Archeops Abilities:
Defeatist
Stats:
HP75
Atk:140
Def:65
SpA:112
SpD:65
Spe:110
Total:567
Placed Tier:NU
Type: Rock / Flying
Archeops used to be the king of LU (RU) but suddenly it wasn't as good where it used to be,things where outclassing it left and right,and to make matters worse it was cursed with a somewhat horrible ability,Defeatist.However now that Archeops has been moved to NU it can show the tier its all powerful might. With the highest attack stat in the tier and some good special attack combined with some amazing speed Archeops is sure to fit on any team with the proper support.With all these great offensive tools Archeops does however fail defensively,it has Stealth Rocks weakness and cant take any priority hit due to its below average defenses,meaning it needs to go full force to make up for this.
Set #1: Choice ScarfItem:Choice Scarf
Ability:Defeatist
EVs: 252 ATK / 4 SATK / 252 SPE
Nature: Jolly / Naive
-
U-turn-
Stone Edge-
Head Smash /
Crunch /
Aqua Tail-
Earthquake /
Earth PowerSet Explanation: With a great 110 base speed combined with a Choice Scarf Archeops becomes even more threatening than Sawk gaining a 525 speed. U-turn is at the crux of this set,allowing Archeops to switch out of threats easily at will while causing good amounts of damage. Stone Edge offers as a good STAB move and when coming off of a 140 base attack stat it is sure to hurt and leave a dent in the opponents team. Head Smash can be used as an even more powerful STAB but comes with the risk of nullifying Archeops due to the recoil activating its ability. Crunch can be used as a more effective way to hit Psychic types but is usually inferior to U-turn while Aqua Tail can be used as another way to hit Rock but mainly Ground types. Earthquake provides the infamous EdgeQuake combo with Stone Edge but can also be substituted for Earth Power which may surprise defensive walls. If power is more of your flow you can swap Choice Scarf for a choice Band and increase Archeops power but it comes at the risk of being outspeed by common scarfed pokes like Sawk.
Archeops even with its great power can easily be stopped by pokes with priority like Samurotts Aqua Jet or something faster altogether like a Scarfed Zebstrika. Defensive walls also may be a problem to this set such as Alomomola who can Wish stall it or counter with a move such as Scald.
Set #2: AcrobaticsItem: Flying Gem / Rock Gem
Ability:Defeatist
EVS: 252 ATK / 4 SATK / 252 SPE
Nature: Jolly / Naive
-Acrobatics
-
Stone Edge /
Head Smash-
Earthquake /
Earth Power-
U- turn / Roost
Set Explanation: This set uses the powerful attack stat of Archeops combined with either the Flying Gem or Rock Gem to completely annihilate anything that stands in its path. With a Flying Gem combined with the move Acrobatics Archeops is sure to score at least a OHKO or a 2HKO at most. Archeops gains great coverage when combined with the Rock Gem wich can greatly increase Stone Edges power,or even worse,Head Smash which can demolish anything,even if it resist(beware of the recoil however).Earthquake provides the legendary EdgeQuake combo but can be replaced for Earth Power if you feel like it. U-turn is good for scouting the opponents team and causes great damage to Psychic and Dark types.Roost can be used to heal recoil damage if needed but usually requires some nice prediction to use.
This set has a greater downfall to speedy Scarfed Pokemon who an easily over whelm it and target its weak defenses. So anything that can take a special or physical hit is usually recommended.
Set #3:Choice Specs Item: Choice Specs
Ability:Defeatist
EVs: 4 ATK / 252 SATK / 252 SPE
Nature: Timid / Naive
-
U-turn-
Stone Edge /
Focus Blast-
Earth Power-
Dragon Pulse / Hidden Power Flying /
Hidden Power GrassSet Explanation:This set aims to surprise many bulky physical walls to hit them with a powerful Specs boosted attack. With 112 base special attack that is completely usable it can easily dominate most of the tier just with surprise of it.U-turn allows for early scouting so you can know exactly what sets your opponent is using and also to do some decent damage. Stone Edge is always a good move to use that has STAB and does a good amount of damage even without the EVs in attack.Focus Blast can be used instead of Stone Edge to destroy Steel type and Dark type pokes.Earth Power is powerful against Electric type pokemon and provides good coverage when combined with Stone Edge.Dragon Pulse is an effective way to hit Altaria and others while Hidden Power Flying is another effective Specs boosted STAB.Hidden Power Grass can be used to hit Water types like Alomomola.
This set is quite effective but shares the same weaknesses,also anything that happens to be mixed tank.Also pokes like Eviolite Roselia can take hits a lot more than usual as well as Misdreavus. However they must be wary of Stone Edge.
Set #4 Sub AttackerItem: Sitrus Berry / Leftovers / Flying Gem
Ability:Defeatist
EVs: 252 ATK / 4SATK / 252 SPE
Nature: Jolly / Naive
-Substitute
-Roost / Acrobatics
-
Stone Edge-
Earth Quake /
Earth PowerSet Explanation:This set may seem like a horrible idea at first seeing as Archeops ability doesn't allow it to set up more than one Substitute,but it has a wonderful effect when used with proper prediction. Most people would switch out when they encounter Archeops who has a great advantage over their poke,which allows Archeops to easily set up a Substitute without much of a problem. Roost is a good move to use to heal any previous Stealth Rock or battle damage.This can be replaced with Acrobatics to make Archeops a powerful sweeper that can dominate others with ease.Stone Edge has great coverage when combined with Acrobatics and Earthquake. Earth Power can be used to easily dominate defensive walls as usual.
This set requires a bit more care to avoid Stealth Rocks damage but when a Substitute is up in late game,this set can usually score several KOs that can change the shift of a game easily.Its weaknesses remain the same however.
Conclusion
In the end Archeops is a great poke to use in NU due to its amazing power and offensive tools. However Archeops has a list of weaknesses that bring it down,For starters its main downfall is Stealth Rocks that can easily bring it down just by it switching into it twice,also speedier Scarfed pokemon like Zebstrika can easily Volt Switch it into oblivion. Samurott can use Aqua Jet that easily be the downfall of any Archeops while anything with Will-o-Wisp of Thunder Wave can cripple Archeops. Archeops usually likes bulky pokes who can take a hit like Roselia who can take both Electric and Water attacks or Alomomola who can take any physical hit with ease. With the correct support Archeops is sure to fit its way onto someones team and show its true prehistoric might.