[OVERVIEW]
Arceus-Steel serves as a powerful hybrid Pokemon, capable of checking threats like Flutter Mane and Mega Gardevoir while sporting good offensive presence. A particularly distinguishing trait of Arceus-Steel is its ease of self-Imposter proofing as a setup Pokemon while still possessing good coverage and not being dependent on Strength Sap. Its Steel-type STAB moves are also valuable for being super effective on Mega Audino, the most common Ice Scales user, as well as utility Flutter Mane, which annoys most special Arceus formes. Additionally, Arceus-Steel has numerous viable variations in its ability and Plate, which allow it to circumvent specific checks or offer additional defensive utility. Arceus-Steel's typing does leave it susceptible to the most common wallbreakers in Mega Garchomp and Mega Blaziken, as well as Fire-type coverage from the likes of Eternatus and Mega Sceptile should it not have Well-Baked Body. This, combined with it also taking up the Arceus forme slot, means its teammates will be tasked with handling many dominant wallbreakers. It is also weak to Fighting-type moves from popular Pokemon like Zamazenta, and Steel is only a mediocre offensive type, being resisted by Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Miraidon, and opposing Steel-types.
[SET]
Nasty Plot (Arceus-Steel) @ Fist Plate / Earth Plate
Ability: Good as Gold / Well-Baked Body / Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Tachyon Cutter / Revelation Dance
- Judgment
- Shore Up
[SET COMMENTS]
With a natural immunity to Mortal Spin, as well as self-Imposter-proofing potential by resisting Imposter users' Judgment, Arceus-Steel is free to use Nasty Plot, considerably improving its offensive capabilities and turning it into a potent bulky setup attacker. This also means it can run Shore Up over Strength Sap while still beating Imposter users, allowing it to avoid having its healing denied from low-Attack Pokemon like Chansey and Magic Bounce users. Tachyon Cutter is the STAB move of choice, with its multiple hits also being useful in setup wars for higher critical hit chances, but Revelation Dance should be used on non-Good as Gold sets that need to hit Normalize users. Judgment allows Arceus-Steel to Imposter-proof itself while running a Plate of a type that is super effective against transformed Imposter users. Fist Plate is generally the go-to option, providing coverage on Steel-types, as well as neutral coverage on Pokemon such as Celesteela, while hitting Ting-Lu and Chansey. Alternatively, Earth Plate is an option on non-Levitate sets, still hitting Steel-types like Registeel and opposing Arceus-Steel but also hitting Mega Blaziken, Miraidon, and Eternatus super effectively, notably preventing the former from coming in to force Arceus-Steel out. Good as Gold blocks a myriad of status moves that could otherwise neuter Arceus-Steel, including Topsy-Turvy, Encore, and Parting Shot. It also denies Flutter Mane's healing from Pain Split, Entrainment from Normalize users, and Strength Sap users in a pinch. Alternatively, Well-Baked Body lets Arceus-Steel answer Torch Song Dragon-types and flip the matchup completely on some Ho-Oh sets. Levitate is another option, particularly for entry hazard stack teams, as it provides an immunity to Spikes while letting Arceus-Steel switch into Mega Garchomp's STAB moves.
Arceus-Steel can fit on most playstyles due to its flexibility. Offensive and balance teams appreciate its role compression in defensive utility and offensive presence, while Levitate variants fit well on entry hazard stack structures. Knock Off support from the likes of Ting-Lu, Zamazenta, and Mega Gardevoir is highly appreciated, as they can remove key items such as Celesteela's Assault Vest and Ho-Oh's Heavy-Duty Boots, preventing them from checking Arceus-Steel effectively. Residual damage sources from Spikes and Stone Axe are also helpful to chip checks into KO range, particularly offensive checks like Mega Garchomp and Mega Blaziken. Flutter Mane is notable as a Spikes setter, since it can be Imposter-proofed by Arceus-Steel and also act as a switch-in to Zamazenta depending on the ability. Other checks to Zamazenta include utility Eternatus and Fur Coat Celesteela, with the former also providing a Fire resistance and the latter a Ground immunity. Arceus-Steel can Imposter-proof certain special wallbreakers, such as Knock Off Mega Gardevoir and, if it is running Well-Baked Body, Mega Sceptile and Eternatus; in return, they help apply pressure on shared special walls like Chansey, Ho-Oh, and RegenVest Pokemon. Arceus-Steel is generally self-Imposter-proof, but teammates like Chansey can easily serve as secondary Imposter-proof answers should it end up too low on health.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Arceus-Steel can run a variety of utility abilities to deny counterplay options or provide additional defensive capabilities. Magic Bounce is a close alternative to Good as Gold, being able to block most debilitating status moves; it notably is useful against Spikes and Strength Sap, but in return, it cannot block Pain Split and leaves Arceus-Steel susceptible to being forced out by Parting Shot. Shield Dust blocks Nuzzle and notably Salt Cure; Magic Guard also stops Salt Cure, as well as Spikes damage; Motor Drive offers an immunity to Nuzzle, Thunder Cage, and Volt Switch; and Purifying Salt grants a status immunity and allows Arceus-Steel to check offensive Flutter Mane sets. Steely Spirit is an option to greatly increase Arceus-Steel's damage output, allowing it to almost OHKO Zamazenta at +2 with Tachyon Cutter. Arceus-Steel can run an Ice Scales set with moves like Topsy-Turvy to serve as a sturdier check against threats like Mega Gardevoir and Eternatus, but this set faces competition from Well-Baked Body variants and is not self-Imposter-proof.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Salt Cure**: Unless Arceus-Steel has Shield Dust or Magic Guard, it is highly susceptible to Salt Cure from Pokemon such as RegenVest Celesteela and Primal Kyogre, effectively forcing it out.
**Fire-type Pokemon and coverage**: Ho-Oh and Mega Blaziken threaten Arceus-Steel with V-create; the former resists every common move Arceus-Steel runs and can even wall Well-Baked Body variants if it carries Topsy-Turvy, while the latter forces out even Well-Baked Body variants, though it needs to be cautious of Earth Plate variants. Pokemon that Arceus-Steel normally checks, such as Mega Gardevoir and Eternatus, can also hit it hard with Fire-type coverage like Armor Cannon and Torch Song.
**Fighting-type Pokemon**: Zamazenta and Koraidon outspeed Arceus-Steel, have enough bulk to survive +2 Tachyon Cutter, and threaten it with super effective STAB moves.
**Paralysis**: Arceus-Steel loses a lot of its offensive potential if it gets paralyzed. It also fails to reliably check Pokemon such as Mega Gardevoir once paralyzed.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Electric-type Pokemon resist Steel and are not weak to Fighting. Miraidon outspeeds Arceus-Steel and can threaten it with Encore or Torch Song, though it needs to be wary of Earth Plate Judgment, while Arceus-Electric is almost always has Ice Scales and wins the matchup with Take Heart and Thunder Cage.
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Mega Garchomp survives +2 Tachyon Cutter and OHKOes Arceus-Steel with its Ground-type move or V-create. Mega Swampert and the rare Ice Scales Arceus-Ground can take hits comfortably and retaliate hard against non-Levitate variants.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chessking345.355040/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rightclicker.589755/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sammyce123.563422/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Arceus-Steel serves as a powerful hybrid Pokemon, capable of checking threats like Flutter Mane and Mega Gardevoir while sporting good offensive presence. A particularly distinguishing trait of Arceus-Steel is its ease of self-Imposter proofing as a setup Pokemon while still possessing good coverage and not being dependent on Strength Sap. Its Steel-type STAB moves are also valuable for being super effective on Mega Audino, the most common Ice Scales user, as well as utility Flutter Mane, which annoys most special Arceus formes. Additionally, Arceus-Steel has numerous viable variations in its ability and Plate, which allow it to circumvent specific checks or offer additional defensive utility. Arceus-Steel's typing does leave it susceptible to the most common wallbreakers in Mega Garchomp and Mega Blaziken, as well as Fire-type coverage from the likes of Eternatus and Mega Sceptile should it not have Well-Baked Body. This, combined with it also taking up the Arceus forme slot, means its teammates will be tasked with handling many dominant wallbreakers. It is also weak to Fighting-type moves from popular Pokemon like Zamazenta, and Steel is only a mediocre offensive type, being resisted by Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Miraidon, and opposing Steel-types.
[SET]
Nasty Plot (Arceus-Steel) @ Fist Plate / Earth Plate
Ability: Good as Gold / Well-Baked Body / Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Tachyon Cutter / Revelation Dance
- Judgment
- Shore Up
[SET COMMENTS]
With a natural immunity to Mortal Spin, as well as self-Imposter-proofing potential by resisting Imposter users' Judgment, Arceus-Steel is free to use Nasty Plot, considerably improving its offensive capabilities and turning it into a potent bulky setup attacker. This also means it can run Shore Up over Strength Sap while still beating Imposter users, allowing it to avoid having its healing denied from low-Attack Pokemon like Chansey and Magic Bounce users. Tachyon Cutter is the STAB move of choice, with its multiple hits also being useful in setup wars for higher critical hit chances, but Revelation Dance should be used on non-Good as Gold sets that need to hit Normalize users. Judgment allows Arceus-Steel to Imposter-proof itself while running a Plate of a type that is super effective against transformed Imposter users. Fist Plate is generally the go-to option, providing coverage on Steel-types, as well as neutral coverage on Pokemon such as Celesteela, while hitting Ting-Lu and Chansey. Alternatively, Earth Plate is an option on non-Levitate sets, still hitting Steel-types like Registeel and opposing Arceus-Steel but also hitting Mega Blaziken, Miraidon, and Eternatus super effectively, notably preventing the former from coming in to force Arceus-Steel out. Good as Gold blocks a myriad of status moves that could otherwise neuter Arceus-Steel, including Topsy-Turvy, Encore, and Parting Shot. It also denies Flutter Mane's healing from Pain Split, Entrainment from Normalize users, and Strength Sap users in a pinch. Alternatively, Well-Baked Body lets Arceus-Steel answer Torch Song Dragon-types and flip the matchup completely on some Ho-Oh sets. Levitate is another option, particularly for entry hazard stack teams, as it provides an immunity to Spikes while letting Arceus-Steel switch into Mega Garchomp's STAB moves.
Arceus-Steel can fit on most playstyles due to its flexibility. Offensive and balance teams appreciate its role compression in defensive utility and offensive presence, while Levitate variants fit well on entry hazard stack structures. Knock Off support from the likes of Ting-Lu, Zamazenta, and Mega Gardevoir is highly appreciated, as they can remove key items such as Celesteela's Assault Vest and Ho-Oh's Heavy-Duty Boots, preventing them from checking Arceus-Steel effectively. Residual damage sources from Spikes and Stone Axe are also helpful to chip checks into KO range, particularly offensive checks like Mega Garchomp and Mega Blaziken. Flutter Mane is notable as a Spikes setter, since it can be Imposter-proofed by Arceus-Steel and also act as a switch-in to Zamazenta depending on the ability. Other checks to Zamazenta include utility Eternatus and Fur Coat Celesteela, with the former also providing a Fire resistance and the latter a Ground immunity. Arceus-Steel can Imposter-proof certain special wallbreakers, such as Knock Off Mega Gardevoir and, if it is running Well-Baked Body, Mega Sceptile and Eternatus; in return, they help apply pressure on shared special walls like Chansey, Ho-Oh, and RegenVest Pokemon. Arceus-Steel is generally self-Imposter-proof, but teammates like Chansey can easily serve as secondary Imposter-proof answers should it end up too low on health.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Arceus-Steel can run a variety of utility abilities to deny counterplay options or provide additional defensive capabilities. Magic Bounce is a close alternative to Good as Gold, being able to block most debilitating status moves; it notably is useful against Spikes and Strength Sap, but in return, it cannot block Pain Split and leaves Arceus-Steel susceptible to being forced out by Parting Shot. Shield Dust blocks Nuzzle and notably Salt Cure; Magic Guard also stops Salt Cure, as well as Spikes damage; Motor Drive offers an immunity to Nuzzle, Thunder Cage, and Volt Switch; and Purifying Salt grants a status immunity and allows Arceus-Steel to check offensive Flutter Mane sets. Steely Spirit is an option to greatly increase Arceus-Steel's damage output, allowing it to almost OHKO Zamazenta at +2 with Tachyon Cutter. Arceus-Steel can run an Ice Scales set with moves like Topsy-Turvy to serve as a sturdier check against threats like Mega Gardevoir and Eternatus, but this set faces competition from Well-Baked Body variants and is not self-Imposter-proof.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Salt Cure**: Unless Arceus-Steel has Shield Dust or Magic Guard, it is highly susceptible to Salt Cure from Pokemon such as RegenVest Celesteela and Primal Kyogre, effectively forcing it out.
**Fire-type Pokemon and coverage**: Ho-Oh and Mega Blaziken threaten Arceus-Steel with V-create; the former resists every common move Arceus-Steel runs and can even wall Well-Baked Body variants if it carries Topsy-Turvy, while the latter forces out even Well-Baked Body variants, though it needs to be cautious of Earth Plate variants. Pokemon that Arceus-Steel normally checks, such as Mega Gardevoir and Eternatus, can also hit it hard with Fire-type coverage like Armor Cannon and Torch Song.
**Fighting-type Pokemon**: Zamazenta and Koraidon outspeed Arceus-Steel, have enough bulk to survive +2 Tachyon Cutter, and threaten it with super effective STAB moves.
**Paralysis**: Arceus-Steel loses a lot of its offensive potential if it gets paralyzed. It also fails to reliably check Pokemon such as Mega Gardevoir once paralyzed.
**Electric-type Pokemon**: Electric-type Pokemon resist Steel and are not weak to Fighting. Miraidon outspeeds Arceus-Steel and can threaten it with Encore or Torch Song, though it needs to be wary of Earth Plate Judgment, while Arceus-Electric is almost always has Ice Scales and wins the matchup with Take Heart and Thunder Cage.
**Ground-type Pokemon**: Mega Garchomp survives +2 Tachyon Cutter and OHKOes Arceus-Steel with its Ground-type move or V-create. Mega Swampert and the rare Ice Scales Arceus-Ground can take hits comfortably and retaliate hard against non-Levitate variants.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/chessking345.355040/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rightclicker.589755/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sammyce123.563422/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
