[OVERVIEW]
Deoxys-D has very good mixed defenses and an amazing movepool. It can check a number of threats resiliently with Recover, most notably Latios as well as Metagross, Rayquaza, and some Mewtwo. Knock Off and Spikes are both widely although not immediately threatening, and a fast Taunt beats Pokemon that are otherwise hard to reliably counter. Unlike other Spikes users, Deoxys-D has acceptable lead matchups, often getting Spikes up early in the game. Checking Explosion and Self-Destruct users also allows it to protect other more valuable members of its team from those moves.
Nevertheless, its excellent movepool leaves it with more useful moves than it has moveslots for. On stall, it is often in competition with Ho-Oh for a teamslot, which also absorbs Explosion and Self-Destruct reliably and is also capable of making progress, while furthermore being a reliable Deoxys-A check. Unlike Ho-Oh, Deoxys-D threatens long-term progress rather than immediate damage, leaving it vulnerable to setup from the likes of SubCMers and Curse+Rest Snorlax. Finally, Deoxys-D cannot be used alongside the overall much better Deoxys-A, not only precluding it as a team option on offense but often immediately telegraphing your lack of Deoxys-A to your opponent. Deoxys-D fits best on stall wanting to make use of its slow progress and ability to absorb Explosion and Self-Destruct or on offense wanting Spikes up as quickly as possible.
[SET]
name: Stall Lead
move 1: Recover
move 2: Seismic Toss / Toxic
move 3: Knock Off / Taunt
move 4: Taunt / Knock Off / Spikes
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 160 SpD / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
On stall, Deoxys-D pressures Metagross and lead Mewtwo enough to usually force them to either switch out or use Self-Destruct or Explosion, and uses its excellent movepool to make incremental progress. Knock Off debilitates Latios and Latias and scares nearly every other Pokemon long-term, but can only hit each Pokemon once. Spikes force damage on grouded opponents, and generally threaten to make significant progress if Deoxys-D is given free turns. Knock Off and Spikes, whether the latter is on Deoxys-D or a teammate, pair well if you can Knock Off a Metagross', Snorlax', Forretress', Kyogre's, or Groudon's Leftovers, as these Pokemon will quickly accrue damage through Spikes without being cushioned by Leftovers. Taunt prevents setup from Groudon and Forretress, and Toxic from Blissey, as well as Encore from Wobbuffet. Seismic Toss lets it threaten Mewtwo enough to usually force it to switch or Self-Destruct, as well as letting Deoxys-D check Metagross and wear down Forretress. Alternatively, Toxic lets Deoxys-D stall out Mewtwo leads by Knocking Off their Lum Berry, Toxicing, then Recovering repeatedly, and trades ability to hit Metagross for greater damage over time, the ability to threaten Pokemon that can set up as they switch in, and the ability to push through Pokemon that can otherwise wall Deoxys-D via recovery. While Deoxys-D is generally very effective against slower-paced teams, Spikes combined with Knock Off is particularly valuable against Forretress, as the opponent is forced to either allow their Forretress to lose its Leftovers and thereby usually lose the Spikes game long-term, or accept Spikes immediately and lose it short-term.
96 Speed beats nearly every Metagross, letting you check it more reliably, and many Kyogre and Groudon, allowing you to usually prevent their setup. 252 HP, 160 SpD and a Calm nature give Deoxys-D very good physical and special bulk. If running Taunt, a faster spread of 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, still with a Calm nature, outspeeds not only every Metagross and almost all Kyogre and Groudon but also Smeargle, completely neutralizing it; reduced Special Defense investment leaves it less resilient to Mewtwo's and Latios' attacks, however. Deoxys-D is vulnerable to all forms of status, particularly Paralysis from Latios' Thunder, and care must be taken to avoid risking status landing on it.
Fire Punch is an option in any of the last three moveslots: it hits Forretress and Metagross harder and thus more reliably keeps Spikes up vs the former and checks the latter, but would need you to either weaken its matchup into lead Mewtwo considerably or lose out on another utility move; Fire Punch also hits Heracross somewhat harder on the switch or to finish it off. Night Shade instead of Seismic Toss hits Gengar, letting you serve as a stronger check to it but leaving you with more difficulty pressuring Blissey and Snorlax. Deoxys-D can drop Seismic Toss entirely for a third utility move if its team has a strong Mewtwo and Metagross check otherwise. Lastly, Cosmic Power in a utility slot, usually alongside Taunt, boosts Deoxys-D's defenses to let it wall Mewtwo and Metagross much more effectively and potentially sweep lategame.
[SET]
name: Offense Lead
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Seismic Toss / Fire Punch
move 4: Thunder Wave / Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
On offense, Deoxys-D's job is to quickly set Spikes versus most common leads. Taunt both prevents opposing Pokemon like Kyogre and Groudon from setting up while Spikes are being set and blocks Forretress' attempts to set its own Spikes. Fire Punch or Seismic Toss hits Forretress if it attempts to prevent Spikes, with the former hitting it harder but having more narrow application and leaving you weaker to Mewtwo. The last moveslot is flexible, with Thunder Wave's paralysis being overall the most valuable against the widest range of foes, and Recover allowing Deoxys-D to act as a stronger defensive piece and potentially set Spikes later in the game if they are removed. Other options for this slot include Knock Off to strongly threaten Latios and Psycho Boost to reduce Deoxys-D's weakness to Heracross. 252 Speed is sufficient to nearly always outspeed opposing Kyogre and Groudon, and 252 HP and 4 SpD with a Calm nature give Deoxys-D excellent mixed bulk.
Because Deoxys-D's utility on offense is reliable early Spikes, care should be taken when building and playing to prevent opposing Forretress from spinning, or at least to trade significant progress for the spin. If not running Recover, Deoxys-D cannot reliably set Spikes later in the game, so allowing the opponent to spin is particularly to be avoided.
Team Options
========
On stall, Blissey's Heal Bell is valuable to remove the status that Deoxys-D struggles with, and to check Latios and Latias more sturdily if Deoxys-D is weakened or eliminated or if rain is up.
Also on stall, Forretress's Rapid Spin prevents Deoxys-D's team from being worn down by Spikes. Forretress' Spikes make it easier to forego Spikes on your own Deoxys-D.
Groudon's sun blocks Thunders, making Deoxys-D a much more reliable switchin to Latios. On offense, Groudon's sun is crucial to allow Deoxys-D's teammates to outspeed and KO Forretress with fire moves before it can spin.
Kyogre will make Deoxys-D much more vulnerable to Latios but precludes Ho-Oh, with which Deoxys-D is otherwise in competition.
A resilient check to Heracross such as Lugia, to Snorlax such as Bulk Up Groudon, and to SubCMers such as Latias are all necessary to alleviate the weaknesses Deoxys-D has to these Pokemon.
On offense, Rayquaza is a good partner, providing priority to the team and potentially both breaking and cleaning ability.
Also on offense, Gengar can spinblock, significantly improving the team's ability to keep Spikes up agains Forretress.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- A physically defensive spread is viable, which checks Metagross and Rayquaza more effectively, at peril of being weaker to lead Mewtwo; it fits best on teams that otherwise can handle Mewtwo well.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Heracross**: Heracross' Megahorn threatens to KO Deoxys-D, giving Heracross a free hit on Deoxys-D's team's check or else a chance to set up. Heracross will often either let a Spike up on the switch or lose its item, however.
**Powerful attacks**: Deoxys-D's mixed bulk isn't quite sufficient to take the strongest attacks in the tier, so attacks like Modest Kyogre's Hydro Pump and Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball can threaten Deoxys-D out if you can get your check in safely. Switching into Deoxys-D risks allowing a Spike or losing an item, however.
**Forretress**: Forretress can spin Deoxys-D's Spikes away, but will lose its item and potentially take a Seismic Toss or two or even a Fire Punch. Losing Forretress health may not be a worthwhile trade when playing against stall and it cannot reliably keep Spikes off against Deoxys-D.
**Setup**: Deoxys-D' counterplay to setup is limited, mostly consisting of Seismic Toss and Taunt. Setup that can bypass these, such as a SubCMer faster than Deoxys-D like Mewtwo or one that can paralyze Deoxys-D and heal like Rest+Curse+Body Slam Snorlax can boost on Deoxys-D. Even a slower setup Pokemon can force Deoxys-D to Taunt every second turn and attack twice, usually enough to outdamage Deoxys-D's Recover.
**Status**: Deoxys-D is vulnerable to status, particularly status that bypasses Taunt such as status inflicted by moves not blocked by Taunt such as Body Slam; status inflicted by Pokemon faster than Deoxys-D; and status inflicted as Deoxys-D switches in.
**Sac**: Deoxys-D's threat on stall is limited to Spikes, Knock Off, and Seismic Toss, so a team with reliable Spikes counterplay or that is willing to accept Spikes can choose a Pokemon with recovery to lose its item and thereafter not fear anything from Deoxys-D.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[ajencis, 479200]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Deoxys-D has very good mixed defenses and an amazing movepool. It can check a number of threats resiliently with Recover, most notably Latios as well as Metagross, Rayquaza, and some Mewtwo. Knock Off and Spikes are both widely although not immediately threatening, and a fast Taunt beats Pokemon that are otherwise hard to reliably counter. Unlike other Spikes users, Deoxys-D has acceptable lead matchups, often getting Spikes up early in the game. Checking Explosion and Self-Destruct users also allows it to protect other more valuable members of its team from those moves.
Nevertheless, its excellent movepool leaves it with more useful moves than it has moveslots for. On stall, it is often in competition with Ho-Oh for a teamslot, which also absorbs Explosion and Self-Destruct reliably and is also capable of making progress, while furthermore being a reliable Deoxys-A check. Unlike Ho-Oh, Deoxys-D threatens long-term progress rather than immediate damage, leaving it vulnerable to setup from the likes of SubCMers and Curse+Rest Snorlax. Finally, Deoxys-D cannot be used alongside the overall much better Deoxys-A, not only precluding it as a team option on offense but often immediately telegraphing your lack of Deoxys-A to your opponent. Deoxys-D fits best on stall wanting to make use of its slow progress and ability to absorb Explosion and Self-Destruct or on offense wanting Spikes up as quickly as possible.
[SET]
name: Stall Lead
move 1: Recover
move 2: Seismic Toss / Toxic
move 3: Knock Off / Taunt
move 4: Taunt / Knock Off / Spikes
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 160 SpD / 96 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
On stall, Deoxys-D pressures Metagross and lead Mewtwo enough to usually force them to either switch out or use Self-Destruct or Explosion, and uses its excellent movepool to make incremental progress. Knock Off debilitates Latios and Latias and scares nearly every other Pokemon long-term, but can only hit each Pokemon once. Spikes force damage on grouded opponents, and generally threaten to make significant progress if Deoxys-D is given free turns. Knock Off and Spikes, whether the latter is on Deoxys-D or a teammate, pair well if you can Knock Off a Metagross', Snorlax', Forretress', Kyogre's, or Groudon's Leftovers, as these Pokemon will quickly accrue damage through Spikes without being cushioned by Leftovers. Taunt prevents setup from Groudon and Forretress, and Toxic from Blissey, as well as Encore from Wobbuffet. Seismic Toss lets it threaten Mewtwo enough to usually force it to switch or Self-Destruct, as well as letting Deoxys-D check Metagross and wear down Forretress. Alternatively, Toxic lets Deoxys-D stall out Mewtwo leads by Knocking Off their Lum Berry, Toxicing, then Recovering repeatedly, and trades ability to hit Metagross for greater damage over time, the ability to threaten Pokemon that can set up as they switch in, and the ability to push through Pokemon that can otherwise wall Deoxys-D via recovery. While Deoxys-D is generally very effective against slower-paced teams, Spikes combined with Knock Off is particularly valuable against Forretress, as the opponent is forced to either allow their Forretress to lose its Leftovers and thereby usually lose the Spikes game long-term, or accept Spikes immediately and lose it short-term.
96 Speed beats nearly every Metagross, letting you check it more reliably, and many Kyogre and Groudon, allowing you to usually prevent their setup. 252 HP, 160 SpD and a Calm nature give Deoxys-D very good physical and special bulk. If running Taunt, a faster spread of 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe, still with a Calm nature, outspeeds not only every Metagross and almost all Kyogre and Groudon but also Smeargle, completely neutralizing it; reduced Special Defense investment leaves it less resilient to Mewtwo's and Latios' attacks, however. Deoxys-D is vulnerable to all forms of status, particularly Paralysis from Latios' Thunder, and care must be taken to avoid risking status landing on it.
Fire Punch is an option in any of the last three moveslots: it hits Forretress and Metagross harder and thus more reliably keeps Spikes up vs the former and checks the latter, but would need you to either weaken its matchup into lead Mewtwo considerably or lose out on another utility move; Fire Punch also hits Heracross somewhat harder on the switch or to finish it off. Night Shade instead of Seismic Toss hits Gengar, letting you serve as a stronger check to it but leaving you with more difficulty pressuring Blissey and Snorlax. Deoxys-D can drop Seismic Toss entirely for a third utility move if its team has a strong Mewtwo and Metagross check otherwise. Lastly, Cosmic Power in a utility slot, usually alongside Taunt, boosts Deoxys-D's defenses to let it wall Mewtwo and Metagross much more effectively and potentially sweep lategame.
[SET]
name: Offense Lead
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Seismic Toss / Fire Punch
move 4: Thunder Wave / Recover
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
On offense, Deoxys-D's job is to quickly set Spikes versus most common leads. Taunt both prevents opposing Pokemon like Kyogre and Groudon from setting up while Spikes are being set and blocks Forretress' attempts to set its own Spikes. Fire Punch or Seismic Toss hits Forretress if it attempts to prevent Spikes, with the former hitting it harder but having more narrow application and leaving you weaker to Mewtwo. The last moveslot is flexible, with Thunder Wave's paralysis being overall the most valuable against the widest range of foes, and Recover allowing Deoxys-D to act as a stronger defensive piece and potentially set Spikes later in the game if they are removed. Other options for this slot include Knock Off to strongly threaten Latios and Psycho Boost to reduce Deoxys-D's weakness to Heracross. 252 Speed is sufficient to nearly always outspeed opposing Kyogre and Groudon, and 252 HP and 4 SpD with a Calm nature give Deoxys-D excellent mixed bulk.
Because Deoxys-D's utility on offense is reliable early Spikes, care should be taken when building and playing to prevent opposing Forretress from spinning, or at least to trade significant progress for the spin. If not running Recover, Deoxys-D cannot reliably set Spikes later in the game, so allowing the opponent to spin is particularly to be avoided.
Team Options
========
On stall, Blissey's Heal Bell is valuable to remove the status that Deoxys-D struggles with, and to check Latios and Latias more sturdily if Deoxys-D is weakened or eliminated or if rain is up.
Also on stall, Forretress's Rapid Spin prevents Deoxys-D's team from being worn down by Spikes. Forretress' Spikes make it easier to forego Spikes on your own Deoxys-D.
Groudon's sun blocks Thunders, making Deoxys-D a much more reliable switchin to Latios. On offense, Groudon's sun is crucial to allow Deoxys-D's teammates to outspeed and KO Forretress with fire moves before it can spin.
Kyogre will make Deoxys-D much more vulnerable to Latios but precludes Ho-Oh, with which Deoxys-D is otherwise in competition.
A resilient check to Heracross such as Lugia, to Snorlax such as Bulk Up Groudon, and to SubCMers such as Latias are all necessary to alleviate the weaknesses Deoxys-D has to these Pokemon.
On offense, Rayquaza is a good partner, providing priority to the team and potentially both breaking and cleaning ability.
Also on offense, Gengar can spinblock, significantly improving the team's ability to keep Spikes up agains Forretress.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- A physically defensive spread is viable, which checks Metagross and Rayquaza more effectively, at peril of being weaker to lead Mewtwo; it fits best on teams that otherwise can handle Mewtwo well.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Heracross**: Heracross' Megahorn threatens to KO Deoxys-D, giving Heracross a free hit on Deoxys-D's team's check or else a chance to set up. Heracross will often either let a Spike up on the switch or lose its item, however.
**Powerful attacks**: Deoxys-D's mixed bulk isn't quite sufficient to take the strongest attacks in the tier, so attacks like Modest Kyogre's Hydro Pump and Deoxys-A's Shadow Ball can threaten Deoxys-D out if you can get your check in safely. Switching into Deoxys-D risks allowing a Spike or losing an item, however.
**Forretress**: Forretress can spin Deoxys-D's Spikes away, but will lose its item and potentially take a Seismic Toss or two or even a Fire Punch. Losing Forretress health may not be a worthwhile trade when playing against stall and it cannot reliably keep Spikes off against Deoxys-D.
**Setup**: Deoxys-D' counterplay to setup is limited, mostly consisting of Seismic Toss and Taunt. Setup that can bypass these, such as a SubCMer faster than Deoxys-D like Mewtwo or one that can paralyze Deoxys-D and heal like Rest+Curse+Body Slam Snorlax can boost on Deoxys-D. Even a slower setup Pokemon can force Deoxys-D to Taunt every second turn and attack twice, usually enough to outdamage Deoxys-D's Recover.
**Status**: Deoxys-D is vulnerable to status, particularly status that bypasses Taunt such as status inflicted by moves not blocked by Taunt such as Body Slam; status inflicted by Pokemon faster than Deoxys-D; and status inflicted as Deoxys-D switches in.
**Sac**: Deoxys-D's threat on stall is limited to Spikes, Knock Off, and Seismic Toss, so a team with reliable Spikes counterplay or that is willing to accept Spikes can choose a Pokemon with recovery to lose its item and thereafter not fear anything from Deoxys-D.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[ajencis, 479200]]
- Quality checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]
Last edited:
