I've been playing SV Ubers since home release and it has become one of my favorite generations of Ubers. I find its complexity very interesting and I think it is a meta that rewards knowledge of its trends like no other. As such, I felt like showing my appreciation for it by making an RMT of one of my favorite teams so far and one that I've had much success with in both tournament play and the ladder. In this case it is a Hyper Offense team with a suicide lead Arceus-Ghost.
What struck my curiosity was that with the new games, Arceus came with a whole new plethora of moves, Taunt and Healing Wish among them. Because of that, a lead Arceus with hazard support and Taunt to avoid opposing hazard setters getting them up became mighty tempting to run. Also, since Healing Wish mechanics make it so it can be used and saved for later, this gives it another niche that makes it an overall great support pokemon for Offense.
The above being said, there have been many attempts of Hyper Offense ever since the Calyrex-S but, there hasn't been one that feels as consistent as one would like. One of the reasons as to why HO feels lackluster at times is that Arceus as a set-up sweeper needs an absurd amount of support in this generation, be it Calm Mind, Swords Dance or Dragon Dance (it gets that now too), it feels like a pokemon that is "sink or swim" for offense. You might find a matchup where it goes hard or one where it does absolutely nothing and just ruins your momentum, the main culprits of this being Extremekiller and Arceus-Ground. Nevertheless, I think I've found a structure that makes for a consistent HO team.
Main idea for the team so, decided to go for him first.
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Zacian is the best pokemon in the tier, with its sheer power and speed, it naturally fits on HO teams.
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The big, bad electric bike that OHKOs Ting-Lu. Miraidon has so much breaking power and utility it is a waste not to use him.
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The second bike, Koraidon fits well with its fellow bike and Zacian, those two help him set up late game sweeps.
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I wanted to try out Chien-Pao on this build since it helped with the Arceus-Ground weakness plus, Tera Ice Ice Shard priority comes in handy against stuff like Miraidon.
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As last pokemon, I wanted something that offered more insurance against Basculegion and Koraidon while acting as something that could "switch into" Ting-Lu and Groudon. Rayquaza does this efficiently and is also a great sweeper on HO in general (more on this later).
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With Chien-Pao on the team, it felt immensly Zacian-weak, one free switch on the wrong mon and the game is compromised. Flutter Mane over Chien-Pao fixes this issue. Flutter Mane has the same speed tier as chiems and hits similar targets except better. With Booster Energy equipped, I don't need to go to Koraidon first for it to outspeed Zacian, which is the whole point of running it.
And thus, I unconsciously ended with 3 very menacing offensive cores, Double Dragon, Double Fairy and, Double Ghost and then Rayquaza.
The team:
Arceus-Ghost @ Spooky Plate
Ability: Multitype
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Judgment
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
- Healing Wish
This Arceus set defies the assumption that every Arceus needs to be a set-up sweeper on HO teams. In my opinion, where Arceus shines the most is in he flexibility of its sets. I've tried many different types of HO builds with Arceus as set-up sweepers and always felt like something was missing. Self-elimination Arceus offers massive support for HO, it can set up hazards very easily in the early game, stop them from being set up with Taunt and, offer more flexibility in play having Healing Wish in the back, getting something like Flutter Mane or Zacian back to full. Judgment also hits some stuff hard despite not having any investment.
As for the EV spread, I went with Max HP and Max Speed investment. I find both to be important, max speed allows you to fight the tie against opposing Taunt Arceus and max speed lets you to live one Choice Specs Electro Drift/Draco Meteor from Miraidon, damage capping out at 98% without the opponent Terastalazing. As for its Tera-type, I opted for Ghost to boost Judgment and get a surprise kill in a pinch, while also keeping Ghost-type for spin-blocking purposes. I also considered Tera-Fire for Zacian and Koraidon but, Ghost seemed beter overall.
Zacian-Crowned @ Rusted Sword
Ability: Intrepid Sword
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Play Rough
- Behemoth Blade
- Tera Blast
- Swords Dance
Zacian-Crowned is the best pokemon in the tier. Its great speed stat and power makes it the elephant in the room in most games. Not to mention, it has the both the best offensive and defensive typing in the tier, while also having the greatest movepool in it, Zacian sets are so adaptable that, in my opion, puts it a rank above all pokemon, even the bikes. As for its moveset, Play Rough is mandatory for hitting many important pokemon in the tier, mainly Ting-Lu and the bikes. Behemoth Blade gives you an additional STAB move that hits fairies and allowing you not to risk miss with Play Rough. Tera Blast Ground is needed for bypassing Skeledirge or forcing it to Terastalize while also providing a safe revenge-killing option against Miraidon and Tera-Fire Koraidon. Swords Dance provides a win condition and allows it sweep a lot of teams late game.
As for the EVs, I went with Max Attack, Max Speed as it is mandatory in case of a Zacian mirror. I chose Tera Ground for it as it fit best with this team as it hits Skeledirge and Toxapex, Tera Water is also an option but Ground is not hindered by Koraidon's sun. Pretty standard options for HO, not much to say about it.
Miraidon @ Roseli Berry
Ability: Hadron Engine
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Electro Drift
- Dragon Pulse
- Taunt
- Calm Mind
When thinking about the Miraidon set, a few things came to mind, I wanted to try Agility or the Dazzling Gleam. Ultimately, I decided to go for regular Calm Mind since I needed to not lose to Zacian off-rip because other mons on the team already lose to it. In order to achieve that, I decided to make my Miraidon hold the Roseli Berry. While Life Orb or Heavy-Duty Boots is normally preferred on him, I think this works out much better because, despite it not beating Zacian without a prior CM boost, Electro Drift still puts in range of Flutter Mane's Shadow Ball, which is good enough for dealing with Zacian. Roseli Berry allows Miraidon to live a +1 Play Rough after Stealth Rock (damange capping at 84.7%). As for moves, Electro Drift is necessary for max damage output, I don't think Parabolic Charge fits here because this team is more worried about doing the most damage possible on some mons. Dragon Pulse is my primary option for STAB Dragon move, I had Draco Meteor before but, the drawback of being at -2 and then for something like Zacian to come in after is big, You might lose 2-3 mons because of it or even the whole game. Therefore, I prioritized always being at neutral Sp.Atk in the worst scenario. Taunt is a move I think is necessary for HO when running Miraidon, it stops Arceus from setting up and Ting-Lu from getting up hazards. Calm Mind is the boosting move of choice and helps it break some teams.
For EVs, I went Max Sp.Atk and Max Speed since I didn't need bulk for anything and I needed as much speed and power as possible. As for the Tera type, I went Flying because it can potentially shut down Arceus-Ground, more importantly, Dragon Dance. With Taunt + Tera-Flying, Miraidon can block an Arceus-Ground sweep if it comes in on it. it is also useful since with this combination, Ting-Lu teams can also fall apart since they can't hit you or use Whirlwind on you. I think it might seem a bit odd to use this Tera type with Roseli Berry but it has been proving useful. The idea is to maximize Miraidon's utility, bait the stuff that would normally set up on it and shut it down with this combo.
Koraidon @ Lum Berry
Ability: Orichalcum Pulse
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Claw
- Collision Course
- Flame Charge
- Swords Dance
To no surprise, I've seen Koraidon fall off on HO teams. I attribute this to the rise on Skeledirge and Toxapex usage, those two usually do a decent job checking Koraidon in general. Nevertheless, I think Swords Dance Koraidon can get out of hand very easily for some matchups, one bad turn and it can get that +2 Atk +1 Speed and at that point it can be very hard to prevent it from sweeping. Not to mention, I think having Koraidon on HO is somewhat necessary so your team doesn't lose to some matchups, more particularly, rain teams with Basculegion. I decided to go with Lum Berry as held item because checking set-up Koraidon normally relies on status, Will-o-Wisp being the most used to nutter it. Lum Berry can give Koraidon that extra turn it needs to actually get +2 +2 or just put stuff like Toxapex and Groudon in an awkward position when they try to status it. It also helps prevent Toxic Spikes to put it on a timer. As for the moves: Dragon Claw is mandatory as it helps beat a lot of common stuff. I went with Collision Course because I didn't want to be more prone to getting revenge killed by priority thanks to the stat drops Close Combat gives and, I don't like Low Kick because it's not consistent damage. Flame Charge for speed boosting, as well as being a STAB move when Tera'd. Lastly Swords Dance is the primary set up move.
As for the EVs, I went with Max Attack, Max Speed as it is mandatory in case of a bike mirror, even at +1, you need to consider that Choice Scarf Koraidon is common so, not using max speed can put you in a disadvantage since you can't even contest the speed tie. I went with Tera Fire since it gives it a resistance to Fairy moves and also Fire STAB with Flame Charge, very textbook stuff.
Rayquaza @ Lum Berry
Ability: Air Lock
Tera Type: Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Ascent
- Earthquake
- Dragon Dance
- Extreme Speed / Fire Blast
This is probably my favorite pokemon on the team. Rayquaza is quite an underrated mon, overshadowed by the other dragons in the tier due to its sub-par and slow speed tier. Despite all of that, Rayquaza still has a place in the meta. HO teams can provide Rayquaza with enough backbone for it to sweep more often than not. Balance teams are also very often weak to it since Flying STAB is still really good in Ubers. And, with Tera Flying also being affordable for it, Rayquaza does astronomical damage to most stuff with Dragon Ascent. I chose to go with Lum Berry as held item for similar reasons as with Koraidon, avoiding status from stuff like Skeledirge makes all the difference when its trying to set up. In this generation, Rayquaza doesn't really need a Dragon move so, going with Dragon Ascent as primary STAB move seemed like the best choice. Earthquake is a solid coverage option against Zacian and Miraidon. I went Dragon Dance as my boosting move since it can outright sweep some teams if it gets a +2, and that's way easier than what you might think. When I was talking with TPP about the team, we considered Swords Dance (and even Substitute) as an option for a 4th move but, ultimately, Extreme Speed seemed better to get some emergency revenge kills on some stuff, mostly the bikes and Zacian. Another move possibility is Fire Blast or even Overheat for Corviknight teams. While I've never had a problem with them, I can see that the way you approach that matchup can be a bit abstract. If you go with that, I advise you make it Naive nature and not Jolly just so Fire Blast damage isn't decreased by having a -Sp.Atk nature.
As for EVs, I went with Max Atk and Max Speed Jolly, while Adamant outspeeds Zacian at +1 speed, it doesn't outspeed Choice Scarf back, even at +2. Tera Flying is rdiciulous on Rayquaza, it gives you that added x1.5 boost on Dragon Ascent and that makes all the difference as it 2HKOs Skeledirge regardless of what Tera type it is. That, paired with Lum Berry, can make it sweep even Skeledirge teams. Tera Flying also removes the Dragon-type weakness and, alongisde Air Lock, it can help you set up even against Koraidon since Orichalcum Pulse's effect is negated, turning Dragon Claw into laughable damage.
Flutter Mane @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Moonblast
- Taunt
- Calm Mind
Flutter Mane is also one of those underrated mons in the tier. It's often overlooked for being fragile due to having low bases in HP and Defense. Personally, I think Flutter Mane is a mon that can give a lot of trouble to unprepared teams, its dual STAB is among the best in the tier, there is only one real Ghost resist and it's weak to Fairy (Ting-Lu). With this in mind, Flutter Mane can go a long way with just its two primary STAB moves, Shadow Ball and Moonblast. As I mentioned in the team structure part, I went with Flutter Mane because it gave me an additional way to revenge killing Zacian and even the bikes if need be. For that purpose, I went with Booster Energy just so I am guaranteed the boost in speed without having to rely on Koraidon coming in first. As I mentioned before, Shadow Ball and Moonblast are pretty much the only moves it needs to make progress. Taunt comes in handy against stuff like Ting-Lu, who may try to set up Spikes knowing it is not 2HKOd by unboosted Moonblast. Taunt also helps prevent sweeps from Arceus and even Koraidon who Tera Fire and SD predicting Moonblast, making it an acceptable mid-ground play if you smell the set-up. For the last move, I wanted Calm Mind in order to have an additional win-condition against balance. Calm Mind + Taunt can get pretty obnoxious to some teams, normally those that rely on Ting-Lu + Giratina-O for a defensive backbone. Memento was also considered at some point but, I went with Calm Mind since it came in handy in more matchups than Memento did, said move works better against some offenses but, Calm Mind is better at breaking fat cores.
As for the EV spread, pretty regular stuff, Max Sp.Atk, Max Speed with Timid nature to contest the 607 speed ties and whatnot. I went with Tera Ghost because it is needed for it to get some important KOs on stuff like Zacian. Tera Ghost Shadow Ball does 49% minimum to Zacian-Crowned, with prior damage from +1 Rayquaza (even if they Tera and remove the Steel-type), it is a KO after rocks and a very high chance without them. Tera Ghost is safer than Fairy on this team since the primary reason for using it revenging Zacian, which Tera Fairy can't really do.
No Electric immune by default means that Miraidon can ge tricky to deal with. Double Dance Miraidon in particular is a nuisance. If the opponent has a Miraidon, it can often be optimal to lead Flutter Mane or even Zacian to force Miraidon out. While the Tera Fairy one is not so bad for this team, the Dragon Pulse & Parabolic Charge can set get out of hand if not careful. What one can do if they think Miraidon might be Agility CM, is just hard switch into Zacian on the first set up move and proceed to Play Rough. If they CM first they get 2HKOd and if they Agility first, they would have to play with Behemoth Blade vs Play Rough but, regardless, even if they Tera, they have to CM First in order to do the most damage and heal back with Parabolic. If they do this, you can even Tera Ground after to avoid them healing, +1 Modest Dazzling Gleam does 95% max if no Life Orb to Tera Ground Zacian, if rocks aren't up, you are favored in that exchange. If somehow you lose this exchange, you have your own Roseli Berry Miraidon in order to beat it. Depending on the % Miraidon is at, Rayquaza can also pick up the KO with Extreme Speed or Flutter can revenge kill if no speed boost and is at range of Moonblast or Tera Ghost Shadow Ball.
Opposing Tera Ground Zacian can be annoying if it comes in on Miraidon and decided to Tera Ground and SD on Electro Drift, although I don't think that's a safe play against HO because Miraidon sets can have as much variance as on any other team, it can happen. Nevertheless, if this is the case, your best option is to go for the speedtie with your own Zacian and then revenge kill with Flutter Mane or Extreme Speed from Rayquaza, the former being more reliable at that.
Sticky Web is annoying if you don't know how to stop it from it being set up, and it can be a pretty difficult game if it does go up. I think the safest bet is to lead Flutter Mane and Taunt Masquerain until it is possible for you to position a sweep. It is defenitely possible thanks to Tera but, you are always forced to play a certain way against.
Conclusion:
This team is very fun to play with and as I said before, it has become one of my favorites. Hyper Offense as a playstyle still has some holes in it because of how relative some stuff is because of Tera, but that can also be also one of its strengths. No team is perfect and this one is nowehere near that. That being said, I think that this HO adapts well to the changes that have been occurred in the last few generations. Arceus is something that on paper always looks solid but, what is often ignored is how the power creep and overall key changes to moves like Recover have hindered it to a large degree. I think this team challenges that and puts forward a new and fun way to use Arceus.
Shoutouts:
I would like to give a shoutout to TPP for helping me polish this team and bounce ideas during the making of it and other teams I've made during the last few months. I also would like to tag fourmi for playing with the team and giving me small feedback on it.
Other people I would like to tag but there's too many of you:
WWDL
the flub
LA
Mountaineers
heatah fajita squad
gogoat gang
Paste:
https://pokepast.es/636450df55bd94e8
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