In-Depth Arceus Analysis Plus Deck List

Every year, since rotations were first announced in Pokemon, I spend about a week mourning all the lost cards. This year, I mourned Claydol, Night Maintenance, Unown G and all of the other cards that were lost to rotation.

After that week, the gears in my head start to turn, thinking of all the possible combos that could thrive in the new format, what decks will dominate and what which will crumble to the rotation. Since the format was announced (back in early June), I have been working to come up with new deck ideas and strategies that can have a shot of glory that year.

Like a lot of tech and rogue deck builders, I try to take a known deck and make something out of it or take two good, rarely played together cards and make them into an amazing deck, which I have been doing so as long as I can remember. I was one of the first players to try LuxPhan and LuxChompPhan, which are both prime examples of the decks I try to play. But enough about me, let’s get on to the deck.

One deck that I’ve heard about since it’s release is Arceus. When Platinum: Arceus was released, there were a lot of players who tried Arceus, thinking they could make the deck work. However, after a short time, most players gave up on Arceus going back to the typical LuxChomp, Jumpluff, etc.

A few players say that Arceus is a deck that has huge potential and continued to play it. Some of those players have actually had a reasonable amount of success with the deck. Lately, I have heard a little bit more about the deck, with some people saying that Arceus has a chance in this format. I am inclined to agree with them.

Arceus is a deck that is very hard to have success with. First of all, your list must be perfect, even having one to many Bebe’s can ruin the deck. Second of all, you must have a monstrous amount of practice with the deck, mastering every possible match up. However, if you can do all of that, I believe that you’ll have quite a bit of success with Arceus.

I am not a perfect Arceus player and this is not a perfect list, but here is what I have been currently playing with:

First thing’s first, here’s a breakdown of the Pokemon:

Arceus (Colorless)
This is the Arceus that makes the deck viable. If you have 6 different colored Arceus in play, you can search your deck for 6 basic energy and attach one to each Arceus you have in play. This is the ideal starter of the deck, allowing the deck to get powered up. It also has a very potent attack, “Sky Spear,” which allows you to snipe any Pokemon for 80 damage. However, you must send all energies attached to it to your Lost Zone. This attack is a lot like Garchomp C LV.X‘s “Dragon Rush.” “Sky Spear” is great for disrupting your opponent’s set up.

Arceus (Darkness)
This Arceus is very useful in the deck. First of all, it allows you to do 20 damage for DC. However, if you are behind in prizes, it does 80 damage, which is very nice for its cost. Its second purpose is a Gengar SF counter. Due to Gengar’s +30 weakness, it can OHKO it as long as you are behind on prizes.

Arceus (Fighting)
The fighting Arceus is in the deck to be able to hit Luxray GL LV.X and Tyranitar Prime for weakness. Its attack, “Break Ground,” for FCC does 60, but does 10 to each of your benched Pokemon.

Arceus (Grass)
This is probably the weakest out of all the Arceus. It is only in the deck to help the deck set up 6 Arceus to use “Ripple Swell”.

Arceus (Lightning)
I added the Lightning Arceus into the deck to help do increased damage to Gyarados, Kingdra LA, and Kingdra Prime. Its attack for LC does 30 damage and switches it with benched Pokemon. While this isn’t a terrible attack, it won’t be used that often.

Arceus (Metal)
This Arceus has an attack for MCC, which does 40 damage and prevents damage to it from your opponent’s LV.X Pokemon. This attack can be pretty useful against LuxChomp and DialgaChomp because it can stall them off for 1-2+ turns if they don’t have a Non-LV.X attacker in play and/or powered up.

Arceus (Psychic)
This is probably one of the weaker Arceus again. Its attack is nothing special; for PCC it hits for 40 and confuses the Defending Pokemon. It is mainly used to be leveled up and hit for Psychic weakness using a different Arceus’ attack. This is a very important Arceus, due to it’s ability to hit Machamp for Weakness and it’s role as a Mewtwo LV.X counter

Arceus (Fire)
This, along with the Darkness type are the hardest hitting Arceus. Its attack, “Bright Flame,” for RCC does 80 damage. However, you must flip a coin. If the result is tails, you discard 2 energy attached to Arceus. I included 2 of this Arceus for two reasons, the first is that it is one of the hardest hitting Arceus. The second is that it can OHKO Dialga G LV.X even with 4 Special Metals attached to it.

Arceus (Water)
This card is included for two reasons. The first is that it can hit Donphan for Weakness and the second is a Mewtwo LV.X counter. You can OHKO Mewtwo LV.X by leveling up the Psychic Arceus and using the Water Arceus attack, “Fastwave,” along with a PlusPower. (50 + 10) x 2 = 120 = OHKO

Arceus LV.X (Omniscient)
This card is one of the most powerful cards in the deck. First of all, it allows you to retain the previous level’s type, allowing you to continue to hit for weakness. It also erases the previous level’s weakness and boosts it’s HP to 120. However, the one downside is that it looses the resistance from it as well.

Arceus LV.X (Psychic Bolt)
I use one of this card as a tech in the deck. For LPC, you can hit for 100 damage, not counting weakness as the cost of discarding a L and P energy. This card can be used to OHKO nearly any Pokemon in the game when factoring weakness.

Unown Q
This card is in the deck to help save energy. It’s kind of situational in this deck, but it has it’s uses and I feel warrants one spot in the deck. It also doesn’t mess up “Ripple Swell” at all, so it works quite well.

The rest of the deck is pretty understandable, but there may be a few things you’re wondering about, so here’s my Trainer/Supporter/Stadium line and Analysis.

Bebe’s Search
I run two of this card as it is a guaranteed way to fish out an Arceus LV.X out of my deck and helps against trainer lock.

Beginning Door
This card is pretty sweet in this deck because it’s like a Luxury Ball, but you can use more than one.

Luxury Ball
I hope I don’t have to explain this.

Palmer’s Contribution
I play 2 of this card to help with recovery and to get the needed Arceus back.

PlusPower
This card is like a Crobat G in this deck, but more effective because it doesn’t take a bench spot and is more effective because it applies the damage before Weakness.

Pokemon Collector
I maxed out this card to ensure a quick Arceus start. Some players say that 2-3 is fine, but I find 4 to work well.

Professor Oak’s New Theory
This card is godly in this deck, it helps get rid of a bad start and helps get those needed Ultimate Zones and Double Colorless Energies.

Ultimate Zone
Another godly card, it’s a counter stadium to get rid of those BTS and to move around the energies that I need to make sure I can always attack.

Call Energy
4 of this card is a must, allowing you to get the Arceus you need. Also, all the Arceus can use Call Energy because they all have 1-2 Colorless in their attack cost.

Darkness, Fighting, Fire, Lightning, Metal, Psychic, Water (12)
These are there to be drawn out with “Ripple Swell” and to get the deck going. I play a lot of different types to allow as many of them to attack as possible.

Double Colorless Energy
This card is amazing in this deck and really helps power up my Pokemon, especially the colorless Arceus “Sky Spear” and the Fire’s “Bright Flame”.

There are probably some cards that you’re thinking “why isn’t it in the deck!?” or “what the heck is that doing there”, so here’s some other changes/notes about the deck and my reasoning.

4 Double Colorless
I only play 3 of these right now, but I would like to 4 of them and I am working on getting it in the deck, but would like to do more testing before I take something out for this card.

1 Premier Ball
I may add in a Premier Ball for it’s ability to retrieve LV.X’s out of the discard pile.

3 Pokemon Collector
Some people seem to swear on 2-3 Pokemon Collector’s, but I typically favor 4 in an Arceus deck, but I will see with more testing.

2 Arceus (Metal)
Because of it’s usefulness against SP, I may add in a second Metal Arceus. I’d probably take out the Grass Arceus for this card.

Match-ups

Thanks for sticking with me this long, we’re almost done now. Here will be the approx match-ups for the deck. The odds will be judged on a mix of how well this list does against the deck AND how well Arceus in general holds up.

VileGar: 50/50
This match up seems to be decided on one factor: Do they get a Spiritomb active turn 1? If they are able to get a Spiritomb start with a Call Energy and some other good cards, I will have a much harder match up. However, if they can’t, I can usually get the upper hand and break the lock.

DialgaChomp: 50/50
This match, like VileGar, can go either way. DialgaChomp has the advantage that Dialga G LV.X can shut off Arceus LV.X’s Poke-Body. In addition, Garchomp C LV.X can snipe nearly anything in the deck. However, the advantage that Arceus has is it can OHKO Dialga G LV.X even with 4 Special Metals attached to it. In addition, Arceus (Colorless) can snipe Garchomp C on the bench and OHKO an active Garchomp C LV.X via “Sky Spear”. Arceus does have a tough time, though if you are put in a “Deafen” lock for a long time and you get a very slow start.

Sablelock: 60/40
Well, this match up can vary a lot, just like VileGar. If they’re able to completely trash your hand, they’ll typically win. However, if they can’t, you can pull off the win. Overall, though, the odds aren’t bad at getting a win here.

LuxChomp: 60/40
If you are able to snipe most of their Garchomp C and Luxray GL and really abuse their weaknesses, you’ll be able to win.

I’m sure that some people will completely disagree with my match ups, but this is what I have found through my research and testing.

If you want to get good at Arceus, perfect your list, master your match-ups and in-play strategy and you’ll be able to go far with Arceus. Good Luck and Have fun!