[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Stealth Rock / Dragon Dance
move 2: Sunsteel Strike
move 3: Knock Off / Thunder Wave / Earthquake
move 4: Morning Sun
item: Rocky Helmet
ability: Prism Armor
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
Necrozma-DM is one of the most useful defensive Pokemon in AG due to its overall good bulk coupled with Prism Armor, wide support movepool, and typing making it the most reliable check to two dangerous threats in Zacian-C and Xerneas, which makes it mandatory on almost any team. Dragon Dance can be used if a team already has a Stealth Rock setter, allowing Necrozma-DM to potentially set up on foes like Zacian-C and opposing Necrozma-DM before devastating and outspeeding foes like defensive Eternatus and Marshadow after a couple of boosts. Sunsteel Strike gives Necrozma-DM the means to KO Xerneas while chipping down Zacian-C. Knock Off cripples switch-ins to Necrozma-DM such as Groudon, Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Eternatus for its teammates. Thunder Wave is an option over Knock Off to cripple fast foes like Zacian-C, Calyrex-S, and Eternatus, but it makes Necrozma-DM setup fodder against Groudon due to its immunity to Thunder Wave. Necrozma-DM can also opt to run Earthquake, consistently dealing good damage to Zekrom, opposing Necrozma-DM, and Zacian-C while 2HKOing offensive Eternatus. Earthquake is particularly good alongside Dragon Dance as well, as few resist both it and Sunsteel Strike, and it turns Necrozma-DM into an obnoxiously sturdy Dynamax user between Max Steelspike boosting Defense and Max Quake boosting Special Defense. Morning Sun is essential in order to keep Necrozma-DM healthy and check the likes of Zacian-C and Xerneas without being heavily chipped. However, use Morning Sun with caution, as it has very low PP. Rocky Helmet deals residual damage to foes like Zacian-C and Zekrom. Heavy-Duty Boots is an option over Rocky Helmet to reliably switch into Zacian-C's Assurance if Stealth Rock or Spikes is on the field. Weakness Policy pairs well with Dragon Dance, as Necrozma-DM can tank super effective hits like Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, Eternatus's Mystical Fire, and Marshadow's Shadow Sneak due to its good bulk and Prism Armor while getting a +2 Attack boost. Maximum Defense investment with an Impish nature ensures Zacian-C's Close Combat won't 2HKO Necrozma-DM at full health. An alternative spread of 252 HP / 220 Def / 32 Spe enables Necrozma-DM to outspeed Adamant Zacian-C if it's paralyzed or if Necrozma-DM has used Dragon Dance twice.
Necrozma-DM is a staple on all balance and bulky offense teams due to its ability to check Zacian-C and Xerneas while having fantastic utility moves like Stealth Rock, Knock Off, and Thunder Wave. Unfortunately, Necrozma-DM is easily forced out and set up on by many other top-tier wallbreakers in AG such as Calyrex-S, Life Orb Yveltal, Marshadow, and Groudon. Therefore, partners that can check these threats such as Yveltal, Eternatus, Zacian-C, and Lunala, respectively, are useful. Teammates that are especially weak to Zacian-C and Xerneas like Yveltal, Zygarde-C, and Eternatus appreciate Necrozma-DM checking the two. Ferrothorn is able to act as a secondary check to Xerneas, which is useful because Xerneas can 2HKO Necrozma-DM with Thunder at +2 and force it to Dynamax, and Ferrothorn also deals with Kyogre while providing Spikes support. Defoggers like Yveltal and Ho-Oh serve a unique purpose for Necrozma-DM, as they stop Stealth Rock and Spikes from strengthening Zacian-C's Assurance on the switch.
[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Sunsteel Strike
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge
item: Weakness Policy
ability: Prism Armor
nature: Adamant
evs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM is a respectable wallbreaker thanks to its good bulk coupled with Prism Armor giving it many opportunities to set up, amazing coverage, and a typing letting it soft check the likes of Zacian-C and Xerneas. Earthquake covers Eternatus, Ferrothorn, and opposing Necrozma-DM, while Stone Edge is able to hit Ho-Oh, an otherwise excellent check to it. Weakness Policy synergizes amazingly well with Necrozma-DM's good bulk and Prism Armor, letting it tank super effective moves from foes like Zygarde-C and Eternatus while getting a significant Attack boost. An Adamant nature ensures that Necrozma-DM hits harder against important bulky foes such as Eternatus, defensive Necrozma-DM, and Ferrothorn. The Speed EVs allow Necrozma-DM to outspeed Adamant Marshadow after a Dragon Dance boost.
Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM is a great fit on hyper offense teams, as it can not only take advantage of certain walls like defensive Eternatus, Ferrothorn, Ho-Oh, and opposing Necrozma-DM but also check Zacian-C and Xerneas, which are particularly huge threats to offensive teams. Necrozma-DM appreciates Sticky Web support from Shuckle, which allows it to outspeed more key threats like Calyrex-S, Zacian-C, and Choice Scarf Kyogre at +1. Other setup sweepers and wallbreakers like Nasty Plot Calyrex-S, Life Orb Yveltal, and Choice Specs Kyogre can force the opponent to expend their Dynamax, allowing Necrozma-DM to beat Ditto by Dynamaxing, tanking a boosted Earthquake, and KOing it back with a boosted Max Quake. The aforementioned setup sweepers and wallbreakers are also able to weaken physically defensive walls that Necrozma-DM can struggle to get through such as Zygarde-C, Giratina, and Lunala. Ditto is quite hard to fit with Necrozma-DM but can revenge kill setup sweepers that take advantage of it like Calyrex-S, Groudon, and Reshiram, potentially reverse sweeping the opposing team.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Leftovers is an alternative item on defensive Necrozma-DM; however, it's hard to justify using over the generally better Rocky Helmet and Heavy-Duty Boots. Utility Umbrella is a helpful item to stop Kyogre's rain from making Morning Sun less effective. Shed Shell can specifically be used for Gothitelle, which traps Necrozma-DM and PP stalls it with Charm, Taunt, and Rest. Toxic is also a solid option on defensive Necrozma-DM's third moveslot to cripple common switch-ins to it like Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Dragon Dance Zygarde-C. Running Toxic does, however, make the matchup against Swords Dance Zacian-C particularly tricky to handle. Knock Off is an option over Stone Edge on the Dragon Dance set to severely damage Lunala; however, losing the ability to OHKO Ho-Oh is very suboptimal.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Super Effective Attackers**: Powerful wallbreakers that carry super effective STAB moves such as Calyrex-S, Yveltal, Marshadow, and Groudon are to able to greatly pressure Necrozma-DM by forcing it out and getting a chance to set up, which can be threatening for Necrozma-DM's team to deal with. However, due to Necrozma-DM's humongous natural bulk, it is capable of beating them all with a surprise Dynamax.
**Ho-Oh**: Ho-Oh is among the most consistent answers to Necrozma-DM, pressuring it with a powerful Sacred Fire, removing its Stealth Rock using Defog, and nullifying any chip damage by switching out due to Regenerator. However, Ho-Oh doesn't appreciate taking a Knock Off from Necrozma-DM, since the removal of its Heavy-Duty Boots will significantly limit its ability to switch in and remove Stealth Rock. It also has to be wary of Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM KOing it with Stone Edge.
**Weather**: Since weather conditions like rain and hail from Kyogre and Max Moves will weaken the effect of Morning Sun, Necrozma-DM has a difficult time consistently checking Zacian-C and Xerneas when they are present.
**Gothitelle**: Gothitelle is able to pose a huge threat to Necrozma-DM by trapping it due to Shadow Tag and PP stalling it until it KOes itself with Struggle, but running Shed Shell invalidates Gothitelle as a trapper.
**Physically Defensive Walls**: Physically defensive walls such as Giratina, Zygarde-C, and Lunala are bulky enough to discourage Necrozma-DM from setting up if it's running Dragon Dance. Giratina can burn Necrozma-DM with Will-O-Wisp, Zygarde-C can clear away its Dragon Dance boosts with Haze and wear it down with Thousand Arrows, and Lunala can buffer itself against even Sunsteel Strike with Shadow Shield and burn Necrozma-DM with Will-O-Wisp.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rotten, 491896]]
- Quality checked by: [[Guard, 360582], [Geysers, 426798]]
- Grammar checked by: [[lotiasite, 302985], [Finland, 517429]]
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