What is a good moveset for Archaludon?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Archaludon, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for Duraludon should be posted on the thread for Duraludon.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Archaludon Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

smh no metal burst archaludon?

Answer 1

Everyone cares more about Eviolite Duraludon. Sad.

GEN 9 OU RAIN SWEEPER

Silver Gate (Archaludon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sturdy
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Electro Shot
- Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse
- Flash Cannon
- Aura Sphere / Dark Pulse

This thing's signature move is busted in rain, Meteor Beam on aSteriods (pun not intended). Draco Meteor / Dragon Pulse are STAB, along with Flash Cannon. Aura Sphere / Dark Pulse give coverage. This works well with Pelliper not only because of the rain, but Pelliper also resists Fighting and Ground, Archaludon's only weaknesses. Tera Electric Electro Shot can pretty much 2HKO anything, expecially because of the Spa boosts you get from using it.
Hope I helped!

Comments

I think the pun was intended

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Choice Scarf? Sturdy? Why not Assault Vest and Stamina?

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He wanna be fast

Answer 2

Wall and Enamorus Counter

Gen 9 OU Assault Vest Set
Wall (Archaludon) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Stamina
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 252 HP / 64 SpA / 192 SpD
Modest Nature
- Body Press
- Flash Cannon
- Draco Meteor
- Dragon Tail

Archaludon has proven to be a great Physical wall in this Meta with a great Defense stat plus Stamina. Stamina punishes predicted pivot moves, Triple Axel users, and Scale Shot sweepers on the swap in. Assault Vest helps bolster its otherwise middling SpDef. The EVs and Nature is to make Archaludon as bulky as possible, while also guaranteeing a OHKO to Enamorus with Flash Cannon.

Body Press synergies well with Stamina, allowing Archaludon to dish out heavy damage. Flash Cannon is important Enamorus and Iron Boulder coverage. Draco Meteor is powerful STAB to nuke the influx of Dragon Types, and also covers against Unaware Skeledirge. Dragon Tail to stop setup that might try to dance around Stamina.

Tera Fairy removes Archaludon’s former weaknesses and gives it a Fighting resistance. It also allows Archaludon to avoid damage from Spec Walking Wake, Raging Bolt, and Latios who would otherwise take a huge chunk out of Archaludon or even OHKO it. Tera Fairy also helps check Roaring Moon, one of the most problematic threats in OU right now. Resisting a Focus Blast from Deoxys-S is also pretty good.

This set can usually power through several opponent mons before dying. Wish Support is appreciated and allows Archaludon to go for another round of terror.

Answer 3

Gen 9 Monotype Physically Defensive Stealth Rock (Dragon)

Archaludon @ Leftovers
Ability: Stamina
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 248 HP / 208 Def / 52 Spe or 248 HP / 176 Def / 32 SpD / 52 Spe
Bold / Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Flash Cannon / Iron Head
- Body Press
- Draco Meteor / Thunderbolt / Thunder Wave

A Stealth Rock set Archaludon can use on Dragon teams in Gen 9 Monotype. Stealth Rock lets Archaludon setup a hazard that chips opposing Pokemon switching in. Flash Cannon is used for a Steel STAB that allows Duraludon to threaten Fairy-types. Iron Head is an alternative so Archaludon can OHKO Flutter Mane. Body Press is Archaludon's main way of attacking since its defense stat will increase thanks to Stamina, making Body Press stronger. Body Press is nice to hit Steel-types such as Heatran, Kingambit, Excadrill, opposing Archaludon, Hisuian Goodra, and Iron Treads super effectively. The last slot depends which Steel STAB you use. If you use Flash Cannon, use Draco Meteor or Thunderbolt. Draco Meteor is used for a powerful Dragon STAB that is useful to hit Dragon-types such as Baxcalibur, Gouging Fire, and Dragapult super effectively. Thunderbolt is used to hit Pokemon such as Corviknight, Azumarill, Primarina, Pelipper, and Skarmory super effectively. If you use Iron Head, Thunder Wave is used so Archaludon doesn't have to use a nature that compromises its bulk or attacking power by using a mixed set. Leftovers is used to give Archaludon a little HP recovery.

The EV spread and Nature you use depend on which Steel STAB you use. If you use Flash Cannon, use the EV spread of 248 HP / 208 / 52 Spe with Bold Nature. Keep in mind that both EV spreads have enough speed to outspeed max speed +speed nature base 50 Pokemon such as Azumarill and Kingambit. If you use Iron Head, use the EV spread of 248 HP / 176 Def / 32 SpD / 52 Spe with Impish nature. The 32 Special Defense EVs combined with the 248 HP EVs allow Archaludon to live a Choice Specs Moonblast from Flutter Mane from full HP, allowing Archaludon to OHKO it with Iron Head.

Answer 4

Goldengate (Archaludon) @ Leftovers
Ability: Stamina
Tera Type: Dragon
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Electro Shot
- Dragon Pulse
- Flash Cannon
- Metal Sound

I use this moveset for my own Archaludon in Violet, and it has proven its worth by sweeping all the Kitakami story so far (Conquering Loyal Three) Metal Sound is a good move as a start for getting DOUBLE damage on all enemies, and Electro Shot / Flashcannon improve this even more. Dragon Pulse is put on there to end Dragons and be a jack of all trades, master of none. Hope someone gets use out of Goldengate, and good luck!

Comments

I think I stole your nickname for mine

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That's fine, it's just referring to the bridge in California.

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Stealth Rock is better than Metal Sound and Electro Shot outside of Rain is usually a risky pick, so preferably Body Press.

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Oh, body press! That's really smart, actually. But Metal Sound lets all subsequent special moves do double damage or something. And if you need stealthrocks, guess who else is a gen 9 Uber? Glimmora, who can set up all the entry hazards, other than webs.

Answer 5

Golden Gate (Archaludon) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Stamina
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 76 HP / 52 Def / 112 SpA / 52 SpD / 216 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dragon Pulse
- Flash Cannon
- Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt

Golden Gate the Archaludon is a force to be reckoned with. A living Golden Gate Bridge with enough SpA firepower to raze all of San Francisco. We start with the moveset, which I had a lot of fun making. Dragon Pulse and Flash Cannon are good STAB moves that provide strength to rival legendaries. Dark Pulse was just for laughs. I thought I could provide some kind of move that could throw the enemy off guard and hopefully flinch them. What better way to do that than with Dark Pulse. Final Move is Thunderbolt and I got inspiration off of this Pokemon's signature move: Electro Shot. Although I didn't feel like twisting my moves, item and weather conditions around to make Electro Shot work perfectly, Thunderbolt felt like a good substitute. The Stamina Ability made sense to me because of his already high defenses, which negates the need for Sturdy, and Stalwart isn't a favorite of mine when it comes to abilities. Now obviously the Modest Nature is useful for me because of my antics with it's moveset. A sweeper is what I think this Pokemon should be so Modest nature made the most sense. Assault Vest, I felt could prevent any potential issues with SpD. Admittedly it's going to anyway because Stamina and High Def are already contenders, but I work with what I got. EV Spreads is the funky part for me. I'm not much for the norm and don't follow the divisible by 4 rule. Instead I just mess with the needed stats as much as needed with all the precision I can muster. Now lastly is the Tera Type, which I made Dark to twist things around and provide Dark Pulse some STAB usage. That's my Archaludon for you. Hope it helps all you comp grinders out there

Comments

I'm curious, why Thunderbolt and not Electro Shot? Sure it takes two turns, but Archaludon's whole moveset gets a +1 to SpAtk! The move also has 130 base power!

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@VoidDstroyer  I am not a huge fan of any 2 turn moves.  Because they're so finicky when they are converted to 1 turn moves and take a solid amount of effort to make them work like 1 turn moves

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That EV spread is strange. Also, why run something like Dark Pulse over Body Press and an Electric move is rather useless outside of Electro Shot.

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@Anchor9  This is quite literally my first set of any pokemon.  Never done this.  So kindly keep rude comments to yourself, K?  As for the moves, you have a point on the electric moves but Dark Pulse connects to the Tera Type and Body Press is a no because my set is a Special Attacker.  The EV Spread is just my opinions.  I'm a precise battler and when crafting my mons for battle, I much prefer to do my own thing with EV Spreads.  Not a must for anyone else

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Commenting about EV spreads isn't rude tbh...

Though I'm also curious on how you came up with that EV spread. Were there certain Pokemon you had in mind when creating the EV spread?

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Ok, sorry if I sounded rude. But you do realize Body Press uses your defense and not your attack, so it’s actually pretty viable on Archaludon, especially because of Stamina.

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@RisingManectric  My strat with EV Spreads isn't to make it all divisible by 4 or anything.  I try to even out defenses on the Pokemon as well as the preferred offensive stat.  Speed and HP take lower priority with me

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@Anchor9  No worries.  Autism in me overreacted.  And no I never thought about the Body Press mechanic that boosts it's own power based on Physical Defense.  I, along with your advice on the electric moves, could take out Thunderbolt for Body Press

Answer 6

IT'S A BRIDGE AND I LOVE IT

VGC (Rain Team)
BrooklynBaby (Archaludon) @ Assault Vest
Ability: Stamina
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 SpA/ 252 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Tera Type: Steel
Modest Nature

-Electro Shot
-Flash Cannon
-Dragon Pulse
-Body Press

Assault Vest boosts the sadly pitiful Special Defense that my favorite bridge has. No EVs in Defense, because every time you're hit with a move it's raised, thanks to Stamina. This will also power up Body Press. Flash Cannon and Dragon Pulse are STAB, and Flash Cannon is boosted with Tera Steel. Electro Shot is mandatory on Rain Teams, because of it's absurd power, Special Attack boost, and hitting in one turn because of rain. A good partner would be Pelipper, who can hit Hurricanes and rain boosted Surfs, so it perfectly covers Archaludon's weaknesses when Terastallized.