In-battle formes
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| HP: | 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Attack: | 180 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 180 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 150 |
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Strategies
- en
- Uber
Overview
Deoxys-A is the best cleaner and revenge killer in Ubers, with the offense to 2HKO most Pokemon in the tier and the Speed to outspeed them all, besides weather sweepers. Its relative ease to keep hidden in the back of a team, combined with the stark variation between its three potential held items, keeps opponents guessing. To back up these traits, Deoxys-A also has an exotic and powerful movepool with everything from Ice Beam to Superpower and Extreme Speed. Extreme Speed's priority, especially, is scarce and invaluable for extra protection against some of the tier's greatest endgame threats, such as Salac Berry Groudon, Salac Berry Kyogre, weather sweepers, and opposing Deoxys-A. However, Deoxys-A remains the ultimate glass cannon, with zero defensive utility outside of priority. It therefore requires revenge killing or smart pivots to get it into play. Additionally, teams explicitly structure themselves against Deoxys-A's movepool by combining Normal-types, Steel-types, and a Fighting-resistant Pokemon, thereby forcing prediction when using a Choice Band or Superpower.
Spell Tag
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Set Description
Spell Tag gives a small power boost to Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball, which lets Deoxys-A always OHKO Latios and substantially increases its chance at KOing a chipped Latias, while still allowing it to switch between moves. This lets it unleash a surprise coverage move and clean or wallbreak more flexibly. Extreme Speed grants some protection against the few Pokemon capable of revenge killing Deoxys-A, such as Rayquaza, Omastar, Qwilfish, Kabutops, Exeggutor, Shiftry, and opposing Deoxys-A. In addition to Latios and Latias, Shadow Ball also hits Mewtwo, Lugia, Gengar, Shedinja, and Dusclops. Superpower is how Deoxys-A smacks Normal- and Steel-types and is Spell Tag Deoxys-A's strongest move. Rock Slide is great for teams that need to more easily handle Ho-Oh, and it can fish for free turns when paired with paralysis spreaders. Fire Punch pairs with sun teams to deal major damage to conventional Deoxys-A checks such as Forretress, Skarmory, Metagross, and Jirachi. Thunder is a good counterpart for rain teams, making surprising use of Deoxys-A's high Special Attack against Pokemon such as Kyogre and Skarmory. Solar Beam is also an option for teams that really need Deoxys-A to blast through Groudon, and Pursuit helps it securely revenge kill Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, Mewtwo, and potentially other Deoxys-A. Extreme Speed can be potentially dropped for another coverage move on teams that don't necessarily need the extra revenge killing potential. A Jolly nature may be used to provide additional protection against opposing Deoxys-A. Run a Lonely nature if using a special attack such as Fire Punch, Thunder, Solar Beam, or Pursuit.
Team Options
Spell Tag Deoxys-A fits on a wide range of teams, from hyper offense to bulky offense and balance teams, and it requires no specific support. Because Spell Tag Deoxys-A is somewhat customizable in regards to what threats it can bypass, its teammates more often determine the set than the other way around. Common major obstacles for Deoxys-A are Steel-types, most notably Pursuit Metagross, so Magneton and Dugtrio are good choices to trap them, and they make a move choice such as Rock Slide more appealing. A full-health Kyogre or Groudon is an effective check when not running Thunder or Solar Beam, so Spikes setters such as Forretress, Skarmory, Omastar, and Qwilfish are highly effective, and they double as a way to get residual damage on Steel-types. Physical attackers that place strain on defensive Kyogre, Groudon, defensive Latias, and/or Steel-types are also good partners, such as Curse Snorlax, offensive Groudon sets, and Choice Band users such as Metagross, Snorlax, Ho-Oh, Heracross, Rayquaza, and Lugia. Deoxys-A also appreciates a team structure that can combat opposing weather sweepers, so running Groudon, Kyogre, or both is highly recommended.
Choice Band
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Set Description
Choice Band maximizes Deoxys-A's power to bust through bulky threats, especially Kyogre and Groudon, when cleaning or wallbreaking. Extreme Speed grants some protection against the few Pokemon capable of revenge killing Deoxys-A, such as Rayquaza, weather sweepers, and opposing Deoxys-A. Shadow Ball is mainly for Latios and Latias, but it also hits Mewtwo, Lugia, Gengar, Shedinja, and Dusclops, and it is fairly spammable if Normal-types have been eliminated. Superpower is how Deoxys-A breaks through Normal- and Steel-types, but it can be unfavorable to lock into due to Ghost-types, Latios, Latias, and the Attack drops. Double-Edge is the strongest reliable move available to Deoxys-A, dealing high damage to key targets such as Kyogre, Groudon, and Ho-Oh without locking Deoxys-A into Superpower or Shadow Ball, moves which more common foes are resistant or immune to. Rock Slide is for teams that need to more easily bypass Ho-Oh, and it can fish for free turns when paired with paralysis spreaders. Fire Punch can be used on sun teams to surprise typical Choice Band Deoxys-A switch-ins, such as Forretress, Skarmory, Metagross, and Jirachi. Pursuit is also a worthy option to securely revenge kill Pokemon such as Latios, Latias, Mewtwo, and potentially other Deoxys-A. A Jolly nature may be used to provide additional protection against opposing Deoxys-A. Run a Lonely nature if using a special attack such as Fire Punch or Pursuit.
Team Options
Choice Band Deoxys-A fits on hyper offense and bulky offense teams as the most immediately powerful cleaner around. The major obstacles for its cleaning are Pokemon that deny it from easily clicking Double-Edge or Shadow Ball, which are primarily Steel-types, especially Pursuit Metagross. Magneton, Dugtrio, and Spikes setters, such as Forretress, Skarmory, Omastar, and Qwilfish, are highly effective at trapping and removing them or chipping them down. Physical attackers that place strain on defensive Kyogre, Groudon, defensive Latias, and/or Steel-types are also good partners, softening up these targets for Deoxys-A to clean; Curse Snorlax, offensive Groudon sets, and Choice Band users such as Metagross, Snorlax, Ho-Oh, Heracross, Rayquaza, and Lugia all accomplish this. Some of the few Pokemon that can outspeed Deoxys-A are weather sweepers, so running Groudon, Kyogre, or both is highly recommended to help keep the weather in your favor. Blissey is also a notable partner, as it can stonewall most Latios and Latias sets, giving Deoxys-A a safe switch into these threats if it's locked into Superpower.
SubPetaya
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Set Description
Substitute eases Deoxys-A's reliance on prediction and also allows it to activate Petaya Berry, which turns it into a powerful specially-based cleaner. BoltBeam covers most of the tier, and with maximum Special Attack investment, Ice Beam even OHKOes Latios when boosted. Superpower bypasses BoltBeam checks such as Blissey, Snorlax, Tyranitar, Regice, and Umbreon. A Hasty nature allows Deoxys-A to outspeed standard Salac Berry Groudon and Heracross at the cost of some power, which is notable for teams weak to these threats. 30 HP IVs are utilized to activate Petaya Berry on the third Substitute. Thunderbolt can be used instead of Thunder if using this set without rain support, but it is substantially less likely to secure KOs on Kyogre and Ho-Oh.
Team Options
This set functions best when using Thunder, which entails a rain team with Kyogre, and like with physical Deoxys-A, this set also appreciates Kyogre helping neutralize sun sweepers. A rain sweeper such as Omastar or Qwilfish can provide a defense against opposing Deoxys-A. SubPetaya Deoxys-A cannot hit Shedinja, so Spikes support from Forretress, Skarmory, Omastar, or Qwilfish is essential, and this also helps pressure Steel-types. Steel-types that take neutral damage from Superpower and Thunder, like Metagross, are also effective checks to this set, so running Magneton or Dugtrio to trap them is also effective.
Other Options
Physical Deoxys-A has a fourth moveslot that is rather flexible, but most of the other moves it gets, such as Psycho Boost, Focus Punch, Spikes, and Knock Off, are far less useful that what's already been discussed.
Checks and Counters
Steel-types: Metagross and Jirachi resist most of Deoxys-A's moves, and they can take a Superpower or Thunder. Metagross is one of the few Deoxys-A switch-ins, boasting good bulk and the ability to KO or even Pursuit trap it. Jirachi has slightly less physical bulk and lacks Pursuit. Forretress and Skarmory share most of their resistances, are also neutral to Superpower, and have high physical bulk, but a +1 Thunder KOes them. Skarmory can also phaze Substitute variants.
Defensive Kyogre and Groudon: Although they struggle against the SubPetaya set, defensive Kyogre and Groudon can comfortably tank physical Deoxys-A's attacks, being major obstacles for a successful clean.
Pursuit: In addition to Metagross, Pokemon such as Dusclops, Tyranitar, and opposing Deoxys-A can threaten it with Pursuit, and the former two can switch into some of Deoxys-A's attacks.
Defensive Ho-Oh and Lugia: Defensive Ho-Oh and Lugia have the physical bulk to take most physical attacks and are effective against Petaya Berry Deoxys-A in sun, but they can fall to Rock Slide and/or Thunder.
Defensive Latias: It does take major damage from a Choice Band-boosted Shadow Ball, but defensive Latias can tank any Deoxys-A attack and KO back with Dragon Claw.
Swampert: Bulky and difficult for Deoxys-A to hit effectively, especially for the SubPetaya set, Swampert can tank Deoxys-A's attacks and KO back.
Revenge Killers: Extreme Speed users such as Rayquaza and opposing Deoxys-A, as well as Deoxys-S and weather sweepers such as Omastar, Exeggutor, Kabutops, Qwilfish, and Shiftry, are the only Pokemon that can attack before Deoxys-A. Omastar and Kabutops especially resist Extreme Speed and have good physical bulk.
Protect: Although a somewhat uncommon move, Protect can scout out Choice Band Deoxys-A's moves, allowing for a safe response.
Credits
- Written by Minority
- Quality checked by Inspirited and Exiline
- Grammar checked by Adeleine and aurora
- Uber
