Necrozma (Dusk Mane) Movesets & Competitive Sets

This set functions as a surprise wallbreaker. Base 157 Attack in combination with Choice Band gives this Necrozma-DM a ton of immediate power. Sunsteel Strike will heavily damage even Necrozma-DM's typical switch-ins such as Groudon and Zygarde. Knock Off pairs nicely with Sunsteel Strike to give Necrozma-DM good neutral coverage; it particularly smacks Lunala hard. Removing items such as Leftovers and Rocky Helmet offers useful utility as well. Moonlight allows Necrozma-DM to come back later in the game to check Xerneas, Calyrex-I, Galarian Darmanitan, or Eternatus. Stone Edge is an alternative option that will secure an OHKO on Ho-Oh and Yveltal. Photon Geyser covers Pokemon like Eternatus and gives a secondary STAB attack for Pokemon resisting Steel. Notably, it will OHKO non-defensive Kyogre and 2HKO defensive variants. The Speed EVs ensure Necrozma-DM will outspeed all Calyrex-I sets as well as paralyzed Calyrex-S. This set appreciates offensive partners that can help break down some of its common switch-ins. Double Dance Groudon, Urshifu-S, or Ice Punch Marshadow can help to offensively pressure Zygarde. Paralysis support from spreaders such as Zygarde, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, and Blissey can help make up for this set's low Speed. U-turn Yveltal is an excellent partner for checking Calyrex-S, as well as easily bringing Necrozma-DM in on Eternatus switch-ins. Clerics such as Calyrex-S, Xerneas, Blissey, and Clefable are much appreciated, as this set can get statused quite easily.

Necrozma-DM makes a threatening wallbreaker with Swords Dance or Dragon Dance while maintaining a lot of its defensive utility. The key to this set's success is its combination of bulk and power; compared to many other wallbreakers in the tier, bulky teams have a very difficult time OHKOing or even 2HKOing Necrozma-DM. Swords Dance boosts Necrozma-DM's Attack to sky-high levels, letting it power through Pokemon better early-game than Dragon Dance. Dragon Dance makes it sweep balanced teams better in late-game scenarios. Iron Head has more PP and better neutral coverage than Photon Geyser and Sunsteel Strike, which is especially helpful against Eternatus. Sunsteel Strike can still be useful, especially against Geomancy Xerneas, as it has a much better chance to OHKO when unboosted than Iron Head does. Knock Off gives more coverage and makes Necrozma-DM very difficult for bulky teams to deal with; defensive Pokemon such as Lunala, Tangrowth, Ho-Oh, Ferrothorn, and opposing Necrozma-DM that may try to stop this set can get crippled for the rest of the game. Stone Edge is an alternative that lets it get past Yveltal and especially Ho-Oh. Moonlight and Leftovers allow Necrozma-DM to use its good bulk to boost several times. The EVs ensure that it outspeeds all Calyrex-I, which it checks decently with this set, as well as paralyzed Calyrex-S. With Dragon Dance, it will outspeed all base 100 Pokemon at +1 and non-Choice Scarf Calyrex-S at +2. A bulkier EV spread of 252 HP / 136 SpD / 120 Spe can be used to better check Xerneas and offensive Eternatus, especially if your team lacks an alternative check such as Ho-Oh or Blissey. Do note that the lack of Attack investment is quite noticeable. This set works best on teams with other bulky teammates that already cover some of the roles that defensive Necrozma-DM would normally cover. In return, Necrozma-DM can still provide some of its defensive roles and also function as a strong wallbreaker. Since it lacks Stealth Rock, a teammate such as Groudon, Blissey, Clefable, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, or Landorus can provide an entry hazard. An additional Xerneas check, such as Ho-Oh or Blissey, is a great teammate, since this set lacks the bulk to take on Geomancy Xerneas consistently. Clerics such as Calyrex-S, Clefable, and Blissey make great partners, as this set can often get statused early in the game. Pairing Necrozma-DM with a strong physical partner such as Groudon, Zekrom, or Marshadow lets both break down checks for each other. Finally, paralysis spreaders such as Ho-Oh, Blissey, Zygarde, and Groudon are terrific teammates, as this set benefits from the Speed drop and paralysis chance, especially in tandem with Iron Head.

This is the most common Necrozma-DM set thanks to the Special Defense investment making Necrozma-DM an excellent check to Xerneas and Eternatus. Stealth Rock provides invaluable team support, and Necrozma-DM is probably the best user of it in the tier. With Thunder Wave and Iron Head, the most common Defog user in the tier, Yveltal, will have a very difficult time dealing with Necrozma-DM. Iron Head is used instead of Sunsteel Strike for its higher PP, which lets it more effectively check Calyrex-I, and its flinch chance, which works excellently in combination with Thunder Wave. If a teammate is already providing Stealth Rock support, such as Groudon, Clefable, Blissey, or Landorus, Necrozma-DM can run Knock Off instead to punish common switch-ins like Groudon, Zygarde, Zekrom, and Kyogre. Toxic could also be run to punish the aforementioned switch-ins as well as Ho-Oh. The Speed EVs ensure that Necrozma-DM will outspeed all Calyrex-I sets as well as paralyzed Calyrex-S. If you have a teammate that can deal with SubSeed Calyrex-I well enough, such as Leech Life Buzzwole, Necrozma-DM can instead run a spread of 216 HP / 252 SpD / 40 Spe. This lets it outspeed Adamant Calyrex-I, have a higher chance of beating Geomancy Xerneas, and have a 50% chance to survive a Choice Specs Astral Barrage from Calyrex-S. It's important to have solid switch-ins to Pokemon such as Zygarde, Groudon, Zekrom, and Kyogre. These Pokemon are immune to or don't mind Thunder Wave and take little damage from Iron Head, so they can use Necrozma-DM as an easy setup opportunity. If you have solid checks to these Pokemon, Necrozma-DM can still gain momentum by setting Stealth Rock. Eternatus and Yveltal are fantastic partners for being able to switch into Kyogre and Calyrex-S, respectively, and together the three of them form the classic defensive core of SS Ubers. Buzzwole and Tangrowth make excellent defensive partners for dealing with Ground-types and Marshadow well. Defensive Xerneas can deal with Marshadow, Zekrom, Zygarde, and Urshifu-S, as well as providing cleric support. Groudon and Clefable can check Zekrom and Zygarde, respectively, and also free up the Stealth Rock moveslot on Necrozma-DM. Calyrex-S appreciates this set's ability to cripple Yveltal and provide Stealth Rock support. In return, Necrozma-DM likes Aromatherapy and Calyrex-S's revenge killing capabilities.

When paired with the right teammates, physically defensive Necrozma-DM can be better than the more common specially defensive set. Particularly, Blissey can cover the roles of the specially defensive set, mainly checking Xerneas and offensive Eternatus. In exchange, this set can check Pokemon such as Zekrom and offensive Necrozma-DM sets. Notably, this set is also perhaps the best check to the powerful physical Ice-types of the tier, Galarian Darmanitan and Calyrex-I. Stealth Rock provides Necrozma-DM with its usual supporting role, but be mindful that this set has little to stop Yveltal or Ho-Oh from using Defog on it. Earthquake is used to hit Zekrom and opposing Necrozma-DM hard, with Sunsteel Strike preferred over Iron Head because paralysis isn't on this set. Iron Head could be run for its higher PP against SubSeed Calyrex-I and works well with paralysis support from teammates. Finally, Moonlight is critical to keeping this set healthy, especially since Rocky Helmet has been chosen over Leftovers to better help Necrozma-DM damage Zekrom and other physical attackers. Leftovers could be used to better check SubSeed Calyrex-I and is preferred if using Necrozma-DM on a team with Kyogre, which weakens Moonlight with rain. As mentioned above, Blissey is a great teammate, since it covers the roles that specially defensive Necrozma-DM normally would like checking Xerneas and offensive Eternatus. Since this set can handle Zekrom relatively well, it will work best on teams that don't have another Zekrom answer. Be mindful that, depending on the circumstances, Zekrom and offensive Necrozma-DM can still win against this set, so a revenge killer like Calyrex-S or Marshadow is a good partner. Pokemon that can set up on Defog users are also good partners; Zygarde, Zekrom, and Kyogre are some notable options.

Offensive Necrozma-DM finds its place on offensive teams for its nice bulk and ability to raise its Speed. Particularly, hyper offense teams like its ability to limit some typical anti-offense Pokemon, such as Xerneas and Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan. Sunsteel Strike is therefore your mandatory STAB attack to OHKO the former more often. Stone Edge is used mainly to KO Ho-Oh and Yveltal when boosted. From there, Earthquake gives good neutral coverage and hits Pokemon such as Eternatus and Zekrom extremely hard. The EV spread and nature give Necrozma-DM enough Speed to beat Adamant Marshadow after a Dragon Dance. At +2, it will also outspeed non-Choice Scarf Calyrex-S. A viable alternative is to run 136 HP / 252 Atk / 120 Spe with an Adamant nature, which outspeeds fully invested base 100 Speed Pokemon after a Dragon Dance. Weakness Policy limits the offensive options against this set from the opposing team and also gives easy setup opportunities against Pokemon like Eternatus. On the other hand, Lum Berry lets Necrozma-DM 2HKO Lunala without fear of being burned and avoid paralysis from opposing Necrozma-DM. It also allows it to 2HKO Tangrowth without fear of Sleep Powder. This set loves strong wallbreakers for teammates, as it's much better at cleaning up weakened teams than breaking through cores and overcoming common defensive Pokemon such as Kyogre, Zygarde, Zarude, Tangrowth, Ferrothorn, Lunala, and Groudon by itself. Offensive teammates such as Zekrom and Groudon make fantastic partners, as both can both lure in and KO Tangrowth with their coverage options. Zekrom will make quick work of Kyogre, while Double Dance Groudon, Rayquaza, and Xerneas are all good options to overpower Zygarde. Marshadow will be able to OHKO Lunala and most Ferrothorn.

Moves Trick Room combined with Swords Dance turns Necrozma-DM into an effective late-game sweeper. Trick Room is Necrozma-DM's preferred way to gain a Speed advantage, as this allows it to invest in bulk and take a surprising amount of damage while it sets up. Sunsteel Strike easily OHKOes offensive Xerneas and is able to brute force its way through many checks that resist the attack with the added power given by Solganium Z, taken further with boosts from Swords Dance. Earthquake offers the best coverage from a single move alongside Sunsteel Strike and targets many Steel-resistant Pokemon such as Primal Groudon, opposing Necrozma-DM, and Primal Kyogre. Set Details Maximum HP and Attack investment maximizes Necrozma-DM's bulk and power. A Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs slow Necrozma-DM down as much as possible to improve its Speed in Trick Room. An alternative variant that uses Rock Polish over Trick Room and Speed investment over HP can be considered for offensive teams that suffer too much under Trick Room's effect should Necrozma-DM be forced out, but losing bulk harms the set's overall potential. Solganium Z offers Necrozma-DM a potent nuke that can kickstart a sweep against targets that could take a boosted Sunsteel Strike or Earthquake. Weakness Policy is an alternative option that takes advantage of Necrozma-DM's high bulk and Prism Armor to take various super effective attacks and reduce the need for multiple setup turns to sweep. Usage Tips Keep Necrozma-DM around until later in the game when checks such as Primal Groudon, Arceus-Ground, and Yveltal are sufficiently weakened. Arceus-Water and Ho-Oh can also be significant stops to this set to the point that sweeping is rarely possible while they are around. Offensive teams find themselves weakest to Trick Room Necrozma-DM later in the game, as they lose offensive checks and struggle to take it down immediately, leading to them having the tables turned on them by Trick Room. This set can be used earlier in order to force damage onto an enemy Pokemon for a teammate's benefit if need be. If the opponent has multiple checks to Necrozma-DM, sometimes taking down just one of them is enough for Necrozma-DM to be able to use its high bulk to set up in front of another check and break through it. It is capable of taking a wide range of super effective attacks from the likes of support Arceus formes, Marshadow, and even some Primal Groudon sets while setting up. Be aware of the damage this set can take to find chances to set up. Be aware that while Necrozma-DM can be defensively checked by Arceus formes and some defensive Steel-types, in many cases all they can do is status, phaze, or delay the inevitable. If Necrozma-DM isn't actually neutralized or taken down quickly, it can continue to boost in front of various Pokemon until it breaks through them. Remember that Necrozma-DM likely needs two turns of setup to pose a sweeping threat, although Weakness Policy sets can reduce this if successfully triggered. Many offensive checks to Necrozma-DM such as Yveltal take advantage of this and switch in immediately, and this aggression can be used against them. Trick Room Necrozma-DM can importantly be used to check Geomancy Xerneas but shouldn't be switched in freely to conserve HP and should instead come in after Geomancy has been used. By taking a hit and using Trick Room before KOing a boosted Xerneas, Necrozma-DM can also get a free attack against the next Pokemon to come in. Team Options Trick Room Necrozma-DM best fits offensive teams that are looking for a good option against opposing offensive teams. As such, offensive entry hazard setters along with various wallbreakers and sweepers are ideal partners. Primal Groudon has a couple of Stealth Rock sets that can be useful to Trick Room Necrozma-DM. Physical sets with Swords Dance and Stealth Rock can put effective pressure on Ho-Oh and support Arceus formes, while specially oriented sets can better target Ground-immune Steel-types, Zygarde, and Arceus-Ground. Stealth Rock sets with Toxic can spread status against Arceus formes while the rest of the team put out enough pressure to prevent Heal Bell. Mega Salamence is an effective partner that can check enemy Primal Groudon and get damage onto support Arceus formes and Primal Kyogre for Necrozma-DM. Geomancy Xerneas can pressure Primal Groudon and pose a sweeping threat to teams. Arceus-Fairy can also accomplish this in a less offensive way. Mega Gengar can trap and remove Arceus-Water while pressuring various other Necrozma-DM checks. Naganadel is a strong offensive partner that pressures various Arceus formes with its Nasty Plot set. Yveltal does well against many Necrozma-DM checks, and together they offensively check a good amount of Pokemon, making it a great pairing.

Moves Calm Mind's boost in damage output isn't as drastic as Swords Dance's, but the boost in Special Defense especially makes it harder for support Arceus formes to take down and makes Ultra Necrozma less vulnerable to Mega Gengar. STAB Photon Geyser functions as a strong special attack. Heat Wave hits various Steel-types that resist Photon Geyser for super effective damage. Ultra Necrozma's tendency to draw in Steel-types makes Heat Wave an excellent way to punish them, especially with Neuroforce. Dragon Pulse quickly disposes of Giratina-O and Zygarde-C, which Ultra Necrozma would otherwise need a Z-Move to take out. It also provides Ultra Necrozma with a strong neutral coverage move against Arceus-Dark. As this variant of Ultra Necrozma struggles against Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Lugia, Power Gem can be a viable option. Earth Power provides coverage against Primal Groudon and some Steel-types like Magearna and Dialga. Morning Sun can be used as the last move to make Ultra Necrozma harder for passive foes to wear down and potentially let it set up multiple Calm Minds. However, this leaves Ultra Necrozma easier to wall due to a decreased range of coverage. Set Details 32 Defense EVs guarantee Ultra Necrozma's survival of Life Orb Marshadow's Shadow Sneak after switching into a layer of Spikes. The rest of the EVs are appropriately distributed to outspeed Marshadow and retain as much power as possible. Ultranecrozium Z allows Necrozma-DM to undergo Ultra Burst and transform into Ultra Necrozma. It also gives Ultra Necrozma access to Light That Burns the Sky afterwards. Neuroforce makes super effective attacks more powerful. Usage Tips Unlike other sets, special variants of Ultra Necrozma can effectively lure foes that attempt to check conventional Necrozma-DM sets. Functioning as a special attacker also allows Ultra Necrozma to better deal with physically defensive foes and punish them with Calm Mind-boosted attacks. While special Ultra Necrozma doesn't seem as strong as physically oriented sets, do not underestimate its power. Photon Geyser hits many foes harder than usual. Light That Burns the Sky is also capable of annihilating many foes, outright OHKOing offensive Primal Groudon and untransformed Zygarde. Though special Ultra Necrozma hits its common switch-ins harder, it will struggle against specially defensive foes like Blissey. Ultra Necrozma is also still vulnerable to Choice Scarf Xerneas and Yveltal even with Calm Mind boosts, so make sure these foes are dealt with before attempting to sweep. Revenge killers like Mega Gengar, Yveltal, and Marshadow can cut Ultra Necrozma's sweep short, so ensure they can be dealt with beforehand. The former is especially problematic due to it simply trapping and disposing of Ultra Necrozma, while the latter two can easily take it out with or without prior damage. Try postponing Ultra Burst, as Necrozma-DM's better durability and Prism Armor makes setting up Calm Mind easier. Staying in Dusk Mane form also helps bluffing other sets and absorbing Toxic from passive foes. Team Options Stealth Rock support is very helpful to this set, as it punishes Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Lugia should they switch in and attempt to check Ultra Necrozma lacking Power Gem. Offensive Stealth Rock users like Primal Groudon, Dialga, and Arceus-Ground are helpful, as Necrozma-DM isn't too threatening before transforming with Ultra Burst. A secondary check to Fairy-types is necessary, as Necrozma-DM no longer checks then after Ultra Burst. Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn are solid backups that can aid Ultra Necrozma with pivoting or entry hazard support. Ultra Necrozma is vulnerable to Dark- and Ghost-types before and after Ultra Burst. Yveltal is a solid switch-in for them and threatens Ghost-types, while Marshadow can be a good partner as well thanks to its ability to threaten every relevant Ghost-type. Both Pokemon are excellent anti-offense Pokemon that appreciate Ultra Necrozma's ability to break through defensive cores. Ultra Necrozma can take advantage of its typing and Special Defense boosts from Calm Mind before or after Ultra Burst to set up on Arceus-Water, Arceus-Ground, and Arceus-Fairy. This is valued for partners like Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Choice Scarf Xerneas and Yveltal. The former two provide valuable defensive utilities for Ultra Necrozma. Xerneas resists Dark-type attacks, is immune to Dragon-type attacks, and provides cleric support, which is always useful. Yveltal can safely bring in Necrozma with U-turn and more effectively threatens Ghost-types. Tapu Lele summons Psychic Terrain, which boosts the power of Psychic-type moves, letting Ultra Necrozma OHKO maximum HP Arceus formes with Light That Burns the Sky and making boosted Photon Geyser ridiculously hard to defensively handle. The terrain also protects Ultra Necrozma from priority attacks from Pokemon like Yveltal and Marshadow, which are the most common offensive checks to Ultra Necrozma. Sticky Web is a viable strategy, as this gives Ultra Necrozma room to breathe against some foes prior to Ultra Burst and prevents Ultra Necrozma from getting easily disposed of by Mega Gengar and Choice Scarf Xerneas. Smeargle is a reliable Sticky Web setter, and Taunt users like Yveltal and Tapu Lele synergize well with such a build.

Moves Stealth Rock Ultra Necrozma backs up its entry hazard utility with high damage potential while also being able to fit coverage to surprise typical Necrozma-DM and Ultra Necrozma checks. Photon Geyser is a consistent STAB move that can be turned into Light That Burns the Sky and is a key part in Ultra Necrozma's ability to offensively pressure enemy Defog users such as support Arceus formes. Heat Wave targets enemy Necrozma-DM and has better coverage against the various defensive Steel-types present in Ubers when compared to Swords Dance Ultra Necrozma sets. Power Gem aims to 2HKO various Flying-types such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal, common switch-ins to Necrozma-DM. Dragon Pulse can be considered to get quick KOs against Zygarde, Mega Salamence, and Giratina-O, preventing setup opportunties, Defog, or other forms of retaliation. It also 2HKOes physically defensive Mega Sableye. Set Details The given EV spread will allow Ultra Necrozma to take Marshadow's Shadow Sneak after Stealth Rock damage while also maximizing Speed and damage output. The use of 0 Attack IVs and a Timid nature have the noticeable benefit of surviving a Foul Play from the likes of Mega Sableye and Tyranitar at full health. This is more relevant to Dragon Pulse variants, as they can successfully take on the rare Mega Sableye one-on-one. Ultranecrozium Z is required to utilize Ultra Necrozma and Light That Burns the Sky and is therefore key to the set. Usage Tips This set tends to use Ultra Burst early to surprise the opponent with an uncommon coverage move or to use Ultra Necrozma's Speed and typing to set Stealth Rock and gain other advantages. There are some occasions where holding off on using Ultra Burst can be beneficial. Necrozma-DM can handle Fairy-type attacks better and lure in Primal Groudon, which may see the usage of Stealth Rock and assume the wrong set, which can be used to your advantage. Having Ultra Necrozma ready to use Light That Burns the Sky against a threat is key to pressuring offensive Pokemon that threaten it and taking out support Arceus formes that may try to use Defog. It takes only a small amount of chip for the likes of Arceus-Ground to fall to a Z-Move, and many offensive Pokemon such as Xerneas and Zygarde are immediately OHKOed. With the previous point in mind, take note that once Ultra Necrozma has used Light That Burns the Sky, its neutral damage can be lacking and lead to Pokemon taking advantage of it. It can be kept around to make use of its high Speed to revenge kill targets, but setting Stealth Rock and keeping it up is the main goal. Team Options This variant of Ultra Necrozma is best utilized by offensive teams that can keep up pressure and reduce the need for defensive checks. Balance teams can also fit this set in order to free another Pokemon from the Stealth Rock role. Primal Groudon benefits greatly by Ultra Necrozma taking the role of setting Stealth Rock in its place. This leaves Primal Groudon able to run a variety of offensive sets to break through teams, such as mixed Swords Dance and Rock Polish variants. Due to the choice of using Ultra Necrozma and a more offensive Primal Groudon set, this tends to leave teams with weaker answers to Geomancy Xerneas. Priority users such as Marshadow and Extreme Killer Arceus pair well with Ultra Necrozma to offensively check it. Steel-types such as Magearna and Mega Scizor can also work alongside Stealth Rock Ultra Necrozma on teams that desire a more defensive backbone against Pokemon Necrozma-DM typically aims to check. Wallbreakers such as Primal Kyogre, Yveltal, and Mega Gengar all pair well with Ultra Necrozma by adding additional offensive pressure to limit enemy Defog usage. Should Ultra Necrozma drop Power Gem, ensure that paired wallbreakers have a better matchup against Ho-Oh to compensate.

Moves Thanks to its high Speed, Ultra Necrozma can threaten most teams once it manages to boost its Attack with Swords Dance. Photon Geyser hits foes like Ho-Oh and Water-types that Necrozma-DM cannot effectively hit with its conventional sets. It is notably capable of OHKOing Mega Gengar after Stealth Rock even when Necrozma-DM is burned. Earthquake provides Ultra Necrozma with vital coverage against Primal Groudon and Steel-types. Stone Edge breaks through problematic Flying-types like Yveltal and Lugia, as well as letting Ultra Necrozma better deal with Ho-Oh and Mega Salamence. Rock Blast is an alternative Rock-type coverage move that can defeat Lugia and Charti Berry Yveltal more reliably and occasionally OHKO Smeargle through Focus Sash thanks to the move hitting multiple times. The move reduces Ultra Necrozma's reliance on Stealth Rock to defeat certain Flying-types, but its inconsistent damage output can prove to be detrimental. Outrage provides Ultra Necrozma with a stronger STAB move. On top of giving Ultra Necrozma an immediate way to dispose of regular Zygarde, boosted Outrage also OHKOes foes like Ho-Oh, Yveltal, Mega Sableye, and support Arceus formes with or without prior damage. However, getting locked into Outrage is dangerous, as this leaves Ultra Necrozma vulnerable to revenge killing. Sunsteel Strike offers Ultra Necrozma a coverage move against Fairy-types and also enables Necrozma to check Xerneas before Ultra Burst. Brick Break lets Ultra Necrozma defeat Ferrothorn without relying on a second Swords Dance or a Z-Move and has a considerable chance to OHKO Arceus-Dark after a Swords Dance and Stealth Rock damage. Set Details 28 HP and 8 Defense EVs prevent Life Orb Marshadow from OHKOing Ultra Necrozma after it switches into Stealth Rock and allow Necrozma to check Geomancy Xerneas in its Dusk Mane form. Maximum Speed EVs with a Jolly nature allow Ultra Necrozma to take advantage of its high Speed tier, letting it outspeed all Arceus formes and Marshadow. The rest of the EVs are allotted to Attack to maximize Ultra Necrozma's damage output. Ultranecrozium Z allows Necrozma-DM with Photon Geyser to undergo Ultra Burst and transform into Ultra Necrozma. The Z-Crystal also gives Ultra Necrozma access to Light That Burns the Sky, which puts a significant dent in most neutral targets. Neuroforce boosts Ultra Necrozma's super effective attacks, allowing it to OHKO foes like Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and various Arceus formes with appropriate moves after a Swords Dance. Usage Tips As there is no feasible way to identify Necrozma-DM's potency to transform and Ultra Burst changes Necrozma-DM's typing, this set can take advantage of foes it previously could not. Take advantage of foes' tendencies to hit Necrozma-DM with Fire- and Ground-type moves, which Ultra Necrozma can survive. A sudden increase in Speed allows Ultra Necrozma to revenge kill a threat it would not outspeed in Dusk Mane form. Staying in Dusk Mane form is beneficial in specific occasions. An immunity to Toxic prior to Ultra Burst is handy, especially against defensive teams. The defensive typing prior to Ultra Burst also lets Necrozma-DM check Fairy-types and potentially revenge kill a dangerous foe after surviving a hit with Prism Armor, so refrain from recklessly activating Ultra Burst until foes that Necrozma has to check in Dusk Mane form are no longer posing a threat. Revenge killers like Mega Gengar, Yveltal, and Marshadow can cut Ultra Necrozma's sweep short, so ensure they can be dealt with beforehand. The former is especially problematic due to it simply trapping and disposing of Ultra Necrozma, while the latter two can easily take it out with or without prior damage. Bear in mind that Ultra Necrozma cannot use Light That Burns the Sky on the turn it transforms. The Z-Move is also resisted by many common foes, and Dark-types are immune to it, so be prepared to predict against teams with Dark- and Steel-types, or ensure that they have been weakened or eliminated beforehand. Ultra Necrozma is much more vulnerable to revenge killing than Necrozma-DM, so scout possible Choice Scarf users like Xerneas and Yveltal. Team Options Stealth Rock support is very helpful to this set, as it punishes Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Lugia should they switch in and attempt to check Ultra Necrozma. Offensive users like Primal Groudon, Dialga, and Arceus-Ground are helpful, as Necrozma-DM isn't too threatening before transforming with Ultra Burst. A secondary check to Fairy-types is necessary, as Necrozma-DM no longer checks them after Ultra Burst. Magearna, Mega Scizor, and Ferrothorn are solid backups that can aid Ultra Necrozma with pivoting or entry hazard support. Ultra Necrozma is vulnerable to Dark- and Ghost-types before and after Ultra Burst. Yveltal is a solid switch-in for them and threatens Ghost-types, while Marshadow can be a good partner as well thanks to its ability to threaten every relevant Ghost-type. Both Pokemon are excellent anti-offense Pokemon that appreciate Ultra Necrozma's ability to break through defensive cores. Ultra Necrozma can take advantage of its typing before or after Ultra Burst to set up on Arceus-Water, Arceus-Ground, and Arceus-Fairy. This is valued for partners like Rock Polish Primal Groudon, Mega Salamence, and Choice Scarf Xerneas and Yveltal. The former two provide valuable defensive utility for Ultra Necrozma. Xerneas resists Dark-type attacks, is immune to Dragon-type attacks, and provides cleric support, which is always useful. Yveltal can safely bring in Necrozma with U-turn and more effectively threatens Ghost-types. Tapu Lele summons Psychic Terrain, which boosts the power of Psychic-type moves, letting Ultra Necrozma OHKO maximum HP Arceus formes with Light That Burns the Sky and making boosted Photon Geyser ridiculously hard to defensively handle. The terrain also protects Ultra Necrozma from priority attacks from Pokemon like Yveltal and Marshadow, which are the most common offensive checks to Ultra Necrozma. Sticky Web is a viable strategy, as this gives Ultra Necrozma room to breathe against some foes prior to Ultra Burst, and prevents Ultra Necrozma from getting easily disposed of by Mega Gengar and Choice Scarf Xerneas. Smeargle is a reliable Sticky Web setter, and Taunt users like Yveltal and Tapu Lele synergize well with such a build.

Moves Necrozma-DM's immunity to Toxic, increased durability with defensive investment, and ability to punish many Defog users with Toxic make it a good Stealth Rock user. Toxic punishes Defog users like Arceus-Ground and Giratina-O and offensive checks like Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Swords Dance is an alternative option to pressure Defog users and Mega Sableye. Necrozma-DM can use various passive Pokemon as setup fodder thanks to its bulk, immunity to Toxic, and access to recovery. Swords Dance also allows Necrozma-DM to defeat Gothitelle and Z-Geomancy Xerneas more reliably. Sunsteel Strike lets Necrozma-DM check Fairy-types, and it still has good damage output without investment. Boosted Sunsteel Strike and Searing Sunraze Smash from uninvested Necrozma-DM is still capable of KOing many offensive foes. Morning Sun increases Necrozma-DM's longevity, letting it consistently set Stealth Rock and switch into foes it is tasked to check. Both Toxic and Swords Dance can be run at the cost of forgoing Stealth Rock, if there's already a solid Stealth Rock user on the team. Toxic helps Necrozma-DM facilitate its own sweep by putting its checks on a timer on the switch and bluffing its passivity until it can start setting up Swords Dance to begin its sweep. Set Details A fully specially defensive EV spread makes Necrozma-DM a strong check to Xerneas and the majority of support Arceus formes. The EV spread also allows Necrozma-DM to avoid 2HKO from support Arceus-Ground's Judgment, letting it stall out Arceus-Ground with Toxic. Leftovers provide Necrozma-DM with passive recovery, increasing its resilience to residual damage and lessening its reliance on Morning Sun. Solganium Z can be used to give Necrozma-DM a significantly greater offensive presence and prevent Gothitelle from trapping and neutralizing it. A physically defensive EV spread of 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD with an Impish nature can be used to better handle Mega Salamence and Rayquaza and even avoid 2HKO from Life Orb Marshadow with Leftovers recovery. Usage Tips Necrozma-DM will have ample opportunities to switch into Fairy-types, support Arceus formes, and predicted Toxic. The best it can usually do is set Stealth Rock to start pressuring the opposing team. It is the best to use Toxic against Defog users to put them on a timer and prevent them from freely removing Stealth Rock, but Toxic is also handy for punishing predictable switch-ins like Primal Groudon and other defensive checks like Arceus-Water. Necrozma-DM is quite bulky with investment and Prism Armor. It is capable of Toxic stalling support Arceus-Ground thanks to it avoiding the 2HKO from Judgment and defensive Primal Groudon due to Morning Sun's increased recovery in sun. However, it is also important to keep track of the damage Necrozma-DM takes from strong attacks and switch it out of strong attackers like Yveltal, which is capable of easily 2HKOing it. When running Swords Dance, revealing Toxic or Stealth Rock early will usually relieve opponents of pressure, as they will most likely assume that Necrozma-DM will lack offensive presence. This is especially useful for luring in defensive walls and using them as setup fodder and luring Mega Sableye and taking it out with boosted attacks. Necrozma-DM with Solganium Z is also capable of outright taking out Geomancy Xerneas and OHKOing offensive Yveltal and Mega Salamence after Stealth Rock damage. Use Sunsteel Strike and Morning Sun with caution, as their low PP can severely limit Necrozma-DM's usefulness in the long run if the moves were mindlessly used. Team Options As this set lacks a feasible way to deal with Ground- and Fire-types other than punishing them with Toxic, checks to them are recommended. Mega Salamence, Zygarde-C, Arceus-Water, and Arceus-Dragon can check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. The latter two are especially helpful with dealing with Mega Salamence as well, since Mega Salamence can set up on Necrozma-DM lacking Swords Dance. More reliable Ground-immune teammates include Giratina-O, Ho-Oh, and Yveltal. The former two are strong checks to defensive Primal Groudon and can spread status to various foes, which helps Necrozma-DM lacking Toxic. As both of them dislike Toxic, Necrozma-DM's ability to pivot into said status move is appreciated. Yveltal pressures Defog users, checks Ghost-types, overwhelms physically defensive foes, and appreciates Necrozma-DM functioning as a strong check to Fairy-types. Necrozma-DM lacking Swords Dance has little use against defensive teams. As Necrozma-DM compresses the role of a Stealth Rock setter, status spreader, and consistent blockade against Toxic users and Fairy-types, Pokemon that are otherwise obligated to compress these roles by themselves can run more offensive sets to cover Necrozma-DM's mentioned downside. The most obvious example is Primal Groudon, which is no longer obligated to run Stealth Rock and has freedom to run offensive sets like Swords Dance to heavily pressure defensive cores. Necrozma-DM carrying Stealth Rock also frees a team slot for more offensive Pokemon; stallbreakers like Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, Primal Kyogre, and Rayquaza can break through defensive teams while appreciating the utility Necrozma-DM provides. Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy are solid answers to all relevant Dark-types. Xerneas's cleric support is useful to Necrozma-DM as well, since burns leave it very passive. Arceus-Fairy has more freedom with movesets, as Necrozma-DM employs Stealth Rock, Toxic, or both. It can lure and cripple problematic Steel-types with Will-O-Wisp or alleviate Necrozma-DM's inability to set or keep Stealth Rock up against defensive teams by pressuring Mega Sableye and Giratina, by running Stealth Rock itself. It is important to note, however, that Necrozma-DM and Fairy-types are all vulnerable to Mega Gengar, and they struggle against Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. Arceus formes with Will-O-Wisp, clerics, and certain Defog users can prove problematic to this set. Mega Gengar and Gothitelle can trap and remove most of them.