Taken over from Rowan. Approved by macle.
Overview
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Great base 112 Attack, a unique typing, and being the only Pokemon aside from Piplup to have access to both Stealth Rock and Defog make Archen a formidable Pokemon in Little Cup. Archen's unique typing allows it to deal with most Normal-type threats such as Bunnelby and Zigzagoon, as well as Flying-types like Fletchling. On top of that, Archen can hit Grass- and Fighting-types hard with STAB Acrobatics. Archen also sports good stats, having a gigantic 112 Base Attack, good base 70 Speed, and decent defenses. However, Archen's ability Defeatist prevents it from being a nuke, as its offenses are lowered by two stages when its HP is below 50%, though Berry Juice helps mitigate this to an extent.
Offensive
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name: Offensive
move 1: Stone Edge / Rock Slide / Rock Tomb
move 2: Acrobatics
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: U-turn / Knock Off
ability: Defeatist
item: Berry Juice
evs: 76 HP / 180 Atk / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Stone Edge is a powerful Rock-type STAB move, hitting most threats extremely hard, although Rock Slide can be used for its higher accuracy, while also having a 30% chance to flinch the opponent at the cost of power. Rock Tomb is another option for a Rock-type STAB move and can slow down faster threats such as Misdreavus, which Archen then can outspeed and OHKO with Acrobatics or Knock Off. However, Rock Tomb doesn't hit too hard, even with STAB typing. STAB Acrobatics is Archen's most powerful move if Berry Juice is consumed or lost, with 110 Base Power. Earthquake is used to hit Electric-types and Steel-types like Chinchou, Magnemite, and Pawniard hard, while also hitting Poison-, Fire-, and Rock-types super effectively, giving Archen amazing EdgeQuake coverage. U-turn is the preferred move for the last slot to gain momentum, but Knock Off can also be used to remove the opponent's item, while also hitting Misdreavus super effectively.
Set Details
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Maximum investment in Attack and Speed helps Archen be as much of an offensive threat as possible. The remaining EVs are placed into HP to marginally improve Archen's mixed bulk. A Jolly nature is used to outspeed Pokemon with 16 Speed, such as Pawniard, Adamant Mienfoo, and non-Timid Chinchou, which is very useful. Berry Juice is used for recovery and helps counteract Defeatist.
Usage Tips
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Offensive Archen is fairly straightforward to use. Come in and hit threats with one of its powerful moves or use U-turn to gain momentum. Stone Edge or Rock Slide is the STAB move of choice until Berry Juice is consumed, since Acrobatics only has 55 Base Power when Archen is holding an item. Because of Archen's Defeatist ability, you have to be wary of Archen's HP going below 50%, which lowers its offenses by two stages. This also means that Archen should rarely be directly switched in, especially after its Berry Juice has been consumed.
Team Options
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It is strongly recommended to have a teammate that can take on bulky Water-types like Slowpoke for Archen. Therefore, Chinchou and Magnemite are good teammates that can form a VoltTurn core and also deal with Steel-, Ice-, and Electric-types. This set appreciates Defog or Rapid Spin support, making Drilbur, Vullaby, and Staryu good teammates.
Fast Support
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name: Fast Support
move 1: Defog / Stealth Rock
move 2: Rock Slide / Stealth Rock
move 3: Acrobatics / Knock Off / U-turn
move 4: Earthquake
ability: Defeatist
item: Berry Juice
evs: 76 HP / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
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Archen is one of the few viable Pokemon in Little Cup to get Defog, which it can use to quickly remove entry hazards. Rock Slide is a powerful Rock-type STAB move that also has a 30% chance to cause the opponent to flinch. Stealth Rock can be used instead of either Defog or Rock Slide to make Archen even more support-oriented. In the third moveslot, Archen has lots of options. Acrobatics becomes a 110 Base Power Flying-type STAB move if Berry Juice is either consumed or lost. Knock Off cripples switch-ins, and the removal of an opponent's item can benefit the rest of the team. Finally, U-turn can be used to gain momentum. Earthquake hits opposing Pawniard that may want to switch in on Defog, and it also helps Archen deal with Electric-types such as Magnemite and Chinchou.
Set Details
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A Jolly nature and 196 Speed EVs are used to Speed tie with Jolly Mienfoo and outspeed both Jolly Pawniard without Choice Scarf and non-Timid Chinchou. The remaining EVs are used to improve general bulk. Berry Juice is used for recovery, while also helping to negate Defeatist.
Usage Tips
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This set works as a fast pivot. Send Archen in on Normal- or Flying-types such as Fletchling, force a switch, and set up Stealth Rock or use Defog. The main aim of this set is to maintain hazard control and check threats such as Bunnelby, Zigzagoon, and Fletchling.
Team Options
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Archen deeply appreciates teammates that can deal with Steel-, Water-, Ice-, and Electric-types. Chinchou resists all four types and therefore has fantastic defensive synergy with Archen. Munchlax is another good option which shrugs off special Water-, Ice-, and Electric-type moves due to its enormous special bulk. Diglett, Timburr, and Croagunk all deal with Pawniard, making it easier for Archen to do its job. Grass-types also love having Archen as a teammate, as it can easily take Bug-, Fire-, and Flying-type moves.
Defensive
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name: Defensive
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Roost
move 3: U-turn / Earthquake / Knock Off
move 4: Defog / Stealth Rock
ability: Defeatist
item: Eviolite
evs: 236 HP / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 36 Spe
nature: Impish
Moves
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Rock Slide is Archen's STAB move, hitting most opponents hard while also having a nice 30% chance to flinch the opponent. Roost provides reliable recovery, which is mandatory for a defensive set. In the third moveslot, U-turn is great for keeping or gaining momentum, Earthquake is an option to hit Steel- and Electric-types hard, and Knock Off can remove Eviolite from bulkier walls, helping teammates perform a sweep. For the last slot, you can use either Defog or Stealth Rock. Defog is the preferred move if your team has a problem with entry hazards and already has a Stealth Rock user; otherwise, use Stealth Rock.
Set Details
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236 HP EVs is used to improve overall bulk. Since most of the attacks Archen can deal with are physical, using 156 Defense EVs and a Impish nature is therefore the best option. 76 EVs in Special Defense is used to hit an Eviolite number. 36 Speed EVs helps Archen hit 14 Speed, outspeeding defensive Mienfoo, while also Speed tying with RestTalk Chinchou and Berry Juice Magnemite.
Usage Tips
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Archen's unique typing makes it a great wall against Flying-, Fire-, Poison-, Normal-, and Bug-type Pokemon, such as Fletchling, Doduo, Houndour, Bunnelby, and Zigzagoon. This set also works like a bulky pivot with the ability to set up Stealth Rock and/or remove entry hazards. Archen's strong base 112 Attack means it's still threatening, even without any investment.
Team Options
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Archen really appreciates teammates, such as Chinchou, that can deal with Steel-, Water-, and Electric-types. Munchlax takes special attacks from Water- and Electric-types really well because of its incredible special bulk, which helps Archen a lot. Pawniard is also a huge problem for Archen, because Pawniard's Defiant ability boosts its Attack by two stages if it gets hit by Defog. Diglett and Timburr are both good teammates for dealing with Pawniard. Foongus and other Grass-types also have great synergy with Archen, because they deal with Water-types while Archen deals with Flying-, Fire-, and Bug-types. If it does not have Defog, Archen appreciates hazard removal support, so Staryu and Drilbur are therefore good teammates; Drilbur is an especially great teammate, because it threatens Electric-, Steel-, and Rock-types, and Choice Scarf sets can outspeed and OHKO Choice Scarf Pawniard.
Other Options
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Roar can be used to deal with setup sweepers. Agility can be used on an offensive set to boost Archen's Speed by two stages, allowing it to outspeed even the fastest Choice Scarf users. A Choice Scarf set with Switcheroo / U-turn / Stone Edge / Earthquake can be used. A Substitute + Endeavor Berry Juice set can also be used. Archen has access to Tailwind, a support move that doubles the Speed of all teammates as well as Archen itself for four turns. Head Smash can be used for its sheer power, but its 50% recoil damage can put Archen in Defeatist range fairly quickly, even when holding Berry Juice. Aqua Tail is an option to hit Ground- and Rock-types for super effective damage. Taunt is another option which makes Archen a brilliant lead. Even though Rock Tomb is the preferred move in most cases, Bulldoze is essentially a Ground-type version of it and could be a viable choice.
Checks & Counters
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**Steel-types**: Pawniard loves switching into Defog because of Defiant, and it OHKOes Archen with Iron Head unless Archen has Eviolite. Magnemite OHKOes even the defensive Archen set, so it can be a real problem if Archen does not have Earthquake.
**Water-types**: Offensive Chinchou Speed ties with Archen and can OHKO it with either of its STAB moves. Slowpoke can be a real problem, even with Knock Off. Staryu can spin away Archen's Stealth Rock, while also being able to outspeed and OHKO Archen. Carvanha is another huge threat, but it can only switch in on a predicted Defog or Stealth Rock.
**Faster Threats**: Choice Scarf users like Pawniard, Chinchou, Magnemite, Misdreavus, and Gastly can all OHKO Archen without Eviolite while also outspeeding it.
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