[OVERVIEW]
* Arceus-Steel has high enough Speed to pose an immediate threat with Swords Dance and has room to run both Earthquake and Stone Edge as coverage, securing its niche as somewhat of a middle ground between offensive Necrozma-DM and Lucario, and Ultra Necrozma. Notably, Arceus-Steel isn't walled by Ho-Oh.
* Arceus-Steel also checks Mega Salamence and can pivot into Choice Scarf Xerneas that lacks a move to hit it hard enough.
* Arceus-Steel's many resistances and high bulk may make it seem like a good check to a number of Pokemon in the tier, but its exploitable weaknesses end up making it relatively easy to KO with coverage moves and common Pokemon like Zygarde-C, Arceus-Ground, Primal Groudon, and Marshadow. This alone makes Arceus-Steel a large detriment to any team it is on, mandating its team to be heavily prepared for the aforementioned threats.
* Arceus-Steel cannot take a boosted Focus Blast from Xerneas, so its team may need to stack weaknesses by using other Steel-type teammates to keep Xerneas in check.
* Arceus-Steel's general lack of power even with a Z-Crystal equipped leaves it as a generally inferior choice for an offensive Pokemon compared to the likes of Arceus-Ground and Marshadow, which can make much better use of a Z-Crystal, and other Steel-types that can provide superior utility both offensively and defensively. Using Arceus-Steel over other Arceus formes comes with significant opportunity cost as well due to its rather underwhelming defensive presence.
[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Iron Head
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Stone Edge / Recover
item: Steelium Z
ability: Multitype
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Swords Dance boosts Arceus-Steel's damage output to the point where it can 2HKO a good portion of the tier and OHKO neutral targets like maximum HP Arceus formes using Corkscrew Crash with entry hazard support.
* Iron Head is Arceus-Steel's most reliable STAB attack, hits Fairy- and Rock-types like Xerneas and Tyranitar hard, and can occasionally flinch foes.
* Earthquake provides Arceus-Steel with a crucial coverage move for Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, Toxapex, and other Steel-types that may otherwise check this set with ease.
* Arceus-Steel is one of the very few Steel-types that can effectively run Stone Edge to have a strong countermeasure against Ho-Oh, which would otherwise be a major nuisance to this set.
* Recover is a viable alternative to Stone Edge, as this enables Arceus-Steel to set up on defensive checks such as Arceus-Water and Ferrothorn and overpower them with boosted attacks. Recover also lets Arceus-Steel consistently pivot into resisted moves from foes like Mega Salamence and Choice Scarf Xerneas.
Set Details
========
* Maximum Speed investment with a Jolly nature maximizes Arceus-Steel's Speed, enabling it to outspeed Mega Lucario and revenge kill it with Earthquake and at worst Speed tie with other Arceus formes and Mega Salamence.
* Multitype and Steelium Z enable the use of Arceus-Steel and lets it use Corkscrew Crash, giving it a sudden burst of damage that is strong enough to take out maximum HP Arceus formes at +2 with some prior damage.
Usage Tips
========
* Try to switch Arceus-Steel into resisted attacks like Mega Salamence's Double-Edge and Choice Scarf Xerneas's Moonblast to maximize the chance it can successfully set up.
* Arceus-Steel can take aggressive approaches to set up against offensive teams when needed to net as much damage as possible. It is likely that offensive teams will lack a Pokemon that can effectively win one-on-one against a boosted Arceus-Steel. It is also worth noting that Arceus-Steel has a number of perks over other offensive Steel-types that it can capitalize on. Unlike Mega Lucario, Arceus-Steel can survive any attack from Deoxys-A and Mega Mewtwo Y from full health, and it does not fear Mega Gengar like Necrozma-DM does.
* Various conditions have to be fulfilled for Arceus-Steel to have a good chance to break through balanced teams. Entry hazards are mandatory to wear down checks like Primal Groudon and Zygarde-C that will survive a boosted attack when healthy. Status from teammates and hitting switch-ins with unboosted attacks are other effective ways to chip Arceus-Steel's checks. If not attempting to pull off a late-game sweep, Arceus-Steel can also be used early- and mid-game to cause meaningful damage to teams with unreliable checks to Steel-types and possibly KO neutral foes with a boosted Corkscrew Crash.
* Arceus-Steel's disappointing offensive typing and lack of initial power invites in many common Pokemon in the tier, thus forcing it to switch out and yield momentum. Note that while the likes of Skarmory and Celesteela can easily switch into Arceus-Steel's attacks, other checks like Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM have to be wary of boosted attacks from Arceus-Steel, as they will fall to boosted moves if sufficiently weakened.
* Though Arceus-Steel may seem like a decent status absorber, many Pokemon carrying Toxic can either threaten Arceus-Steel with other moves or easily take advantage of it. Examples of these include Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh as well as Steel-types like Ferrothorn and Skarmory that can set Spikes against Arceus-Steel. However, feel free to switch into predicted uses of Toxic from passive Pokemon like Lugia and Blissey that struggle to do much else to Arceus-Steel.
Team Options
========
* Another check to Fairy-types, particularly a check to Xerneas, is necessary, as Arceus-Steel fails to properly check Geomancy Xerneas and has limited longevity that prevents it from consistently pivoting into other Fairy-types. Both Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM can suffice for this role and also set up Stealth Rock or threaten defensive teams with more offensive sets, but note that these teammates will make the team more vulnerable to Ground-types overall.
* Mega Salamence and Giratina-O are other partners that come to the mind for this reason. Both of them are notable for being able to pivot into Ground-type attacks and check Primal Groudon, and they benefit from Arceus-Steel absorbing Toxic and pivoting into weak Fairy- and Ice-type attacks.
* Other airborne teammates like Yveltal and Ho-Oh can provide different utility. Yveltal deals with Arceus-Ground somewhat well, offensively checks Marshadow, and threatens Ground-immune Steel-types with Taunt. Ho-Oh provides the team with more security against Arceus-Ground, spreads status, and checks Primal Groudon, Geomancy Xerneas, and Fighting-types.
* Mega Gengar can trap defensive Skarmory should it lack Shed Shell and force a trade with other problematic Pokemon that the team cannot effectively deal with.
* Primal Kyogre offensively threatens many Ground-types, most notably Arceus-Ground, draws in and wears down Primal Groudon, and can run appropriate countermeasures to threaten defensive teams.
* Choice Scarf variants of Xerneas can deal with Zygarde-C and Marshadow, prevent Arceus-Steel from taking unnecessary damage from entry hazards with Defog, and function as a revenge killer. One use of Moonblast wears down offensive variants of Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM to the point that they will fall to Arceus-Steel's boosted Earthquake.
* On more offensive teams, Cloyster and Deoxys-S can provide Spikes support to rapidly wear down Arceus-Steel's grounded checks like Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Zygarde. The damage racked up by Spikes also helps Arceus-Steel OHKO neutral targets with a boosted Corkscrew Crash.
* Toxapex is a teammate to consider due to its ability to provide Toxic Spikes support, take advantage of Arceus-Water, and pivot into Ho-Oh and Marshadow.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Iron Plate is the only possible item for Arceus-Steel if another teammate is holding a Z-Crystal. While said item provides Arceus-Steel with a better chance to OHKO uninvested Xerneas after Stealth Rock damage with Iron Head, the loss of Corkscrew Crash means Arceus-Steel will have a much harder time circumventing its checks like Zygarde and certain Arceus formes even with Swords Dance boosts.
* Iron Tail gives Arceus-Steel a stronger Corkscrew Crash, enabling it to outright OHKO max HP Arceus formes and have a considerable chance to remove Primal Kyogre and defensive Zygarde after little prior damage. Arceus-Steel will have to rely on an unreliable Steel-type move after using Corkscrew Crash, however.
* Extreme Speed provides Arceus-Steel with a way to pick off weaker threats and thus improves its matchup against offensive teams, but it is very weak without boosts and makes it forgo an important coverage move.
* Calm Mind enables Arceus-Steel to justify Recover and coverage moves like Earth Power and Thunder to bypass some checks like Skarmory, Celesteela, and Arceus-Water and also do more damage to Primal Groudon. However, this will make Arceus-Steel take longer to become threatening with boosts and may make it struggle against Pokemon it can deal with with its Swords Dance set, such as Ho-Oh and Blissey. Having significantly lower damage output against Necrozma-DM is detrimental as well.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-immune Steel-types**: Celesteela and Skarmory's high physical bulk, resistance to Steel, and immunity to Earthquake mean that Arceus-Steel has very little chance to defeat them. Celesteela can wear down Arceus-Steel and burden switch-ins with Leech Seed. Skarmory is too passive to offensively threaten Arceus-Steel, but it can set Spikes against Arceus-Steel, punish the use of Iron Head with Rocky Helmet damage, and simply phaze Arceus-Steel with Whirlwind.
**Ground-types**: A myriad of Ground-types can survive at least one boosted move from Arceus-Steel and retaliate against it. Almost any variant of Primal Groudon can survive a boosted Earthquake and OHKO Arceus-Steel with one of its STAB moves. Zygarde and Arceus-Ground are bulky enough to be efficient checks, but they have to be wary of a boosted Corkscrew Crash, which will OHKO them should they lack sufficient investment in bulk.
**Fighting-types**: Marshadow is one of the best checks to Arceus-Steel due to its ability to OHKO Arceus-Steel with Close Combat and threaten to steal any potential Swords Dance boosts with Spectral Thief. Mega Mewtwo X is also an effective offensive check to Arceus-Steel, as it is faster than Arceus-Steel and OHKOes it with Low Kick.
**Water-types**: Without Swords Dance boosts, Arceus-Steel has little chance to muscle past Arceus-Water before it is KOed by Judgment. A healthy Primal Kyogre can survive a boosted Earthquake after Stealth Rock damage and pick off a sufficiently weakened Arceus-Steel with Earthquake. Mega Gyarados can set up on a boosted Arceus-Steel after Intimidate and 2HKO it. Mega Slowbro is nearly impossible for Arceus-Steel to surmount due to its colossal physical bulk that enables it to shrug off even boosted attacks.
**Physical Walls**: The likes of defensive Zygarde, Giratina, and Buzzwole can take hits from Arceus-Steel relatively well due to their enormous physical bulk. However, they have to watch out for boosted Corkscrew Crash if weakened.
**Coverage Moves**: Many coverage moves like Fire Blast, Focus Blast, and Earthquake from foes like support Arceus formes, Mega Gengar, Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Salamence, and Ultra Necrozma can exploit Arceus-Steel's common weaknesses to easily KO it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[DMDW, 434601]]
- Quality checked by: [[Melee Mewtwo, 75110 ], [Nayrz, 212134 ], [Cynara, 224455]]
- Grammar checked by: [[A Cake Wearing A Hat, 388157 ], [Lemonade, 67440]]
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