[OVERVIEW]
Deoxys-A is the paragon of pure offense: it boasts attacking stats that make the metagame's best Pokemon look like second-rate threats while having defensive stats that mean almost every attack will KO it. This allows it to function as either a dangerous hazard-setting lead or a mid-game wallbreaker. Deoxys-A's expansive movepool makes it a great choice for offensive teams regardless of whether it acts as a lead, and while it can't take any hits itself, most Pokemon have trouble taking its attacks as well. Lead sets prefer to run Spikes as their hazard of choice since there are far more common Stealth Rock users that can fit alongside Deoxys-A. Its attacks are very customizable and can be adapted to fit whichever Pokemon Deoxys-A wants to beat: it can run Thunder for Kyogre, Signal Beam for Darkrai and Deoxys-S, Superpower for Tyranitar, Hidden Power Fire for Forretress, or even Psycho Boost for overall incredible amounts of damage. It has Extreme Speed for Choice Scarf users or to pick off Deoxys-S from low HP and can use Ice Beam for the many Dragon-types in the tier, although the latter is generally reserved for non-lead sets. Deoxys-A's dearth of bulk means it can only fit on offensive teams with the intent to outpace and outdamage the opponent, and almost exclusively has to be brought out via a slow U-turn, Healing Wish, or sacrificing a teammate.
[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Spikes / Signal Beam / Shadow Ball
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Thunder / Psycho Boost
move 4: Signal Beam / Superpower / Hidden Power Fire
item: Focus Sash
ability: Pressure
nature: Rash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Spikes allow Deoxys-A to support its teammates by passively wearing away at opposing Pokemon, and its Focus Sash ensures it can get one layer of Spikes then attack against most leads. Signal Beam is important for hitting both Deoxys-S and Darkrai, while Shadow Ball is a bit stronger and 2HKOs Giratina-O in exchange for not being able to hit Darkrai nearly as well. Both do comparable amounts of damage to Deoxys-S, and either can be used with Spikes to get more utility out of Deoxys-A or instead of Spikes to let it function as an all-out attacker. Extreme Speed is incredibly important for being limiting Deoxys-S to one layer of hazards if running Signal Beam or Shadow Ball, and can break Focus Sash on lead Rayquaza after setting Spikes.
Thunder is useful for taking on Kyogre and Ho-Oh, able to 2HKO both of them or simply rack up some damage after setting Spikes. Psycho Boost sacrifices a bit of power against Kyogre in exchange for better accuracy and more widespread application, such as being able to combine with Extreme Speed to KO lead Rayquaza and more reliably hit Ho-Oh. Superpower helps out against Tyranitar when Deoxys-A isn't running Spikes, as Focus Sash Tyranitar will limit Deoxys-A to either attacking it once or getting one layer of Spikes. Hidden Power Fire provides useful coverage for Forretress and can OHKO it, preventing bulkier teams from setting too many hazards early-game.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack is ideal since most of this set's attacks are special, and Extreme Speed and Superpower don't need the boost in power for what they're meant to do. Since Deoxys-A doesn't have any defensive utility to begin with, a Rash nature is best to use all of its power without giving up any Attack needlessly. Focus Sash ensures Deoxys-A can both set hazards and attack versus most other leads.
Usage Tips
========
The plan against most leads is simple: set a layer of Spikes then attack. This sequence works against many of the most common leads, and the few Rapid Spin leads in Forretress and Tentacruel are 2HKOd by Thunder anyway. Against Deoxys-S, it's better to attack first to check for a potential Taunt, especially when running Signal Beam. If Taunt isn't used on the first turn, setting Spikes turn 2 then using Extreme Speed is ideal for that interaction. Tyranitar's primary mechanism as an anti-lead is using sand damage to finish off Deoxys-A after bringing it to 1 HP, so the best move is to use Spikes turn 1 rather than attacking with Superpower and possibly activating Tyranitar's own Focus Sash. Psycho Boost sets are better off KOing Rayquaza then trying to set Spikes; all other sets should set Spikes turn 1 since no other combination of moves will consistently 2HKO Rayquaza.
Team Options
========
As an anti-lead, Deoxys-A functions independently of its teammates, so it's a great fit for any offense team wanting an anti-lead for Deoxys-S or a Spikes lead, with the former being the main draw compared to Deoxys-S. Teammates that fear being worn down quickly by entry hazards, such as Darkrai, Palkia, and Kyogre, appreciate Deoxys-A limiting what Deoxys-S and Forretress are able to accomplish early-game. Additionally, Deoxys-A should be paired with a Pokemon that can reliably set Stealth Rock, as Spikes are the only hazard that should be run on Deoxys-A and Stealth Rock is very important to have on every team.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Thunder
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Extreme Speed / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
ability: Pressure
nature: Rash
evs: 20 Atk / 252 SpA / 236 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thunder and Ice Beam provide Deoxys-A with excellent coverage, able to hit everything except the rare Magnezone at least neutrally. Thunder hits important bulky targets like Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and Lugia super effectively, and hits several of the Ice-resistant Steel-types quite well. Ice Beam helps out against the many great Dragon-types in the tier, such as Giratina, Latios, Latias, Rayquaza, and Garchomp, while also giving Deoxys-A a far better way to hit Groudon. Superpower patches up the few remaining holes by hitting Dialga, Darkrai, Blissey, and Heatran super effectively, ensuring Deoxys-A is nearly impossible to safely switch into. Extreme Speed is able to pick off any Pokemon with boosted Speed at low health, and can put out good damage in its own right versus frailer targets like Darkrai or Latios. This also helps mitigate the impact of the otherwise ruinous paralysis for Deoxys-A. Hidden Power Fire is an alternative to Extreme Speed for extra insurance against Steel-types like Forretress, Bronzong, and Jirachi, able to OHKO or 2HKO them outside of rain.
Set Details
========
Life Orb is the best choice for Deoxys-A's item since the boost in power allows it to score massive damage on top Pokemon like Kyogre, Dialga, and Mewtwo, able to always 2HKO them from full health. Not being confined by a Choice item to the first move selected helps it not need to switch out of battle constantly, especially when it can't switch into any attacks to begin with. 236 Speed EVs let Deoxys-A outrun Mewtwo, however this should be bumped up to 240 EVs if running Hidden Power Fire due to the drop in Speed IVs. Maximum Special Attack with a Rash nature is ideal since the Pokemon that fear Superpower, like Dialga and Blissey, already take massive damage anyway, and the Special Attack investment is necessary for targets such as Kyogre and Groudon.
Usage Tips
========
Deoxys-A will almost always enter the field after another Pokemon is sacrificed, with the only exceptions being against particularly passive Pokemon like Blissey or simply switching aggressively into moves like Stealth Rock. Make sure hazards have been set and mid-game priority attack users have been dealt with or put into range of Extreme Speed, as those conditions greatly increase the amount of damage Deoxys-A can do to a team. Once Deoxys-A comes in, doing damage as efficiently as possible is key, since every time Deoxys-A is switched out, it'll either have to come in after another teammate goes down or be sacrificed for tempo itself. Ideally, it should be used as a mid-game wallbreaker to remove the opponent's defensive Pokemon for the benefit of its teammates in the back.
Team Options
========
Deoxys-A belongs on fast-paced offense teams, working well with teammates who can either set up and sweep through teams or facilitate those sweeps. Darkrai is an excellent partner as its Dark Void can deal with the few Pokemon capable of beating Deoxys-A, and it can either heavily damage or remove Pokemon like Giratina-O, Groudon, Latios, and Latias. In return, Deoxys-A helps take care of specially defensive threats to Darkrai like Dialga, Kyogre, and Blissey. Rayquaza appreciates Deoxys-A wearing down physically defensive Pokemon like Groudon or Bronzong for it to sweep late-game with Swords Dance or Dragon Dance sets, and returns the favor by using Air Lock handle the Swift Swim sweepers that would otherwise check Deoxys-A. Tyranitar is often the best Stealth Rock lead to use, since with a Focus Sash it reliably sets hazards against most other leads or can KO them in return if they have Taunt.
A good Steel-type like Bronzong is important to switch into and wear away at Dialga, which Deoxys-A cannot OHKO at full health. Dialga itself, as well as one of the Lati twins, pairs well with Deoxys-A too as they can either heavily damage or remove Kyogre, since that is another very important target that Deoxys-A needs just a bit of chip damage to OHKO. Wobbuffet can enable Deoxys-A's true offensive potential by either removing Choice Scarf users or using Encore to lock certain Pokemon into using non-damaging moves, giving Deoxys-A the perfect opportunity to enter and start spreading damage quickly.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Due to Deoxys-A having all of the coverage moves it needs and not having the bulk to make use of any support moves like Taunt or Thunder Wave, there are very few viable options not listed above. If using a lead set with Hidden Power Fire, a Naive nature can be used to mitigate the drop in Speed IVs and outspeed other lead Deoxys-A, however due to Deoxys-A being somewhat uncommon as a lead, this is inconsistent at best. Fire Punch is a far better option for being able to hit Forretress hard without sacrificing any Speed, however this does not OHKO Forretress unlike Hidden Power Fire. Rock Slide can be used to reliably OHKO Ho-Oh, however it's very hard to justify using Rock Slide over the other preferred coverage moves, especially on Spikes sets, since it only has the upside of hitting one Pokemon well. Mirror Coat allows Deoxys-A to OHKO lead Kyogre after taking a hit, which is useful since the combination of Thunder and Extreme Speed don't KO Kyogre without help from Life Orb. However, much like Rock Slide, this is very risky as its only use case is against one Pokemon.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Priority Attacks**: For as fast as Deoxys-A is, priority attacks such as Giratina-O's Shadow Sneak, Rayquaza's Extreme Speed, Scizor's Bullet Punch, and Kabutops's Aqua Jet all prey on its practically absent defensive profile, especially when using a non-lead set.
**Status**: While Deoxys-A doesn't typically care about the residual damage from poison, it hates being asleep since it seldom finds opportunities to leave itself vulnerable while attempting to wake up, having Superpower and Extreme Speed weakened due to burn, and its incredible Speed being hindered by paralysis.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Pretty much every Choice Scarf user in the metagame can bypass Deoxys-A's Speed and are able to easily switch into at least one of its attacks. They can force Deoxys-A to either switch, which it already doesn't like doing, or stay in and get KOed.
**Swift Swim Sweepers**: Much like the Choice Scarf users, Kabutops, Kingdra, and Qwilfish are able to easily outrun Deoxys-A in rain, threatening to revenge kill it mid- to late-game. Groudon and Rayquaza are great teammates for fixing this issue.
**Bronzong and Jirachi**: Their robust typing allows them to be some of the only Pokemon in the metagame capable of taking all of Deoxys-A's common moves at least neutrally. Their great defensive profile allows them to counter Deoxys-A from high enough HP, and they have the potential stop it in its tracks.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/donbonejones.666776/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user6.105/
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