[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Taunt / Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Stealth Rock / Taunt / Defog / Refresh
move 4: Recover
item: Pixie Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Bold / Calm
evs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 124 Spe or 248 HP / 136 Def / 108 SpD / 16 Spe
tera type: Water / Poison
[SET COMMENTS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
Set(s) by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zastra.558636/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
name: Defensive
move 1: Judgment
move 2: Taunt / Toxic / Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Stealth Rock / Taunt / Defog / Refresh
move 4: Recover
item: Pixie Plate
ability: Multitype
nature: Bold / Calm
evs: 248 HP / 136 Def / 124 Spe or 248 HP / 136 Def / 108 SpD / 16 Spe
tera type: Water / Poison
[SET COMMENTS]
- Arceus-Fairy can perform a wide variety of defensive roles thanks to its Fairy typing, solid stats, wide movepool, and a nice Speed tier. It is able to switch into multiple top threats of the metagame such as Mega Salamence, Yveltal, Zygarde, Arceus-Dark, and Marshadow and cripple them with various options or set Stealth Rock as they're forced out, enabling it to fit in balance and defensive team structures.
- Taunt allows Arceus-Fairy to prevent setup, recovery, entry hazards, hazard control via Defog, and crippling status moves such as Glare and Toxic from Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, Zygarde, Ho-Oh, and Giratina-O. This move isn't recommended on specially defensive variants, as it's relatively easy for foes, such as some variants of the Pokemon listed above, to outspeed Arceus-Fairy, thus rendering most of Taunt's purposes niche.
- Toxic complements Judgment to cripple foes that can easily switch into it, including Ho-Oh, Arceus-Ground, and Primal Groudon, Will-O-Wisp alternatively allows Arceus-Fairy to cripple the Poison- and Steel-types it lures in, such as Zacian-C, Necrozma-DM, and Eternatus, while also creating an easier matchup against multiple physical attackers such as Terastallized Zygarde and Marshadow.
- Stealth Rock forces progress for Arceus-Fairy's team, as it forces out relevant hazard removers such as Yveltal and Giratina-O. With Stealth Rock active, Arceus-Fairy has high odds to OHKO Ultra Necrozma and Palkia-O with Judgment.
- Given Arceus-Fairy can often stay in on common hazard setters such as Primal Groudon, if Arceus-Fairy has Toxic, and opposing support Arceus formes, it can act as a viable Defogger.
- Refresh increases Arceus-Fairy's longevity and consistency at checking foes, reducing the potential risk of switching into Glare from Zygarde and Toxic from Ho-Oh, Arceus-Dark, and Primal Groudon. It also renders special sets of Giratina-O unable to do much in return, as Hex does poor damage without a status condition.
- The given EV spread with a Bold nature allows Arceus-Fairy to outspeed Primal Groudon to better facilitate using Taunt and Recover, with the rest of the EVs being placed in Defense to render it as physically bulky as possible, letting it avoid a 2HKO from Choice Band Marshadow's Poltergeist.
- Alternatively, a specially defensive spread of 248 HP / 136 Def / 108 SpD / 16 Spe with a Calm nature lets Arceus-Fairy avoid a 2HKO from Palkia-O's Hydro Pump and Primal Groudon's Overheat and a 2HKO from Choice Band Marshadow's Spectral Thief after Stealth Rock, and it can outspeed uninvested Primal Groudon. Additionally it also allows Arceus-Fairy to check Mega Mewtwo Y, and after Terastallizing to the Poison-type, Eternatus. This spread, however, has the flaws of being easier to overwhelm by physical attackers and vulnerability to Taunt from Pokemon such as other defensive Arceus formes and Terastallized Yveltal.
- Tera Water lets Arceus-Fairy more comfortably wall foes such as Primal Groudon, Zacian-C and Necrozma-DM, in turn allowing Arceus-Fairy to cripple them with a status condition. Arceus-Fairy also gains a resistance to Palkia-O's Hydro Pump, granting it the momentum to greatly damage it even if it uses its physically defensive spread.
- Tera Poison increases Arceus-Fairy's longevity by giving it an immunity to Toxic and removing its weaknesses to Steel- and Poison-type moves, letting it switch into Zacian-C, Eternatus without Meteor Beam, Giratina-O, Arceus-Dark, and opposing Arceus-Fairy.
- Arceus-Fairy is a Pokemon that does not Terastallize often, as its innate typing already provides the option to act as a wall for a good portion of the metagame, and its allies often make better use of it.
- Arceus-Fairy's Judgment is often easy to switch into early- to mid-game, so most of the time utility moves are used instead for consistency and to continue making progress by crippling the other team.
- Depending on the moveset, Arceus-Fairy can't respond to foes that resist Judgment such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Necrozma-DM; therefore, it appreciates Pokemon that can answer them, which include Giratina-O, Primal Kyogre, and Marshadow.
- Arceus-Fairy's bulk can be lacking on one side depending on its EV spread. Physically defensive variants can struggle against Palkia-O, Eternatus, and Arceus formes with Calm Mind, so it appreciates checks to them to complement its own defensive attributes like Ho-Oh, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Groudon. Meanwhile, specially defensive variants can have notable difficulties checking physical sweepers, which include Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence and Arceus, so Pokemon that can switch into them such as Giratina-O and Necrozma-DM are appreciated.
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
Set(s) by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/gangsta-spongebob.535530/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zastra.558636/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/
Last edited: