QC 3/3 (DMDW, Cynara, Serial EKiller)
GP 2/2 (martha, Fireflame479)
[OVERVIEW]
* Arceus-Poison's typing allows it to serve as a check to Xerneas and Marshadow in a single option, giving it a small niche for some balance and bulky offense teams. It has the capability to handle many other Fairy- and Fighting-types in Ubers as well.
* Arceus-Poison has the benefit of a Toxic immunity, making a Calm Mind set an attractive idea and adding utility as a good switch-in to Pokemon reliant on Toxic damage to check threats or handle bulky targets.
* However, the synergies between Arceus-Poison and many potential partners in Ubers such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM can be weak, leaving teams that use it scrambling to compensate for a weakness to common Ground-type threats such as Primal Groudon, Zygarde-C, and Arceus-Ground.
* A major downside to Arceus-Poison is that it will always lack coverage against an important threat, making it ineffective against various Ghost-, Ground-, or Steel-types based on the coverage option it chooses. It is also likely to have have trouble with various Pokemon regardless due to a lack of immediate power.
* The trade-off for using Arceus-Poison over a different Arceus forme is generally a net loss due to the aforementioned traits. It ultimately relies on getting a good matchup to be effective or having a team built around it to cover the Pokemon it cannot effectively damage due to a lack of coverage, which are severe detriments for a Calm Mind Arceus forme.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Recover
move 4: Earth Power / Fire Blast
item: Toxic Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Calm Mind makes Arceus-Poison a bulky setup sweeper that is difficult to get residual damage on thanks to its Toxic immunity and high defensive stats. With Calm Mind, Arceus-Poison can win the matchup against even a boosted Geomancy Xerneas, which an important aspect to its usage.
* Sludge Bomb is opted for over Judgment due to the notable chance to poison foes. This can be helpful to wear down some switch-ins such as Primal Groudon, Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, and Ho-Oh.
* Recover maintains Arceus-Poison's longevity and prevents Fairy-types such as Geomancy Xerneas beating Arceus-Poison with brute force.
* Earth Power OHKOes Mega Gengar, 2HKOes Primal Groudon, Toxapex, and Necrozma-DM at +1 after Stealth Rock damage, and OHKOes Mega Lucario at +1.
* Fire Blast trades the ability to hit Primal Groudon and Toxapex in exchange for being able to damage Skarmory and Celesteela. The move is also stronger against other Steel-types, 2HKOing Necrozma-DM and OHKOing Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor at +1.
* Ice Beam is a potential alternative to target Zygarde-C and Giratina-O, but this means Arceus-Poison does close to nothing against many Steel-types.
Set Details
========
* Maximum HP investment is necessary to properly take the battle to a boosted Geomancy Xerneas. This investment also avoids the 2HKO from Marshadow's Spectral Thief after Stealth Rock damage, making Arceus-Poison a good check to it.
* Maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature ensure that Arceus-Poison Speed ties, at worst, with opposing Arceus formes and Mega Salamence. This can help with the matchup against many offensive Arceus formes and Jolly Mega Salamence, which may have Earthquake, making a Speed tie better than nothing.
* Toxic Plate is used over Poisonium Z for a consistent Sludge Bomb damage boost. There are generally too many resistances to Acid Downpour in Ubers to make it a good option.
Usage Tips
========
* Arceus-Poison's main targets are Xerneas and Marshadow, but it can be used to get damage on a slower target such as Yveltal if the situation calls for it. Bulk Up Marshadow sets should be watched out for, as they will break Arceus-Poison very easily.
* Arceus-Poison has many common switch-ins, and all of them can be very deadly to or just hard wall Arceus-Poison. Try to limit the amount of room given to dangerous Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM with Arceus-Poison's coverage options or entry hazard damage and be ready to switch it out if need be.
* Coverage is the biggest indicator that determines how to use Arceus-Poison. By using Earth Power, it is completely walled by Skarmory and Celesteela and should avoid them entirely. By using Fire Blast, Arceus-Poison can only aim for chip damage or a poison against Primal Groudon with Sludge Bomb.
* Ghost-types such as Lunala, Mega Gengar, and Giratina-O and Ground-types such as Zygarde-C and Arceus-Ground are not worth taking on without a specialized coverage move in Ice Beam. Even with this move, the matchup against some of the aforementioned Pokemon doesn't improve. The big thing to note is that Arceus-Poison invites a lot of dangerous Pokemon in and lacks sufficient counterplay against them, so be very wary about how you use it.
* Arceus-Poison can be switched into Xerneas with impunity as long as it is kept healthy over repeated switches in. Choice Scarf Xerneas poses very little threat, but Geomancy Xerneas can break a weakened Arceus-Poison. Against Geomancy Xerneas, it is important to use Calm Mind against it if Arceus-Poison switches in on the turn Geomancy is used and begin to Recover off the damage from an incoming Moonblast or coverage option. Once enough Calm Mind boosts are accumulated, Arceus-Poison should be able to fight back and overpower a boosted Xerneas, but luck is likely to play a part in this matchup due to Moonblast's potential Special Attack drops and Arceus-Poison's need to act defensively.
Team Options
========
* Arceus-Poison absolutely needs its teammates to cover for its many defensive flaws. Some form of offense will be needed to make up for the holes that trying to fit Arceus-Poison into a team will inevitably bring, so overly defensive teams are far better off using a better suited Arceus forme.
* Checks to Primal Groudon and other Ground-types are a requirement. Mega Salamence, Giratina-O, Celesteela, and Skarmory are all possible options based on the overall team structure and needs of other teammates.
* Arceus-Ground can be handled by Celesteela, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh, but this depends on what variant of Arceus-Ground the team needs to cover. Celesteela can generally cover all variants.
* Zygarde-C is a difficult foe to overcome when using Arceus-Poison. Xerneas offers a good revenge killing method with its Choice Scarf set, but Primal Kyogre and Lugia are alternative ideas depending on the team.
* Primal Kyogre acts as a threatening wallbreaker against most Steel-types that bother Arceus-Poison and further assists against most Primal Groudon variants.
* Yveltal offers a Ground immunity and can also function as a revenge killer or check to the various Ghost- and Psychic-types that will easily break through Arceus-Poison. Wallbreaker variants of Yveltal have excellent pressure against enemy Steel-types as well.
* Primal Groudon is an effective teammate that can set Stealth Rock and provide pressure against Ho-Oh and the various Steel-types that threaten Arceus-Poison. Special variants of Primal Groudon threaten Skarmory and Celesteela but will give Ho-Oh more room than usual.
* Ultra Necrozma can offer a soft check to mixed Primal Groudon variants and an offensive check to slower threats such as Arceus-Ground while not adding too much of a Ground-type weakness to the build once Necrozma-DM can Ultra Burst.
* Gothitelle is a potential teammate to trap and eliminate the defensive Steel-types that would otherwise wall Arceus-Poison.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A Swords Dance set with Earthquake, Poison Jab, and Extreme Speed or Recover is a potential alternative, but it exchanges bulk for offense, which makes Arceus-Poison less of a reliable answer to Fairy-types and Marshadow.
* Thunder is a potential alternative coverage option that hits Primal Kyogre, Ho-Oh, Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex in one moveslot. This leads to Arceus-Poison being very helpless against Ground-type Pokemon, however.
* Will-O-Wisp can prevent many Ground- and Steel-type setup sweepers from taking too much advantage of Arceus-Poison, but it can't fit into Arceus-Poison's moveset very well.
* A Stealth Rock support set can be considered, as Arceus-Poison's Toxic immunity can help it maintain longevity against Defog users. However, it has a hard time setting Stealth Rock against the likes of Mega Sableye and Defog Arceus-Ground.
* Toxic from Arceus-Poison has the neat trick of never missing and can limit many switch-ins, but it is difficult to fit.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: Primal Groudon, Zygarde-C, and Arceus-Ground are the biggest threats to Arceus-Poison due to their superior offensive matchup. They are able to switch into any of Arceus-Poison's moves at least once and immediately force it out with strong Ground-type STAB attacks or setup moves. Arceus-Poison can catch Primal Groudon switching in with Earth Power and try to get a Sludge Bomb poison against Zygarde-C and Arceus-Ground, but that's all that most standard sets can really do in return.
**Steel-types**: Nearly every Steel-type in the tier besides Mega Lucario is able to freely switch into Arceus-Poison at least once and set up or set entry hazards. Skarmory and Celesteela stand out especially, as Arceus-Poison sets lacking Fire Blast have no way to properly damage them.
**Ghost-types**: Lunala, Giratina, Mega Gengar, Giratina-O, Arceus-Ghost, and even Bulk Up Marshadow are all threats to Arceus-Poison due to their resistances and bulk making it easy for them to switch in. Mega Gengar has to be careful around Earth Power variants and Marshadow sets lacking Bulk Up can be walled, but otherwise all these Ghost-types can be difficult matchups for Arceus-Poison.
**Psychic-types**: Ultra Necrozma, Deoxys-A, and various Mewtwo sets are all capable of outspeeding Arceus-Poison and threatening it with near or complete OHKOes with their STAB attacks should it stay in.
**Toxapex**: Toxapex is capable of annoying Arceus-Poison sets that lack Earth Power by removing its Calm Mind boosts with Haze.
**Bulky Attackers**: Primal Kyogre, offensive Ho-Oh, and Mega Salamence are all capable of taking most hits from Arceus-Poison and retaliating with higher damage output, likely forcing it out.
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