Fighting-types that Darkrai brings in, such as Keldeo and Terrakion.
* Toxic Spikes from the likes of Gyaradosite Toxapex as well as Substitute can help Darkrai wear down its other miscellaneous checks.
* Sticky Web can also help Blastoisinite Darkrai deal with faster revenge killers and checks as well as help against other Sticky Web users with Taunt. It is also able to prevent or discourage Defog with the likes of Taunt or Substitute.
[SET]
name: Diancite Nasty Plot
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Sludge Bomb / Ice Beam
move 3: Thunder
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Diancite
ability: Bad Dreams
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is a relatively strong STAB move that helps Darkrai fulfill its niche as a fast Dark type.
* Sludge Bomb targets Fairy-types such as Arceus-Fairy and Altarianite Entei.
* Ice Beam is an alternate option over Sludge Bomb which can take out more relevant targets, such as Altarianite Landorus-Therian, and revenge kill more targets, such as a +1 Lucarionite Zygarde.
* Thunder is a strong but inaccurate coverage move that hits Flying tanks like Ho-oh and Pinsirite Magearna.
* Nasty Plot allows Darkrai to utilize passive targets like Blissey as setup fodder.
* Focus Blast is another option over Thunder that surprises checks such as Terrakion and hurts Blissey and Magearna.
Set Details
========
* A Timid Nature with maximum investment in Speed allows Darkrai to be as fast as possible.
* The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack, allowing Darkrai to hit as hard as possible without sacrificing Speed.
* Diancite provides an incredible +60 Special Attack and Speed boost, at the sacrifice of defenses. It also grants Darkrai Magic Bounce, which allows it to avoid status from the majority of users.
* Bad Dreams is Darkrai's only ability, and is rarely useful.
* 4 Defense EVs are used to give Genesect a Special Attack boost.
Usage Tips
========
* This Darkrai should be used to force switches as a revenge killer due to its blazing fast Speed stat.
* If the opponent has a hard counter, such as Magearna, making a double to a check is advisable to prevent loss of momentum.
* Avoid switching in recklessly to attempt to bounce back Stealth Rock as Darkrai lacks the initial power to heavily damage the majority of Stealth Rock users.
* Use Nasty Plot only when the opportunity presents itself as Darkrai is easily revenge killed by opposing priority, such as Entei and Zygarde.
* Sludge Bomb can be used to force Poison status on certain targets. It can be particularly useful against Altarianite Landorus-Therian, as the extra Poison damage will often force it to click Explosion earlier.
* Preserve Mega Evolution if there is a target that cannot KO standard Darkrai, as the decrease in bulk will often leave Darkrai easy to pick off by miscellaneous priority, such as Aqua Jet from Golisopod.
* Magic Bounce can be used to completely pacify certain variants of Blissey and gives increased setup opportunities.
Team Options
========
* Pixilate Extreme Speed checks such as Altarianite Entei and Arceus-Ground pair well with Darkrai as they take on its biggest form of momentum loss.
* Fire-types such as Primal Groudon pair well with Darkrai as they are able to take on Darkrai's best checks, such as Magearna. They can also wear down opposing checks such as Altarianite Zygarde for Darkrai.
* Assisting wallbreakers like Terrakion can help break down Darkrai's checks, such as Altarianite Zygarde and Lunala.
* Pivots such as Magearna and Mew can help Darkrai break a team as they give it more setup opportunities through a slow Volt Switch or U-turn.
* Sticky Web countermeasures such as Noivern and Zeraora also pair well with Darkrai as they are able to take advantage of Sticky Web teams or pull off a fast Defog.
* Fighting-type checks such as Altarianite Landorus-Therian and Arceus-Fairy pair well with Darkrai as they are able to absorb the loss of momentum against Pokemon like Terrakion.
[SET]
name: Red Orb
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Incinerate
move 3: Ice Beam / Thunderbolt
move 4: Nasty Plot
item: Diancite
ability: Bad Dreams
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Dark Pulse is a relatively strong STAB move that takes care of threats such as Lunala that would otherwise freely check it.
* Incinerate allows Darkrai to bypass traditional Dark resists such as Buzzwole and Magearna.
* Ice Beam is Darkrai's primary coversge option, taking care of threats such as Altarianite Zygarde and Arceus-Ground.
* Thunderbolt is a secondary option that takes care of Ho-oh and severely damages Primal Kyogre in exchange for reduced effectiveness against more common targets.
* Nasty Plot allows Darkrai to utilize passive targets like Blissey as setup fodder, as well as boost through tanks such as Mandibuzz.
* Focus Blast allows for Darkrai to OHKO Terrakion on a switch and heavily damage Rock-types such as Arceus-Rock and Tyranitar.
Set Details
========
* A Timid Nature with maximum investment in Speed allows Darkrai to be as fast as possible.
* The rest of the EVs go into Special Attack, allowing Darkrai to hit as hard as possible without sacrificing Speed.
* Red Orb gives Darkrai Desolate Land and a Fire typing, allowing for Darkrai to utilize Incinerate, an otherwise underpowered coverage move. The Fire typing grants Darkrai a neutrality to Pixilate Extreme Speed, making it tougher to kill. It also grants Darkrai a +50 boost in Special Attack as well as a handy +20 Defense.
* Bad Dreams is Darkrai's only ability, and is rarely useful.
* 4 Defense EVs are used to give Genesect a Special Attack boost.
Usage Tips
========
* This Darkrai should be played as a midgame breaker once the opposing team's Fire resists are worn down.
* Try to avoid switching Darkrai in early-game to attempt to lure out and damage checks such as Primal Groudon and Entei, as the potential assumptions of another set may grant Darkrai the capability to sweep.
* However, if the lure factor is not desired, then Darkrai can opt to utilize Desolate Land to force out common Blue Orb users.
Team Options
========
* Terrakion checks such as Altarianite Zygarde and Altarianite Landorus-Therian help immensely with this set as this Darkrai has no safe way to damage Terrakion.
* Fire-type checks, such as Primal Kyogre, Golisopod and Arceus-Ground can help out Darkrai as they force out important checks like Entei. Primal Kyogre also forms an offensive core with Red Orb Darkrai due to its capability to heavily punish Red Orb users such as Primal Groudon and Mew.
* Late-game wallbreakers such as Kartana help out Red Orb Darkrai immensely as they capitalize on the damage done to Fire-type checks, such as Entei.
* Pivots such as Magearna and Mew can help Darkrai break a team as they give it more setup opportunities through a slow Volt Switch or U-turn.
* Shuckle helps Darkrai out, particularly the Thunderbolt variant, by setting Sticky Web, allowing Darkrai to bypass Terrakion as a check, if boosted. Shuckle also sets Stealth Rock, which heavily damages other checks like Entei.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Cameruptite can be used over Blastoisinite to power up coverage but the loss in speed and power of Dark Pulse is usually not worth it.
* Absolite and Manectite are options over Diancite to sustain bulk however the loss in Speed and Special Attack leaves it generally outclassed.
* Other coverage moves such as Incinerate are usable but do not provide the same compression that other moves do.
* Hypnosis is an option over Substitute or Sludge Bomb on Blastoisinite Darkrai to attempt to incapacitate some of its checks, however it is extremely inconsistent and fails to beat Sablenite Magearna and Buzzwole.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Priority**: Pixilate ESpeed from the likes of Entei and Zygarde can prove very problematic for Darkrai as it can stop it from sweeping by threatening an OHKO. However, both take heavy damage from Sludge Bomb, and therefore have a hard time switching in.
**Magearna**: Fleur Cannon variants of Magearna are the hardest counters to Darkrai and require heavy chip to muscle through and exploitation of Pain Split. Cameruptite is also difficult to beat for both sets, and can use Diancite Darkrai as setup fodder.
**Fighting-types**: Sablenite Buzzwole, although niche, is able to take any boosted hit from Darkrai and OHKO with either of its STABs. Terrakion, Cobalion and Keldeo can also switch in on Darkrai, however, the former two are surprised by Focus Blast and Keldeo cannot switch into Thunder.
**Specific Specially-defensive Walls**: SpDef walls like Ho-oh can potentially take a hit from Blastoisinite Darkrai and deal heavy damage back. However, most of these are easy to chip into range of coverage moves.
**Specific Fairy-types**: Specific Fairy-types such as Altarianite Landorus-Therian can take two Sludge Bombs from both Darkrai variants and retaliate with their Fairy STAB. Tapu Lele can also revenge kill Blastoisinite variants, and Arceus-Fairy can take any one hit from an unboosted Darkrai.
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