[OVERVIEW]
<p>After the pre-battle tintinnabulation is completed, please stare in pure, unadulterated horror and ominous presentiment at what is unequivocally the best and most versatile Pokémon in the game. Dare not incur Arceus's divine wrath, or else the consequences shall be severe and merciless, and life shall become
but an evanescent wisp.</p>
[SET]
name: Extreme Killer
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: ExtremeSpeed
move 3: Shadow Claw
move 4: Earthquake / Overheat / Recover
item: Silk Scarf / Leftovers
evs: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 10 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Normal Arceus is a terror to behold on the battlefield. With its amazing bulk, a good Attack stat and type coverage, as well as STAB ExtremeSpeed, one would be wise to make ample preparations for this set.
It This set may appear
that this set is to be outclassed by Rayquaza due to Rayquaza's higher Attack stat and STAB Dragon-type attacks, but STAB ExtemeSpeed, more bulk, and no weakness to Stealth Rock
all serve to differentiate Swords Dance Arceus from Swords Dance Rayquaza.</p>.
<p>This is arguably the best set Arceus can run, and for good reason. STAB ExtremeSpeed coming off a
base 120 Attack stat with amazing bulk is something to fear. Swords Dance is the crux of this set as it allows Normal Arceus to raise its Attack stat,
as well as and by association ExtremeSpeed's power, to sky-high levels. ExtremeSpeed is the main attacking move as it provides STAB priority that puts
gaping holes the fear of God into many Uber Pokemon. Shadow Claw is chosen for the third move slot as it gives Arceus a way to hit Ghost-type Pokemon that are immune to ExtremeSpeed for super effective damage. It also gives Normal Arceus a way to do somewhat decent damage to Lugia. The last slot is dependent on what you need Normal Arceus to beat. Earthquake gives you reliable coverage against Steel-type Pokemon, who resist both ExtremeSpeed and Shadow Claw. On the other hand, Overheat allows Normal Arceus to beat one of its biggest enemies, Skarmory, while still retaining the ability to roast Steel-type Pokemon; however,
it comes with the drawback of only being able to use it once due to the Special Attack drop the accompanying Special Attack drop means that you will only be able to use it once, which is a definite drawback. Recover is another option to capitalize on Arceus's bulk, but
it Arceus will sorely miss the coverage provided by Earthquake or Overheat.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The item you use is based on personal preference. Silk Scarf provides Normal Arceus with 20% more power on ExtremeSpeed without sacrificing HP, while Leftovers enhances Arceus's bulk. If you desire more power, Life Orb is a useable option, and is unique to Normal Arceus. If you do choose Life Orb, Recover is the best choice for the last slot to mitigate the recoil damage. The last item to consider is Lum Berry; with Lum Berry, Normal Arceus can shrug off a Dark Void or Will-O-Wisp from Darkrai and Giratina respectively, which would normally put Arceus out of commission.
As for moves, a viableAnother option to consider is Dragon Claw, which hits Pokemon such as Latias and Giratina-O harder than Shadow Claw, but it isn't recommended as the coverage against Lugia and Ghost Arceus is sorely missed. Shadow Force can work over Shadow Claw, as it can OHKO opposing Ghost Arceus after a Swords Dance, but other than that it just leaves Arceus open to
easy switching switch-ins; there are Pokemon
immune resistant to both Shadow Force and ExtremeSpeed. Return is worth a glance, as it has a lot more PP when compared to ExtremeSpeed, but one should know by now that STAB ExtremeSpeed is what makes so many Uber Pokemon run in fear.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider with Normal Arceus is its nature; this is one of the few Arceus sets where a non Speed-boosting nature is viable. The choice depends on whether one's team plans to utilize Spikes or not. If one uses only Stealth Rock, Adamant becomes the better choice to secure KOs that Jolly would otherwise fall short on. However, if your team does use Spikes, Jolly becomes the better option as one layer of Spikes, along with Stealth Rock, makes the power boost from Adamant negligible. It is worth noting the nature change only applies if you are using Silk Scarf or Life Orb, as without them, even with Adamant's power
boost, Arceus will fall short on many KOs, making the Speed boost from Jolly more desirable. Jolly allows Arceus to outspeed all base 100 Speed Pokemon and below.</p>
<p>Swords Dance Normal Arceus has problems with Giratina, who can Will-O-Wisp Arceus and crush any chance it has of sweeping, and Lugia, who can set up Reflect and laugh at Arceus's weak Shadow Claws as Lugia Whirlwinds it away. For this
reason, Wobbuffet alongside a Pursuit user, such as Scizor and Metagross, can make
a great
teammates. Wobbuffet can switch into Lugia or Giratina, Encore them, and proceed to use Tickle to wither away their Defense stat into
oblivion nothingness. After an adequate amount of Tickles, one's Pursuit user can come in and crush the weakened walls, as they have no choice but to switch out thanks to Encore. Latias can also put Giratina and Lugia in a tight spot with Dragon Pulse and Thunder respectively.
Latias can also As a bonus, Latias can check Fighting Arceus, which can take any attack Normal Arceus has with ease and crush it with its own super effective STAB. This set also is hard-pressed to sweep
with when Groudon
is around, as Groudon can easily take a boosted ExtremeSpeed and either Roar Arceus away or hit it with a crippling Toxic or Thunder Wave. Latias can help against Groudon too, provided Latias has Grass Knot. Skarmory can
also easily
switch in on a Groudon that lacks a Fire-type move (which many do), and
proceed to set up Spikes
as well, which can be helpful if you choose to use a Jolly nature
on your Arceus, but
it Skarmory can't beat Groudon one on one without Toxic. Mixed Bulk Up Dialga with Bulk Up and Draco Meteor is very adept at luring out Groudon and crushing it, so it too can be a valuable teammate. Dialga can also run Fire Blast to fry pesky Skarmory, who pose a big problem for this Arceus if it lacks Overheat. Without Overheat, Skarmory can switch in, set up Spikes, and Whirlwind Arceus away at its leisure. A Pokemon that can use Light Screen and Reflect, such as Mewtwo, Uxie, and Latios, can help Normal Arceus set up a lot easier, so it is worth looking into. Lastly, Stealth Rock is a necessity when using this Arceus, so a reliable Pokemon
to that can set them up, such as Deoxys-S, is helpful. Deoxys-S can also use
Spikes, which greatly aid Normal Arceus in its sweeping endeavors by letting it use a Jolly nature.</p>
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Judgment
move 3: Flamethrower / Dark Pulse
move 4: Recover
item: Leftovers / Life Orb
evs: 100 HP / 100 Def / 100 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
nature: Timid
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Normal Calm Mind Arceus may seem like a bad idea, but Arceus has a few tricks up its sleeve to make this set worthwhile. The most prominent advantage Normal Arceus has over other Calm Mind Arceus is the ability to use Leftovers as its hold item,
which and the consistent recovery provided helps a lot in many scenarios
with its consistent recovery. Another advantage is Normal Arceus's lack of common weaknesses, as it possesses a lone weakness to Fighting-type attacks. Lastly, if you desire a boost in power, Life Orb is also unique to Normal Arceus, but Leftovers is the recommended item.</p>
<p>Calm Mind is the crux of this set as it allows Arceus to raise its Special Attack and Special Defense to sky-high levels and muscle through even Pokemon that resist its attacks. With its great bulk, Arceus can
set up on a wide variety of Pokemon and pose an immediate threat to any team. Judgment is chosen in the second slot to provide Normal Arceus with
a reliable STAB. The third slot is a
toss-up, and is used to patch up Normal's sub-par coverage. Flamethrower allows Arceus to beat Steel-types such as Scizor and Skarmory, however, Dark Pulse is also an option to give Arceus a better chance against Wobbuffet and Giratina-O. It is worth
taking note noting that Giratina-O can't
actually touch Arceus, and has no recovery, so it will eventually be worn down by Flamethrower. Therefore, Flamethrower is usually the better choice so you aren't walled by Steel-types. Giratina, on the other hand, commonly carries Rest, so if you are without Dark Pulse you have no chance of beating
it; thankfully, Giratina isn't too common. Recover is a necessity in the last slot to allow Arceus to heal its wounds and make it a near-indestructible sweeper. Likewise, a Timid nature should always be used as it allows Arceus to outspeed positive natured base 100 Speed Pokemon and below.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to Arceus's vast special movepool, it has a few more options. Earth Power can be used to let Arceus hurt Rock- and Steel-type Pokemon, but
it this leaves it wide open to Skarmory unless you forgo Judgment or Recover for Flamethrower; neither of which is recommended. Focus Blast is also an option to hit the aforementioned types, but
once again the accuracy is disappointing, even if Arceus has the bulk to afford a few misses. If you desire a bit more
power, Fire Blast is useable over Flamethrower, but
once again the accuracy is
disappointing; it also scores no notable KOs and leaves you open to Giratina-O thanks to its low PP. Shadow Ball can be used over Dark Pulse if you would prefer the occasional Special Defense drop rather than the chance to flinch, but the flinch can come in handy against
things foes such as Wobbuffet. Finally, a Silk Scarf can be used over Leftovers, but then you forfeit
consistent recovery, Normal Calm Mind Arceus's claim to
fame, to give it a 20% power boost to its STAB, which all Arceus have.</p>
<p>Bulk Up Dialga makes a great partner to this set as it can easily take care of Blissey, Giratina-O, Giratina, and Tyranitar; all of whom give Normal Calm Mind Arceus trouble. Dialga can easily switch into a Toxic from Blissey thanks to its Steel-typing, and it doesn't mind anything
that Giratina-O, Giratina, or Tyranitar can throw at it as it can Rest off their attacks later. If you do use Dialga it is recommended you use Flamethrower on Arceus, however, as Dialga has
trouble with Skarmory as well. As a word of caution, both Dialga and Arceus are weak to Fighting-type attacks, so beware of compounding weaknesses. Normal Arceus also has trouble with Latias, so Scizor makes a good teammate as it is able to switch into Latias's Dragon Pulse and use U-turn or Pursuit against Latias for massive damage. If you are using Scizor, Wobbuffet with Tickle
+ in conjunction with Pursuit from Scizor can spell doom for Blissey who would otherwise wall Normal Arceus. Scizor also has the added bonus of being able to check Tyranitar, who takes next to nothing from Normal Arceus's common attacks and will eventually win with Defense drops from Crunch. Speaking of
Tyranitar, it can also make a good teammate to Arceus, despite Sandstorm negating Leftovers, thanks to its powerful physical Dark-type attacks. Tyranitar can easily take
on Giratina-O, barring the rare Aura Sphere; Giratina and Ghost Arceus, provided they don't have Will-O-Wisp; and Latias, although be careful of Grass Knot even though it falls short of a OHKO. Tyranitar can also catch a fleeing Blissey with Pursuit, but it hates
the possibility of Blissey hitting it with a status. Although Groudon doesn't directly counter anything except Tyranitar, it can activate the sun with Drought, which increases Flamethrower's power and decreases Thunder's accuracy, both of which are beneficial to Normal Arceus. Giratina-O and Latias can both make good pivots for Normal Arceus as they resist or are immune to Fighting-type attacks, but don't directly counter much.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: ExtremeSpeed
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Shadow Claw
move 4: Overheat
item: Choice Band
evs: 100 HP / 100 Atk / 100 Def / 10 SpA / 100 SpD / 100 Spe
nature: Jolly / Adamant
<p>With Choice Band
bloating boosting its already massive Attack stat, this Arceus
for-goes forgos Swords Dance to hit hard right off the bat with powerful STAB ExtremeSpeeds. Due to the fact that Arceus has to wear a plate to change its type, this is also the only Arceus that can use a Choice Band. When using this set, it is important to capitalize on Arceus's revenge killing capabilities, and not playing it in a way that makes it inferior to Extreme Killer Arceus. However, when played correctly,
Arceus's usage is two-fold: it's also an absolute terror late-game, and once a team has been sufficiently
weakened, Arceus can tear through it with its powerful ExtremeSpeed.</p>
<p>The primary slot of this set should be obvious: a STAB, Choice Band-boosted ExtremeSpeed is insanely powerful, and it can 2HKO nearly everything that doesn't have a resistance or immunity to it. ExtremeSpeed is what makes Arceus such a viable revenge killer, and can also allow it to sweep teams that have had their Steel- and Ghost-types removed from play
or weakened. Arceus can check multiple
threats that have managed to boost their Speed, such as Dragon Dance and Swords Dance
Rayquaza, after with some prior damage. With prediction, Earthquake and Shadow Claw allow Arceus to hit Steel- and Ghost-type Pokemon that may attempt to switch into ExtremeSpeed super effectively. Overheat is used in the final slot as it's Arceus's only way of doing significant damage to Skarmory. Even with the
nature hindering Special
Attack-hindering nature and the minimal investment, two consecutive uses of Overheat (with Stealth Rock factored in) do a minimum of 99.3% to 252 HP / 252 SpD Careful Skarmory, securing a 2HKO unless you get two extremely low damage rolls.</p>
[ADDTIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Even though this set focuses on the role of revenge killing, one must still remember that Arceus has amazing bulk. This means you can use Recover in Overheat's place if beating Skarmory is of no concern to you. It may seem silly to use a non-attacking move on a
Choiced set, but Arceus causes so many switches it can find plenty of
turns opportunity to use Recover. Although not recommended, Return can be used over ExtremeSpeed for more power and PP, but the loss of priority seriously hurts Arceus's revenging capabilities. Punishment can be used over Shadow Claw to hit foes who have obtained some boosts, such as Latias and Giratina-O, for a lot of damage, but the otherwise 50 Base Power is disappointing. Dragon Claw is also another move worth considering for the ability to hit Dragon-type Pokemon harder, but Shadow Claw is usually the better choice as the difference in Base Power is negligible, and Shadow Claw allows Arceus to do more damage to Lugia and Wobbuffet.</p>
<p>The last change to consider when using this set is nature. Adamant doesn't secure many 2HKOs or OHKOs, but since the Pokemon you will
most likely be trying to kill
most likely won't be at full health, Adamant can be useful for a bit of added damage that may secure you a KO. Jolly is still the recommended nature, however, as with it Arceus can outspeed all base 100 Speed Pokemon and below.</p>
<p>Wobbuffet paired with a Pursuit user, such as Metagross and Scizor, can be a great help to this set, as its number one counters are Giratina and Lugia; both of which fall to this
potent aforementioned combo when played correctly. Bulk Up Dialga
mix can help Arceus by luring out Groudon and smashing it with Draco Meteor, as Groudon can cause some problems for this set. Due to Arceus's lone weakness to Fighting-type attacks, Giratina-O makes a great partner for its ability to switch in and kill common users of Fighting-type moves. Heracross in particular struggles to do damage to Giratina-O, and is
in return promptly killed by powerful Dragon-type attacks. Fighting Arceus can also cause this Arceus problems as Fighting Arceus isn't OHKOed by anything Normal Arceus has and can hit it with its super effective STAB. For this reason, Latias makes a great teammate. With 152 HP investment, Latias isn't even 3HKOed by Ice Beam from Fighting Arceus, meaning it can easily Calm Mind up against special versions and eventually beat them. Latias can also make a decent check to Lugia and Giratina, provided it has both Dragon Pulse and Thunder.</p>
[TEAM OPTIONS]
<p>Wobbuffet paired with a Pursuit user, such as Scizor and Metagross, are probably the best teammates for a physical Normal Arceus set, as together they can handle Giratina and Lugia. Scizor is useful for the Calm Mind set as well, as it can handle Tyranitar and Latias. Speaking of Latias, it also makes a great teammate as it can take Fighting-type attacks aimed at Normal Arceus and handle Lugia, Giratina, and Skarmory to a degree. If it has Grass Knot over Thunder, Latias loses the ability to check Skarmory and Lugia in exchange for the ability to check Groudon. Although it compounds Arceus's Fighting-type weakness,
a few some Dialga sets can make great teammates. A mixed set with Bulk Up and Draco Meteor can easily lure out and kill Groudon, while a pure Bulk Up set can handle nearly everything Calm Mind Arceus struggles with. Dual Screens can add to Arceus's already impressive bulk and aid it in setting up, so a Pokemon such as Mewtwo or Uxie that can set them up can help.</p>
<p>Like with many offensive Pokemon, Stealth Rock is a great asset to Normal Arceus. With it, Arceus scores the 2HKO on Skarmory with Overheat, and many more besides. There are many viable options to set up Stealth Rock, such as Groudon and Deoxys-S. Deoxys-S is also useful for its ability to set up Spikes, which allow Extreme Killer Arceus to run Jolly thanks to Spikes doing the extra damage it would otherwise need Adamant for. On the other hand, Groudon is useful for its ability to counter Lucario, whose powerful Close Combat can be a pain for Arceus. Since Arceus relies heavily on entry hazards, Giratina-O makes a great teammate to prevent them from being blown away by Rapid Spin. Giratina-O also resists Arceus's lone weakness and counters Heracross.</p>
[OPTIONAL CHANGES]
<p>Although not necessarily outclassed, there are a few sets and options that Arceus could make great use
of if not for the Species Clause. The Species Clause means you need to choose the Arceus set you use wisely. A Dual Screen set with Light Clay can be used to allow Arceus's teammates an easier setup, or allow Arceus to stall out opponents with Toxic and Recover, but it is best left to other Pokemon. In a similar vein, Arceus can use a stall-based set similar to Lugia, with Recover / Toxic or Will-O-Wisp / Roar / Screen, but once again this is better left to other Pokemon. Thanks to its fairly decent movepool Arceus can run a some-what effective mix set, but Normal-type STAB isn't the best move to base such a set off. Arceus can also make a decent lead with its access to Stealth Rock, wide variety of coverage moves, STAB ExtremeSpeed to pick off Focus Sash users, and the ability to use Lum Berry, but as it is with all the other options, Arceus can do much better than this. Finally, Perish Song is an interesting move
in Arceus's arsenal, but Arceus only has Whirlpool for trapping and its pathetic 70 accuracy is a major
letdown.</p>
[COUNTERS]
<p>Although extremely dangerous, Arceus is perfectly counterable. Almost every Normal Arceus set falls to Giratina with Rest, bar the Calm Mind
version with Dark Pulse or Shadow Ball. Giratina is also immune to ExtremeSpeed, and can put any physical sweep to a
grating grinding halt with Will-O-Wisp. Lugia also takes little damage from ExtremeSpeed with its massive Defense and HP stats, and it can outspeed Arceus
and to set up Reflect before Arceus can use Shadow
Claw, and proceed to Roost off any damage taken. Both of the aforementioned Pokemon also have Pressure, making
Arceus watch ExtremeSpeed's meager PP
drain in seconds. Ghost Arceus can also take any hit from Arceus and Will-O-Wisp it. Fighting Arceus, in a similar vein, can take any hit Normal Arceus can dish out and respond with its super effective STAB. Skarmory completely walls any physical Normal Arceus without Overheat, and can phaze away any boosts Arceus has acquired with Whirlwind. Groudon doesn't like taking too many boosted hits since it doesn't have reliable recovery, but it can easily
survive one or two
attacks and phaze Arceus with Roar. While they cannot directly counter Arceus, Lucario and Heracross can do major damage with their STAB Close Combat. Blissey and Latias can wall the Calm Mind set and Toxic stall it and Calm Mind alongside it respectively. Finally, Tyranitar also laughs at the Calm Mind set's attacks thanks to its massive
Sandstorm-boosted Special Defense, and can eventually beat Arceus if it gets lucky with Defense drops from Crunch.</p>
