Darkrai (Analysis)

[firecape]

Darkrai

Status: Open for QC Checks

[Overview]

• Darkrai is an extremely potent sweeper with its huge Speed and Special attack stats and access to Nasty Plot.
• Its signature move, Dark Void, a Sleep move with 80% accuracy, allows it to set up with extreme ease, and makes it almost uncounterable. Bad Dreams complements it well by causing enemy Pokemon to lose health slowly as they sleep.
• Immunity to Mirror Coat means Wobbuffet can't touch it at all.
• Darkrai's only real flaw is its below average defenses.

[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Dark Void
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Focus Blast / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Focus Sash
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Set Comments:

• The game plan with this set is to come in on something you can outspeed, put it to sleep with Dark Void, then get in a Nasty Plot and sweep.
• STAB Dark Pulse combined with Focus Blast hits everything in the game for at least neutral damage except for Heracross and Toxicroak, making Darkrai extremely difficult to wall.
• Not even Blissey can stop Darkrai, as it is 2HKOed by Focus Blast after a Nasty Plot.
• Destroys defensive teams almost single-handedly.

Additional Comments:

• Substitute allows Darkrai to avoid status moves and it gives it a fighting chance against Sleep Talkers. However, without Focus Blast Darkrai will easily be walled by Steel-type Pokemon and Blissey.
• Leftovers is the preferred item with Substitute as Life Orb combined with said move will drain Darkrai's health too quickly.
• Focus Sash can be used if wanting to use this set as a lead. It can stop most support leads with a fast Dark Void and even 2HKO Mischevious Heart Taunt users such as Borutorosu with its STAB Dark Pulse. Focus Sash Darkrai can also pull off a mini-sweep early game when played right.

Teammates & Counters:

• Darkrai despises Sleep Talkers such as Kyogre and Heracross. Both of them can easily survive a boosted Dark Pulse and OHKO back with the appropriate STAB move.
• The best way to defeat Darkrai is to let something absorb Dark Void and then send in something faster to revenge kill it. Mewtwo, Shaymin-S, and Choice Scarf users such as Palkia, Kyogre, Dialga, Reshiram, and Zekrom are great choices.
• Darkrai hates strong priority attacks such as Scizor's Bullet Punch and Roobushin's Mach Punch.
• Ho-Oh can easily survive a boosted hit from Darkrai and KO it with Brave Bird. Fighting Arceus can do this as well.
• If Darkrai lacks Focus Blast any Steel-type will wall it.
• Giratina can take on Roobushin, Scizor, and Heracross with ease.
• Wobbuffet can help Darkrai set up and it can revenge kill Choice Scarf users easily thanks to Shadow Tag.
• Grass Arceus and Palkia can easily come in on Kyogre and smite it with super effective attacks.
• Ho-Oh can be checked by Zekrom. Keeping Stealth Rock on the field is also a good way to limit its ability to come in.
• Magnezone and Groudon can be used to fight off Steel-type Pokemon if Darkrai forgoes Focus Blast.
• Mewtwo can easily annihilate Fighting Arceus with STAB Psycho Break.
• Darkrai really appreciates Deoxys-S, as it can lay down entry hazards quickly to help facilitate Darkrai's sweep.

[SET]
name: Trick or Treat
move 1: Trick
move 2: Dark Void
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Nasty Plot / Focus Blast
item: Choice Scarf
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid

Set Comments:

• Darkrai is able to outspeed a ton of Pokemon with Choice Scarf and cripple them with Trick or Dark Void, allowing Darkrai to function as a great lead.
• Trick is particularly deadly on Darkrai as it screws up Sleep Talkers, its biggest nusiances.
• Dark Pulse provides reliable STAB and allows Darkrai to come back in late game to be a nice revenge killer.
• Nasty Plot can be used to allow Darkrai to go on a sweep after it has Tircked away its Scarf.

Additional Comments:

• Focus Blast is usable to revenge kill other Darkrai and Tyranitar.

Teammates & Counters:

• Leads that hold a Lum Berry and are capable of OHKOing Darkrai are this sets biggest fears. Scizor, Kyogre, Dialga, Machamp and Tyranitar are prime examples.
• Choice Scarf Shaymin-S can outspeed Darkrai and 2HKO with Air Slash while Darkrai has a 60% chance to do nothing.
• This set shares a lot of the same counters with the previous set.
• Shaymin-S and Scizor can easily be beaten by Dialga, Reshiram, or Ho-Oh.
• Quagsire is a flawless switch into lead Kyogre, and it can use the turn to do whatever it pleases. Palkia and Grass Arceus will dislike Thunder Wave but it otherwise are great switch ins as well.
• Groudon can easily take on Machamp and Tyranitar. It also makes a great Dialga check and it can set up Stealth Rock to facilitate a Darkrai sweep.
• Any teammate from the previous set works well with this one too.

[Team Options]

• Darkrai loves Stealth Rock and Spikes.
• Screen support can also make Darkrai tougher to revenge kill.
• Wobbuffet can easily trap and KO Choice Scarf users thanks to Shadow Tag, severely reducing the number of possible things that can revenge kill Darkrai.
• Reliable counters to defensive Kyogre, Heracross, Fighting Arceus, Ho-Oh, Scizor, and Roobushin are also needed.
• Ghost-types such as Giratina can beat up Roobushin, Scizor, and Heracross easily.
• The aforementioned Wobbuffet can mess up Fighting Arceus with Encore while Mewtwo can easily fell it with STAB Psycho Break.
• Kyogre can be checked by Palkia and Grass Arceus. Quagsire also fears nothing from Kyogre and can use a combination of Encore and Toxic to wear it down.
• Ho-Oh is best handled by weakening it with Stealth Rock damage backed up by a spinblocker. Zekrom also resists Ho-Oh STABS and can OHKO with Lightning. Defensive Kyogre is also a good Ho-Oh check.

[Optional Changes]

• Darkrai can use Swords Dance combined with STAB Sucker Punch to sweep from the physical side of the spectrum, but it's easily walled as Darkrai's attack is only a modest base 90.
• Spacial Rend is Darkrai's best attack against Palkia and Reshiram.
• Thunder allows Darkrai to destroy Kyogre and Ho-Oh.
• Ice Beam is usable on the Scarf set to revenge kill Dragon Dance Rayquaza and Salamence.
• Psychic is Darkrai's best attack against Roobushin, Fighting Arceus, and Heracross, but has little use otherwise.

[Counters]

• The best way to handle Darkrai is to let something absorb Dark Void and then send in something that is faster or capable of living a boosted hit that can OHKO it.
• Sleep Talkers such as Kyogre and Heracross can absorb Dark Void can do all of the above.
• Fighting Arceus and Ho-Oh can come in on anything except Dark Void and OHKO Darkrai with Judgment/Brave Bird respectively.
• Strong Choice Scarf Pokemon such as Dialga, Palkia, Garchomp, Kyogre, Reshiram, and Zekrom can revenge kill Darkrai easily.
• Scizor can OHKO Darkrai with U-turn and can survie most of its hits. However, a +2 Life Orb Focus Blast will OHKO Scizor.
• Roobushin resists Darkrai's STAB and can smash it to pieces with Mach Punch.

[Dream World]

• Darkrai does not get a Dream World ability.

 

[Fireburn]

Obv I'm approving this as I wrote the skeleton. :P

QC APPROVED (1/2)

 

[trickroom]

I think Shaymin-S should be a decent check as it is naturally faster than Dakrai and can 2HKO Darkrai with Air Slash or OHKO with Life Orb / Specs Seed Flare.

While KOed by anymove, Deoxys-A and Deoxys can revenge kill Darkrai with Superpower

The odd Shubarugo has enough Special Defense to survive +2 Focus Blast and OHKO Darkrai with Megahorn. Shubarugo has much better Defenses than Scizor.

In the Dream World Section I think Scarf Shandera should be mentioned as a threat to Darkrai. As Shandera can come in on any move not named Dark Pulse or Dark Void while OHKOing Darkrai with Overheat. Genosect resists Dark Pulse and has better Special bulk than Scizor, while a U-Turn can easily finish Darkrai off.

 

[Fireburn]

Taken over by barry4ever.