[OVERVIEW]
Arceus-Water is one of the best physical walls in the metagame, being used on balance and bulky offense teams to check top threats like Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Koraidon with its great bulk, typing, and utility moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail. It can also be a decent wincon with Calm Mind, using its defensive profile to repeatedly set up and avoid revenge killing attempts. However, Pokemon like Miraidon and Eternatus can relatively freely switch into Arceus-Water and threaten it, the omnipresent Koraidon's sun weakens its Judgment, and it is vulnerable to being worn down by entry hazards into KO range of foes it's supposed to check.
[SET]
Defensive (Arceus-Water) @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
Tera Type: Fairy / Poison
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Judgment
- Recover
- Dragon Tail / Taunt / Stealth Rock
[SET COMMENTS]
Arceus-Water is a good check to dangerous physical attackers like Necrozma-DM, Koraidon, Ho-Oh, Arceus, Arceus-Ground, and Zacian-C, as well as soft checking non-Thunder Kyogre. Its resistances to moves like Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike and Koraidon's Flare Blitz and—most importantly—its ability to beat Ho-Oh set it apart from its main competition in Arceus-Ground. Dragon Tail phazes setup sweepers like Necrozma-DM and Arceus formes, as well as chipping Pokemon such as Miraidon and Eternatus on the switch-in and racking up entry hazard damage. Alternatively, Taunt stops setup sweepers from boosting and stop Pokemon like Ting-Lu from laying entry hazards. Draco Meteor is also an option in this moveslot. It can choose to run Stealth Rock instead to greatly hinder Choice Band Ho-Oh and weaken defensive Pokemon for its teammates. Tera Fairy lets Arceus-Water more comfortably take Koraidon's Low Kick and completely blocks its Scale Shot, denying its Speed boost, albeit at the cost of making it weak to Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike. Tera Poison also gives it a resistance to Low Kick, as well as letting it absorb Toxic Spikes and be immune to Toxic from Eternatus and improving its matchup against Wild Charge Zacian-C; Tera Poison does leave it vulnerable to foes like Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Ground, though. Both Tera types also help by removing Arceus-Water's weaknesses to Miraidon's Electro Drift and Calyrex-S's Grass Knot in a pinch. 16 Speed EVs let Arceus-Water outpace base 90 Speed foes such as Kyogre.
Arceus-Water should be used on balance and bulky offense teams, where both offensive Pokemon and walls benefit from its defensive utility. Arceus-Water can switch into walls like Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground and common revenge killers like Arceus and Choice Scarf Koraidon for offensive teammates such as Calyrex-S, Miraidon, Arceus, and Zacian-C. In return, the former two can threaten Eternatus, one of Arceus-Water's biggest problems, and the latter can safely switch into Eternatus lacking a Fire-type move. Necrozma-DM appreciates Arceus-Water checking Koraidon and Arceus-Ground; additionally, Necrozma-DM helps handle Wild Charge Zacian-C, can take Choice Band Ho-Oh's Brave Bird—which 2HKOes Arceus-Water with entry hazards up, and is the best Eternatus check in the metagame. Ting-Lu can handle Calyrex-S, Miraidon, and, to a certain extent, Eternatus for Arceus-Water and appreciates it taking on Pokemon like Koraidon, Ho-Oh, and Zacian-C. Eternatus can check Kyogre and absorb Toxic Spikes for Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Water deals with Ground-types like Arceus-Ground and Ting-Lu. Ho-Oh likes that Arceus-Water can help check Pokemon like Koraidon and Arceus and check Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground and some Kyogre. Offensive Ho-Oh in particular can also potentially lure in and KO Eternatus.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Defensive Arceus-Water can use Calm Mind in the fourth moveslot to turn into a decent wincon, as it can use its bulk to set up on the foes its checks and avoid being revenge killed by Pokemon like Koraidon and Arceus. Draco Meteor is also an option in this moveslot to chip Koraidon, Miraidon, and Eternatus more reliably than Dragon Tail; Miriadon can only switch into it once, and it has a good chance to 2HKO Koraidon. Thunder Wave can be used over Will-O-Wisp to debilitate Calyrex-S, Eternatus, Ho-Oh, and Tera Fire users like Koraidon and Necrozma-DM, but this makes Arceus-Water worse against Arceus and Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Miriadon**: Miraidon can switch into any of Arceus-Water's moves bar Dragon Tail with very little consequence to fire off its powerful attacks or grab momentum with U-turn.
**Eternatus**: Eternatus can repeatedly take Arceus-Water's moves and cripple it with Toxic or lay Toxic Spikes against it, though Tera Poison prevents this.
**Calyrex-S**: Calyrex-S can pretty safely switch into Arceus-Water, usually at worst taking a chunk from Judgment or being forced out by Dragon Tail, and use this as an opportunity to set up or immediately wallbreak. Notwithstanding, the rare Thunder Wave completely ruins Calyrex-S.
**Kyogre**: Kyogre is similarly able to use Arceus-Water as an entry point to use Calm Mind, Thunder, or Origin Pulse; it loses to Calm Mind Arceus-Water if it lacks Thunder, however.
**Sun**: Koraidon's sun severely weakens Arceus-Water's Judgment, making it struggle against foes like Ho-Oh, Ting-Lu, and Arceus-Ground or potentially impeding its sweep.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Arceus-Water is one of the best physical walls in the metagame, being used on balance and bulky offense teams to check top threats like Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and Koraidon with its great bulk, typing, and utility moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Dragon Tail. It can also be a decent wincon with Calm Mind, using its defensive profile to repeatedly set up and avoid revenge killing attempts. However, Pokemon like Miraidon and Eternatus can relatively freely switch into Arceus-Water and threaten it, the omnipresent Koraidon's sun weakens its Judgment, and it is vulnerable to being worn down by entry hazards into KO range of foes it's supposed to check.
[SET]
Defensive (Arceus-Water) @ Splash Plate
Ability: Multitype
EVs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe
Tera Type: Fairy / Poison
Bold Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Judgment
- Recover
- Dragon Tail / Taunt / Stealth Rock
[SET COMMENTS]
Arceus-Water is a good check to dangerous physical attackers like Necrozma-DM, Koraidon, Ho-Oh, Arceus, Arceus-Ground, and Zacian-C, as well as soft checking non-Thunder Kyogre. Its resistances to moves like Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike and Koraidon's Flare Blitz and—most importantly—its ability to beat Ho-Oh set it apart from its main competition in Arceus-Ground. Dragon Tail phazes setup sweepers like Necrozma-DM and Arceus formes, as well as chipping Pokemon such as Miraidon and Eternatus on the switch-in and racking up entry hazard damage. Alternatively, Taunt stops setup sweepers from boosting and stop Pokemon like Ting-Lu from laying entry hazards. Draco Meteor is also an option in this moveslot. It can choose to run Stealth Rock instead to greatly hinder Choice Band Ho-Oh and weaken defensive Pokemon for its teammates. Tera Fairy lets Arceus-Water more comfortably take Koraidon's Low Kick and completely blocks its Scale Shot, denying its Speed boost, albeit at the cost of making it weak to Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike. Tera Poison also gives it a resistance to Low Kick, as well as letting it absorb Toxic Spikes and be immune to Toxic from Eternatus and improving its matchup against Wild Charge Zacian-C; Tera Poison does leave it vulnerable to foes like Necrozma-DM and Arceus-Ground, though. Both Tera types also help by removing Arceus-Water's weaknesses to Miraidon's Electro Drift and Calyrex-S's Grass Knot in a pinch. 16 Speed EVs let Arceus-Water outpace base 90 Speed foes such as Kyogre.
Arceus-Water should be used on balance and bulky offense teams, where both offensive Pokemon and walls benefit from its defensive utility. Arceus-Water can switch into walls like Ho-Oh and Arceus-Ground and common revenge killers like Arceus and Choice Scarf Koraidon for offensive teammates such as Calyrex-S, Miraidon, Arceus, and Zacian-C. In return, the former two can threaten Eternatus, one of Arceus-Water's biggest problems, and the latter can safely switch into Eternatus lacking a Fire-type move. Necrozma-DM appreciates Arceus-Water checking Koraidon and Arceus-Ground; additionally, Necrozma-DM helps handle Wild Charge Zacian-C, can take Choice Band Ho-Oh's Brave Bird—which 2HKOes Arceus-Water with entry hazards up, and is the best Eternatus check in the metagame. Ting-Lu can handle Calyrex-S, Miraidon, and, to a certain extent, Eternatus for Arceus-Water and appreciates it taking on Pokemon like Koraidon, Ho-Oh, and Zacian-C. Eternatus can check Kyogre and absorb Toxic Spikes for Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Water deals with Ground-types like Arceus-Ground and Ting-Lu. Ho-Oh likes that Arceus-Water can help check Pokemon like Koraidon and Arceus and check Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground and some Kyogre. Offensive Ho-Oh in particular can also potentially lure in and KO Eternatus.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Defensive Arceus-Water can use Calm Mind in the fourth moveslot to turn into a decent wincon, as it can use its bulk to set up on the foes its checks and avoid being revenge killed by Pokemon like Koraidon and Arceus. Draco Meteor is also an option in this moveslot to chip Koraidon, Miraidon, and Eternatus more reliably than Dragon Tail; Miriadon can only switch into it once, and it has a good chance to 2HKO Koraidon. Thunder Wave can be used over Will-O-Wisp to debilitate Calyrex-S, Eternatus, Ho-Oh, and Tera Fire users like Koraidon and Necrozma-DM, but this makes Arceus-Water worse against Arceus and Dragon Dance Arceus-Ground.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Miriadon**: Miraidon can switch into any of Arceus-Water's moves bar Dragon Tail with very little consequence to fire off its powerful attacks or grab momentum with U-turn.
**Eternatus**: Eternatus can repeatedly take Arceus-Water's moves and cripple it with Toxic or lay Toxic Spikes against it, though Tera Poison prevents this.
**Calyrex-S**: Calyrex-S can pretty safely switch into Arceus-Water, usually at worst taking a chunk from Judgment or being forced out by Dragon Tail, and use this as an opportunity to set up or immediately wallbreak. Notwithstanding, the rare Thunder Wave completely ruins Calyrex-S.
**Kyogre**: Kyogre is similarly able to use Arceus-Water as an entry point to use Calm Mind, Thunder, or Origin Pulse; it loses to Calm Mind Arceus-Water if it lacks Thunder, however.
**Sun**: Koraidon's sun severely weakens Arceus-Water's Judgment, making it struggle against foes like Ho-Oh, Ting-Lu, and Arceus-Ground or potentially impeding its sweep.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rose.511181/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/glory.584685/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
Last edited:
